Quote:
Originally posted by Moses
Years ago, rough actuarial studies indicated that your risk of death (per mile traveled) was 10 times greater in a small plane than in a car, and a commercial airliner is 10 times safer than a car. Very rough, numbers-wise, but you get the idea.
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Jim,
I'm just getting started on a private, with the intent of getting my instrument rating. My father and I faced similar objections from my mother when we first got the ball rolling on this. I have an interesting article that supports Moses's quote that my mom was brandishing while raising her objections. (in .pdf - the link seems to be dead now... I can forward it to you if you have an email.)
My justification is as follows:
A HUGE percentage of fatalities are due to pilot error, just like in autos. However, in a car you can exercise a great deal of caution, only to be smoked by some oncoming car swerving into your lane. Whereas, in a plane you have alot more control over the risks you face. By exercising good judgment, conservatism in your go-no go decisions, and by taking your education very seriously, you will DRAMATICALLY improve the odds YOU face. As Porsche-O-Phile said, there's alot of cowboys out there that skew the odds (much like with motorcycles).