An easy target

Prior to that point, the term was not particularly well known outside the small group of fringe-dwellers who fuelled their own theory, but with the advent of the world wide web, things changed very quickly. That small group was able to spread their message exponentially to anyone that would listen, and their numbers swelled. And like all conspiracies, logic didn’t enter into the argument, nor did the simple matter of the active participants across the world all remaining silent.

However, the chemtrails advocates are just one of many that can take unbridled and uneducated shots in this connected world. They span the loner that lives in a closet to the uninformed mainstream media and all tend to shoot first and ask questions later.

For the masses, aviation is no longer an endeavour that stands testament to mankind’s progress, it is a target at which one and all can take aim.
Even political parties have joined in on the bandwagon. The flag-bearer was the “No Aircraft Noise Party” which was formed in the mid-90s. At the time it gained a great deal of media attention and it still exists today, although not making as much noise as they once did. The fact that the airport was established long before the complainants moved into the area seems to bear no weight in their argument.

Nor does the fact that traffic makes noise, children make noise and outside of a Tibetan monastery at midnight, just about everything makes noise.

They also overlook the convenience and essential services that aviation provides, from personal travel to aeromedical retrieval.
Worse still was some of the social media commentary surrounding a recent aircraft accident in Parafield. There were those that thought that if someone had been killed, then maybe they could get the airport closed. Seriously? There are those that openly wish that the accident had a fatal outcome? Yes, there are trolls who simply seek to evoke a response from those that will entertain them, but certain posts did suggest an undertone of genuine sentiment.

‘Life without air travel is beyond the living memory of most folks.’

Bad press for aviation is limited to the oxygen bandits that seek recognition through social media. Mainstream agencies can also create widespread negativity through poorly researched, knee-jerk coverage of aviation ‘incidents’ and the recent Airbus A380 wake turbulence encounter is a classic example. Front page headlines describing a “jet’s sudden dive” and a “nosedive over the Pacific”. Other coverage claimed that it was a ‘near disaster”, while TV broadcasts erroneously claimed it was being investigated by the ATSB when it wasn’t.

The reality was that the aircraft only had a 3-degree pitch change and a minor excursion from its flight path. The airline was forced to go into damage control for something that didn’t warrant comment. And one must wonder for all of those that heard the logical explanation, or viewed ABC’s Media Watch dissection of the fault-filled coverage, how many only heard the falsehoods?

As air travel is such a tightly scheduled undertaking, inevitably disruptions will occur. So many factors need to fall into place with crisp co-ordination for an on-time departure to take place that the real miracle of flight is how often that actually takes place.

Even so, when the system hiccups and delays are incurred, the masses rise up. Even though some have paid more for their Uber to the airport than their air fare to Adelaide, the level of indignation and disgust is fever-pitched. Image after image of masses crammed into an airline terminal are posted and “never fly with them again’ becomes an anthem.

Again, aviation is the bad guy.

Pedestrians can be knocked over like ten-pins and cars can pile up in blazing wrecks with minimal coverage, but if a lone pilot in a Beechcraft Baron has an undercarriage problem, then break out the big guns and get some footage.

Click bait headlines are not the sole property of the unmonitored internet, they are also taking place in editorial offices. It’s particularly easy to portray aviation badly and escape unscathed as the number of truly informed people in our society are in the vast minority. Furthermore, when they vent their frustrations and relate the facts, it is usually in a forum where they are preaching to the choir.
Not only is life without air travel beyond the living memory of most folks, life without very reasonable ticket prices can’t be recalled. Air travel has transitioned from a privilege to a right to a whipping boy. The swathe of essential services, available products and lifelong memories that stem from aviation are buried in a mire of underappreciation and expectation.

Still, it goes beyond this. The industry is not perfect, but it is often subjected to unfair vitriol. True, seat pitch may have reduced over the years and we all hear about that routinely, but less broadcast are the advances in areas such as safety management and human factors training – all of which are in the very best interests of the travelling public. It would seem that even as the effort to make the skies a safer place grows, the negative press and community attitudes towards aviation still outpace the positive aspects.

Frustratingly, it’s doubtful that things will change anytime soon and the bad will outweigh the good. Perhaps it’s a conspiracy – but probably not. More likely, aviation is simply an easy target.