Posted for Terrence O'Neill <troneill@charter.net>:

Begin forwarded message:
 
> From: Terrence O'Neill <troneill@charter.net>
> Date: March 29, 2010 9:02:01 AM CDT
> To: info@ap.org
> Subject: fax article on plane safety
>
> Sirs:
> Joan Lowy should take a few courses in aerodynamics and aircraft safety
>before spouting officious opinions on the causes of aircraft crashes .. which
>have no demonstrated relationship to design stall velocities, at all.    Even
>the common airline passenger knows that airliners stall much greater
>velocities and have a slightly (but not much) better safety record than light
>aircraft.
> In support of my opinion on this, I have been piloting aircraft since 1945,
>including four years as a Naval Aviator, and have personally designed, built,
>and flight tested three original designs, ran an FAA Type Certification of one
>and was awarded a Provisional Type Certificate A19CE to manufacture light
>aircraft, and have done major modifications to three other Experimental single
>engine aircraft, including my present Lancair.
> A retraction and apology would be appreciated by all Lancair builders and
>owners, many of whom are professional military and aerospace engineering
>types.
>
> Terrence O'Neill
> Lancair 235/320
> N211AL