I have further concerns with regard to the issues raised under the topic 'Ramp inspection list'.
I am battling to figure out how to start the thread, but will give it my best go...
As a pilot my concerns are:
1. How long before we find that CAA have put amendments through CARCOM to make many of these debated issues law. My sad experience is that this kind of thing happens. Even if we are aware of it being promulgated, and we object, our objections are overidden. It bothers me that only a handful of people at CAA, against the collective thought of thousands of pilots, appear to have their opinions valued as more knowledgeable than ours. This is not healthy.
2. Are we really in need of more laws? Are we that silly, as a group of individuals, that we need laws reduced in writing, which affect our safety? Does our sport's safety record warrant this? I am firmly of the learned opinion that is does not!
2.1 Does a 4 year old child need a written law to tell him/her not to swim in the deep end? NO
2.2 Does a normal, rational adult need a law to tell them not to try and handle a 'rinkals', or a black Mamba? NO
3.3 Does it have to be a written law "that as a student learning to fly I must do a minimum of 'x' amount of hours before I am allowed to fly solo?" NO! My instructor, who already has enough laws governing his actions and allowable decisions, will decide when I am ready for solo....
etc., etc.,
There are way too many laws, reducing the obvious into the ridiculous.
3. I question the argument behind the reasons given by Braam and Piet. I know of no accident involving a microlight flex-wing, where having a fire-extinguisher on board would have helped at all. I'll tell you this much, that if I am fit enough to handle a fire-extinguisher after I have recovered from the shock of my accident, I sure as all hell aint gonna hang around and try to douse a fuel and grass fire with my little .6kg extinguisher
The point is that CAA are concerned with MY safety, not the trike. And if I am safe enough( which means I have more than survived the accident) to be trying to use a fire-extinguisher (and consider that I have not been trained how to douse a fuel fire), then trying to douse the fire WILL ACTUALLY ENDANGER ME! So where is the argument?I would also like to point out that to my knowledge, more than 80% of the Black October accidents involved commercial pilots, flying aircraft operated commercially and under part 91. They all had full first aid kits and fire extinguishers on board! What did that help? Nothing.
4. I still feel that CAA have an unhealthy and biased view towards microlighting, still tainting us with the bad safety records of the accidents in the 'blik-aerie' sector. A sector that is regulated to death with paper trails, and more paper trails..................
5. Will my current Authority to Expire be invalidated by me fitting a fire-extinguisher? For reasons, see my point No. 1 below...
6. Who is allowed to fit this fire-extinguisher?
As an AP my concerns are:
1. If every second pilot out there now actually follows the advice given, then in terms of current laws, can I pass the aircraft's inpsection if it has a fire-extinguisher fitted. Surely it will now need the following:
1.1 An updated Mass and Balance
1.2 An updated equipment list
I say this because to my knowledge we are STILL supposed to have a mod for a parachute fitment
Now that IS for safety, a thousand times more than a fire-extinguisher.I need to know this, because thanks to the new unreasonable laws, I can get into tons of 'poo-poo' if I sign something out that is non-compliant.....
General:
I am appreciate of a pro-active bilateral working arrangement with the CAA to look at how we can improve (what is actually already good) safety programme for microlighting.
With this in mind, I would wellcome an invitation from CAA to the industry (NOT TO AEROCLUB) to engage with us on a National Tour, to gather ideas and suggestions, from us, the pilots, into what we feel could be introduced (and removed) from the laws, to further enhance the safety of our and our passengers and those members of the public over whose lives and property we fly....
Let us debate things like the "haddons matrix", and design and adapt it to our sport....
Let us publish safety recommendations, NOT LAWS!
Let us disseminate information, which the pilots can adapt to their own set of circumstances etc., etc.,
This, I believe, would achieve far more than punitive, unreasonable laws.
ps. I am not against having a fire-extinguisher on my trike. Actually, I fly with one on my dragonfly. It has been there since the beginning. I put it on for in case of a fire while re-fuelling. Another place where it can come in handy is on a fly-away, and my mate crashes in front of me and starts burning. I can use MY extinguisher to try and douse his fire. But then, not a puny little .6gk just to conform with a law. I recommend at least a 1.5kg foam....
Kind regards.
) and it still feels full. BCF does`nt "lapse. I would just HATE to try and douse an on board fire in my plane with a dry powder or a foam fire extinguisher. Can you imagine the mess?? How in hell will you be able to SEE anything afterwards?
