Aviation personnel not afraid to fly

Stephanie Wlodaczyk
The Daily Illini

No one answered the phones at Willard Airport on Tuesday afternoon.

Andrew Bober, aviation student and junior in LAS, tried to telephone the airport after the attacks to find out about his pre-scheduled training Tuesday.

But Tuesday's atrocities left everyone confused, including the University's aviation professionals. No one really understands exactly how hijackers managed to threaten an airplane full of people using only small knives.

Despite the terrorist attacks, aviation personnel said they are not worried about going back in the air.

"The heightened sensitivity of the FAA in securing potential problems is highly appropriate and doesn't make me afraid to fly," said Christopher Wickens, associate director of the Institute of Aviation.

Bober does not feel any immediate danger because, as a student, he doesn't feel a plane he could be flying would be hijacked.

"If I were to get on a commercial flight, I might have a few reservations, but as far as pilot training, I'm not afraid," said Molly Lynch, sophomore in aviation.

Opinions differ on how efficient the new FAA precautions will be.

"New FAA requirements will be as effective as the federal budget will allow them to be," Wickens said. "The FAA is always struggling for funds. We could, and we should pay baggage inspectors more. The traveling public is far too intolerant of delay."

Bober said all new restrictions will most likely start off strong but become more lax in the future.

"I think the new precautions will be strict and remain strict. It's the people who change. They get smarter, and they will learn to get through it," Lynch said.

The new requirements are a start, but many feel there might continue to be problems with airlines unless some long-term changes are implemented.

"They need to look at improving pilot and air crew safety," Bober said.

"I've never felt that airport security has been that tight," Lynch said. "How people managed to hijack a plane with a knife is beyond me."

Regarding the FAA's decision to halt air traffic for almost two days, Tom Emanuel, assistant director of the Institute of Aviation, said he thinks it was wise of the FAA to "err on the conservative side."

Lynch said he thinks the lengthy closures were necessary for the peace of mind of the public.

"It gave people time to breathe," she added.

Emanuel points out that in a hijacking situation, a pilot is trained to "try and appease (the hijackers) and get the plane on the ground, to let someone else negotiate. Obviously, they never expected it to end like this."

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