abgd,
Interesting points you raise, despite the statistics I'd still say the core of aviation is and will remain manned aircraft. Also regarding White Van Man - the roads are and will remain way more dangerous than the air, whilst I agree again with the statistics the question remains how many people are willing to accept that automation will get rid of lots of jobs.
This is the other big concern of mine, safety aside. We all need to make a living in order to provide for ourselves and our families. When all the jobs have gone to machines, what will all the people do? They won't just disappear, they will all need to eat and have a roof over their heads. The social implications of relentless automation are argubly even more massive than the safety implications.