Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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

"Thank you for sending me a copy of Is It Safe? You obviously have done an extensive job researching this topic, and, more importantly, it is clear you have lived the issues. I congratulate you on your effort.
Robert Roach, Jr., General Vice President IAM, the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers.
IAM has over 14,000 mechanics and flight attendants in their association.They also preside over 75,000 other airline employees.

"Is It Safe?" is a hard hitting book that will entertain both pilots and passengers. Captain Power-Waters hits the nail squarely on the head. I found it hard to put this book down.
Senior Captain Ron Barnhart, US Airways

Captain Power-Waters style of writing makes it hard to put down this informative book. "Is It Safe" should be required reading for new hire airline pilots. All professional pilots will benefit from Captain Power-Waters' experience and research.
Captain Mark Darrow, Unite Airlines

If you are interested in the training and pressures that an airline captain must endure, if you think that the airline of your choice is flying safe aircraft, if you think the Federal Aviation Administration is totally interested in your safety, this is the book for you.
Carl T. Butterworth, Senior Captain, American Airlines and Retired Brigadier General from the Air National Guard

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

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

"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.

. . . an illuminating look at the risks involved in flying commercial airliners, from a line captain who spent his career doing just that. . . . Power-Waters uses his captain's eyes and mind to explain why things happen and what can be done to make the skies safer. . . .
Roy Boydston, General Aviation News