pitts_pilot(at)bellsouth.
Guest
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 Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 2:36 pm Post subject: more: Oshkosh accident - Caution, on my Soapbox |
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Lemme comment .... since I've been doing that!!!
Jeff Point wrote:
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OK, I've pretty much sat this one out, but I feel like I have to jump
in here. Joe makes a few good points, but some that I flatly disagree
with.
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Me too.
| Quote: | Many listers have put some level of blame on either the ground
volunteers, or the "system" in which they work.
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I don't see that. I only saw that there could be some help. Wait a
minute. I'm the one that suggested that!!!
| Quote: | I feel qualified to comment on this. I'm the guy in charge of RV
parking at Oshkosh, and I am very familiar with the workings of the
ground operations..
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And my hat's off to you. I am familiar with volunteers. I'm a 31 year,
full time, volunteer during Sun-N-Fun. (Thanks for the applause,)
| Quote: | I didn't witness the accident, but I was on the scene within
minutes, and for several hours afterwords. I assisted the fire dept.
in doing their recovery operations, helped them go over the wreckage
and look at the integrity of fuel lines etc, and showed them where not
to cut. I got to spend more than plenty of time looking close up at
the accident site, so I feel somewhat qualified to comment on the
accident (as much so as anyone else on this list, anyway.)
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I do not envy you that part.
| Quote: | Some have suggested that large warbird types have a "wing walker" to
escort them to and from the runways. That's an idea which looks good
on paper, but in reality is probably unworkable. To do this would
require a large increase in the number of people working the flight
line, and a coresponding increase in the number of vehicles. Keep in
mind that every one on the ground crew is a volunteer; we can't just
go out and hire another 100 people to increase our ranks. We face
dwindling numbers every year as it is. Mike (aka Suzie Q, and my OSH
counterpart down in Antique/Classic) has already addressed this on
this list.
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Actually, it should be very easy. Make it incumbent on the Warbirds
(primarily) to use one of their many golfcarts as an escort. For the
rest of us with a visibility problem (only addressing this one type of
accident here), maybe a call on an 'escort channel' could bring a golf
cart for help. It's a long walk way out there to the runway and back!!!
| Quote: | As for some of the other changes Joe suggested, such as departure
slots for warbirds, again this looks good in theory, but in practice
is unworkable. If we were to shut down the airport for 10 minutes
every hour to allow warbirds to do their thing, that would create huge
backups in the system, all the way out to Ripon. Anybody want to
spend another 45 minutes taking the Rush Lake scenic tour? If we did
this, and imposed even greater delays into the system, I think it
would have a devastating effect on the convention. People would begin
to stay away in droves, in particular the warbird types. I think
onerous is the right word to describe this situation.
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I agree.
| Quote: | What happened here was absolutely a tragedy. However, it was a freak
accident, one that has never happened previously in the 36 years of
OSH shows. Do we want to go down a path that could have a devastating
effect on the future of the show, based on one accident? Anybody
remember that one single accident, between an airliner and a Cherokee,
resulted in the onerous rules that we deal with today, TCA's,
transponders etc. I'm not trying to minimize the seriousness of what
happened, but I am try to suggest that we not throw the baby out with
the bathwater, based on a single, freak accident.
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Amen. However, when (notice I didn't say "if") it happens again, the
onerous rules may still come. There has to be someething done to
prevent it happening again, and it can't take droves of volunteers. If
the wingwalkers (or cartdrivers) aren't an effective solution, then just
maybe a few volunteers spaced along the taxiway (safety marshals?? a new
volunteer group???) with a radio would suffice.
| Quote: | FWIW, us parking volunteers are having this very debate right now,
over on our own forum. We are trying to come up with a workable
solution, before something bad is forced down out throats.
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And I'll bet that same discussion is happening on 90% of the lists out
there. Again, this was truly a tragedy. A preventable one, in my book,
and I'm sure that some change will occur because of it. The fact that
it's not happened before (that we are aware of) says that we've been
surprisingly lucky so far. But then, maybe it's been because we really
overly cautious and operate safely as we can. For whatever the reason,
the link broke. It's up to the collective 'us' to find a fix. And I'm
sure we will.
There was also an email (can't find it now) that painted the Avenger
pilot as arrogant and a risk-taker. I myself find the warbird pilots a
little arrogant too, but I've never met one that was a risk-taker. At
least no more of a risk-taker than the rest of us. The characterization
was in poor taste (IMHO) and unwarranted. I was a little aggravated by
it. I think it's terribly inappropriate to put words in anyones mouth.
Linn
do not archive
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