Since I started my training I have never spend much thought on the dangers of flying helicopters and always used the "Air transport is much safer than driving a car" argument to answer questions from worried relatives.
However I have been working in this buisness now for just over a year and a number of things happend in my immediate vicinity to people I have known personally:
- Rollover accident of a Puma on the West Navion. CoPilot heavily injured
- S76 crash in the southern sector. 11 dead
- recent R22 rollover in EGPD
plus a number of Incidents involving engin fires, cockpit fires, hydraulic failures ......
I am still enjoying the flying and am certainly not afraid of it but even though I dont know any figures or percentages I am sure that it is more dangerous than driving. On the other hand it made me more aware of the importance of emergency drills, emergency equippment, single engine profiles.... (and I know them by heart and not just for my 6 monthly base check) which is a good thing!
Woolf