Thursday, September 4, 2014

How could someone not support the air show?

Recently, this article was posted on the Toronto Star. "It’s time to end the celebration of death and kill the airshow: Fiorito" So, being the pilot that I am, I decided to send the author the following reply:

Hello, 
You are probably getting plenty of emails about your controversial article about grounding the air show. Since I read through your article and learned your opinion, I would appreciate it if you would hear mine. As a pilot, I must disagree with your stance and would like to better educate you about what the airshow is for. I am not affiliated with the airshow in any way but have been an audience member for several years and it inspired me to follow the dream of getting my pilot's license. First things first, the CF18 Hornet is not "an instrument of death". It has plenty of other purposes in the air such as intercepting potentially dangerous aircraft and protecting Canada in general. Secondly, about the thunder pig, these planes only fly around Toronto for three days a year. They represent much more than just the amount of noise they make. The airshow is a celebration of the wonder of aviation. Have you seen the precision the Snowbirds use in their routines? How about the new technological advances such as the Harrier jet that can hover like a helicopter? Breakthroughs like this need to be celebrated and known by the general public. And, even if you don't believe that, is it such a big deal to let aviation supporters have some fun once in a while? It is true that the Harvard makes smoke and noise. That being said, people who buy the tickets to sit in the closest seats should have the common sense to realize this and plan accordingly. In fact, there is probably a note about it somewhere in the fine print when someone buys a ticket. The T-33 Acemaker. You are correct in stating that Ace is the title awarded to pilots with kills in battle, but you fail to realize that these kills are for a reason. Otherwise we would not have won the war and your life today would be very different. Air show crashes are always possible at events like these, as well as when anyone goes flying. But let me remind you that driving is more dangerous that flying, and pilots are put through much more strenuous tests and requirements to get their licenses to make aviation as safe as possible. The world of aviation is also very safety-oriented and whenever an accident happens there is an extensive investigation to determine the cause and prevent recurrences. Additionally, the fact that you are in a higher tax paying bracket has absolutely nothing to do with how much you support the forces and, in my opinion, should never be included in an article for a prominent newspaper. I would appreciate it if you did a bit more research and included a well-rounded perspective before writing your next article. 
Thank you 

And guess what the author's entire response was to this wonderfully written letter?

I'm not moved by your opinion, sorry.

I can't believe some of the people in this world. If you were just as outraged as me by his article or response, please feel free to email him at jfiorito@thestar.ca although I don't know if you'll be able to talk some sense into him.