Families of Continental Flight 3407

My thoughts and prayers are with each and everyone of you! God Bless!!!

There will always be *those people* that insist on voicing their opinions, and sometimes in the most inappropriate ways and times. All too often people look for, intentionally look for, opportunities to offer rebuttals and to argue. This guestbook clearly states, "To leave a guestbook message to the families of Continental Flight 3407, please complete the form below." It is to the families. To the families of those people that lost their lives due to this tragic occurrence- you are strong, loving, caring people who have made a difference and through the pain and hurt have done an incredible job of standing up for your loved ones. I cant imagine the pain you have gone through, but to see you coming together, as a family, to fight for your loved ones is very inspiring. Please continue to find strength in whatever way you can. I know times like these can sometimes separate loved ones, parents’ losing a child sometimes divides them, etc., but please continue to fight to stay strong for each other and to be a rock for each other. To the families of those lost, you are in my thoughts and prayers during this holiday season.

The input of some angry, low time pilots is noted, but ultimately misguided. The ideas put into the legislation that passed in Congress were originated by pilots. In June 2009, another regional pilot and I put together a website www.remember3407project.org We used that as a platform to launch a letter writing campaign suggesting changes and reforms to the airline industry. Changes and reforms that were noted from the most junior regional first officer to the most senior major airline captain. The ideas we put forward were examined by many, adopted by several, to include ALPA and CAPA, and ultimately championed by the families of Colgan Air Flight 3407. Complain all you like, but as a former Colgan Air pilot, many of us believed it was all a matter of time. These changes are long overdue, as as long as industry efforts to stall them proceed, we must not let up. These ideas *always* originated with pilots and seasoned, knowledgeable industry insiders.

We will always miss Fang Guo and his smiling face. We have been friends with the family because our children became friends in First grade at Maple West. We have remained friends throughout all the years. Fang had the most positive attitude about life and loved his family so much. We continue to keep Ping and Kevin in our thoughts and prayers. We are here for you always. Monica and Alex

I too read the GH article, and I am overcome with emotion that something like this could happen, at the callousness of the airline industry, that cost you the lives of loved ones, and has put the lives of millions of travelers at risk. God Bless you all and give you the strength and perseverance for this fight. I want to do my little part by making my friends aware of this, to write to their States legislators.

I read the article in GH today. I couldnt get past the first page of the article--I got too emotional. I know that your friends & family members are so proud of all of you & your efforts in better aviation safety. Truly inspirational for many people out there. Keep on doing what you are doing until voices are heard.

As a former airline captain, accident investigator, ALPA safety rep. and aviation Professor at a major mid-west university, I could not disagree with you more. Please do not use this forum as an outlet for your bad behavior - that is not what this guestbook is for. I was one of the pilots they talked to in developing these new rules. They are sound and a huge improvement over what we had. I flew for a regional airline for 10 years and have seen the abuse these organizations dole out. How they twist the regulations to push employees to the limit. I have too many stories to tell. But what is important to remember is not how this will affect your career plans but rather will this help the industry and protect our loved ones. It will. It is not perfect, no rule making process is, but this will go a long way to helping all of us. I have flown with 500 hr pilots in a glass cockpit airliner before with them as my FOs, and in almost every case (except one seemingly gifted person) you guys are not ready for that environment. Flying with that equipment in the northeast US in horrible weather is very demanding and quite simply too much for someone with that level of experience. I was essentially alone on the flight deck on many of these occasions. They were along for the ride. I understand your stress over trying to get an airline job and the passion for aviation, I really do. But stop for a minute and think, come walk an airliner accident scene, help create a dead pilots forensic profile and live the regional pilot life before you come on to a family guest book and spout out a passionate plea for something that you are really not equipped to discuss. Keep that for the aviation discussion boards, they are full of this inane drivel. I wish you the best and my heartfelt thank you to the families of 3407. May God be with you always.

You have accomplished via this watershed rulemaking process (now law) what we inside the industry have attempted for years. You have the congratulations and support of seasoned airlines professional such as myself. More personally, you all have my sympathy for your loss, tempered by the knowledge that a truly good and lasting legacy is written next to all of thier names because of your efforts. Capt. Bob Baird, B-777, United Airlines. Clarence, NY resident.

My condolences and thank you for all you have done.

I read about your organization and its work in the October issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. My condolences go out to all of you. I know very little about the airline industry, so am unprepared to offer an opinion about anything, except to say that I agree that the major airlines should be held responsible for what happens with their regional carriers, and that travellers should be told when a regional carrier takes on the duties of the major airline that they have tickets on. It makes sense, due to the fact that if a consumer does not want to fly on a regional jet,they will have the opportunity to decline the flight; at which point they either choose a different airline, or a different mode of travel. Congratulations on your successes, and good luck on your future endeavors.

Thank you for all that you have done. You have changed aviation safety for the better. You have accomplished what the pilots have not been able to accomplish for decades. It is a good thing. Thank you again.

I have come across the Flight 3407 events after watching Michael Moores last movie. I have read a a number of webpages regarding the investigation, the conclusions, and finally got to this website. I have no thoughts left to share for discussion. My mind is silent, and my soul is close to all the families and friends who have lost their loved ones. This night I am praying for all of you, while my faith in God is telling me that your loved ones are already praying for all of us from Heaven. May Gods grace be with all the families each and every day.

The reasons that automobiles are more dangerous than aviation are, to a large extent, irrelevant. The fact remains that if you want to travel from NY to LA and back, you would be safer (many times over) flying rather than driving. And no, it isnt only because there are drunk drivers. Road rage, fatigue, ignorance, speeding, lack of experience all play a part in the roads being FAR more dangerous than the air. But, I believe people do not care about this because they feel more in control in a car, even if they are more likely to die driving. People in cars SHOULD have a reasonable expectation of safety. People in aircraft DO have a reasonable expectation of safety, and the airlines EVEN WITH THE ACCIDENTS achieve a very very very reasonable level of safety. Few other industries can boast as safe of a record as the US aviation industry. That doesnt mean that the people from 3407 should be forgotten. It just means that sometimes, even when we do our best, bad things happen. Im sorry for that, but that doesnt mean those of you who know nothing about aviation should influence those who DO know something in Congress. Speak out. Share your mind. Most of all, become educated before you spout ignorant half-truth that the news outlets love to eat up. Dont be an idiot.

I love to travel and write guides for people so they can get the best experience possible Travel Guide

Just leave aviation alone. So you need to take a 600 mile trip, take a drive and stay out of the air if mr/miss 300 hour flight time pilot scares you. Flying is a luxuary service and its not forced upon you. You jump on a plane, you understand and accept any consequences that could happen. Duh

angered commercial pilot...... Get over it. Oh by the way, learn how to spell! If your spelling and grammer usage is any indication of your ability to master subject material, the bill certainly has done its job to keep you off the flight deck!

I would like to comment on a previous posters comparison between air travel and car travel. If every person in a car were driven around by a trained, experienced, SOBER driver, there would be far less automobile accidents than there are today. My father was killed in 2008 by a careless driver. I am certainly not blind to the fact that traveling by car is dangerous - however, I fail to see the two as a fair comparison, especially since passengers on planes have a reasonable expectation of safety, experience and training that is not present on the roads. My heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this accident. I know first hand how quickly the world can change for many because of the mistakes of the few.

Some of the comments below may be more suited for pilot forums, as this is a meesage board for family members and close friends of those who lost their lives on board Flight 3407 As mentioned before by ALPA- This bill was written by the House of Representatives Aviation Subcommittee because of the input from pilots and pilot unions.THAT MEANS THEY DID ASK MANY PILOTS. Their rationale was that this was the only way to force the airlines to pay regional airline pilots more than 20k and hopefully keep regional airline pilots from leaving the industry. I continue to keep all of the families and friends of 3407 victims in thoughts and prayers. God Speed

Exactly. Aviation IS safe. Much safer than driving. Why is it that this bill received so much attention for so few lives, when thousands more are dying on the roads? Ill never understand it. Airline travel is by far the safest way to get from A to B in this world. That doesnt mean we shouldnt strive for safety anymore, but we SHOULD put all of this energy towards bigger problems. I know, I know, the squeaky wheel gets the grease... Congratulations! What this bill has done is akin to putting all of our medical resources towards curing people with a disease that kills 100 people per year, and ignoring heart disease, that kills hundreds of thousands. US domestic airlines, on average, kill far less than 100 people per year out of MILLIONS flown. Sometimes, things just happen, and people just die. It is life. While sad, it isnt tragic. It was an accident, plain and simple. Sometimes, errors are made for which there is no excuse, and no remedy. There will always be mediocre pilots, just as there are mediocre doctors, lawyers, and human beings. Focus on the areas where attention is deserved, and stop wasting resources on the areas THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOLVED! Aviation used to be dangerous, but it no longer is. Not even close. Sigh...

In aviation most flights are safe and routine. That is why it takes hundreds or thousands of hours to see an emergency. I have had about 5 such emergencies in my career. I am 39 years old have 4000 hours of fixed wing flying of which half that time is in Turbojet aircraft (including airline flying). When my airline went out of business I started a lawn mowing/snow plowing company and made $110,000 in my first year. Today I fly corporate for a per day rate of $850. The system is broken to say the least. I cannot return to airline flying. The economics of starting over at $20k a year just dont work. My experience is not rewarded by any airline. I just start over. Its not worth it. I am not the only one. There are many pilots like me. I know of 5 airline pilots in my immediate peer group that left and will NEVER go back and instead chose another field to work in. Most cite lack of compensation as the reason. I am glad this bill passed and only sad that they left the academic "loophole". Only by flying hundreds or thousands of hours will you get the gear emergency, icing encounters, lightning strikes, failed systems and equipment, wrong takeoff data, blown tire, etc. I only hope pay can improve as well. Its the only way to get experience back to where it should be.