Is It Safe?: Why Flying Commercial Airliners Is Still A Risky Business ... And What Can Be Done About It. [Paperback]

Brian Power-Waters XIII (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 2008

Captain Power-Waters covers every aspect of commercial aviation and brings the reader to the conclusion that it is a much more perilous means of transportation than generally suspected. Most of the material in this book has never been touched upon in any previous book on air safety. The following are a few of the subjects that are documented in this book:

• There are no U.S. airports that have adequate firefighting procedures.
• Mechanically impaired airliners are allowed to fly when, in reality, they should be grounded.
• The flushing of an airline toilet has imperiled the lives of passengers aboard the plane and people on the ground.
• The air traffic control system is near collapse caused by the “bumbling” FAA.
• Airline pilots are not thoroughly trained to recover from all modes of flight.
• The Boeing 737 is the most popular airliner ever built, but it is potentially the most dangerous.

“Captain Power-Waters brings an understanding and appreciation of Air Traffic control from two perspectives: as a pilot operating within the system; and as someone who possesses a vast knowledge of the ATC’s work.”
—William A. Faville, Jr., National Air TrafficControllers Association, President MKC.

“If you are interested in the training of an airline captain, if you think your airline is safe, or if you think the FAA is totally interested in your safety, this is the book for you.”
—Carl T. Butterworth, Senior Captain, American Airlines, Ret. Brig. Gen., ANG.

“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, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Captain Brian Power-Waters XIII has flown for two air forces and two scheduled airlines over his long career in aviation. He has over 3,000 hours in the air and holds most of the FAA ratings. He flew as a commercial airline pilot for 28 years and has written four other books on airline safety: Safety Last, Margin for Error: None, Danger in the Air, and 93 Seconds to Disaster. Visit his website at www.brianpowerwaters.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (February 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595490158
• ISBN-13: 978-0595490158
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,162,715 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent critique of the Aviation Industry, September 29, 2008

By 

R. St. Amour (Nashville.Tn USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Is It Safe?: Why Flying Commercial Airliners Is Still A Risky Business ... And What Can Be Done About It. (Paperback)

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.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alarmist? No! It's True, March 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Is It Safe? Why Flying Commercial Airliners Is Still a Risky Business and What Can Be Done About It (Paperback)

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

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He has LIVED the Issues, November 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Is It Safe? Why Flying Commercial Airliners Is Still a Risky Business and What Can Be Done About It (Paperback)

"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.