Is It Safe? Why Flying Commercial Airliners Is Still a Risky Business and What Can Be Done About It

By Brian Power-Waters

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595192343
• ISBN13: 9780595192342
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Writers Club Pr
• Length: 576 Pages
• Weight: 2.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.3" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Another excellent critique of the Aviation Industry

Captain Brian Power-Waters XIII does it again. His indepth explanation of the inner workings of the Management of our Airlines are all too true. The cozy "at the cost of safety" arrangements with the FAA and the manipulation of logs by supervisors to keep airplanes in the air for profit over safety is frightening. A must read for all air travelors. When will the government agencies do their job as overseers of the safety of Airline operations?? What will it take to wake up the flying public? Our Airports and our skies have never been in need of regulation and control as it does now.

Alarmist? No! It's True

Whether it's airline practices, the two-person cockpit crew, or just plain bad design, Captain Brian is all over it. He's particularly hard on the FAA, from a lot of different angles. He points out that they can't possibly do the job they're saying they're doing, and that their delegates (DERs and airline employee-supervisors) aren't as interested in safety as in keeping the schedules met. He points out that the FAA doesn't follow its own rules, and how, if you're high enough up in the bureaucracy, you can get away with all kinds of questionable actions. He even mentions how some (to his mind, as well as most others' ) "unqualified" FAA officials (they're all "officials") decided to "get" Bob Hoover. . . . .He sounds alarmist, even -- until you realize he's quoting actual accident reports, actual cockpit recordings, actual GAO studies, actual facts. . . . .The book reads like a hangar-talk bull session, where you're listening to a guy who knows his flying, knows his airplanes, knows his maintenance, and, well, knows what he's talking about. . . . .Tim Kern, Aero-News Network

Dedication to the Truth

I have known Captain Brian Power-Waters for many years and know that his dedication to research and finding the truth about 'How Things Really Work' makes any work on a book very respectable. He brings an understanding and appreciation of Air Traffic Control from two perspectives: As a pilot operating within the ATC system; and possesses a vast knowledge of the Air Traffic Controller's work inside the system. Captain Power-Waters understands and accurately conveys not only the problems with the Air Traffic Control system, but also explains the positive aspects and reasons why the Air Traffic Control system continues to operate today.William A. Faville, Jr., President, National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Local MKG, Former Director, Safety and Technology, NATCA, AFL-CIO

Captain Courageous of the Airways

"Captain Brian Power-Waters has demonstrated once again that he is the Captain Courageous of the airways, telling it like it is about the enduring perils of commercial aviation, just as he has done in Safety Last and Margin For Error: None. When are the airline regulators going to listen to his warnings and avoid the needless loss of lives? He is one of America's most respected authorities on the subject--one that I often relied upon in my own writings exposing the flaws of the industry.This book is another loud and clear wake-up call and a must-read for anyone who believes achieving greater airlines safety is a mandatory and reachable goal."Alex Michelini, Award-winning Former Investigative reporter of the New York Daily News.

A Super Book

Is It Safe .. . a very informative book about a very technical industry, written in a way that holds your interest and is easily understood by everyone. Brian Power-Water opens the eyes of the reader as he takes you behind the scenes of day-to-day commercial air travel. He thinks of everything and ... makes you think twice. Is It Safe? is a super book and the author, Captain Brian Power-Waters is a non-nonsense terrific interview for any media.Bill Lusby, Program Director and Host of Good Morning Annapolis, WNAV