The disappearance of
Flight 370 has brought to the forefront how glaringly backward
airline safety still is. If we only could get the black box from
that flight in our hands, we would know all the relevant variables as
to how the plane was performing and what the pilots were saying when
the plane vanished. Yes, if! That is, if we had a way of first
finding the plane. After months of debate about how the NSA can
listen, collect and record data of all telephone calls, all email,
all messages around the world continuously, about controlling gadgets
on the Moon and Mars from Earth, and other miraculous technical
capabilities, we are now stunned by the news that an essential
component of airline security is still in Dark Ages. Foremost: 1)
Why are all commercial airlines NOT equipped with a signal sending
mechanism that are unique to that aircraft and independent of any
external interference, including the pilots, that continuously
identifies the whereabouts of that plane from the time it takes off
and until it arrives at its destination, and why are there no
tracking stations along the way and/or satellites that receive the
signals and alert stations if something is amiss? 2) why is there no
transponder on the plane that takes over automatically, independent
from the pilots, especially if there is no communication from the
pilots? 3) As a corollary, why are pilots able to turn off
transponders in the middle of a flight? 4) How is it possible that
the FAA, Boeing, someone have not considered the possibility that the
“safest” plane supposedly with all sorts of safety redundancies
built in could vanish as it did?
Sirman Celayir
Fernandina, Florida
