Dual instruction among safest flight operations, but new ASF study notes two areas of concern
Dual flight instruction is among the safest types of general aviation operations, a new study by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation confirms. But the study also suggests student pilots and instructors should pay more attention when practicing emergency procedures or operating in the pattern.
Flight Instruction Safety: An In-Depth Look at Instructional Accidents 1992-2001 identified two areas of flight training with higher fatality rates than others: low-level maneuvering flight and failure to see and avoid, leading to midair collisions. The study found that a full third of fatal dual instruction accidents happen when instructors and students are practicing emergency procedures. Midair collisions accounted for another 16 percent.
"In the one case, instructors are inadvertently allowing a simulated emergency to degenerate into a real one," said ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. "In the other, what should be an asset-a second set of eyes in the cockpit-isn't paying dividends."
The new report is the second in a series of studies on GA safety. The data are found in ASF's GA Accident Database, the largest and most complete nongovernmental resource in the world. The studies are available online.
AOPA, members lambaste CBS over GA airport security story
AOPA and hundreds of its members sprang to the defense of general aviation after the CBS Evening News ran a story on GA airport security filled with half-truths and false conclusions.
For the report, CBS visited a residential airpark, portrayed it as a typical example of security at GA airports, and concluded that the lack of airline-style security measures constitute a national security threat.
AOPA President Boyer chastised CBS News in a letter to its president, Andrew Heyward. "Your irresponsible reporting techniques included...failure to mention a wide range of security initiatives-developed by AOPA and other organizations in concert with the FAA and Homeland Security-that are now in practice across the country," he wrote.
In an e-mail to CBS, one student pilot echoed Boyer's comments. "With the help of organizations like AOPA, GA has become more aware of general security issues."
An influential member of the House Aviation subcommittee also weighed in with a letter to Heyward. Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.) wrote, "I am concerned that your report has provided skewed information to the general public about the potential security threat posed by general aviation. As with commercial aviation, security has dramatically improved in general aviation."
"News reports like the one on CBS hurt all aspects of general aviation, from flight training to business aviation," said Boyer. "They make the general public fear a nonexistent threat and lawmakers try to 'fix' a nonexistent problem."
Win A Twin Comanche to headline at annual AOPA Fly-In and Open House
The grand prize in AOPA's 2004 Win A Twin Sweepstakes, a 1965 Piper Twin Comanche, will take time out from its restoration odyssey to appear on center stage at AOPA's fourteenth annual Fly-In and Open House in Frederick, Maryland, on June 5.
The event has become the largest one-day event of its kind in the country, with approximately three dozen aircraft on static display outside AOPA's headquarters, more than 100 vendor exhibits showcasing the latest products and services for pilots, and a full range of aviation seminars.
"The fly-in offers great opportunities for student pilots, new pilots, and instructors," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "From informative seminars to pilot supplies to a chance to pick the brains of our knowledgeable staff, it's all here in one place for one day."
Experience AOPA at Sun 'n Fun
AOPA members have a day all their own at this year's Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida.
AOPA Day on Friday, April 16, will feature discounted admission for AOPA members, a free gift for the first 5,000 visitors to AOPA's tent, and safety seminars presented by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation.
AOPA's Win A Twin Sweepstakes aircraft, a 1965 Piper Twin Comanche, will be parked right outside the AOPA tent. Work on the engines and airframe is complete, but the panel and interior are still being refurbished.
AOPA Day events will actually kick off the night before, when AOPA President Phil Boyer will host a Pilot Town Meeting at the Florida Air Museum. "This is our biggest presence ever at Sun 'n Fun," said Boyer. "We want our members and the entire general aviation community to experience AOPA."
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