Oldies but Goodies

Posted by: Prince Jets  Jun 18, 2014 01:06 PM

After recently reading an article over at CNN that seemed to imply that because Paul Ryan’s (Vice-Presidential candicate) new campaign plane was as old as he was that it wasn’t as safe as a newer plane. While you probably don’t drive a 42 year old car a 42 year old plane is not uncommon. There are many DC-9’s that are still being used in commercial aviation and for transports.

Planes, unlike most cars, are meticulously maintained. They are also usually updated on a regular basis. Its common for avionics in the cockpit of an aircraft to be upgraded for instance. These can provide more information to the pilots and help them do their job more efficiently.

While the general perception from the public at large is that newer aircraft are safer, the stats don’t support that conclusively. Most aircraft accidents still involve human error, either by the flight crew or by maintenance personel. I’d take a ride on that DC-9 anytime and count myself lucky to be off the road!

Written by: