Light aircraft = unsafe ?
Guest
Posts: n/a
All,
What an interesting chat!
1. You still stand more chance of being killed on your way to the aircraft than you do during the flight.
2. Don't make a decision about learning to fly based on fear... do it 'cos you want to, you'll love it!
3. I think that we should take all the airbags out of cars and replace them with a sharp 8 inch spike on the centre of the steering wheel, facing the driver. Then we'd drive carefully!
Happy Landings
What an interesting chat!
1. You still stand more chance of being killed on your way to the aircraft than you do during the flight.
2. Don't make a decision about learning to fly based on fear... do it 'cos you want to, you'll love it!
3. I think that we should take all the airbags out of cars and replace them with a sharp 8 inch spike on the centre of the steering wheel, facing the driver. Then we'd drive carefully!
Happy Landings
Guest
Posts: n/a
With reading the 20 replys posted, most are trying to justify air industry accidents because of statistics saying that flying is safest form of transport.
As someone who has scraped up body parts from an air accidents and numerous road accidents I have noticed that when someone is dead it doesnt matter if it was mechanical or human error, either way the result is the same.
Therefore if YOU feel happy to cross the road, Do it.
If YOU feel happy to drive a car, Do it.
If YOU feel hapy to fly a plane, Do it.
because the one thing in life that is for sure is "Whats for you wont pass you"
As someone who has scraped up body parts from an air accidents and numerous road accidents I have noticed that when someone is dead it doesnt matter if it was mechanical or human error, either way the result is the same.
Therefore if YOU feel happy to cross the road, Do it.
If YOU feel happy to drive a car, Do it.
If YOU feel hapy to fly a plane, Do it.
because the one thing in life that is for sure is "Whats for you wont pass you"
Guest
Posts: n/a
As a CFI in the US, the people I saw who worried me most were those who thought they knew it all and had nothing they could learn from me. As long as you realize that even a 40,000 hr 747-400 Captain is still learning, I believe that you become a much safer pilot. A sense of mortality and realization that you are capable of making mistakes will keep you ahead of many of those whose aircraft end up in the trees.
Guest
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The CAA have just published 10 years worth of safety statistics for all aircraft types in CAP 701.
I think it shows quite clearly that although rates differ, light aircraft, glider, balloons, microlights and even (in the right light) gyroplanes are all basically safe. To back myself up, here are a few figures (1990-1999):-
Private Light aircraft: 119 fatal accidents in 8.5 million flying hours, giving one per 71,000 flying hours.
Private Helicopters: 30 fatal accidents in 1.6 million flying hours, giving one per 53,000 flying hours.
Gliders: 34 fatal accidents in 1.6 million flying hours, giving one per 47,000 flying hours.
Microlights: 22 fatal accidents in 1.1 million flying hours, giving one per 50,000 flying hours.
Gyroplanes: 6 fatal accidents in 50,000 flying hours, giving one per 8,000 flying hours. (Okay, maybe not quite so good)
If you are really worried, get hold of your own copy, take a look through, and weigh the statistics, e.g.
British PPL Flying 50 hours pa from the above statistics has a 1:1400 chance of being in a fatal accident. Yes that's slightly higher than a roughly 1:16000 chance of being killed each year in a road accident, or 1:11000 of being killed by an infection caught in an NHS hospital - but personally I think it's an acceptable degree of risk.
The other point is that ALL accidents are preventable, whether air, road, rail or medical - it's up to the individual pilot to prevent their own accidents.
G
[This message has been edited by Genghis the Engineer (edited 13 December 2000).]
I think it shows quite clearly that although rates differ, light aircraft, glider, balloons, microlights and even (in the right light) gyroplanes are all basically safe. To back myself up, here are a few figures (1990-1999):-
Private Light aircraft: 119 fatal accidents in 8.5 million flying hours, giving one per 71,000 flying hours.
Private Helicopters: 30 fatal accidents in 1.6 million flying hours, giving one per 53,000 flying hours.
Gliders: 34 fatal accidents in 1.6 million flying hours, giving one per 47,000 flying hours.
Microlights: 22 fatal accidents in 1.1 million flying hours, giving one per 50,000 flying hours.
Gyroplanes: 6 fatal accidents in 50,000 flying hours, giving one per 8,000 flying hours. (Okay, maybe not quite so good)
If you are really worried, get hold of your own copy, take a look through, and weigh the statistics, e.g.
British PPL Flying 50 hours pa from the above statistics has a 1:1400 chance of being in a fatal accident. Yes that's slightly higher than a roughly 1:16000 chance of being killed each year in a road accident, or 1:11000 of being killed by an infection caught in an NHS hospital - but personally I think it's an acceptable degree of risk.
The other point is that ALL accidents are preventable, whether air, road, rail or medical - it's up to the individual pilot to prevent their own accidents.
G
[This message has been edited by Genghis the Engineer (edited 13 December 2000).]
