How safe is flying?
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Safety is enhanced by carefully planning every part of any flight before you get into the airplane.....it is a state of mind.
Having flown fifty five years accident free in almost every device known to man I credit a lot of the reason for this to having learned when to say no early in my career.
The most difficult thing about flying is knowing when to say no.
Having flown fifty five years accident free in almost every device known to man I credit a lot of the reason for this to having learned when to say no early in my career.
The most difficult thing about flying is knowing when to say no.
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Flying is very safe. Crashing, on the other hand, tends to spoil your day.
On a more serious note, last saturday I took someone flying who had never been in an SEP before. Once we were airborne and he'd realised how calm he was, he asked the inevitable question; 'what would you do if the engine stopped & how long before we hit the ground?'
He was a touch surprised when I rattled off the engine failure in flight actions as I don't think he realised that it was something we train for. And he was even more surprised when I said that from 2000' feet we'd probably have more than 2 minutes to get ready to an emergency landing.
But what made him really think was when I turned the question round- if the engine stopped in your car - how long would it that for you to realise the engine had stopped, and how would you cope with no power steering none power-assisted brakes?
On a more serious note, last saturday I took someone flying who had never been in an SEP before. Once we were airborne and he'd realised how calm he was, he asked the inevitable question; 'what would you do if the engine stopped & how long before we hit the ground?'
He was a touch surprised when I rattled off the engine failure in flight actions as I don't think he realised that it was something we train for. And he was even more surprised when I said that from 2000' feet we'd probably have more than 2 minutes to get ready to an emergency landing.
But what made him really think was when I turned the question round- if the engine stopped in your car - how long would it that for you to realise the engine had stopped, and how would you cope with no power steering none power-assisted brakes?
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'what would you do if the engine stopped & how long before we hit the ground?'
If they answer "the engine" I ask what makes gliders fly.
Eventually they work out that it's "the wings".
I then throttle down to idle and show them we're still flying.
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Flying is extremely safe.....crashing is the dangerous bit.
Remember a few important points:
Everybody is fully qualified to have an accident. The more qualifications and experience you have the greater the variety of ways you have available to make a mistake.
If you crash, do it as slowly and gently as possible whilst staying in control.
For landing accidents, it's better to hit the far hedge slowly then the near hedge quickly
The 'risk' in sport aviation is probably about 20 times greater than that of other forms of transport. To be honest, the actual relative number is irrelevant...whether it's 20 or 200. The trick is to be aware that you're operating in a potentially higher risk environment and have the mindset to deal with it. Keep within your own, and your equipments, limits. The old adage about a superior pilot being the one who uses his superior judgement to avoid needing to use his superior skills springs to mind.
Oh, and have fun!
Remember a few important points:
Everybody is fully qualified to have an accident. The more qualifications and experience you have the greater the variety of ways you have available to make a mistake.
If you crash, do it as slowly and gently as possible whilst staying in control.
For landing accidents, it's better to hit the far hedge slowly then the near hedge quickly
The 'risk' in sport aviation is probably about 20 times greater than that of other forms of transport. To be honest, the actual relative number is irrelevant...whether it's 20 or 200. The trick is to be aware that you're operating in a potentially higher risk environment and have the mindset to deal with it. Keep within your own, and your equipments, limits. The old adage about a superior pilot being the one who uses his superior judgement to avoid needing to use his superior skills springs to mind.
Oh, and have fun!
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Hi Liam-
This has been a very interesting thread.
I am in my early fifties and seriously started flying little planes and riding motorbikes when I was 17.
I have a slight limp... this is as a result of my interest in motorbikes... by the way I am an approved Driving Standards Agency instructor on these infernal things.
So far, except for one or two "I really don't want to do that again" moments I have enjoyed a clean sheet with regards to little planes (and I have flown a lot of them).
My advice must be to listen to the experienced guys around you (excepting the bar room know-alls) and don't push the outside of the envelope too much and too regularly unless of course you like dancing with fate.
R
This has been a very interesting thread.
I am in my early fifties and seriously started flying little planes and riding motorbikes when I was 17.
I have a slight limp... this is as a result of my interest in motorbikes... by the way I am an approved Driving Standards Agency instructor on these infernal things.
So far, except for one or two "I really don't want to do that again" moments I have enjoyed a clean sheet with regards to little planes (and I have flown a lot of them).
My advice must be to listen to the experienced guys around you (excepting the bar room know-alls) and don't push the outside of the envelope too much and too regularly unless of course you like dancing with fate.
R
Pompey till I die
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CAVOK, well maintained aircraft, fuel to tabs, brimble to an airfield half an hour away that you can visually see after take off, well that's incredibly safe. Really?
That sounds awfully complacement to me.
That sounds awfully complacement to me.
The statement was, flying in CAVOK is incredibly safe compared to flying in thunderstorms. Only a fool would disagree with that, but this being pprune.......
There is no such thing as a stupid question - if you want to know something, ask. Never assume or guess. Take time to find out.
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"If you ever find yourself rushing, not in the right frame of mind, or worried about something, don't go flying. "
Airbus girl
For me,that is probably some of the best advice given on here.
Another thing,I don't like people messing around me when I'm doing the walk around checks,I find doing the checks quietly gets me in the right frame of mind for flying,but we're all different!
Lister
Airbus girl
For me,that is probably some of the best advice given on here.
Another thing,I don't like people messing around me when I'm doing the walk around checks,I find doing the checks quietly gets me in the right frame of mind for flying,but we're all different!
Lister
Pompey till I die
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Not really what you said Paul, the statement was going for a bimble in nice weather is incredibly safe... the accident figures don't agree with you, in fact it is just the sort of flight where people 'feel' safe, don't plan fully and end up as a statistic. But then I'm a fool so it doesn't matter much. 
"McDonalds is responsible for obesity in this country and also for deforestation around the world to make room for cattle farms"
"Turn to any newspaper and the above is an idea you'll often see printed"
Take that 1st paragraph and you get a very skewed view of what the piece in it's entirety is saying. I still stand by what I posted. Flying in CAVOK, for a short period of time, is incredibly safe when compared to flying in thunderstorms.
The interesting question though is, is flying safer than other hobbies and interests ? I am curious to know if it's more dangerous than motorcycle riding. My gut feeling is it's less dangerous, but not being a health and safety bod, or somebody that works for insurance and looks at the risks involved I don't know.
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Take that paragraph out on it's own, yes, but it's important that it's paired with the other paragraph that followed it. I.e.
You set "bimbling" on a VFR day as an absolute end of the scale, as being "incredibly safe."
I don't agree with you, flying light aircraft is not "incredibly safe."
Insult me as much as you wish, I just quoted your sentence and the following sentence has no relevance in this context.
and should be banned 
Pompey till I die
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Insult me as much as you wish,
Saying only a fool would say flying in thunderstorms is as dangerous as CAVOK, obviously doesn't apply to you since I'm guessing you wouldn't say that.
Sorry if you thought I was having a pop, it wasn't my intention. I've read plenty of your posts and find them informative and useful.
A while back .. 15 -20 years ? .. 'Pilot' magazine investigated this topic and the conclusion IIRC was that private flying is statistically about as dangerous as motorcycle racing. Dunno whether this reassures or not. Probably not.
Another way of looking at it was that it about doubles the chance of dying from all causes if you are aged 50+. Again IIRC. Put another way, at 50+ your chance of popping your clogs from all causes is beginning to climb. So if you are 50+ (like me) the additional risk of flying is merely a relatively smaller and smaller additional risk to add to all the others as time passes !
However, if you are below the age of 25 and, by definition, probably still regard yourself as immortal, you are assuming a much bigger (relative) risk than me !
Caveat aviator.
SI
Another way of looking at it was that it about doubles the chance of dying from all causes if you are aged 50+. Again IIRC. Put another way, at 50+ your chance of popping your clogs from all causes is beginning to climb. So if you are 50+ (like me) the additional risk of flying is merely a relatively smaller and smaller additional risk to add to all the others as time passes !
However, if you are below the age of 25 and, by definition, probably still regard yourself as immortal, you are assuming a much bigger (relative) risk than me !
Caveat aviator.
SI
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Sorry you read it that way, I wasn't trying to insult you. Comparison to "The Sun" was an attempt at humour. Which I admit doesn't work very well over ASCII.
Thanks for clarifying, no offence taken.
PS: I once did fly into a CB in a PA28. My mitigation is that I was P u/t, but I would absolutely not recommend it as an experience, it was one of the most frightening things I have ever endured, even though it only lasted for a few minutes.
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What I think I was trying to point out earlier was that I have been around light aviation (little planes) for 30 odd years and I'm still here. I've also been around high performance motorbikes for the same time period and I'm still here... although they have bit me.
So... my personal experience tells me motrobikes are slightly more risky than little planes, but neither need to be toooooo risky unless you really want them too be.
PS... I also fly toy planes as well as little planes!
So... my personal experience tells me motrobikes are slightly more risky than little planes, but neither need to be toooooo risky unless you really want them too be.
PS... I also fly toy planes as well as little planes!
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Thanks for the replies, some interesting reading, especially after all the recent accidents.
I enjoy flying a great deal but at 25 still want to live!
I originally posted as it seems the ratio of accidents to flights seems high, but it probably isnt. I attend fatal RTCs at work and they never get a mention on the news whereas a plane crashing is forced to make at least regional news.
I suppose I do not know how many small GA flights are taking place over a weekend so not a lot to compare it with even though it is obvious there are millions of cars on the road at any one time...
Liam
I enjoy flying a great deal but at 25 still want to live!
I originally posted as it seems the ratio of accidents to flights seems high, but it probably isnt. I attend fatal RTCs at work and they never get a mention on the news whereas a plane crashing is forced to make at least regional news.
I suppose I do not know how many small GA flights are taking place over a weekend so not a lot to compare it with even though it is obvious there are millions of cars on the road at any one time...
Liam