How safe is it, really?

"kontiki" wrote in message
...
Here is my opinion, for what it it worth. The safety of flying is very
dependent upon the quality of the pilot. Compared to driving a car for
example, if some nutcase headed in the opposite direction decides to
reach for his beer, your skills as a driver are not worth much.

In an airplane you are many times more likely to be a victim of your
own stupidity/carelessness/ignorance you name it. On the other hand
a cautious pilot is generally not subjected to the degree of idiocy
one experiences on the road on a daily basis. Therefore I feel flying
is safer for careful and conciencous pilots than driving.


You may feel safer but there is no evidence to support your feeling and a
lot to refute it. GA has well over 100 times the fatal accident rate of
airlines and about 10 time the fatal rate of driving. Personal flying ( as
opposed to business, corporate or flight training) has an even higher risk
than the average GA rate. Even if you remove all the pilot error accidents,
personal flying is still much more dangerous than driving.

Mike
MU-2

I think you also have to focus on the safety risks of different kinds of
"driving." A Sunday morning drive on a deserted country lane is quite safe.
Anywhere close to a high school at 4 pm on a school day is like Russian
roulette.

Big city freeways, when not at a standstill, are congested, high speed,
tailgating, free-for-alls. I am sure my flying in my plane is safer than my
driving on my city freeways. I have to drive about 20 miles on those
freeways to get to my airport, and always breathe a sigh of relief that the
dangerous part is over when I pull onto the airport ramp. Statistics are
relevant to me only if the sample is of people very close to people like me
taking risks like mine. It is quite possible that for many of us, our
driving is more dangerous than our flying.



"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
ink.net...

"kontiki" wrote in message
...
Here is my opinion, for what it it worth. The safety of flying is very
dependent upon the quality of the pilot. Compared to driving a car for
example, if some nutcase headed in the opposite direction decides to
reach for his beer, your skills as a driver are not worth much.

In an airplane you are many times more likely to be a victim of your
own stupidity/carelessness/ignorance you name it. On the other hand
a cautious pilot is generally not subjected to the degree of idiocy
one experiences on the road on a daily basis. Therefore I feel flying
is safer for careful and conciencous pilots than driving.


You may feel safer but there is no evidence to support your feeling and a
lot to refute it. GA has well over 100 times the fatal accident rate of
airlines and about 10 time the fatal rate of driving. Personal flying (
as opposed to business, corporate or flight training) has an even higher
risk than the average GA rate. Even if you remove all the pilot error
accidents, personal flying is still much more dangerous than driving.

Mike
MU-2

"Dan Thompson" wrote in message
. com...
I think you also have to focus on the safety risks of different kinds of
"driving." A Sunday morning drive on a deserted country lane is quite
safe.
Anywhere close to a high school at 4 pm on a school day is like Russian
roulette.

Big city freeways, when not at a standstill, are congested, high speed,
tailgating, free-for-alls. I am sure my flying in my plane is safer than
my
driving on my city freeways. I have to drive about 20 miles on those
freeways to get to my airport, and always breathe a sigh of relief that
the
dangerous part is over when I pull onto the airport ramp. Statistics are
relevant to me only if the sample is of people very close to people like
me
taking risks like mine. It is quite possible that for many of us, our
driving is more dangerous than our flying.

You will not find any supporting evidence for your assumptions. Any way you
want to look at it GA flying is more likely to result in your death than
driving many times over. What you would find is that two lane country roads
are among the most dangerous. Two way undivided traffic allows for very
little error and even single car accidents are spectacular. Divided
multilane traffic is among the safest.

The Nall report is available on the AOPA WEB site. It makes for interesting
reading.

I've read the Nall report.

You're missing my point. My point is, the way *I* fly, in *my* plane, is
safer than *my* drive to *my* airport, which is my main concern and the only
thing I can directly influence.

Isn't it possible I could be right? Do you agree that some kinds of GA
flying are safer than some kinds of automobile driving?



"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
om...

"Dan Thompson" wrote in message
. com...
I think you also have to focus on the safety risks of different kinds of
"driving." A Sunday morning drive on a deserted country lane is quite
safe.
Anywhere close to a high school at 4 pm on a school day is like Russian
roulette.

Big city freeways, when not at a standstill, are congested, high speed,
tailgating, free-for-alls. I am sure my flying in my plane is safer than
my
driving on my city freeways. I have to drive about 20 miles on those
freeways to get to my airport, and always breathe a sigh of relief that
the
dangerous part is over when I pull onto the airport ramp. Statistics are
relevant to me only if the sample is of people very close to people like
me
taking risks like mine. It is quite possible that for many of us, our
driving is more dangerous than our flying.

You will not find any supporting evidence for your assumptions. Any way
you
want to look at it GA flying is more likely to result in your death than
driving many times over. What you would find is that two lane country
roads
are among the most dangerous. Two way undivided traffic allows for very
little error and even single car accidents are spectacular. Divided
multilane traffic is among the safest.

The Nall report is available on the AOPA WEB site. It makes for
interesting
reading.

"Dan Thompson" wrote:
I've read the Nall report.

You're missing my point. My point is, the way *I* fly, in *my* plane, is
safer than *my* drive to *my* airport, which is my main concern and the
only
thing I can directly influence.

Isn't it possible I could be right?

It's possible, if each activity were conducted at the opposite extremes of
behavior and circumstances with respect to risk, but how realistic is that?

Do you agree that some kinds of GA
flying are safer than some kinds of automobile driving?

I have seen no evidence for it, but I would bet that a proficient pilot
making a 50-mile trip in a 172 on a nice day is at less risk than a drunk
redneck speeding down a two-lane mountain road at night in the rain. So
what?

Look at it this way: you fit somewhere on the bell curve of drivers WRT
judgement and ability, probably on the good slope, in your opinion. Don't
you think you occupy about the same spot on the private pilot bell curve?
But the risk/hour for all private pilots is *much* greater than the
risk/hour for all drivers, so, even though compared to others you're as good
a pilot as you are a driver -- better than most --, your risk while flying
is still greater than your risk while driving.
--
Dan
C-172RG at BFM

"Dan Thompson" wrote in message
. com...
I've read the Nall report.

You're missing my point. My point is, the way *I* fly, in *my* plane, is
safer than *my* drive to *my* airport, which is my main concern and the
only
thing I can directly influence.

Isn't it possible I could be right? Do you agree that some kinds of GA
flying are safer than some kinds of automobile driving?

You are kidding yourself and have painted a safety picture of yourself that
is not true.
If you fly personal GA you are much more likely to die in the airplane than
the drive to the airport.

"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
. com...


You are kidding yourself and have painted a safety picture of yourself
that
is not true.
If you fly personal GA you are much more likely to die in the airplane
than
the drive to the airport.

That does it!!! I'm turning in my license and buying a VW Microbus!!
--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

"Matt Barrow" wrote in message
...

"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
. com...


You are kidding yourself and have painted a safety picture of yourself
that
is not true.
If you fly personal GA you are much more likely to die in the airplane
than
the drive to the airport.

That does it!!! I'm turning in my license and buying a VW Microbus!!
--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

Buy a Corvair, they are much more fun to drive.