Larry et al, mid-air collisions DO happen. Fortunately, they are rare. So
rare in fact that when one occurs, it makes news, and there are government
agencies all over the world to examine 'why?' and try to eliminate the
causes. One should worry that they are not as common as lost-life
collisions between motor vehicles. So common are they, that they hardly
make a couple of column inches in the middle of section 'D' of your local
newspaper. but let a couple of light aircraft get together 2000 miles away,
it's right there on page 1.

Pilots have fairly elaborate, yet simple, easy-to-remember procedures that
govern who has the 'right-of-way' under any circumstances. While you are
training, these will, or should be, drilled into you.

If this fear is really keeping you from flying, there are fairly reasonable
devices that will 'listen' for other aircraft's transponder signals and
alert you to the direction and range to other traffic. Not totally
fail-safe, because not all aircraft have, or use, transponders, but when
you know where the ones are that do have 'em, it's easier to look for those
who don't.

Don't let fear of something so rare stand in the way of what you really
want to do

My $.02

Jim Ricks