The Pessimist's View of the da Vinci Project

This article by Darren Bernhardt has some scary notes about the da Vinci Project's impending launch:

Saskatoon and Kindersley, (the launch site in Saskatchewan, near the Alberta border), of course, are going to be within bombing range.

And

If (the pilot) loses control and goes on a ballistic trajectory, Saskatoon is in sight. Let me say, this is not a launch for amateurs.

And even more to the point:

If there are any problems, the chances of surviving are zero.

And, then, talking about the gigantic helium balloon to be used to raise the spacecraft into the upper atmosphere:

This thing's going to be so big on the ground that any wind greater than one kilometre per hour is going to kill him.

After all that doom and gloom, do I really need to tell you that the person being quoted, E.J. (Ted) Llewellyn, "has been involved with the Canadian Space Program since 1964"? I thought not. No, there is no sign of sour grapes, no envy, no bitterness implied in any of his careful, reasoned, rational, and dispassionate comments is there?

I'm hoping that he just feels so much more bitter after a successful, safe, triumphant flight and landing by the da Vinci people!