Spacial disorientation, turbines deadly mix for pilots

 In Letters, Opinion

Editor:

After watching the Mayday program recently on TV, it is shocking to discover that since the John Kennedy deadly crash that killed three people it was decided that more aviation focus is to be put on this phenomenon known as spacial disorientation to train new pilots.

The expert team of investigators concluded that John Kennedy, flying in dense foggy haze and unfortunately, one number out on his radio weather station became spatially disoriented.

He did not have enough experience to understand that when his brain and senses told him the opposite, that he must trust and use his instruments and level out!

Instead it is concluded that he “felt and believed that his instruments were wrong and not working properly.”

This is classic spacial disorientation and behaviour with the deadly results that followed.

Visual flying at both of our Collingwood Regional Airport and the Clearview Aerodrome is standard. Pilots are at risk of bad weather situations and low ceilings coming off Georgian Bay.

There are times when they have to force themselves not to listen to their own brain and senses and instead force themselves, against their very nature to correct to level flight by believing their altimeter.

Whether a pilot flies downward straight into the ocean believing he/she is flying level or descends into a giant structure while believing he/she is beyond it is too great an inevitability that is sure to kill our young pilots in training and even experienced pilots with passengers that have never had to deal with such deadly obstacles as huge 50-storey tall wind turbines.

Forced by sudden bad weather as is typical off Georgian Bay, to land while knowing that there is a cluster of deadly obstacles out there but not being able to see them is a catastrophe waiting to happen.

Amazingly, our Ministry that approved this project in the middle of two airports in Collingwood /Stayner is asking our pilots and all pilots flying into our airports to constantly play Russian roulette!

This point needs to be driven home to the public that flies. The public has a right to know of this dangerous situation that is playing out in the Environmental Review Tribunal now, whereby a politically motivated mandate and non pilots find themselves in this ludicrous position of having to make the decision of ruling this approval to stand or to repeal this approval that never should have been approved in the first place. Surely common sense would apply precautionary principle.

Melodie Burkett,

Stayner.

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