On 2007-04-11 18:09:27 -0700, "Dan Luke" said:

Wait 'til Scary Mary gets on TV with this:

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N10403256.htm

They called these so-called general aviation flights a public safety
problem and urged the Federal Aviation Administration and the National
Transportation Safety Board to do more to improve safety of small
airplanes.

Okay. "So-called general aviation?" Obviously we are hiding something here.

They missed the main factor in GA accidents -- pilot error. Airlines
don't buzz the house of the pilot's girlfriend. They don't chase cows.
They don't drop notes to the pretty girls on the beach. They don't fly
up box canyons to look at the view. They don't fly VFR into IMC. They
don't do aerobatics at 1500 feet. They don't load up the front seat
with camera equipment so that you can't see out and then try to fly
from the back seat. They take care of their airplanes. They don't fly
airplanes with known maintenance problems. They don't use automobile
parts to fix their airplanes. They know how much fuel they need. They
pay attention to weight and balance. They don't fly single engine IFR
over the mountains at night. They don't fly at 16,000 feet without
oxygen. They fly above the weather, not through it. They don't take off
with the wrong mixture setting. They pay attention to density altitude.
They don't fall asleep at the controls (well, not as often, anyway).
They don't get drunk as often. They don't fly with just one pilot. They
don't shoot the wing off the plane with an automatic shotgun while
hunting coyotes in Montana. If they botch a landing, they go around
instead of trying to save it. They figure out their route and flight
plan before they depart. In sum, they look professional, think
professional, and act professional.

GA pilots don't fly like airline pilots and have the accident record to
prove it. You can stuff all the airbags in the world into your seatbelt
and it will not save you from stupidity.

--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor