Kenai Peninsula Online - Alaska NewspaperFAA wants... -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 9/30/2002
Last Visited: 9/30/2002
Airlines are trying to take some of the pressure off the pilots, said Bryan Carricaburu.He's the chief pilot for PenAir, one of oldest of the state's smaller airlines.
"I think the whole culture of flying in the state of Alaska is starting to focus on safety," he said."We don't like to call them Bush pilots.We want that whole image of the Bush aviator made of steel and nails to go away."
More and more carriers are making safety a top priority, Carricaburu said, pushed by rising insurance rates as well as the tragic consequences of aircraft smashing into the ground.
"The idea is to get everybody on the same playing field," he said, so consumers don't shop for the carriers willing to take chances."We want to get the highest level of safety we can."
The new FAA consumer education program comes on the heels of a voluntary program in Alaska allowing airlines to advertise their adherence to higher safety standards.
"With increasing training and oversight, I think we'll see a reduction in accidents," said Carricaburu, the PenAir chief pilot.
Safety issues are already being discussed in some of the rural communities PenAir serves, according to Carricaburu.
"Rural communities like King Cove and False Pass have been teaching kids in the schools about what they should be expecting when they fly," he said."It's an effort to get safety on the minds of individuals."
------
On the Net: Carrier safety records: http://www.alaska.faa.gov/flt--std/SystemSafety/operator.pdf
12 online sources [ view sources ]
Profile is not claimed [ claim profile ]
