Talks about flight safety
FOURWAYS - The Lanseria based Wits Flying Club, held aviation safety talks with General Des Barker to discuss flight safety on 27 March.
Barker a former Chief test pilot for the South African Air Force, presented the dangers and benefits regarding the safety and responsibility in the world of aviation.
The talks were the reaction to the recent slew of air show crashes which have occurred, most notably during the Secunda airshow crash in which Kyalami resident Glen Dell lost his life on 12 October last year.
Barker compared flying to driving and stated that when you leave the 2 dimensional realm of driving and enter the 3 dimensional of flying one is exposed to a whole wide variety of environmental factors which will influence the level of control and competence.
In his presentation General Barker said that many of the accidents in recent years can be attributed to an insufficient understanding of the aircraft and its processes, slow decision making or procedural non-compliance.
In his short term solutions he said that a change in attitude and a rise in both discipline and knowledge are integral in beating
the odds. He added that sufficient training, improved maintenance and continuous repetition would increase the levels of safety for future generations of pilots.
Details: Wits Flying Club Website (hyperlink: https://www.witsflyingclub.co.za/)
