Editor:

The crash of Jessica Dubroff's Cessna on April 11 reaffirms a feeling that I have had for some time, that children should not be allowed to fly airplanes.

This statement may seem to be rather quick, but I believe that it is one of common sense. We prohibit people from learning to drive cars until they are 151/2, yet anyone of any age may learn to fly an airplane. An airplane is a much more complex piece of equipment than a car, with many more factors that come into play in its safe operation.

The question that needs to be asked in light of this crash is, "are children capable of making the decisions and taking the responsibility necessary to ensure the safe operation of an aircraft?" I have always felt, and my feelings have been confirmed by the crash, that the answer is no. If we can't trust someone to be behind the wheel of a car, should we trust them to be at the controls of an airplane?

Gilbert Esquerdo
physics junior