Colorado Springs Helicopter pilot explains safety concerns after NYC crash
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Investigators in New York City are trying to figure out what caused a helicopter to crash in the Hudson River Friday, killing a family of five tourists and the pilot. It’s the latest crash in a series of aviation accidents across the country that have gained national attention. We spoke with a helicopter tour company here in Colorado Springs to see if this string of crashes is deterring people from flying with them.
“That’s not even a factor to them,” Arapahoe Flight Club owner, Diego Blandon, said in an interview with KRDO Friday about the tourists booking flights with his company. “The excitement of flying I think is much more than any fear as a result of anything of the sort.”
We flew with Pilot Jaiden Bickamore who’s been a pilot for around four years.
He told KRDO the first job for many new pilots in the United States is actually becoming a flight instructor.
While it may seem counterintuitive to have the least experienced pilots teaching newbies, Diego added that they actually tend to be safer and more thorough since training is still fresh in their minds, they’re worried about making mistakes so soon in their career, and they haven’t gotten too comfortable yet.
Diego told KRDO the biggest concern in helicopter aviation is complacency in more seasoned pilots who might be more likely to skip safety checks. However, he did assure no one is cutting corners at Arapahoe Flight Club.
