Questions for aviation industry

Dear Editor,

 

I am not a pilot, not even remotely connected to the aviation industry in Guyana, however recent events have led me to question the quality of management and oversight provided to the industry by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority. Accidents are all too common and while focus by local media is on the search and rescue teams and their progress or success, I have a few harder questions I would like to pose to those in the GCAA and the aviation industry in general.

  1. Given the nature of the Guiana Shield terrain, are our aircraft equipped with the best possible ELT’s and other systems?
  2. Are our aircraft maintenance schedules and systems subject to oversight? Are spot checks carried out? Do we have to meet just ‘minimum” standards or do we exceed these? Are pilots pressured to accept economics as part of their safety calculations? Can pilots report employers who may be applying undue pressure to complete flights in potentially unsafe conditions? Can pilots report poor maintenance procedures/systems to the GCAA? Have any reports ever been made?
  3. Are aircraft models used for ferrying cargo of fuel drums rated or designed to do so? Is shuttling fuel inherently unsafe?
  4. Given the terrain and problems experienced past and present in finding downed aircraft, would investment by the GCAA in a high quality aerial photography drone with GPS matching ability be worthwhile?
  5. Should all pilots be equipped with a satellite phone?
  6. Could we mandate reflective strips/glow in the dark stripes/even mildly radioactive paint stripes on aircraft to help with location and recovery?

If any of the above suggestions seem ridiculous, please excuse them as being “out of the box” but keep in mind the thinking “inside the box” has been far from impressive.

I have consulted with current and former pilots in the formulation of the above questions and many have supported the effort to ask them and look forward to official responses.

 

Yours faithfully,
Robin Singh