On Feb 13, 8:00*pm, Bob Kuykendall wrote:
On Feb 13, 4:40*pm, Dean Markley wrote:

You are wrong. *Aviation or at least commercial aviation is inherently
safe.

I don't necessarily agree with that. The phrase I use to describe
aviation is "statistically safe, but inherently unforgiving."

To me, the phrase "inherently safe" refers to an activity that has few
if any operational modes where constant alertness and engagement is a
prerequisite for continued survival. I think that something is
"inherently safe" when you can turn your back on it, go to sleep, and
expect to wake up an hour later in good health. That covers the vast
majority of aviation passengers, but certainly not pilots. As the old
joke goes, I want to die in my sleep like grandpa, not screaming in
terror like his passengers.

Thanks, Bob K.

That's a reasonable clarification Bob. But I'd also argue that the
universe is constantly in opposition to your definition. After all,
there are comets, asteroids, etc. out there with our name on them.