PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Morbid thoughts of death to cheer you up.

Eraserhead · 30th Dec 2002, 17:41

I have been around aeroplanes all my 48 year life and was thinking the other day about the number of people I have known who have died in a plane crash, verses all those pilots I have known.
I have included family and friends, work colleagues, mates, anyone I have been personally acquainted with. Over the years I have met hundreds of other pilots, but wouldn't know if they were dead or alive, so they don't count.
Turns out I have known about fifty.
Four of them have died in a crash, all at the controls of a light aircraft.
One in a Tiger Moth in the 50s (my Father).
One in a Dart Kitten in the 60s.
Another in, I think, a Zlin at Seething in the 70s and one crashed into a petrol station near Southend in the mid 80s at night in a King Air 90.
Doesn't seem very good odds, but then my twisted logic suggests that I am now less likely to stuff it in. So I happily roll inverted without a worry.
I am interested to know, is this ratio of living to dead typical? Or am I just unlucky.
You fellow Ppruners who have been around a bit, whats your experience?

30th Dec 2002, 17:41	#1 (permalink)
Eraserhead Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: UK Posts: 4	Morbid thoughts of death to cheer you up. I have been around aeroplanes all my 48 year life and was thinking the other day about the number of people I have known who have died in a plane crash, verses all those pilots I have known. I have included family and friends, work colleagues, mates, anyone I have been personally acquainted with. Over the years I have met hundreds of other pilots, but wouldn't know if they were dead or alive, so they don't count. Turns out I have known about fifty. Four of them have died in a crash, all at the controls of a light aircraft. One in a Tiger Moth in the 50s (my Father). One in a Dart Kitten in the 60s. Another in, I think, a Zlin at Seething in the 70s and one crashed into a petrol station near Southend in the mid 80s at night in a King Air 90. Doesn't seem very good odds, but then my twisted logic suggests that I am now less likely to stuff it in. So I happily roll inverted without a worry. I am interested to know, is this ratio of living to dead typical? Or am I just unlucky. You fellow Ppruners who have been around a bit, whats your experience?