The typical aircraft accident rate is comparable to the typical
motorcycle accident rate

Comparisons like that are tricky. Is that accidents per hour, or per
mile? Those two ways would give drasticaly different answers.

But I recall a discussion of that topic in Flying mag, years ago. In
a subsequent issue, a letter to the editor from an insurance adjuster
said, "The only more dangerous way to get from point A to Point B than
by motorcycle is by being shot from a cannon."

However, there's an important difference; bikers are at the mercy of
automobile drivers, who open doors in their path, pull out in front of
them, etc. Pilots, however, are rarely killed by someone else.

So a careful, "unbold" pilot is less likely to become a statistic than
an equally careful biker.

vince norris