Flying is danagerous - a risk assessment - comments please
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Flying is danagerous - a risk assessment - comments please
My question was prompted by comments on PPRuNe along the lines “I wouldn’t do that if I were you because .. .. ..”
I can think of a number of flying “pursuits” we might do which are arguably “safe” with proper training.
GIVEN PROPER TRAINING I was wondering which we thought were inherently more dangerous and why - or if you like, the same question, without proper training.
Here is my list - you can assume in a SEP or multi as you wish.
Aerobatics
Formation flying
Tail wheel flying in and out of farm strips
IMC
IMC at night
Night flying in VMC
Air racing
Gliding of any sort
You can add to the list if you wish.
I can think of a number of flying “pursuits” we might do which are arguably “safe” with proper training.
GIVEN PROPER TRAINING I was wondering which we thought were inherently more dangerous and why - or if you like, the same question, without proper training.
Here is my list - you can assume in a SEP or multi as you wish.
Aerobatics
Formation flying
Tail wheel flying in and out of farm strips
IMC
IMC at night
Night flying in VMC
Air racing
Gliding of any sort
You can add to the list if you wish.
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Given the right training and the right equipment I wouldn't describe any of the above list as "dangerous".
The only item there though, where I would consider specific scenario training unnecessary, would be the tail dragging out of fields - you just have to approach it with the right attitude.
The only item there though, where I would consider specific scenario training unnecessary, would be the tail dragging out of fields - you just have to approach it with the right attitude.
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Display flying is probably the most dangerous, followed by flying in and out of short strips.
Aerobatics is quite safe if done at a good height as evidenced by the British Aerobatics Assoc never having a fatal accident in 30 yrs of aerobatics competions.
Aerobatics is quite safe if done at a good height as evidenced by the British Aerobatics Assoc never having a fatal accident in 30 yrs of aerobatics competions.
Fly Conventional Gear
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IMC at night
I'm probably much more likely to have a smash in a taildragger trying to exit some field than have an engine failure in the night and ending up looking for a dark spot.
Driving to the airfield
in the case of GA flying is more dangerous than driving. On average someone dies in a GA accident in the US everyday!
That I would find hard to believe!
Anyway, it's a crude comparison at best; it doesn't compare like with like.
Deaths per year per million occupant/miles would be a better number to know.
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Deaths per year per million occupant/miles would be a better number to know
Sadly, the regulators don't gather data on flight hours, landings, numbers on board, or any other statistics needed for this analysis.
However, there is little doubt that some areas of sport aviation offer risk equivalent to motorcycling without a crash helmet, on a wet road. Others do better.
None of them approach the levels achieved by commercial air transport operations in large jets, and they should never pretend to do so. Flying school instructors who, when challenged by nervous 'trial lesson students', say, 'you're taking a greater risk driving to the airfield', are lying, pure and simple.
Fly Conventional Gear
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Bit of a non-sequitur, don't you think, unless fewer people are killed, each day, driving?
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As I said though I stand to be corrected with some hard stats.
Actually I'll save you the trouble - http://www.meretrix.com/~harry/flyin...vsdriving.html.
Does this tell the whole story - who knows?
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Everything is dangerous to some extent.
Driving can be dangerous, getting on a train is not without risk, even walking to the shop is slightly dangerous.
It's all about managing risk.
Driving can be dangerous, getting on a train is not without risk, even walking to the shop is slightly dangerous.
It's all about managing risk.
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Sleeping is dangerous.
How many people die while sleeping?
Getting out of bed in the morning is full of risk if you want to look for it.
Life without risk could perhaps be called coma if it was not for the risk of not being given some sustinance while in such a state.
Regards,
DFC
How many people die while sleeping?
Getting out of bed in the morning is full of risk if you want to look for it.
Life without risk could perhaps be called coma if it was not for the risk of not being given some sustinance while in such a state.
Regards,
DFC
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hazard : flying
definition of hazard : something with the potential to cause harm
risk : likelyhood of that happening
severity rating
hazard 1.no injury
2. minor injury
3. lost time > 3 days illness
4. major injury
5. fatal
likelyhood 1. highly improbable
2. remotely possible
3. occasional occurance
4.fairly frequent occurance
5. regular occurance
6. almost a certainty
risk = likelyhood x severity
make ya decision
definition of hazard : something with the potential to cause harm
risk : likelyhood of that happening
severity rating
hazard 1.no injury
2. minor injury
3. lost time > 3 days illness
4. major injury
5. fatal
likelyhood 1. highly improbable
2. remotely possible
3. occasional occurance
4.fairly frequent occurance
5. regular occurance
6. almost a certainty
risk = likelyhood x severity
make ya decision
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I'm sure it doesn't- it's just that taildraggers are more dangerous than nose gear planes in general. Also one is more likely to take a taildragger into a marginal landing strip so there is greater exposure to risk.
Fly Conventional Gear
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YOU made the statement - you back it up
Chapter and verse to back that up please?
.But to be fair since when have assertions needed backing up with hard stats on PPRuNe?
Usually reasonable statements like: Taildraggers are more dangerous than nose gear planes can be taken as correct without the need to look up numbers- if everyone had to do that then very little would get posted here.