The Island Airport has serious safety issues
Joe:
Your comments on the safety procedures of airlines are not reassuring. The Island Airport has serious safety hazards and members of the public have every reason to be concerned.
I think it was "a very worried mom" who pointed out that the Island Airport is becoming very busy and there are a number of different types of aircraft that use the airport: small planes, a flight school, helicopters, pontoon aircraft and large commercial turbo props. These planes are piloted by people of various levels of skills.
I was recently down on the Western Gap and I was struck that the helicopters were flying overhead almost in a random way. They did not seem to be following any flight path. Perhaps that is allowed, I don't know, but it of real concern.
The other thing that has been forgotten is that the Island Airport has a number of serious safety hazards. There are a number of ten story buildings just to the north of the airport in Bathurst Quay and recently several high rise buildings have been constructed along Fleet Street and in the Railway Lands that are within close range of the airport. Thousands of people now live in the area and they have every right to be concerned about their safety.
The Island airport has been known as having serious risks ever since it was built. You can find a discussion of them at the CommunityAIR website www.communityair.org The pilot's manual - the bible of pilots that describes safety and regulations at airports - lists a number of "pilot cautions" at the Island Airport. With the construction of new high rise there are now many more hazards. Pearson, by contrast has no cautions.
What this says to me is that even experts who have studied airports and aircraft consider the Island Airport to have serious risks. When increasing traffic, pilots with varying skill levels and different types of aircraft are added to the safety hazards, then many of us, myself included, become very worried.
Joe, no one wants an accident, and no one is being alarmist here, but this is a serious concern of the public and must be addressed.
Bill Freeman
Your comments on the safety procedures of airlines are not reassuring. The Island Airport has serious safety hazards and members of the public have every reason to be concerned.
I think it was "a very worried mom" who pointed out that the Island Airport is becoming very busy and there are a number of different types of aircraft that use the airport: small planes, a flight school, helicopters, pontoon aircraft and large commercial turbo props. These planes are piloted by people of various levels of skills.
I was recently down on the Western Gap and I was struck that the helicopters were flying overhead almost in a random way. They did not seem to be following any flight path. Perhaps that is allowed, I don't know, but it of real concern.
The other thing that has been forgotten is that the Island Airport has a number of serious safety hazards. There are a number of ten story buildings just to the north of the airport in Bathurst Quay and recently several high rise buildings have been constructed along Fleet Street and in the Railway Lands that are within close range of the airport. Thousands of people now live in the area and they have every right to be concerned about their safety.
The Island airport has been known as having serious risks ever since it was built. You can find a discussion of them at the CommunityAIR website www.communityair.org The pilot's manual - the bible of pilots that describes safety and regulations at airports - lists a number of "pilot cautions" at the Island Airport. With the construction of new high rise there are now many more hazards. Pearson, by contrast has no cautions.
What this says to me is that even experts who have studied airports and aircraft consider the Island Airport to have serious risks. When increasing traffic, pilots with varying skill levels and different types of aircraft are added to the safety hazards, then many of us, myself included, become very worried.
Joe, no one wants an accident, and no one is being alarmist here, but this is a serious concern of the public and must be addressed.
Bill Freeman
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