Jim Willson wrote:


I know all too well that aviation is risky.big snip It is as if the
thrill becomes an addiction.

My other hobby, which really I spend more time on, is rock climbing. I
read and post to rec.climbing often, and the issue of risk/benefit comes
up all the time. The final conclusion about risk/benefit most climbers
end up making is "Why ask why?" The sport is ultimately meaningless.
Trying to quantify the metric of benefit of the thrill of conquering the
odds is like trying to measure some kind of units of love. Ain't going
to happen. Just is. The key is to at least make informed decisions,
without deluding yourself with some false sense of safety.

To quote the famous former Texas gubernatorial candidate, just "lay back
and enjoy it".

I flew on aircraft carriers for 11 years (minus time on shore
billets) and had 1500 hrs and over 300 traps.

15 years, 1900 hours, 300+ traps in E-2s and other. What'd you fly?