Red Blooded American Boy

For years I have been a traveling professional, spending my time in airplanes several times a week. In that time, I have peered out from the airplane window marveling at the sites. Looking at snow capped mountains thousands of miles above the earth while sipping on soda really puts the miracle of flight into perspective. What I didn’t realize was that the flight was more of a miracle than I knew. An alarming investigation published by USA Today exposes the bad state of repair our airplanes are in.

The first image to my mind is of angels flying in the sky guiding the wings of planes to their destinations. The thousands of flights that were airborne despite maintenance issues certainly had some guiding force to keep them from crashing. Luck alone could not have kept so many planes from meeting certain doom. At thirty thousand feet, there are no such thing as Atheists.

Most certainly, the sixty-five thousand flights that should not have flown are a fraction of the real number that are in need of repair. The investigation revealed that many of the repairs are done by untrained and uncertified staff with incorrect tools. This pretty much reduces the repairs done to nothing more than a jukebox side-smack delivered by the Fonz.

One can quickly scold the airlines. But, the FAA failed, too. The FAA allows the use of local uncertified cowboys to repair airplanes (if the repairs are approved by a certified mechanic). Mechanic unions complain that this sort of outsourcing is lowering the quality of work completed, and putting Americans at risk. I like the idea of certified mechanics – just not Unionized certified mechanics. Unions can breed apathy and complacency. A lazy mechanic that is certified is just as bad as an untrained mechanic in a sweat shop.

Meanwhile, the FAA will continue to act like it is doing something to help keep us safe. But, like a typical government agency it will only attempt to demonize the airlines. Forget about the fact that it is the FAA’s job to monitor and prevent such problems from occurring. The FAA is there to protect us, so when it screws up – well, it does not matter.

While agencies and companies battle over who is the bad guy, I will keep depending on my Angels. The miracle of flight is truly – a miracle.

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