Originally Posted by
Airbubba
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) held a press conference earlier today and sent a letter to the FAA with the questions below. I've attached the full letter to this post, it includes a copy of Collings' LHFE exemption notice. The exemption letter has details on the requirements and restrictions for carrying passengers in the listed historic aircraft.
The Senator is on occasion one of the few voices of reason at what passes for government today in the US of A, but his comments on the B-17 show lack of pre-briefing or knowledge.
Since 1982, the 23 deaths before these 7 is an extraordinarily low level of fatalities. That stands as a credit to the efforts of those concerned, notwithstanding the personal loss and suffering that accompanies each injury and death. These aircraft were designed at a time where minimal safeguards were applied in comparison to current transport category standards. It is because of the knowledge gained in their operations and similar civil developments that we get to the rules that apply to new designs.
Adding black boxes is not just irrelevant, it is fundamentally unachievable to any extent that would leave the character of the aircraft that exists at present. It is akin to covering the cabin of an open biplane cockpit as the nanny state is worried about mussing your hair up. The causation of these accidents is usually clear from the evidence on the ground, look at the engine and prop in the building.... where is the benefit from having a TSO'd DFDR to an aircraft that has no sensors incorporated. A CVR/DCVR would be possible, as is video and that would give the investigators additional information, but they already have the info they need.
To expect that a WW-II bomber is going to meet existing airworthiness standards is inane. If the Senator assumes that the people who want to spend their money on a B-17 experiential ride would prefer to fly a warpaint wearing B787 then I doubt that is going to garner much support.
Watching a B-17 fly today is a reminder of the risks and sacrifices that were undertaken from those before, of all nationalities, those that were allies and those that were enemies at that time. It is part of our history, and to forget history is to risk repetition. Much like some clown deciding to turn a back to allies in the field in front of mortal enemies... Forgetting the past comes with global risks.
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who cannot learn...
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who do not remember their past are condemned...
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who do not read history are doomed...
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who fail to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors...
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who do not know history's mistakes are doomed...
"People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors."
Edmund Burke, in Revolution in france
When people cue up to go fly these aircraft, there is a mixed emotional state; at one end they want to experience in a much more controlled and non threatening environment, what the kids in WW-II experienced in mortal combat. That experience is still not without risk, and that risk may be acknowledged at one level, ink on paper on waivers etc for experimental/restricted category operations etc, but underneath it, there is also a level of denial that the risk is not really to the one, it is to others, and statistically, that is almost correct, but not always. Every accident has someone involved who didn't wake up that morning expecting to end up where they did. They are however part of something larger than themselves, perhaps there is a measure of solace in that fact to assuage the anguish of the personal loss.
"there is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval"
George Santayana
Condolences to all concerned on your tragic loss
Some Elective Activities Risks: - 41 people are killed on average every year in the USA skiing or snowboarding
- 30 people a year die in jet ski accidents (approx)
- 800 cyclists die every year (approx)
- 30 US climbers die every year on average
- 70 US scuba divers die every year
- between 300 and 400 US ATC riders die every year
- In an average year, "fewer than 1000" US people are accidentally shot in hunting, and "only 75" die
- 9000 injuries occur each year due to golf cart use
- Every 2-3 years someone is killed by a golf ball
- In 2012, 19 US parachutists died, in 2018, 13 died
- Kite surfing deaths from 2000 to mid 2007 averaged 8.3/year.