How dangerous is soaring?

On Oct 30, 5:56 am, wrote:
When I started soaring on mid 80's, everybody said that soaring is the
safest aviation sport, almost safer than most 'real' sports. You can't
brake your leg while flying Only when you hit the ground

Though on a first year 4 pilots that I knew got killed with glider.
Not a good start. And during the years I have counted over 20
fatalities where I can say they either they were my friends or I knew
them well. Plus all the other fatalities. Almost every week on this
group, we get another sad message informing yet another fatality. And
most of the cases, pilots has been extremely experiensed. We know that
they haven't done any stupid moves, they just lost the control of the
plane on wrong situation or the plane has failed on them. I personally
feel that I am on the edge to quit this sport because of that. I don't
want to see not even one more friend passing away. I want to push that
off my mind.

Soaring is the greatest sport I can imagine. No other sport can give
me the feeling, same view, same fellowship etc etc. But is it worth
it???

PS

Last Sunday was one of the most beautiful soaring days imaginable here
in the Ridge Country of the northeastern US. Trees are turning
colors, there were hawks a-plenty, and I even flew with a bald eagle
for a while. It was good.

On the car ride home, I began counting the number of roadside
memorials to people killed in car accidents along interstate 80 (for
those of you not familiar: a) interstate 80 is a major 6 lane highway
which crosses the US and b) there is a trend in the US for people to
set up impromptu roadside memorials to friends and family killed in
car accidents) . In the 30 or so miles I travelled along this section
of road, I counted no fewer than 6 memorials. Six (or more) lives
snuffed out just going about their daily business or visiting friends
and family or maybe taking that long overdue vacation.

What's my conclusion? Life is filled with risks. We can manage
them to the best of our ability, but beyond a certain point there's
only so much that we control. Would I rather be remembered as
someone who had taken advantage of what life has to offer or someone
who "survived" to waste away slowly in an old age home?

I don't want to be cavalier about it, but I believe people who take up
soaring (or motorcycle racing, or downhill skiing, or horse jumping,
or...) know the risks. They choose to accept those risks. I think
they make the right choice.

Erik Mann
LS8-18 (P3)