A SMALL STEP TO MAKE FLYING FUN AGAIN

End Transportation Mandates

Been flying lately?  We took five trips last year, and with constantly changing requirements and mandates, it isn’t fun.  You should plan to bring every piece of paper regarding vaccines and testing, as well as a variety of masks to suit the requirements.  The friendly skies have never been less so…and it’s time for a change. 

The CEOs

CEOs of Alaska Air, Atlas Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, FedEx Express, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, UPS Airlines and Airlines for America all signed a letter to Biden requesting an end to the federal mask mandate.  The air is actually cleaner than in most places people can now go without a mask; the science isn’t there. Studies, such as the one from Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health and another from the U.S. Department of Defense, have concluded that an airplane cabin is one of the safest indoor environments due to the combination of highly filtered air and constant air flow.  People who wanted a vaccine have gotten it and the current strain is simply part of an endemic disease.  We don’t mask for other illnesses by mandate.

They also argued that the predeparture testing requirement has also outlived its usefulness.  It makes life very tough, is costly and hard to find for many tourists and many countries have lifted it, realizing that it is unnecessary.  Also noted was that travel restrictions early on had no real impact on the spread.

The Pilots

After the Senate voted to repeal the mask mandate (which Biden threatens to veto), commercial pilots from six states filed a lawsuit with the US District Court, DC, against the CDC and HHS, saying that the mandate impacts aviation safety.  They also challenge the authority of the Executive Branch to advance these rules.

Flight crews suffer the most under these mask rules.  Many describe headaches and fatigue as well as pointing out how difficult it is to breath.  For those wearing glasses, it is almost impossible to keep them from fogging up, which impacts safety.  Pilots note that they can’t hear air traffic control clearly through masks, can’t smell smoke or electrical issues in the cockpit.  Flight attendants can’t detect alcohol on the breath of passengers or otherwise monitor cabin safety.  Stress of knowing which mask will be permitted at any given time is an issue.

Flight safety has been impacted, as people suffering under the mandate lose their temper and ability to control themselves.  Health safety has also taken a toll, as children unable to mask up (like those severely autistic) can’t get to medical appointments at the one hospital able to provide care.  As an asthmatic, I find that I feel very air-deprived with the mask on. 

In 2021, the Federal Aviation Administration reported there were 5,981 unruly passenger incidents. Of those, 4,290 involved masks. Of the 961 reports of unruly passengers already reported for the first three months of 2022, the FAA said, 635 were related to face masks.

The Truth

Both the mask mandates and the testing mandates simply feed companies with ties to the government and further empower our government to control us.  It might have made sense for a few months at the beginning; it makes none now.

It’s time to wrest back our power and tell the government we’ve had enough.  We need to let them know that we are a free people and that their “years in the sun of unbridled power” are over.  Aren’t you done being told what do like an unruly child?  Slap them down hard and perhaps we can keep this overreach from happening again.