AVIATION SAFETY ADVOCATE KIRSTEN STEVENS STEPS DOWN

[Brown Bear]

Without our "Widow" to champion our cause for safer skies, I would guess it's time for us to stand up on our hind legs and fight the good fight ourselves. How about letting common sense enter into the equation folks?
Thanks Kirsten.
L

[Invertago]

Thanks, widow, the world needs more like you, rest well and move on to the next chapter we appreciate all you've done!

[Widow]

If it wasn't for this website, and the many people whom I have met either in person or "virtually" as a result of my membership, I never would have taken the course of safety advocate.

I want to thank Joe, the mod team, and all the users (friend and foe!) of AvCanada; for not booting me when I first arrived, for giving me a place to grieve, learn, rant, pontificate and debate.

To those of you who have contributed to this thread, or sent emails, a further thanks. You have helped me believe that it has not all been for naught, to believe that I am not quitting but retiring.

Thank you all, who make daily effort to do your jobs as safely as possible. Thank you for doing your part in keeping our skies safe, and preventing another loss like the one I have suffered.

I thank you. Dave, Arnie, Doug, Trevor and Fabian thank you.

Stay safe,

Kirsten Stevens
AKA "Widow"

P.S. If you find yourself with a bit of free time and a desire to help keep the public informed and the government accountable, please contact David Hutton at Federal Accountability Initiative for Reform (FAIR), to see how you can help in maintaining the website, Safeskies.ca.

[flyinthebug]

Our industry has suffered another loss with the word of your resignation. Thank you Kirsten for all your extraordinary efforts to help make aviation a safer place. Take good care of your health and i`ll look forward to staying in touch with you!
All the best, with Thanks!
FTB

[Dash-Ate]

Saw this magazine lying around.

http://thewalrus.ca/flight-risk/

Flight Risk

Why small commercial aviation is still unsafe

By Carol Shaben

From the April 2013 magazine


In 2005, Kirsten Stevens’ forty-year-old husband, Dave, died when the float plane flying him to work at a logging camp crashed in the waters off northern Vancouver Island, killing everyone on board. She became an advocate for higher Canadian aviation safety standards, eventually joining forces with Hugh Danford, a former pilot and Transport Canada civil aviation inspector turned whistle-blower. The two featured prominently in my November 2009 article, “Fly at Your Own Risk.”

[CpnCrunch]

Yes they tried hard ... the senate committee interviews are still on YouTube, including Widow, Hugh, and several others. Nothing has changed because it all fell on deaf ears.

Er, no. Change did come as a direct result of this accident, and Kirsten did make a difference:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news ... b46d849c9b

I don't think they have actually mandated lifevests yet, but TC is certainly pushing it.

[armchair]

Er, no. Change did come as a direct result of this accident, and Kirsten did make a difference:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news ... b46d849c9b

I don't think they have actually mandated lifevests yet, but TC is certainly pushing it.

Well if Eley says it , it must be true euh? I guess mandatory wearing of life vests for all occupants will happen at the same time the wearing of helmets is mandatory for helicopter pilots, and at the same time 406 mHZ ELTs are mandatory for all general aviation aircraft, and at the same time SMS is mandatory for 703, and, and, and,...

[CpnCrunch]

Well if Eley says it , it must be true euh? I guess mandatory wearing of life vests for all occupants will happen at the same time the wearing of helmets is mandatory for helicopter pilots, and at the same time 406 mHZ ELTs are mandatory for all general aviation aircraft, and at the same time SMS is mandatory for 703, and, and, and,...

Well at the very least TC and TSB have raised awareness of the issue among operators, and things are definitely changing:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news ... 44c0ca79ee

[GUMPS]

The risks and safety concerns with flying aboard floatplanes has been made more aware for sure. Kirsten did play a role in this.

On a side note, as someone who's been flying floats for a long time now, I personally don't want to see people wearing life vests aboard the airplane..Call me crazy, call me old fashion (although I am all for more awareness, better exits and all that jazz) but put 5 people in a Beaver or 8 in an Otter all with vests on and something happens and their first reaction is going to be to inflate the life jacket, even if you tell them to wait till they exit the aircraft. I don't want to be the guy trapped behind 3 people who are now bobbing and even more disoriented in an upside down beaver trying to find 1 of 4 small doors.

[CpnCrunch]

On a side note, as someone who's been flying floats for a long time now, I personally don't want to see people wearing life vests aboard the airplane..Call me crazy, call me old fashion (although I am all for more awareness, better exits and all that jazz) but put 5 people in a Beaver or 8 in an Otter all with vests on and something happens and their first reaction is going to be to inflate the life jacket, even if you tell them to wait till they exit the aircraft. I don't want to be the guy trapped behind 3 people who are now bobbing and even more disoriented in an upside down beaver trying to find 1 of 4 small doors.

The article above talks about that point, and Mustang will hopefully come up with a solution.

The problem is that for passengers who who what they're doing there is no option - the operators won't generally let you wear a lifejacket, so you're basically screwed.