"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 13:14:06 -0600, Newps wrote
in ::

I'm not appalled at all. I've worked as a controller at many airshows,
all much smaller than OSH. It never ceases to amaze me how stupid so
many pilots are. They have no clue how to operate in controlled
airspace. The fact that there's only 10 or so deaths at OSH is
remarkable.

It saddens me to hear that depressing news coming from an experienced
Air Traffic Controller. Their misdeeds reflect badly on the rest of
their fellows in the eyes of the public.

Frankly, I'm a bit surprised at yours and Newps's surprise. Especially his,
since he goes around calling practically everyone stupid anyway.

The truth is, most people are stupid. Half have two-digit IQs. Even among
the supposedly smart people, there's a consistent lack of common sense. And
in spite of those who would like to think we pilots are an elite group,
there's about the same proportion of stupidity in aviation as in the general
population.

Now, it would surprise me if the "10 deaths per year", or even the "6 deaths
per year" claim is supported by historical data. But even so, with
fatalities running around 2000/year (a little less recently), given the huge
amount of GA traffic at Oshkosh, I'm not even convinced that 6 or 10 deaths
per year is all that out of line with the overall GA population.

What's really annoying is that this sort of predictable outcome is somehow
considered unusually bad by those outside aviation (or those within, for
that matter). People kill themselves doing stupid things all the time. The
only reason we don't have more motor vehicle fatalities each year is that
the vehicles themselves have been made so much safer. We have more
accidents than ever (due to rising population), but fatalities have remained
roughly level at around 50,000 per year. But is that because people have
gotten smarter? Nope...they're just as dumb as they've always been. We've
just engineered some of the risk out of driving.

Similar advancements have not made it to aviation, and of course there are a
variety of reasons that aviation accidents tend to involve higher forces
anyway (airplanes need airspeed to fly, helicopters don't glide very well,
especially if there's been some kind of severe mechanical failure, etc.).
But if the accident rate at Oshkosh, or in GA generally, reflects poorly on
pilots specifically, then it reflects poorly on humanity in general. Those
who look down upon all the people causing accidents forget just what kind of
animal a human is after all.

As long as humans exist, there will be a significant number of them finding
ways to kill themselves. Most of the time, those ways won't even be new and
unique or interesting in any way. They'll just be plain dumb.

Pete