Sec. Trans LaHood says airline flying is DANGERGOUS and he's on it!

mikea

mikea

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But when LaHood berated me for suggesting that flying in a commercial airplane was a safe mode of transportation, I knew he was perfect for a Cabinet position.

In his best Illinois tough-guy form, LaHood was in the middle of grandstanding about the need for new regulations covering airlines and pilots, who, despite those imposing uniforms, according to LaHood, display the accountability of a pro athlete. And if airlines did not voluntarily hand over this personal information, Ray LaHood would make them do it.

When I asked LaHood if there was an outbreak of gruesome airline calamities that had somehow escaped my attention, he suggested I ask the relatives of those who died in a recent commuter jet accident about safety. Americans, he declared, were demanding more regulation. And he ended with a sarcastic quip, "I'm happy you feel safe."
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http://www.denverpost.com/harsanyi/ci_12771362
 
Oh boy! Just what we need. Another non-expert that's gonna fix things he knows little or nothing about--right. But he has served on a lot of Congressional committees--that makes him an expert--right?

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Before his career in government, Secretary LaHood was a high school teacher, having received his degree from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. He was also director of the Rock Island County Youth Services Bureau and Chief planner for the Bi-States Metropolitan Planning Commission in Illinois.
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Best,

Dave
 
In his best Illinois tough-guy form, LaHood was in the middle of grandstanding about the need for new regulations covering airlines and pilots, who, despite those imposing uniforms, according to LaHood, display the accountability of a pro athlete.

That sentence gave me a headache. This from a journalist no less.
 
Sounds like he has been feeding at the public trough all his life. Perhaps he should consider why it is that airlines try to prevent tragedy before it happens, whereas government does nothing until an event is big enough to make the news. Government was warned about Madhoff numerous times before it did anything. Government is just now trying to do something about our food supply and it's many Salmonella poisonings. They knew about the weak levies around New Orleans long before Catrina, the housing bubble, etc. the list goes on and on, and on.

The inept and incompetent desperately looking for a cause in order to take the attentions away from their own bumblings and failures.

John
 
If he thinks AIRLINES are unsafe, I cah just imagine what he plans to do to GA.

BOHICA.
 
Ray LaHood was my district rep for 18 years. He's generally been a good guy, business friendly. Remember he's a republican.

Just remember he's a secretary in a "More regulation is better" administration. Everyone is being pushed by the Pelosi-Oberstar agenda.
 
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Dave Siciliano said:
Oh boy! Just what we need. Another non-expert that's gonna fix things he knows little or nothing about--right. But he has served on a lot of Congressional committees--that makes him an expert--right?

================
Before his career in government, Secretary LaHood was a high school teacher, having received his degree from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. He was also director of the Rock Island County Youth Services Bureau and Chief planner for the Bi-States Metropolitan Planning Commission in Illinois.
=================================

Best,

Dave
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Yea,
We need to send him to the back of the room until he behaves.....

This guy is an idiot!
 
bbchien said:
Ray LaHood was my district rep for 18 years. He's generally been a good guy, business friendly. Remember he's a republican.

Just remember he's a secretary in a "More regulation is better" administration. Everyone is being pushed by the Pelosi-Oberstar agenda.
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Frankly, we could all benefit from new pilot rest rules - Truckers have it better than pilots do by far these days!

The other piece of the puzzle is, how do we attract the best pilots to the airlines the way it used to, and should, be? I don't have a good answer for that one either. If he turns his rhetoric into positive action on these two issues, then I'll forgive him for saying airline travel isn't safe - And frankly, it's a ticking time bomb. It won't blow for another 20-30 years, but it is ticking.

And the more time he spends on the airlines, the less time he has to spend on mucking up GA. :yes:
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Frankly, we could all benefit from new pilot rest rules - Truckers have it better than pilots do by far these days!

The other piece of the puzzle is, how do we attract the best pilots to the airlines the way it used to, and should, be? I don't have a good answer for that one either. If he turns his rhetoric into positive action on these two issues, then I'll forgive him for saying airline travel isn't safe - And frankly, it's a ticking time bomb. It won't blow for another 20-30 years, but it is ticking.

And the more time he spends on the airlines, the less time he has to spend on mucking up GA. :yes:
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A ticking time bomb to blow in 20-30 years? I wanna hear more about that...
 
flyingcheesehead said:
I won't want to ride the airlines in 20 more years, once the Renslows of the world move up to the majors and the regionals have gotten proportionally worse. :no:
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Interesting story about Renslow. I've always felt that sim training should push the limits of the pilot even more than real flying, since one can't cause much hurt in a sim.
 
Two crashes due to utter pilot incompetence in the last two years. The bomb ain't ticking, it done went off.
 
bbchien said:
Ray LaHood was my district rep for 18 years. He's generally been a good guy, business friendly. Remember he's a republican.

Just remember he's a secretary in a "More regulation is better" administration. Everyone is being pushed by the Pelosi-Oberstar agenda.
Click to expand...

People allow themselves to be pushed. He's clearly onboard with this, or he'd change his tune or resign.

Being a Republican means nothing anymore; it's not a crucifix against the vampire of big government or anything.
 
From the Denver Post said:
But when LaHood berated me for suggesting that flying in a commercial airplane was a safe mode of transportation, I knew he was perfect for a Cabinet position.

In his best Illinois tough-guy form, LaHood was in the middle of grandstanding about the need for new regulations covering airlines and pilots, who, despite those imposing uniforms, according to LaHood, display the accountability of a pro athlete. And if airlines did not voluntarily hand over this personal information, Ray LaHood would make them do it.

When I asked LaHood if there was an outbreak of gruesome airline calamities that had somehow escaped my attention, he suggested I ask the relatives of those who died in a recent commuter jet accident about safety. Americans, he declared, were demanding more regulation. And he ended with a sarcastic quip, "I'm happy you feel safe."
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The thing is, like it or not...is what I've bolded incorrect?
 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
The thing is, like it or not...is what I've bolded incorrect?
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it might be correct, but his mission should be to educate people about aviation. Nobody I know is in favor of more regulation. But those folks generally understand aviation.

It's like the banking crisis. Most economists know that world governments themselves created this mess in Switzerland back in 1995. But most constituents don't know that; nobody has educated them and so of course they want more regulation.

What constituents want is irrelevant if they don't understand the problem.
 
sba55 said:
it might be correct, but his mission should be to educate people about aviation. Nobody I know is in favor of more regulation. But those folks generally understand aviation.

It's like the banking crisis. Most economists know that world governments themselves created this mess in Switzerland back in 1995. But most constituents don't know that; nobody has educated them and so of course they want more regulation.

What constituents want is irrelevant if they don't understand the problem.
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Those are all excellent points, but it would seem that in democracies, not going against voters is the bottom line.

And, right or wrong, I'd say that most voters don't have the time or the inclination to inform themselves, or be informed, as to the issues affecting them. Which, in a democracy, is a (if not "the") major problem - but an inherent and unavoidable one.

It is what it is....
 
bbchien said:
Ray LaHood was my district rep for 18 years. He's generally been a good guy, business friendly. Remember he's a republican.

Just remember he's a secretary in a "More regulation is better" administration. Everyone is being pushed by the Pelosi-Oberstar agenda.
Click to expand...
Hmmm had i written something like that but about the previous regime I am sure a disc would have been flung at me from the game grid with all kinds of accusatory and inflamitory remarks written on it. Hmmmmm Bueller, Bueller? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
sba55 said:
Nobody I know is in favor of more regulation. But those folks generally understand aviation.
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Not true. There was a thread not too long ago where some people wanted the rules changed to require both pilots of airliners to have ATPs.
 
He was also director of the Rock Island County Youth Services Bureau and Chief planner for the Bi-States Metropolitan Planning Commission in Illinois.
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Now there are whole states that are "bi"?
 
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Everskyward said:
Not true. There was a thread not too long ago where some people wanted the rules changed to require both pilots of airliners to have ATPs.
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I would have no problem with this.
 
Everskyward said:
Not true. There was a thread not too long ago where some people wanted the rules changed to require both pilots of airliners to have ATPs.
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While not typically a requirement, when the majors are actually hiring, it is awful hard to get hired WITHOUT an ATP.

The regionals, OTOH, are a different story.

EdFred said:
I would have no problem with this.
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I kind of have to chuckle at this. With the opinion that CFI's should be required to have more and better hours before they can BECOME CFI's, and the fact that there just aren't that many jobs out there for low time pilots, one would almost be forced to PAY for most if not all of the 1500 hours it takes to qualify for the ATP. All for a $20,000 dollar job.

Actually, that may not be a bad thing. If people had to pay for it all, they wouldn't settle for a 20,000 a year job and the pay would be forced to go up.
 
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dmccormack said:
Now there are whole states that are "bi"?
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rock island is part of the "Quad Cities" of Rock Island and Moline in Illinois and Davenport and Bettendorf on the Iowa side, plus several smaller communities. I suspect the Bi-state metro planning commission works with all of these towns.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Actually, that may not be a bad thing. If people had to pay for it all, they wouldn't settle for a 20,000 a year job and the pay would be forced to go up.
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Which is sort of my reasoning behind it.
 
tonycondon said:
rock island is part of the "Quad Cities" of Rock Island and Moline in Illinois and Davenport and Bettendorf on the Iowa side, plus several smaller communities. I suspect the Bi-state metro planning commission works with all of these towns.
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They need to re-think the name.

I'm just sayin....
 
That is one of the worst reasons to support it.
 
Greebo said:
Non aviation political topics, yes.
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But if a thread is aviation politics it is only OK until the point of which it become "highly charged" then it should go to SZ? I am not saying this thread is at that point. But in general that would be a true statement.
 
sba55 said:
Nobody I know is in favor of more regulation.
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I wouldn't say that I'm in favor of *more* regulation, but I would be in favor of some edits to existing regulations, specifically crew rest, as well as more *enforcement* of existing regulations.

Comparing it to truck driving... Like I said, truck drivers have *much* more favorable rest requirements now that actually allow them to get a shower, breakfast, AND 8 full hours of sleep. Frankly, pilots should be getting at least 11 hours off between days, and that's from the time they *leave* the airport to the time they *arrive at* the airport, not the "chocks-to-push" that I believe is the current method. Again, in trucking the pre and post "flight" inspections are *on duty not driving,* not "rest." (Obviously, 8 hours off is fine for those who are taking their break *on the airplane* - I'd just like them to get a full 8 hours to sleep.)

Another comparison: Truckers may be DOT'ed (the trucking equivalent of a ramp check) either when being pulled over at the side of the road, or more often at the numerous weigh stations along the highways. While the weigh stations are often closed, and they inspect only a small percentage of the trucks that go through them, I would guess that on average I was DOT'ed about every 3-4 months (3-4 times annually).

Greg? How many times do you get ramp checked in an average year? I bet it's less than 3-4... And while I don't think *pilots* should be the target of increased enforcement, I get the feeling that the trucking industry gets a lot more oversight than the airlines.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Greg? How many times do you get ramp checked in an average year? I bet it's less than 3-4...
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Honest to goodness ramp checks? I can't really remember when I had a fed onboard. Company checks? That is a different story. The Captains are required to get one every, what? six months? Year? Can't remember. FOs don't get company checks other than when the Captains get theirs.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
I wouldn't say that I'm in favor of *more* regulation, but I would be in favor of some edits to existing regulations, specifically crew rest, as well as more *enforcement* of existing regulations.
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Ok. This is probably just like the 182 over the lake. We'll have to agree to disagree. There is no need for more regulation. Not when airline flying is incredibly safe. And even if it wasn't - nobody's forcing you to fly. If an airline is unsafe, don't fly them.
 
sba55 said:
Ok. This is probably just like the 182 over the lake. We'll have to agree to disagree. There is no need for more regulation.
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Notice I didn't say more regulation. :no:

Not when airline flying is incredibly safe.
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It is, until it's not. :dunno:

And even if it wasn't - nobody's forcing you to fly. If an airline is unsafe, don't fly them.
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Maybe I should start walking up to the captain and asking how much sleep they got the night before. :rolleyes:
 
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