OK, in the interest of full disclosure, I am a bit of a nervous flyer.
It’s not extreme; I just get worried during takeoffs and landings. And being 30,000 feet in the air in a metal cylinder with wings.
Other than that, it doesn’t really bother me.
But, when I hear a story like the Air Canada flight that almost landed on a taxiway, where four other planes, fully loaded with fuel and passengers were sitting, I take notice.
They tell us that air travel is still the safest way to travel.
Considering the number of flights that occur worldwide on a daily basis without incident, that makes sense.
Well-trained pilots and air traffic controllers and the best possible technical support should mean that this kind of thing should never happen. Yet, it almost did.
It’s even more distressing when veteran pilots tell us that near collisions happen a lot more than we’re aware of.
So, is air travel safe?
I guess so. Maybe.
Experts tell us that the fact that a disaster in San Francisco was averted means the system works.
Fair enough, but if the system truly works, why did that scenario happen in the first place?
Bill Kelly is the host of Bill Kelly Show on AM 900 CHML and a commentator for Global News.