Air Story One-Sided

I respect Jerry Hulse very much as a travel writer, but as a pilot, I recognize from what he wrote that he knows very little about flying other than as a passenger. I don’t doubt his story of an evasive maneuver by the pilot of PSA 273; however, he was under the control of a controller and the controller would also have known of the Cherokee from his radar. By the time he got to 8,000 feet he was some distance from the airport.

Aside from that, I can only believe that the PSA pilot’s remark about being delayed by “Sunday fliers” is very self-serving to excuse their own lateness, which is the rule with PSA rather than an exception.

There is no more positive control over aircraft than at an airport such as Burbank, and the tower controllers have absolute control over PSA and the “Sunday fliers.” It has been my experience that the so-called “Sunday fliers” are usually held up by the departures and landings of the airline planes. Most pilots understand this and are used to it.

Please continue the good work in reporting on travel. I thoroughly enjoy it.

JAMES M. REZ

Glendale