Safetyhistory's Safest National Aviation

Submitted By beachmonkey6
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safetyHistory’s Safest National Aviation
When asked, most people in the United States, because of recent history, would not know how to answer the question, is airline safety today a great deal better than it was just a few years ago? Most people would think back to the September 11th attacks and remember those happened because airline security was not strong enough. But in reality, besides the plane crashes that occurred during that terrifying event, there have almost been no other crashes. A combination of better safety equipment, more extensive training for pilots and new, more enforced inspection laws are making the skies above America safer for everyone. Aviation safety in the United States of America has dramatically improved over the past decade for both large and small airlines alike. The twenty first century has come quickly and brought along with it more advanced technology that has had a major impact on the Aviation industry. As many more students are graduating from college with higher degrees, than just a few years ago, they are bringing with them ideas for “better safety equipment and more reliable planes (that) make crashes less likely” (Stoller). The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that with more advanced safety equipment the cabin area of major airliners, more passengers will be able to survive the impact of a crash and be able to evacuate the airliner quicker (Aviation Safety: Advancements). Just a few improvements include seat cushions with better fire-blocking properties, better floor emergency lighting, and emergency medical kits (Aviation Safety: Advancements). Another great safety feature that has been added to many planes in recent years is the emergency exit doors no longer require manual removal, but automatically swing out on hinges making it quicker and easier for passengers to escape the cabin in an emergency. There are consistently advances being made on commercial airliners. The improvements being made are helping the safety and health of passengers, as well as flight attendants, greatly increase. With these constant advances being made and hundreds of others in the process of being produced, passengers should feel more comfortable and at ease when scheduling and actually flying in airliners this century. As safety equipment is becoming more advanced, so is the training that airline pilots are required to obtain. The past decade or so has been the “safest period for airline travel in this country's history” (Stoller). A major cause of this jump in safety is because of the “steady improvements in how pilots are trained, reducing the numbers of crashes due to human error” (Stoller). The major aviation company “Boeing” stated that 56 percent of commercial airliner accidents are the result of errors caused by the flight crew (Innes). When given more advanced training, airline pilots and other crew members are a lot less likely to perform errors while on the job. The Federal Aviation Administration looks at the “errors caused by pilots, including mistakes related to procedure, skill, and judgment” and then determines the requirements for future pilot certifications (General Aviation). Besides procedure and human error training, training cabin crew members to handle potential threats against domestic aircrafts is an important element in securing our nation's aviation system. The Transportation Security Administration is the main organization responsible for ensuring that crew members are prepared to handle these threats. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, The Transportation Security Administration has “enhanced guidance and standards for flight and cabin crew member security training” (Aviation Security). These standards were revised to include new training elements that are now required by law and also to improve the clarity of the crew’s guidance and standards. With more advanced training and a clearer understanding of what is expected of