[motion]

I have .02 to add here, and I'm sure the pilots will chime in as well. I went through these same questions when I was going through my private pilot lessons as well. Bottom line is that mistakes kill pilots, usually not weather, mechanical malfunctions, etc. Most times, an error in judgement results in a situation which is difficult to recover from. IMHO it is a very safe activity if given the proper amount of preparation and respect.