Safety on the minds of float plane operators in British Columbia

With some tragic accidents and high profile near misses still fresh in the minds of British Columbians, the province's float plane operators have gathered to take a look at how best to improve the safety of their industry.

Transport Canada, which has a number of resource materials available on line on the topic of float plane safety hosted a two day workshop this week to address the issue of safety in the skies and on the water of the province.  The eventual result of which could be the formation of a new association that would be dedicated specifically to improving safety measures in the industry.

In effect, the float plane operators hope to create an industry standard, providing a more formal structure for operators to meet and exchange information on safety issues.

From pop out windows and the use of GPS technology on the  planes that fly, to more easily accessible and comfortable life jackets for passengers and crew members that are in them,  a number of initiatives are up for discussion and perhaps will form part of the new standard to be agreed on by those take to the air across the province.

The Vancouver Sun took a look at the results of this first meeting, the paper has also produced a very informative series on the subject of float plane safety called Broken Wings.

It provides an extensive look at past incidents and remedies for the safety issues, a series that is well worth reading for those that fly the planes and the passengers that travel with them.