Not this argument again!
Life is for living - some risks are worth taking just for the hell of it.
Though I would agree one should not endanger others ...
Yup, again...
I have air searched for three types of people in distress:
People reported as being in distress, who were not (there, or in distress). Most recently, evening before last.
People who's effort at emergency preparedness was inadequate, and they could not be found/rescued alive, and,
People who took a risk, and were prepared, I have found them.
If we search, there is risk, and expense. If you would like to take a risk, for only yourself, be my guest - but.... Do not file a flight plan, nor do anything to cause you to be reported missing, nor be witnessed actually going missing. You're on your own, and entitled to it.
Otherwise, society takes responsibility for itself collectively, like it or not. You have no right to cause or incur risk unprepared, when your doing so increases risk to SAR people. Every person in 25 years, for whom I have search, who was not wearing personal flotation, I have not found alive. Every person who was, I have - 100%.
I might splash one of my planes flying these searches, so I insure them, and myself. But I still wear a lifejacket, and if temperature dictates, thermal protection, 'cause it will be my mates coming looking for me, I would like to be found with the least of their risky effort.
If I had not already been convinced, I was when I took the underwater egress course. For those GA pilots, who conscientiously carry a yellow life jacket in the seat pocket, understand this:
After a lifetime as a swimmer, and 44 years in the cabin of light planes, inverted in the egress rig, 3 of 4 times, I could
not locate the lifejacket in the pouch, on the firewall, between my feet. With effort, I got out every time, but only once with the life jacket in hand. And I'm an in water ice rescue instructor, I should be able to do this stuff!
I have swum in the cabins of inverted floatplanes for the purpose of recovering them. It is stunning how disorienting the cabin you know so well, being inverted, will be.
So;
some risks are worth taking just for the hell of it.
Yes, but you took training to fly the plane right? Your effort to reduce risk... You assure that the plane is airworthy before you fly it, right? To reduce risk... Why would you accept the great additional risk of being untrained and unequipped for overwater flight?
Sorry RT, 'not picking on you, but this topic is a passion for me.....