This letter is in response to firm chastisement from a dear friend, who remains even dearer. Having been rightly challenged (in an elder’s well-chosen words) to deal with the crisis highlighted by my article, On A Wing And A Vax, my initial suggestions follow:
VACCINATED AIRLINE PILOTS: RISKS & REMEDIES
by William Thomas
Dear S—
Thank you for your email… I deeply regret to say that it is too late to avert the “further progression of destruction” from this experiment.
If you meant that my article is a cause of progressive destruction and that I should desist from spreading fear and negativity — as a journalist shining floodlights into some very dark corners, I wrestle with this almost daily. Alarms spread fear. They’re meant to... I am also obligated to point out the exits, while detailing the solutions already underway. And offering some of my own.
Right now, I am attempting to create awareness of already demonstrated flight safety risks resulting from a mandated, unapproved medical procedure. As well as an appreciation in my readers of the much broader vaccine issues that will be with us for many years to come.
I gave the points you raise careful consideration before writing and posting an article intended to wrestle complacent feathers. I agree that this is a dark and deeply negative rabbit hole. Also, that the batches are varied, including perhaps 20% placebos. Nevertheless, the officially admitted/reported toll of significantly injured and even more significantly dead in Europe, the UK and USA is in the many millions. Just look at all the defibrillators appearing in stores and other public spaces.
Problem is, so very many military, commercial and general aviation pilots have been injected. With well over 100 airline pilots having died so far in the USA alone — rather than the average two per year pre-vax — this is, I respectfully suggest, a major issue for aviation, for which I, too, have a lifelong love and some participation. If a fatal airline accident is publicly linked to the Covid shots, I'm not sure how the industry will restore public confidence.
Given that myocarditis life-expectancy is in many cases, (according to doctors and researchers) as little as five years, this is set to be become a worsening problem throughout the aviation community.
Seems to me, the best way forward is for aviation authorities to immediately begin pairing one "vaccinated" pilot with another who is unvaxxed and performs all takeoffs and landings. (The other pilot could be given a waiver for being unable to perform the specified number of both evolutions to remain “current”, until a workaround is approved.)
[Pilots of single-seat, sometimes armed military aircraft, not so much.]
Meanwhile, airline officials can check batch numbers against the number of injections for each boosted pilot. Those who have received a saline solution, remain cleared to fly. For those at highest risk, institute monthly, detailed cardiograms using the FAA’s original EKG requirements. Or offer immediate retirement with full compensation. But of course, the airlines will do none of the above until the pilots' class action lawsuits are filed, settled and won. Or something much worse occurs.
So yes, I would rather have looked away and "hoped" for the best.
I could not.