Comments

Kyle Rota
I just read the article in the paper today concerning noise and safety concerns about Sabena and other training facilities at Falcon Field. One particular part that stood out to me was the plane that crashed into the orange groves last year being used as an example of a lack of safety.

Now I remember that day very clearly, as I was driving down Mckellips on my way to work at that very time. I saw that plane, and let me set the scene up for you. The plane landed exactly on the Northwest intersection of Greenfield and Mckellips. I drive through this intersection every day and as many of you know, it is right off the end of the south runway. This was a training plane and has a student pilot and his instructor aboard. There is about 100 feet of dirt from the side of the road to the beginning of the orange groves on this part of the intersection, and it maybe continues for a few hundred feet west. This pilot, who suffered engine failure right after takeoff, managed to carefully glide his plane and make an emergency landing on this tiny stretch of dirt between the road and the orange grove. Not a single person, not even those in the plane, anyone on the road, or anyone in the orange groves was hurt. No property was damaged, although the plane was done for.

Now let's look at that situation for a second. Without this training you all are complaining about, that pilot would have careened right into someones house, or the heavily populated Mckellips road, and possibly killed and damaged a large amount of property, but due to his EXCEPTIONAL training offered by Falcon Field, he was able to land safely out of harms way with no damage at all. This man is a god damned hero for how he handled himself in that situation and should be an example of the caliber of training offered by Falcon Field.

Furthermore, the only other crash I have heard of in recent times was before the training plane crashed at Greenfield and Mckellips. It was a small jet I believe, and the pilot suffered engine failure and tried to turn around to land again. Sadly, he turned too sharply and tip-stalled his plane into the orange groves, killing everyone aboard. But again, this pilot did not do any damage to anyone's property or person because he was a good pilot.

I also would like to note the fact that this website states that Falcon Field turned to a pilot training airport because the city needed money. Maybe you aren't familiar with Falcon Field's history, but it has always been a training airport. Back in WWII, the British Royal Air Force was trained at that very airport, and since then there have always been flight lessons offered there.

All in all, I am seeing this group of people as a bunch of whiners who have no idea what they're doing. Falcon Field was there before your houses, and has done everything they can to adhere to your ridiculous demands. You chose to live next to an airport, and the airport isn't going to change for you. If you're so worried about a plane landing on top of you, move somewhere else, you knew the risks when you moved in, and now you have to worry about that minuscule chance of an accident. As far as noise goes, the planes that fly out of Falcon Field, aside from the B-17, B-25, and other WWII warbirds, are extremely quiet, ESPECIALLY Sabena's little trainer planes. Your argument is laughable and comparable to these jokes of lawsuits that have been filed in the recent years, like the woman suing McDonald's for her coffee being hot. If you have a problem, leave. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
09/17/2009 @ 12:08 pm - Comment