Plane Down in Hudson River - NYC

[Capvermell]

Chris Yates, an 'aviation expert' interviewed on BBC News just said that an A320 in the take off phase can't get airborne on one engine. So what are all those V1 cuts I've been practicing in the sim?

When I challenged Sky News on their decision to interview Chris Yates (rather than someone who actually knows what they are talking about) following August's Spanair crash I received the following reply from their Assistant Editor, Peter Lowe:-

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Comments about Chris Yates
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:56:21 +0100
From: Lowe, Peter (Osterley) <[email protected]>
To: ____________

Dear Mr.__________ Thank you for your comments about Chris Yates and I’m grateful to hear this opinion of his contribution to the output.

Chris Yates is not the only commentator we use to talk about air industry matters and indeed we used several more experts on the day in question. David Learmount is probably the person we most like to use when he’s available because we agree he is a real expert on the subject.

I agree that expert commentators are only worthwhile if they add to the viewer’s understanding of the issue. Thank you for taking the time and trouble to write.

Peter Lowe,
Assistant Editor, Sky News

This was my original email to Sky News.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Chris Yates - So Called Air Crash Expert Who In Fact Knows Nothing
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:48:59 +0100
From:
Reply-To:
To: [email protected]C: [email protected]

Why is it that after almost every major air crash of a passenger
aircraft your channel only ever seems to interview the unimpressive
Chris Yates who has an appalling inability to present his comments in a
fluid or comprehensible manner and who seems to add very little indeed
to the viewer's understanding of what has happened.

Clearly Mr Yates always makes himself available to you at a moment's
notice but surely there must be plenty of other people with greater
knowledge of commercial aircraft (for instance David Learmount) and more
impressive presentational skills that you could also interview or
interview instead of My Yates?

I look forward to your comments.

Regards,