C14-Sunday News, July 20, 1980

met ing” no
white-knackle flier,
like me, should ever
do. But like the kid that
bites down.on a loose
tooth tozsee if it ‘still
hurts I couldn't resist.
So, | I read .some |
scare” books on flying. —
Here is a\list of NON-
RECOMMENDED | reading

for anyone the least ap-..

prehensive:

UNSAFE AT ANY HEIGHT §

by John Godson

JET ROULETTE - FLYING ©

IS A ‘GAME* OF :CHANCE
by:Fred. McClement
AIRLINE ‘SAFETY IS A
MYTH. by. Capt. Vernon
Lowell

: The front cover of “Unsafe
at: ‘any Height” gets you-of to
a great start! It. states (in
vivid pink and orangé_ let-
ters) “A chilling indictment
of the airlines and. the
aviation -industry for the
laxness, ‘incompetence, and
avarice which take a tragic
toll each year in lives and
injuries and make a trip on a
airplane a far more perilous
experience than
passengers ever imagine.”

Wow! Every time I board
an aircraft, I know for
certain that it will not get off
the. ground, OR if it does, it
won't stay up, BUT if it does,
then it will come down at the
wrong time or in the wrong
place. My usual bet is that it
will choose either the middle
of the ocean or the corner of
Main and Broadway for its
unscheduled descent.

These three books go on
to detail all the other little
nasties that can occur, from
parts of the fuselage
detaching to fires in the
wires. I really needed a
summary of all the cargo
doors that have popped out
and little macabre touches
such as passengers popping
out after them at 33,000 feet.

For me, “getting there” is
anything but fun. The joy of
a vacation begins when I
arrive at my destination and
ends the day before I leave
for home. I search the faces
of my fellow passengers and
wonder if they are the group
I'm about to die with. Does
that stewardesss logk
scared? Well, the pilot looks
old enough to have plenty of
experience. I wonder if he's
had any recent chest pains.
That co-pilot looks too
young to date my daughter,
and she’s only 17.

by Barbara
McCreadie

As we prepare for take-
off, I get my cigarettes and
lighter firmly in hand so that
I won't have to waste a

_ Minute when the no-smoking
sign flicks off — should we
ever get that far. On one

most

IONIC Cc

Keep Canada
Beautiful
Pitch-in ‘80

Cruise from Vancouver

To California

September
Angeles 3 days and
$4099 starts you ona

165th the ODESSA walls fro tos

mghts of tun and relaxing
Bunny Noliday including the

relaxing cruise and flight back to Vancouver Op
tional 4 day extentions to Hollywood San Diego &

Oisneyland trom

$160 At

14 000 tons — the

Odessa provides casino exciting dinng theatre
dancing and above all the relaxing Ocean voyayo
This interesting Russian vessel ts open tor timited

inspection July 27th

ODESSA

For boarding passes call

P LAWSON TRAVEL
4 : Park Royal - North Mal!

022-4131

’ particularly rough take-off, 'T

even grabbed the hand of a

perfect stranger seated next
to me. He spent the rest. of

the flight suggesting that we

get better acquainted upon

survival. |

As anyone who travels as

many miles as I doin a year,
I've had some scary ex-
periences but nothing really
serious. Anyway, I do take
all the precautions just in
case. Here are some of
them:

1. I don’t care if the
seatbelt sign is OFF. Mine
stays firmly fastened.
Unexpected turbulence
happens frequently and who
needs to test the strength of
the ceiling with your head&

2. I listen to the cabin
crew when they give their
instructions. When they tell
me there is a life jacket
under my seat, I grope
around to make sure. That
little cardin the pocketgets: a
quick read.

3. I check the TWO
closest emergency doors and
read the instructions for

“Hi, Jack!”

If

-emergency.Although

an
the
cabin crew is trained to

opening in

operate these, situations can,

occur when they can't get
there and some dolt of a
passenger has had to wrestle
with the thing.

4. Whenever possible, I
avoid questionable airlines.
If-my choice is between
“Bindertwine Aviation”, and
the train, I buy a good book
and a train ticket.

The final chapter in

“Unsafe at any Height” is
entitled “What to do in an
emergency.” Here. are the
rules, summarized:
1. As soon as an emergency
has been declared, remove
all sharp objects from your
pockets and put them in the
seat pocket in front.

2. Get your lifejacket on.
Many planes have made
emergency landings on what
was expected to be dry land
and ended up in a lake or
river.

3. Straighten your seat and
sit in the middle of it. If
possible, put blankets and

lidays/ West SHI

Fully Escorted Tours 1980-81

Pacific Harbour

Departure |
Departure 2

Algarve/ Estoril

Fiji

Ort Ato ld 1d nights
keb 2710 Mar 12? 14 nights

Portugal

November Tio lA 14 niphts
February 2tto March lO 14 nights

Monterey
San Diego

Maui/ Hawaii
Oahu/ Molokai

Kauai/ Maui

1823 Capilano Road

North Vancouver

September Stal.

Ov tobaer £7

Trniphis

November Sta lS 7 ntphts

October tra tl OC nphes
February 2h ia 2s

to Vd

"niphis

Pf nights

February Ptta 2S Po onights

November lo to WO Ld nights

can be exclusively yours
Le y
Capilano Travel

985-0441

‘pillows between the sides of

your body and the arm rests

-4. Tighten, your seat belt.
Impact can loosen it slightly,
allowing you to slide un-
derneath.

5. Put your feet under you
on the floor, not under the
seat ahead. - oo

6. Put some padding,
cushions or blankets around
your head when the final
“Brace for impact” in-
structions are given.

7. While waiting for these
instructions, read and _ re-
read: the instructions noting

your emergency exits, how °

to inflate life rafts etc. Plan
your own escape route and
choose an alternate on the
other side of the plane. If
there is stilll time, stow all
loose objects in the life
jacket pocket.

8. When the final “Brace
for impact” is given, lock
your hands over the pillow
on the back of your neck and
interlace your fingers. Press
your neck firmly, forehead
against your knees.

9. There will likely be
more than one impact so
don’t move until the plane
has stopped or is close to
stopping. Collision on the
ground can also occur.

1126 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver

“ the aircraft

10. When the plane has
stopped, make your planned
escape. Leave your hand
baggage behind.

11. Get as far A4way from
as possible,
especially if there is any sign
of smoke or fire.

Well, since I'd already
ruined my week with reading
all this scare literature, I felt
it only fair to do the same for
my readers. Wasn’ t that nice
of me?

passport

fos

while you wait
North Shore Darkroom

1527 Lonsdale 988-9813

WAIKIKI °419

8 Days, 7 Nights, Ab & Hotel

-WAIKIKI *429

15 Days, 14 Nights, Air & Hote!

LAS VEGAS ‘199

5 Days, 4 Nights, Air & Hotel

RENO *269

8 Days, 7 Nights, Air & Hotel

RENO >209

4 Nights, Air & Hote!

DISNEYLAND +299

6 Days, 5 Nights, Al & Hotel ~

1666 Robson Street
’. 10507 K. Geo. Hwy. Surrey
689-7117
Reg. Travel Agent No. 157-3

PLANNING
A TRIP

Call our Travel
Expert Marilynn

987-5244

North & West Van Residents

...are you a

P WATCHER?

AR OLN SR Rds inte aor

Cail in for your FREE GUIDE
_ oF TEELES TRAVEL WORLD LTD.

#106-260 W. Esplanade, N.V.
987-2214
1507 Bellevue, W.V.
926-6871

i eiepenedenerane