Air space
Rules, and a culture of caution, can only do so much. While the stakes may be higher at 30,000 feet, pilots and air traffic controllers have to show the same combination of vigilance, calm and flexibility to navigate their plane and their passengers safely. The 13 incidences of near misses of aircraft flying in and out of Yorkshire airports over the last three years are a cause for concern, rather than fear. It is still too many but they have to be set against the backdrop of tens of thousands of flights in the region every year.
As the airways grow ever busier, and our addiction to flying shows little sign of waning, it is important that pilots and air traffic controllers get the training, practical advice and rest that they need to keep us safe. Flying is one profession where mistakes really can be a matter of life and death.