Richard de Crespigny

The problem was the politicians...

And the airlines wanted more flights, and the airports and air traffic control said repeatedly, no, no, no, we're oversaturated.

The politics...

The politicians won.

There were more flights scheduled.

The airspace overcrowded and air traffic control that's using radio communication straight out of the Second World War is trying to manage all these aircraft in tiny airspace.

The problem was not the helicopter pilot.

The problem was that those aircraft had even taken off and that the systems we use, both in communications and air traffic control, are totally inadequate in that environment.

Aircraft are being held longer because the manufacturers are not able to build new aircraft.

Yes.

But the fact that it's an old airplane shouldn't scare you because aircraft are maintained by mechanics.

They have to meet certain standards.

You can keep a car going forever, and people do.

They have cars in museums that will drive.

You can keep airplanes flying in perfect order indefinitely if you just keep the spare parts up.

That's what airlines do.

Now, there are some good airlines and there are some airlines that are not as good.

So I think if anyone has a fear of flying, just keep to the airline that they're comfortable with and that has a good safety record and they should have no fears at all.

I think American, Australian, New Zealand, Western European pilots are the best in the world.

And I rate them all evenly, right?