The "sports tourist flight"Is constantly growing in Italy. Many are approaching this discipline out of curiosity, to experience the thrill of flying appreciating the beautiful scenery and tourism, many others for the passion of flying, many just to be able to work. An activity managed by Aeroclub and private companies that are emerging in Italy from day to day. Faced with the satisfaction of insiders, there are countless, many fatal accidents. Too many incidents that should trigger an alarm bell, especially for the "escaped" dangers in the commercial aviation sector.
To clarify our ideas, an expert thought about it. The General of the Italian Air Force - on leave - Carlo Landi. A professional with a capital "P" because he has thousands of hours of flying on military aircraft and because he has been flight safety instructor. Today the general is part of the"Volare Sicuri" Association and expressed some "well-founded" concerns about a phenomenon, that of accidents, which should raise serious concerns.
The sequence of accidents, underlines the gen. Landi, is that of a war bulletin. In less than 4 days 4 dead (including a paratrooper), 3 seriously injured, two minor, 3 aircraft out of order, 2 seriously damaged. It was the mid-August of tourist sports flight in Italy.
Numbers that do not even record, are almost the average months of good weather and hide other clamorous incidents (an ultralight that takes off from a closed airport and lands at night in another airport closed after wandering between procedures of descent of commercial aircraft) fortunately finished without victims.
Why do not you talk about it?
Why is it not communicated that a procedure for at least a disciplinary procedure has been opened against the pilot?
Because while the commercial aviation marks a sharp decrease in accidents and deaths, in Italy who flies with tourism or ultralight aircraft continues to be involved in accidents many times fatal?
"A bulletin to which we are so accustomed that the national newspapers no longer report these events, which make news only among fans. Needless to say, the technicians, accuse weather and malfunctions because in more than 85% of cases to cause the accident is man, and the more than twelve thousand pilots in Italy, flying with ultra-light aircraft or tourist are no exception. It is statistically ascertained that the average age of these pilots is higher than 50 years, yet the statistics say that the 99% of those who start a pilot course exceeds it ".
Why, given that in other sectors the selection is more severe?
Why does no one notice or implement corrective actions?
"There are various risks associated with this state of affairs. The first, more serious, is to underestimate these signs of "malaise" by counting on the fact that accidents only concern those who voluntarily practice a sport. The reports by Enac, Enav and Ansv say otherwise. Every year there are hundreds of violations of controlled airspace, Upa, in technical terms, which could result in collisions involving passenger aircraft or law enforcement vehicles. The second risk is to intervene drastically with new rules and laws that limit the activity of air tourism. The immediate result would be to aneminate a tourism-sports sector that employs thousands of people, exports airplanes and equipment all over the world, and which is already suffering from delays and taxes of all kinds ".
Assumed that each of the entities, national civil aviation (ENAC) for air traffic (ENAV) and security ((ANSV) does its duty, who promotes prevention and culture of flight?
"It should have been made by Aeroclub d'Italia, the sports federation of the sports of flight that for almost twenty years (those of the maximum development of ultralight aircraft) has underestimated (to put it mildly) this activity.
Now "music" should change thanks to the commitment and directives of the commissioner wanted by the Government ".
Is there a middle way between the two extremes?
How to increase awareness and preparation of the thousands of drivers who want to improve, and remove those who do not want to respect the sport?
"In the answer to these simple questions is contained the future of sports aviation in Italy. A future that also concerns the many young people who look on the fly as a profession and who today prefer to move abroad to attend professional flight courses.
I because they would never end, but at least we expect answers ".
source world aeronautical PA