Attorney Michael de Broglio on: South Africa, Law, Politics, Attorneys, Sport, Photography, Technology, Gadgets, Media, Crime, Road Accidents Fund,
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Since the beginning of this year there have been 31 aircraft accidents in South Africa. That is an incredible amount and it was brought home to me on 3 February 2014 when in very heavy weather, a King Air plane crashed at Lanseria Airport, killing three people. I drove past the remains of the plane, day after day, for some time, and it troubled me considerably.
Far more people die on the roads than in aeroplanes, but there is a sense of powerlessness when you are in an aeroplane, because you are not flying it, that perhaps makes people worry more about that. What worries me is that the vast majority of the incidents involve people with 500 hours or less of flying time and the salaries that pilots earn are simply not high enough. I think flying people around is a huge responsibility and I am shocked when I hear that pilots of huge passenger aeroplanes in America for example only earn about $22 000 a year. I would have imagined that the salaries started at about $50 000 and go upwards. Air safety is a huge concern in the American media as well because they have a considerable number of pilots that are going to be retiring at the compulsory age of 65 over the next few years, and they are struggling to replace them adequately. The struggles relate to the fact that firstly it cost a fortune to qualify as a pilot – up to $100 000 and once you have spent all that money qualifying, you then only earn $22 000 a year! Something has to give in this picture and of course if there are enough accidents, and one hopes it does not have to be that way, and enough shortage as pilots retire, salaries will inevitably go up and will then attract more talented and experienced people to fly the bigger aircraft, etc. The problem is, for air safety, this needs to happen a lot faster. Modern planes are extremely sophisticated and there are very few accidents that are actually as a result of problems with the plane – they are just about all related to pilot error – and one does not feel comfortable knowing that maybe the pilot of your plane has 200 or 300 hours of experience.
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Monday 17-Mar-14
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Comments
Catherine said:
on Tuesday 18-Mar-14 07:46 AM
Plane crashes was a rear phenomenon but now days, it has become the norm. I feel a little bit nervous during take off and landing.
Stephanie said:
on Monday 17-Mar-14 04:54 PM
Shame that is really sad, I really hope it's not my way of dying. I can only imagine the anxiety and adrenalin going through your body during a plane crash. And how scared must the poor children be?
Jessica said:
on Monday 17-Mar-14 03:43 PM
OMW that is sad and also the fatigue that they have considering the long hours of flying and time differences etc that sure isn't enough. I wouldn't suggest it for a family person to do that though.
Jade said:
on Monday 17-Mar-14 02:58 PM
I love flying, and spent a lot of my childhood at airshows, and flying in small airplanes and helicopters with a family friend who was a pilot instructor. He seemed to do well for himself, and so did the father of a friend who flew for SAA. He owned 2 horses, sent his children to private schools and lived on a nice plot of land where his wife stayed at home.
Perhaps the situation has changed since then/ perhaps it was family money.
I actually flew with a learner pilot through a storm from White river to Johannesburg. Nothing is scarier than being on a small plane which is more likely to crash than a commercial plane, with an inexperienced pilot who is ashen-faced and trembling in the cockpit.
I do still get anxious as one takes off and lands as there are so many things that can go wrong when flying.
Sorea said:
on Monday 17-Mar-14 02:52 PM
If, as you say, the salaries are so bad in 'Murica, then I wonder why all our pilots ditch South Africa to go work there?
Lucretia said:
on Monday 17-Mar-14 02:36 PM
I am shocked to hear that pilots get so little money, given that learning is so expensive. Richard, my ex, did a PPL (Private Pilots Licence) through Rand Airport back in the late 80's. At the time, the cost was R200.00 per hour, that excludes any literature, log books, etc. And one has to have a minimum of 200 hours. It then increases when you do instrument flying. R200.00 per hour in the late 80's was a lot of money. Scares me to think what the cost is today.
Angelique said:
on Monday 17-Mar-14 02:35 PM
Flying is far more convenient than driving, sometimes one doesn't even have the option of driving as flying is the only way to get to a destination. It is scary the number of accidents - which could be you. I cant imagine how helpless one must feel falling from the sky in a huge aircraft!!
Juliet said:
on Monday 17-Mar-14 10:05 AM
So that's an average of about R20 000/mth. Not high enough considering they are responsible for at least 170 people's lives per day. That's if they do only one flight. Doctor's see about 20 people a day and earn much more than that and seeing a GP is not as high risk as flying in an aeroplane. I'm surprised that the profession is only 10% female dominated given the low salaries. But the profession wasn't always so lowly paid was it? In the 60s you were a superstar if you were a pilot, almost a celebrity children used to ask you for your autograph on the street and money was thrown at you. Wonder what happened? Also wonder what happened to that Malaysian plane?
Zelda said:
on Monday 17-Mar-14 09:57 AM
about the plane that was highjacked... why would you do that and kill all of those people when you could have just killed yourself if your main goal was to commit suicide? I already have a fear of flying and things like this just make everything worse
Liesl said:
on Monday 17-Mar-14 09:33 AM
I love flying. I would do it often if I could.
Elektra said:
on Monday 17-Mar-14 09:30 AM
I was under the impression Pilots earned quite a reasonable salary. Clearly I was mistaken.Just offside the topic, The Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 which has gone missing, Definitely something to ponder on.
Alexis said:
on Monday 17-Mar-14 09:26 AM
Not a huge fan of flying at all, very nervous when i get into one - and even more so considering what you have written now - and that plane that has disappeared - very concerning
Bianca R said:
on Monday 17-Mar-14 09:22 AM
I am extremely nervous when flying and have only flown on large planes. I have no desire to fly in a smaller plane as the small planes are constantly in the news for fatal crashes! I would however like to fly in a heli but my extreme fear of heights is holding me back from doing that... Maybe one day....
david said:
on Monday 17-Mar-14 08:48 AM
i hate flying, but when i do, i make sure it's on a 'big' plane. the little ones are constantly crashing.
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
