PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - UK Over Water Singles- Update: Sensible Decision
Old 29th March 2004 | 14:24
  #75 (permalink)  
headsethair
 
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 593
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From: UK
Head: Are you forgetting a few important facts ?

The R22 Mariner is discontinued. The R22 & the R44 cannot be retro-fitted with floats.

The R22 doesn't have the spare weight to carry 2 ELTs.

The extra weight of all the proposed devices added to any light helicopter actually gives those machines less margin for error and therefore makes them less safe.

As for pax - they have a choice. They can be given the stats and take an informed, personal decision. (And I know what it would be.)

Finally, why should there be legislation to cover an event which hardly ever occurs ?

Let's concentrate on the REAL safety issues associated with helicopters : the most common causes of fatal and non-fatal accidents. Let's stop the wire-strikes, CFIT, settling with power and downright carelessness which costs lives and gives helicopters a bad name.

And let's realise that if you give people floats, ELTs and life jackets they will reward you with even more carelessness. It's like the question I once asked a car safety designer - "What's the safest car ?".

"One with a 12 inch spike extending from the steering wheel boss towards the driver," was the answer.

Air bags, ABS, anti-skid axles - they just give people some strange licence to misbehave. And flying can easily go down the same expensive route.
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