What are the things that are banned by airlines on planes?

Are regional airlines less safe than the major US ones?

• I have heard a lot of people saying regional airlines aren't safe, or at least not as safe as the major ones. I saw the episode of Air Crash Investigation about that Colgan Air flight that crashed in February of '09 in New York and they said some things about what caused the accident, and how regional airline pilots live. It was saying how the pilots are underpaid and can't afford to stay in hotels at the places they have to fly out of and end up sleeping in the airports or something. And that they all work long hours and are tired when they fly the planes since they can't even get an adequate amount of sleep. Pilot error was the cause of that Colgan Air crash, but they also think the pilot was fatigued at the time of the flight. I've also heard that the pilots aren't very trained. I mean, obviously, you would start out with a regional airline first before ever flying for a major one, so it's to be expected that those pilots would be somewhat less experienced...but I've heard at least some of the regionals don't train them much at all and even that pilots with less than a year of experience can get hired! Is that true?? Hearing this stuff really scares me and makes me want to stay the hell away from any regional airline. I mean, there are only two fatal crashes with regionals that I can think of that have happened in the last few years (the Colgan air flight and that Comair flight that crashed in Lexington), so I guess it can't be THAT unsafe, but still. I would just stay away from regionals but I don't know if that will always be possible. My parents live in Huntsville, AL which has a pretty small airport, and I think very few major airlines even fly into that airport (maybe even none do), so if I want to visit them I don't know if I could avoid it. :( I do remember when I still lived with them and we went on vacation, we always flew on some smaller plane to Atlanta and then got on bigger planes there to go to our destination. Creeps me out now to think we were on a death trap! Just kidding...kinda. I actually did go back to see them over winter break but since it was my first time flying alone and I didn't want to have to switch planes at another airport, they were nice enough to just let me fly into Atlanta and get me there and drive the rest of the way home, but I doubt they're going to want to do that every time I visit them (since it's a 4 hour drive)! so if I end up having to fly on one regional plane do I have a greater risk of dying? I'm pretty scared of flying, but I do feel pretty safe on bigger planes with major airlines. But smaller planes creep me out and knowing that they're usually with regional airlines scares me more.

• Answer:

  Rest assured. Regional airlines are not regional anymore, fly quality modern planes and are the only way to fly in most of the segments in the national airspace.On the other hand over 36,000 people die on the highways in the USA every year. Over 8 million car accidents a year in the USA. Each day over 835 people suffer catastrophic injuries in car crashes in the USA. Hundred of thousands are injured each year in car crashes in USA each year. Last year there were zero deaths due to commercial plane crashes in the USA. Except for the rare aircraft accident that gets prominent front page news it is the best way to go somewhere. Your choice. Fear of flying is based on ignorance. I have presented you the best evidence possible: hard data. I flew planes for 38 years, to include 72 combat mission in Vietnam and I retired healthy to enjoy the rest of my life driving my sports car. Your choice. The stats are there for you to evaluate. I do not know your age but if you wish you can calculate the number of people that have died in plane crashes since then compared to the grim stats about vehicles. No comparison. Last year alone we traveled to Turkey and Greece via Germany. All in planes. Think of all the places you can visit around the USA and around the planet. Best wishes andsafe travels.