"C J Campbell" wrote in message
...

"Gary Drescher" wrote in message
news:WSaNb.49062$sv6.126431@attbi_s52...
| It's important to realize that your fearful friends may be right.
| Recreational flying is more dangerous than any activity that most
Americans
| engage in (unless we count dietary and exercise habits as an
"activity").

There are also smoking, logging, and water skiing, too name a few other
activities that are more dangerous than flying. Motorcycle riding is
pretty
dangerous, too.

Sure, but none of those is an activity that most Americans engage in. Most
Americans avoid activities as dangerous as recreational flying.

You can make your recreational flying far less dangerous than the norm if
you just avoid some activities, such as low level maneuvering.

Maneuvering accidents account for 22% of GA fatalities, so avoiding
maneuvering does help a little. Takeoff fatalities are the next biggest
category (17% of GA fatalities), and that's a harder activity to avoid if
you're going to fly.

On the other hand, student flying is about four times safer than personal
flying overall, and student flying includes an especially high concentration
of low-level maneuvering, as well as takeoffs and landings. So we're a lot
better off if we fly like students.

--Gary