Yes the NZ aviation industry is an interesting on. GA in NZ I guess is just a progression of its immense and colourful aviation history. Many years ago with the advent of the venison industry we had pilots initially in fixed wing Austers, Cubs and then 180s and 185s doing all sorts of stuff that defied logic and gravity!. And then of course helicopters took over. As a pilot in NZ I dont really think that we have more accidents per say. Lets take the US- Cessna stopped making light GA aircraft for many years purely because of the liability issues associated with crashes and of course the law suit environment that is so prevalent in the US. I have however lost many friends in aviation mostly from bad weather decisions and situational awareness. I dont believe there are any "new accidents"- they've all been done before. New Zealand has a very rich aviation history and that surely must help. I will however go out on a limb here and say that some NOT ALL flying schools are driven by the dollar and the need to conveyer belt students through the system. The 200 hour commercial and then onto a C- Cat instructor to teach is a hard one. Its a catch 22 situation really. I think wx is a real factor here in NZ.