TRAVEL

33 - Sunday, July 15, 1990 - North Shore News

Good news, bad news about airline safety

MY FEAR of flying is a joke to everyone who knows me,
especially when they know what I do for a living.

However, over the vears I’ve
gotten to know the majority of
other travel writers around town
and an amazing number of them
are just as white-knuckled as !
am. We simply grit our teeth and
silently applaud each safe
touchdown.

We also get a lift from our own
courage in facing, again and
again, something that scares the
hell out of us.

The funniest situation I ever
encountered aloft was somewhere
over Saskatchewan on a_ hot
summer day. The turbulance was
simply awful — the plane hopped
all over the sky like a demented
grasshopper.

I was seated next to a man who
was clearly as nervous as 1 was
and reacted in the same way — we
babbied to each other. At one
point 1 said, ‘‘Can you imagine
someone as scared as I am work-
ing as a travel writer?’’

He replied, ‘‘I can top that. I’m
a cargo pilot.”

He explained that he wasn’t
nervous when he was in the front
seat, but as soon as someone else
had control his knuckles went
white.

It was another travel writer who
spotted an article in the current
Guly) issue of Conde Nast Travel-
fer entitled ‘“‘The World’s Safest
Airlines,” by Gary Stoller. My
writer friend likes flying about as
much as { do, and suggested thar
the article might be of great inter-
est to me.

Statistics are usually boring
stuff, but when one is continually
climbing aboard planes it’s nice to
know something about their track

records. It’s a bit like having
brain surgery — you want the guy
with the knife to be good at what
he does.

The first point made in the arti-
cle was that despite a huge in-
crease in the number of planes
flying around, the number of fatal
accidents is steadily decreasing.

They compared the figures from
1950-1969 with ones from 1969-
1988 to come to this conclusion.
The statistics were based on the
records of 80 carriers, worldwide.
They looked at scheduled airlines
only — excluding charter com-
panies.

Well, who won first prize?

Thirty-one airlines came out of
the study with absolutely clean re-
cords. Unfortunately, three of
these got into trouble in 1989.

The only fair way to judge the
performance of any airline is bas-
ed on both the number of flights
and the number of passengers car-
tied. For example, Southwest
Airlines (U.S.A.} and Canadian
Airlines International both had
perfect records, but Southwest
flew 1,876,448 flights in that time

Tour Demonstration Forest

ESCAPE THE city for a few
hours and enjoy the 1990 Summer
Tour Program in the Greater
Vancouver Regional District’s
Seymour Demonstration Forest in
North Vancouver.

Every -Sunday until Oct. 7, vol-
unteers from the forest industry
will guide you through the
Demonstration Forest’s Integrated
Resource Management Loop
Trail.

The informal one-and-a-half-
hour walks leave the parking lot
at noon and 2 p.m. The walks
take place regardless of the
weather.

The Seymour Demonstration

er AYER an aINS ARTE RONDA NE tS

DEPARTURES FROM THE

GREAT SAVINGS Os Crt
Wart Can.

|: those af you why havedared

not to upgrade your standard
of travelling, for fear of cost,

here now is your chance to see

Line. hy consensus
the world’s finest
cruise line, announces

Fhe
ROVRLVIKING LE wsrrrvcedented

ollowing

TRAVEL EXPERTS LTD.

Forest is a 5,600 hectare working
forest nestled between Mount
Seymour Provincial Park and
Lynn Headwaters Regional Park.

The many walking and hiking
trails provide a natural outdoor
classroom for visitors.

Learn about integrated resource
management while walking on a
gentle 1.5 kilometre trail that is

suitable for the whole family, ex--

cept pets. Cycling to Seymour
Dam, a unique opportunity for
cycling enthusiasts, is permitted
on weekends only.

Groups or individuals can ar-
range for private tours during the
week by calling the Demonstration
Forest at 432-6285.

Poe Ate te

Non
ABOARD ROYAL VIKING LINE.

$3 To BERMUDA AND Bargnapos
DEAN DOLLARS AT PAR.

HWY LIND VIM PEW iE) 9 teeny

Ot TSIDE
. CARIN

CRUE
BERMUDA SERIES
Franke [wewccctas] sms $1005 |
BARBADOS SERIES

[sou io.mec | save | S795 |

nate

HEN Fon ih THEW OMUME INITID gC MT

926-8511
1716 Marine Drive, West Vancouver

The ws the coseptinnal cahered thea idler. ene praten toons of

49 it gaenbanahle,

ame 4
and pram ar weer dathlecesupemy Cran lonee conay fren B05 SEEN IS Se the tree! agent alone be dtste

period while Canadian (including
old CP Air) flew 988,619,

That puts Southwest to the top
of the list as the safest airline in
the world.

The top five based on number
of flights are: Southwest, Ansetr

travelwise

Barbara McCreadie

(Australia), KLM (Holland), Fin-
nair (Finland) and Canadian
Airlines International, in that
order.

A further set of figures was in-
cluded, based on the number of
passengers carried. The top three
remained the same, but positions
four and five were taken over by
Singapore and Hawaiian, Cana-
dian dropping to sixth spot.

Now comes the bad news.

Who has the worst records bas-
ed on fatal accidents per million
scheduled flights and also based
on fatalities per million passengers
carried?

Here is where the element of
terrorism becomes a factor. | feel
it a bit unfair to blame any airline
for a fatality related to terrorism.
So much of the responsibility is
assumed by the airport, not the
airline.

Here are the lists of the world’s

worst, based as before on both
number of flights and number of
passengers carried.

These are the statistics, ex-
cluding terrorism as a factor; the
worst:

Based on number of flights:
Aeroflot (Russia), China Airlines
(Taiwan), Turkish Airlines, Egypt-
Air, CAAC (China).

Based on number of fatalities
per million passengers: Turkish
Airlines, Air India, Avianca,
Nigeria Airways and LOT Polish.

In general, airlines based in
Asia, the Middle East and Eastern
Europe had the highest accident
rates.

One extremely positive figure
emerged from the study: Based on
U.S. airlines statistics, 41 per cent
of passengers involved in crashes
where fatalities occurred escaped.

We all know that airlines can,
and should, take a big ster: for-
ward in making the interior of an
aircraft safer for their passengers.

Recently, a move has been
made to insist that infants and
small kids have their own seats
and proper infant carriers. About
time!

The upholstery and fittings in
planes need attention. If that
stuff burns the fumes are lethal.

As a passenger, your survival! in
a crash is partly your responsibili-
ty. Stay sober! Listen to the safety
demonstrations, especially noting
your nearest emergency exit.
Count the rows of seats between
yourself and that exit so that you
can feel your way out if you must.

Pants are safer to wear than
skirts.

Natural
synthetics.

fibres are safer than

If you have enough warning of
impending disaster, take off wat-
ches, rings, plastic belts, nylon
socks and even a nylon bra if
you're wearing one.

ene

On long flights I carry a cotton
knit jogging suit in my kand lug-
gage. As soon as we reach cruising
altitude, I’m off to the washroom
to change.

On our most recent long flight,
to Tokyo, one of the flight atten-
dants saw me trotting off with my
**trackies’’ in hand and paid me a
compliment: *‘f've been at this job
for 20 years and that’s the
smartest thing I’ve seen a passen-
ger do. I'd never even thought of
it, but next time | fly as a passen-
ger I'll be doing the same thing.”’

if you can afford a
vacation

You can afford a
cruise vacation

For rnore details call

985-7447 (SHIP)
4823 Capilano Rd.

ELKIN CREEK GUEST RANCH

NEMAIAH VALLEY, B.C.

SPECIAL ALL-INCLUSIVE PACKAGES

QUAD 4 | TRIPLE 3 | DOUBLE 2|SINGLE 1

EXTRA"
PERSON

Psias: [seas | steo | sizs | $70 |

All prices are per person and include applicable taxes.

Children: 4 and under
5-12

~ free
— 1/2 price

“Quad rate will apply to couples willing to share their
cabin with another couple.

**Maximum of 2 extra people per cabin.

Special Long-Weekend Discount Prices

3 days $379
4 days $499
9 days $999

Prices valid: June 22 — July 8

July 27 — August 12
August 25 - September 9

~~,
fCon, wy

WILULAMS CARE

‘by,
“le

om WE Mala,
‘ Vale,

VANCOUVER

Children under 6-free
7-12 -1/2 price

All prices are per person, based on double occupancy and include all applicable taxes; Prices

subject to change without notice.
Ad

Availabie:

{al an extra cosi)

Your Package Includes:

+ Lodging in one of our luxurious !og cabins
+ All meals (gourmet dinner)

+ Lounge

» Sauna

+ Games room

+ Horseback riding
* Fishing boats

+ Canoes

+ Windsurting

> Western bar

+ Fitness tacilities
+ Reading room

+ Trail rides

+ Hay rides

+ Swimming

+ Sailing

+ Hiking and wildlife observation

CALL OR WRITE FOR DETAILS

(604) 984-4666 Fax (604) 984-4686

221 Rondovai Crescent, North Vancouver, B.C. V7N 2W6
Chartered flight from Vancouver $335 Return