Pilots are, indeed, rare...

Here is the answer (well, closer than a guess) to my questions about
pilots:

See:
http://www.prb.org/Articles/2002/How...edonEarth.aspx

Using these numbers (through 2002) the best estimate is that 106
billion humans have ever lived on this planet.

If we use the estimate of 5 million pilots who have ever lived, we can
see that the number of people in history to have achieved the ability
to fly is something around .0047%, or 1 in 21,200 people...

Humans tried to fly for over 50,000 years, only figuring it out 104
years ago. In other words, for 99.8% of our history, we tried -- and
failed -- to fly. Yet, amazingly, that knowledge is now available to
anyone on the planet for the cost of a used Chevy Lumina.

That, my friends, is what we call "progress"...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Interesting stat Jay. I think you would have to qualify that as people
"piloting an aircraft" versus people "flying." Anyone with $70 that does not
have a paralyzing fear of flying can "fly."

I'm sure there's a stat showing how many people have actually taken to the
air that includes commercial passengers.

Marco


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
...
Here is the answer (well, closer than a guess) to my questions about
pilots:

See:
http://www.prb.org/Articles/2002/How...edonEarth.aspx

Using these numbers (through 2002) the best estimate is that 106
billion humans have ever lived on this planet.

If we use the estimate of 5 million pilots who have ever lived, we can
see that the number of people in history to have achieved the ability
to fly is something around .0047%, or 1 in 21,200 people...

Humans tried to fly for over 50,000 years, only figuring it out 104
years ago. In other words, for 99.8% of our history, we tried -- and
failed -- to fly. Yet, amazingly, that knowledge is now available to
anyone on the planet for the cost of a used Chevy Lumina.

That, my friends, is what we call "progress"...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Interesting stat Jay. I think you would have to qualify that as people
"piloting an aircraft" versus people "flying." Anyone with $70 that does not
have a paralyzing fear of flying can "fly."

Good point, although that would be akin to counting bus riders as
"drivers".
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Nov 27, 2:58 pm, Jay Honeck wrote:
Interesting stat Jay. I think you would have to qualify that as people
"piloting an aircraft" versus people "flying." Anyone with $70 that does not
have a paralyzing fear of flying can "fly."

Good point, although that would be akin to counting bus riders as
"drivers".
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Skydivers say, "If riding in a plane is flying, then riding in a boat
is swimming". Skydiving is probably more akin to "falling" though....

BTW, lighter than air flight was achieved in the 18th century I
believe...

--Dan

On Nov 27, 4:29 pm, Dan wrote:
On Nov 27, 2:58 pm, Jay Honeck wrote:

Interesting stat Jay. I think you would have to qualify that as people
"piloting an aircraft" versus people "flying." Anyone with $70 that does not
have a paralyzing fear of flying can "fly."

Good point, although that would be akin to counting bus riders as
"drivers".
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Skydivers say, "If riding in a plane is flying, then riding in a boat
is swimming". Skydiving is probably more akin to "falling" though....

BTW, lighter than air flight was achieved in the 18th century I
believe...

--Dan

The Montgolfier brothers, in 1783. But I wouldn't call that
flying. Birds don't use that sort of lift.

Dan

The Montgolfier brothers, in 1783. But I wouldn't call that
flying. Birds don't use that sort of lift.

Although it's cool, floating ain't flying.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

wrote:
On Nov 27, 4:29 pm, Dan wrote:
On Nov 27, 2:58 pm, Jay Honeck wrote:

Interesting stat Jay. I think you would have to qualify that as people
"piloting an aircraft" versus people "flying." Anyone with $70 that does not
have a paralyzing fear of flying can "fly."
Good point, although that would be akin to counting bus riders as
"drivers".
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"
Skydivers say, "If riding in a plane is flying, then riding in a boat
is swimming". Skydiving is probably more akin to "falling" though....

BTW, lighter than air flight was achieved in the 18th century I
believe...

--Dan

The Montgolfier brothers, in 1783. But I wouldn't call that
flying. Birds don't use that sort of lift.

Dan


Damn! And all this time I thought they had discovered golf!!
:-)


--
Dudley Henriques

Jay Honeck wrote:
Here is the answer (well, closer than a guess) to my questions about
pilots:

See:
http://www.prb.org/Articles/2002/How...edonEarth.aspx

Using these numbers (through 2002) the best estimate is that 106
billion humans have ever lived on this planet.

If we use the estimate of 5 million pilots who have ever lived, we can
see that the number of people in history to have achieved the ability
to fly is something around .0047%, or 1 in 21,200 people...

Humans tried to fly for over 50,000 years, only figuring it out 104
years ago. In other words, for 99.8% of our history, we tried -- and
failed -- to fly. Yet, amazingly, that knowledge is now available to
anyone on the planet for the cost of a used Chevy Lumina.

That, my friends, is what we call "progress"...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Actually, I believe man was capable of flying much sooner than the
Wrights. I once heard that Iron Eaglebutt Henriques, a shamonyu medicine
man of the world famous Gravitigotcha tribe in South America once
obtained an unassisted sustained flight of 3,212 feet between the top of
Angel Falls and the forest floor in the year 1688, marking both the need
for more efficient airfoils and for tennis shoes to be worn at the top
of the falls.

--
Dudley Henriques

"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
...

Actually, I believe man was capable of flying much sooner than the
Wrights. I once heard that Iron Eaglebutt Henriques, a shamonyu medicine
man of the world famous Gravitigotcha tribe in South America once obtained
an unassisted sustained flight of 3,212 feet between the top of Angel
Falls and the forest floor in the year 1688, marking both the need for
more efficient airfoils and for tennis shoes to be worn at the top of the
falls.

Might want to check your facts. Tennis shoes were not yet introduced in
South America by 1688...


;P

Gatt wrote:
"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
...

Actually, I believe man was capable of flying much sooner than the
Wrights. I once heard that Iron Eaglebutt Henriques, a shamonyu medicine
man of the world famous Gravitigotcha tribe in South America once obtained
an unassisted sustained flight of 3,212 feet between the top of Angel
Falls and the forest floor in the year 1688, marking both the need for
more efficient airfoils and for tennis shoes to be worn at the top of the
falls.

Might want to check your facts. Tennis shoes were not yet introduced in
South America by 1688...


;P


I believe Iron Eaglebutt's adventure simply SHOWED THE NEED for better
airfoils and as well, the NEED for tennis shoes. Naturally, if the
Indians had tennis shoes in 1688, when the conquerers came to kill them
take over their land, at least they could have outrun them.
:-)

--
Dudley Henriques