we have a 16 people wll die for every 1 million hours in a light aircraft
we have a .85 chance of dying for every 1 million hours in the car
so per flying hour in a ligh aircraft we are 20 times as likely to die as driving
Trouble is that all the car statistics include the 17 year olds who pay £1500/yr for their Ford Fiesta insurance. Old farts are much safer.
You can make statistics work in whichever way suits you. Like the statistician who always took a bomb with him when he flew to enhance his safety. Apparently the chances of there being two bombs on an aircraft are much lower than the chance of there being just one.
We were pleased when a new member joined our group, he had previously suffered an engine failure so the chance of our aircraft suffering one decreased when he joined the group!
On the subject of age, we had an aerobatics competitor Harry Mason who competed well into his Eighties.
We also have an active competitor in his seventies who has won many competitions and twice won the most sought after aerobatics trophy -- the Esso Tiger trophy.
You wouldn't know he was 72 if you met him unless you had been told.
Age is a state of mind rather than something you mind stating.
ZA