Air Safety is a problem that has caused deep concern since air travel began. There are many hazards in today’s crowded air spaces. Airlines follow rigid and detailed aircraft inspections and maintenance schedules to ensure safety. Pilots undergo rigorous examination and flight testing to become licensed to fly. They must have many hours of practical flight experience. Air controllers regulate traffic so that thousands of flights can take to the air each day. Security personnel check luggage to make sure nothing dangerous is brought into the skies. The FOD Boss scours the tarmac. Odds are you’ve never heard of it. But it’s another vital part of the safety net.
We tend to take that safety net for granted. And numerous sources show that air travel might be the safest modern form of travel there is. But statistics never tell the complete story. It takes the concerted efforts of a large and diverse group of people to make safety happen. From governments to pilots, from security personnel to flight attendants, vast crews of people work to make flying safe. Modern flight technology is another key to safety. Your flight by air today is many times safer than comparable travel by automobile. But it wasn’t always that way. Modern technological developments and regulations decreased risk.
Some flight dangers, like midair collisions, are obvious. They’re what come immediately to mind when we consider the perils of flight. Other hazards are not so readily apparent. You likely know birds sometimes get sucked into jet engines and cause their failure. But did you know that foreign objects can cause great damage even when the aircraft is on the ground? Foreign object debris (FOD) can interrupt the taxiing, takeoff, or landing of planes. Debris on the runway can get sucked up into the engines, damage the fuselage, cause great damage, and even loss of life.
Thankfully, we now have ingenious solutions to many dangerous problems. Radar helps control traffic in the skies. Computers aid pilots in flight. Modern technology also combats the dangers of debris on the ground. The FOD Boss uses brushes to roll all debris up into a patented system that traps and removes them. It works without fanfare or glory: It’s just picking up trash. But it’s one of the many modern devices that let us fly safely! You might also see one at the race track, a military base, the sports field, or anywhere else pristine surface conditions are vital. So the next time you spot that strange flat contraption being pulled by a rig on the airfield tarmac, take one brief moment to consider the unsung people and ingenious devices that help keep us safe. Thanks to them, things work.
