Lives lost and saved
 

When one ponders a century of air travel, it is fairly straightforward to research accident statistics and determine the numbers of souls lost in aviation accidents.

But a fair evaluation of the value of aviation today must include the numbers of lives saved through emergency rescue, medical evac, mercy transportation of third world patients to proper hospitals, etc.

Any comparative studies that we're aware of?

I'd be very surprised if there was any such study that had any credibility. For a start, how does one quantify the lives saved, on the ground, when the pilot of an aircraft in difficulty managed to avoid a school/hospital/shopping mall/etc., on the way to a safe (emergency) landing at an aerodrome?

Lives are saved all the time - and most of those people aren't even aware of it.

Lots more lives saved than lost


Berlin Airlift for a start.

...good example... now add these..
 

.......thousands saved when food dropped to starving Dutch folks during the last few months of WW2.... plus all those DC3's flying "The hump" Good point OzExpat.. how many have been saved by water-bombers, or been [plucked from blazing buildings?... bless 'em all.... heroes and victims alike.. bm