I know everyone has seen stories or at least heard something on the news about Steve Fossett and his disappearance. And it seems like no one can believe it. My question to all of you is WHY NOT?
What is the number one rule in aviation? Always file a flight plan. Fossett didn't do that. Without a flight plan you have no idea where to look for someones plane so why can no one believe we can't find him. I guess they have narrowed it down to a grid system. It is, however, the size of Massachusetts. The problem is of course that we don't even have a general direction in which to look.
The thing about this story that amazes me the most is that he is or was a skilled, well known pilot who has accomplished many records one of which being flying a baloon around the world, but he somehow made a rookie mistake. Here at Purdue we aren't even allowed to take off without having filed a flight plan, but somehow Fossett got around that step at the Hilton's airstrip.
I guess if he knew how this trip was going to end he wouldn't have gone on it. He was apparently looking for a dried lake bed in which he could test out his new rocket car. How stupid does that seem now? He was used to risking his life, but now there are a few hundred people risking their's to find him. I can guarantee one thing though if he is found alive he'll never take off before filing a flight plan again.
What is the number one rule in aviation? Always file a flight plan. Fossett didn't do that. Without a flight plan you have no idea where to look for someones plane so why can no one believe we can't find him. I guess they have narrowed it down to a grid system. It is, however, the size of Massachusetts. The problem is of course that we don't even have a general direction in which to look.
The thing about this story that amazes me the most is that he is or was a skilled, well known pilot who has accomplished many records one of which being flying a baloon around the world, but he somehow made a rookie mistake. Here at Purdue we aren't even allowed to take off without having filed a flight plan, but somehow Fossett got around that step at the Hilton's airstrip.
I guess if he knew how this trip was going to end he wouldn't have gone on it. He was apparently looking for a dried lake bed in which he could test out his new rocket car. How stupid does that seem now? He was used to risking his life, but now there are a few hundred people risking their's to find him. I can guarantee one thing though if he is found alive he'll never take off before filing a flight plan again.
No comments:
Post a Comment