Your views about the aerospace industry and our reporting
Emissions: impossible?
It is an interesting time, with your magazine reporting on all these creative technological challenges to engineer more fuel-efficient turbofan and open rotor engines (Flight International, July 2021), develop hydrogen- and electric-powered aircraft, create less carbon-based synthetic fuels, and so on, all designed to lower CO2 emissions and help reduce global warming.
However, without any help from us, last year 73 active volcanoes were reported erupting, and this year 42 are erupting right now. That is putting more CO2 and sulphur dioxide in our atmosphere than humans have generated since we discovered fire.
Maybe the UN’s Paris Agreement participants should include nature when looking to tackle climate change?
Peter Parsons
via email
Editor’s reply: The pandemic and associated massive reduction in flying has given us all pause for thought about the environmental impact of our life choices, including air travel. Managing tectonic activity and associated volcanic emissions are clearly beyond our control, so we will continue to focus on the exciting developments and innovations that appear poised to change the industry much sooner than we all might have previously expected.
Danger money
After reading about the pending arrival of Alitalia’s successor (FlightGlobal.com, 15 July 2021), I was left asking myself the question: Will the ITA pilots still be paid ‘danger money’?
The very outdated bonus that was previously included in Alitalia’s pilot remuneration survived well beyond its sell-by date, and must have contributed to its financial woes.
Dr Peter Sander
Hythe, Kent, UK
Outdated view
I was surprised you published the letter ‘Family first’ (Flight International, June 2021). I thought it should have appeared elsewhere in the issue, within the Straight & Level section’s ‘From the archive’ column: perhaps from 1946?
Women are put off from careers in aviation by such sexist, misogynistic and out of date views.
Most children have fathers as well as mothers, and these days fathers often share child-rearing duties.
Name and address supplied
Editor’s reply: Our disclaimer text at the foot of this page states that published correspondence does not necessarily represent the views of the editor. It is not our intention to censor opinions. While the views expressed in this instance would not be held by all, they are unlikely to be unique – and serve to illustrate the very real challenges that remain as the industry strives to address its gender imbalance.
