brian
Joined: 02 Jan 2006
Posts: 643
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
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 Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:22 pm Post subject: flight suits -- a non-emotional approach |
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You know, it is interesting. There are a lot of people trying to prove
to me that a nomex flight suit or something very much like it will help
me in case of a fire. No doubt. I don't disagree at all. What people
seem to be missing in this "discussion" that includes a great deal of
heat and not a whole heck of a lot of light, is that there are two other
issues at work and are the ones that seem more significant to me. They are:
1. Is fire really enough of a threat to justify spending money on a
Nomex flight suit?
2. If I am not hurting anyone, what gives someone else the right to tell
me I have to wear anything?
The questions are somewhat orthogonal. I suspect people are pretty
darned tired of the second question. I have made my point there and some
of you understand and even agree with me. This is the one that generates
lots of heat. We don't need anymore heat.
But the first one is valid and apropos to this list. It is about where
to spend time and money to optimize safety in our aircraft. It is just
as valid as talking about CO detectors, changing hoses, learning to fly
our aircraft safely, etc.
Let me state for the record loudly and clearly:
"A nomex flight suit or something like it, when properly cared for and
worn, will help protect you from fire in the cockpit and will give you
more time to exit the cockpit without becoming well-done should a fire
occur in your aircraft."
No argument from me on that. OK? We can stop with the proof of how the
nomex suit can help. It is not worth discussing (in my opinion) as I
don't know anyone who wouldn't agree that a fire-resistant suit is
resistant to fire.
Now, let's think about all the threats we have to our flying. It would
probably be a good idea to look at the accident statistics. I know, we
are not your average spam-can drivers as we don't drive your average
spam-can. (No, we drive your sorta-cool foreign spam-can.) Regardless,
what do the accident stats tell us? I suspect Tom Johnson can give us
more information as the underwriters really care about what causes them
to have to pay out insurance claims. I wonder just how many GA pilots
have been involved in fires? After that question is answered, we can
then ask the question as to whether a nomex suit or even a
specially-designed fire-resistant suit would have made a difference? I
don't know the answers but I would bet money that the answer is that it
wouldn't really make much of a difference.
So where should we spend our time and money to make a difference in the
safety and longevity of our aircraft and pilots?
Here are some things that I think rank higher on the list of threats:
1. improper decision making;
2. improper or insufficient training;
3. improper or insufficient maintenance on an aircraft;
4. continued VFR into IFR conditions;
5. human physiology, e.g. CO, hyperthermia, dehydration, hypoxia,
fatigue, etc.
If money were an issue and I were to have to choose between a
fire-resistant suit and a CO detector, I suspect that my life would be
much better served by the CO detector.
(And, of course, if it isn't going to really add to my safety, why do
you insist I wear one. 
--
Brian Lloyd 361 Catterline Way
brian-yak at lloyd dot com Folsom, CA 95630
+1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.270.912.0788 (fax)
I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . .
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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_________________
Brian Lloyd
brian-yak at lloyd dot com
+1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.270.912.0788 (fax)
I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . .
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery |
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