RUST COMMENTARY: FLYING SAFE, BUT MORE UNFORGIVING THAN DRIVING

We were all shocked by the sudden death of JOHN F. KENNEDY, JR. and the lengthy time required to confirm the obvious; and the (to me) initially unbelievable repetition of misinformation and speculation as to what happened.

As a pilot...I was seeking basic information which was not generally reported until two days after the flight.

Any experienced pilot knows that you are challenging fate when you fly at night with low visibility (4.5 to 6 miles with haze and probably fog) over water; without an instrument rating; in a new to you high performance aircraft and with less than 100 hours of experience.

The odds of airplane failure or a heart attack for a 38 year-old healthy young man were in the one percent or less category.

With no visual horizon that one has during the day; or no lights to help you visually if your position is over water; and limited forward visibility...Kennedy needed more than his experience provided him and his passengers.

Flying is safe...but a lot more unforgiving than driving an automobile.

The following excerpts come from Internet articles I found Sunday:

Kennedy had logged only 46 hours since his solo flight.

"An FAA source tells late editions of Sunday's BOSTON GLOBE that John Kennedy, Jr. had completed just 46 hours of flight time since obtaining solo license in April 1998 (in a different and much less complicated airplane).

Kennedy purchased the plane from Munir Hussain, a 39-year-old native of Pakistan who was at the Essex County Airport on Friday night and noticed the plane was out of its hangar.

He tells the Globe that he immediately became worried when he was told Kennedy was solo at the controls.

"It was a risky situation for him to be flying without an instructor because he was not instrument-rated to fly on his own," Hussain said. "I immediately began to worry because the conditions were not that good."

Hussain tells the paper that he had just landed his own plane at the airport and believed that the visibility was not ideal, around six miles in haze.

He felt flying conditions had become "too risky" for someone without instrument certification, the Globe reports.

Kennedy frequently flew with his instructor to Martha's Vineyard.

But the instructor was not aboard the plane on Friday night; he was on vacation in Europe.

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Kyle Bailey, 25, a merchandising analyst from Cedar Grove, N.J., and a pilot, said he saw Kennedy and his wife at about 8 p.m. Friday night at the airport.

Bailey tells the NEW YORK TIMES that he saw Kennedy's plane take off heading south, then turning west and then heading northwest, toward Martha's Vineyard. Bailey, who flew to Martha's Vineyard two weeks ago, said the ocean route can be hazardous, especially at night.

"Flying over the ocean at night isn't the safest feeling. I know that route and at night with fog it can become dangerous," the pilot tells the paper.

Kennedy frequently flew with his instructor to Martha's Vineyard on Friday nights, and returned on Sunday nights or Monday mornings.

But the instructor was not aboard the plane on Friday night; he was on vacation in Europe.

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The NEW YORK POST reported last year that members of the Kennedy clan, including Ted, have politely declined John Jr's. offers to fly in his plane.

"Several pals, mindful of the family's tragic history, have tried to curb his sky-high appetite," the Post reported.

"He was a big fan of extreme sports," a GEORGE magazine staffer said on Saturday.

Not long ago, Kennedy flew to South Dakota to pose at Mt. Rushmore for a photo to go with an essay we had written. While he was there, Kennedy asked if he could rappel down Rushmore.

Park officials said no.

Kennedy, a licensed private pilot, was expected to arrive at Martha's Vineyard Airport in Massachusetts in his Piper Saratoga II TC sometime before 10 p.m. Friday.

At 9:39 p.m. Friday, Kennedy radioed the airport and said he was 13 miles from the airport and 10 miles from the coast, according to WCVB-TV news in Boston. He reportedly said he was making his final approach.

Moments later, radar operated by the Federal Aviation Administration showed the plane went into a dive and dropped 1,200 feet in just 12 seconds, according to ABC News.

In his final approach message, WCVB-TV said Kennedy told controllers at the airport that he planned to drop off his wife's sister and then take off again between 11 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. for Hyannis Airport.

Kennedy's family then called Hyannis Airport around 2:15 a.m., reports say, when he failed to arrive. The airport then checked with the Martha's Vineyard airport, and the search began.

WCVB-TV says Kennedy got his pilot's license last year after undergoing training at Flight Safety International, a respected pilots' school in Florida. He was licensed to fly visually, but not by using instruments alone. Visibility at the time was reported to be eight miles, clear enough to fly without instruments.

The Piper Aircraft Co. says the six-passenger plane Kennedy was flying was built in 1995. WCVB-TV says Kennedy bought it in April of this year.

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Like other members of his legendary family, Kennedy had a taste for danger and took risks both in his personal and professional life, whether it was sea-kayaking, white-water rafting or starting up his own political magazine, "George," named after the country's first president.

The glamorous son of assassinated President John F. Kennedy and mother Jacqueline who died of cancer, Kennedy harbored a long-time passion for flying, CNN correspondent and close friend Christiane Amanpour said.

He took flying lessons during college, then dropped them, only obtaining a private pilot's license on April 22, 1998.

Kennedy bought the Piper 32 Saratoga which he was flying Friday night only a few months ago and was a relatively inexperienced pilot. The plane is considered a more advanced model than the ones he trained on.

JOHN F. KENNEDY, JR. was a charismatic individual with an unlimited future. Like his Uncle JOE who died in combat in WWII...his promise and contributions will never be realized.

His choice to fly that night were within the flying guidelines and regulations.

He probably didn't have the aviation experience to realize what challenges he ultimately was going to place on his skills. It was the inaccurate reporting of the event that disturbed me.

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Court Victory for Student Prayer

There's some good news for religious freedom in public schools. Last week the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 to overturn key portions of U.S. District Judge Ira DeMent's ruling that restricted the right of students to pray and lead prayers in public schools in DeKalb County, Alabama. According to the American Center for Law and Justice, Judge DeMent's order forbade students from reading their Bibles during study hall, praying with other students, and even praying before lunch. The order allowed students to "quietly engage in religious activity during non-instructional times, so long as it does not unduly call attention thereton." To implement such vague language, the district court appointed monitors to visit schools and report on student prayer activities.

In its opinion, Chandler v. James, the Court of Appeals wrote, "The discriminatory suppression of student-initiated religious speech demonstrates not neutrality but hostility toward religion...'Cleansing' our public schools of all religious expression...inevitably results in the 'establishment' of disbelief-atheism-as the State's religion...Because genuinely student-initiated religious speech is private speech endorsing religion, it is fully protected by both the Free Exercise and the Free Speech Clauses of the Constitution."

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Tax Cuts -- Who Cares?

An interesting debate will take place in Washington over the next few months regarding the use of the budget surplus. At the present time, it appears that interest in the debate will be primarily within the beltway with people around the country indifferent.

Both parties agree that much of the projected surplus will go to save Social Security and Medicare. In fact, there is agreement that two out of every three dollars of the hoped-for surplus will go for these purposes. However, what to do with the remainder is the question. The president has proposed tax cuts of approximately $327 billion. House Republicans are expected to pass tax cuts of approximately $846 billion. Senate Republicans are looking at tax cuts somewhere in the vicinity of $700 billion.

The president, in justifying the smaller tax cuts, says that the additional money ought to be used for more government programs and to pay down the debt. The president claims that the large tax cuts would favor the rich and not be for everyone. The Republicans argue that their tax cuts would stimulate the economy and new government programs are not needed. The joint tax committee of Congress estimates that eight percent of households making $100,000 or more pay 62 percent of all income tax.

On the other hand, 60 percent of the households making $40,000 or less pay just six percent of the income tax. Therefore, the House Republicans argue the proposed ten percent income tax cut would be fair. Neither the president nor the Senate is much interested in the most unfair tax of all -- the federal tax on estate and gifts, which can take well over 50 percent of what one has earned in a lifetime.

As I said earlier, there is very little interest among the electorate in this issue. One of the reasons may be found in a recent bipartisan poll taken by Republican pollster Robert Teeter and Democrat pollster Peter Hart. This poll found that six out of every ten people say that they feel disconnected from government. Those people who are discontent blame special interest groups and the media for what is wrong with government. The bottom line is that very few people really believe there will be the surpluses projected and feel this fight is much-to-do about nothing.

Lou Frey, Jr., President Former Members of Congress

~Gary Rust is president of Rust Communications, which owns the Southeast Missourian and other newspapers.