Home & Family Facts and Notes

There is a widespread public fear that airplanes are dangerous. In many senses, the fear might be well founded. But as statistics show, actual fatalities regarding airplanes are quite low. Even still, it is important for hobbyist pilots and mechanics to educate themselves on proper airplane safety and the importance of proper airplane equipment.

Safety And The FFA (Federal Aviation Administration)

To help protect the aviation industry and those who take part in it, the FAA was created. The Federal Aviation Administration, in reality, does not currently put a large emphasis on the checking of airplane parts for quality standards.

Indeed, many airplanes are comprised of foreign parts, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Parts can be manufactured in countries such as China, Brazil, or Italy much cheaper than what they can be in other countries. Therefore, airlines tend to go the “cheap way out,” and outsource their equipment.

But because of the lack of safety checking, substandard parts have found their way into other countries such as the United States. In fact, the FAA has made a report indicating that several engine failures were caused by unapproved changes made at the manufacturing level. One of the engine failures was during an actual flight- meaning consumers were put at risk because of this bargain hunting.

The FAA seeks to find a way to keep airline parts low, while also increasing the quality of the said parts so consumers can have their cake and eat it too. The solution has thus far been to increase inspections at the manufacturer and import levels. The FAA hopes that with increased inspections, accidents as a result of substandard parts will not exist.

What Consumers Can Do To Stay Safe

Consumers can’t necessarily influence a major airliner to change their buying policies. Hobbyist and small-time pilots can, however, choose to buy quality parts from reputed manufacturers. All that is needed is a little time, the right contacts in the industry, and usually more money in which to buy the parts with.

First, the myth that one spot on a plane is safer that another is false. Different factors can account for different fatalities. Fires and smoke, for instance, may affect one section of the plane while leaving other sections untouched. How the airplane faults and how it lands on the ground is another large factor in the equation.

Consumers can, however, increase their likelihood of avoiding disaster by following the directions present on most planes. Depending on the make and class of the plane, certain safety devices should be made available to the consumer in the event of an emergency.

Interesting enough, airplanes have a plethora of devices to help keep its residents safe. A floating device can be used, for instance, if the airplane fails over a large body of water. Other types of safety device such as oxygen masks ensure that one does not lose consciousness while under stressful situations.

To wrap it all up, keep in mind that quality does and can save lives. In that case, striving to find the best quality airplane parts should be a priority for pilots and mechanics. That way, the best possible scenario can be played out even in the even of catastrophic events.

Tags: family, shelter