How dangerous is flying a plane?
 

Can you bank the plane so much it tips over, inverted, and crash?

Can you pull the yolk so much during takeoff you do a backflip and crash?

When the plane stalls, is it falling from the sky like a brick would?

Not really, just putting the nose down will cause the plane to start flying again.

Flying is safer than driving. Even small planes being flown by inexperienced pilots are safer than driving a car on the same trip. Airline flying is extremely safe, especially in the USA. From the Colgan crash in 2009 (50 killed) until the Southwest Engine Failure in 2018 (one killed) there were no fatalities for almost 9 years. And only that one since the Colgan crash in 2009.

I’m not so sure, I can count 12 friends who tragically showed me how NOT fly airplanes. Six civilians flying checks or light airplanes, all decently talented—2 in lightplanes, four in light twins hauling checks. The remainder in tactical fighters, two from UPT class plus my Tweet IP, an RTU IP, three in the ANG. The oldest was 60, the youngest 18. Myself and, at least four friends, have taken a ride up the rails to join the Caterpillar Club.

I have known only one friend killed in a car accident. Used guns my whole life and nary a soul in my acquaintance killed or injured by gunshot.
GF

I typically like and respect your posts.
And I’m sorry for your loss of friends and co-workers.
But are you using your own anecdotal evidence to show that flying is more dangerous than flying despite the mountains of statistical data?
And randomly bringing the gun debate needlessly into this? What?

I’m up to 8 acquaintances in aviation in 23 years that I’ve lost as I make an effort not to have any friends.
One spun in a glider at low altitude and the latest took a turkey vulture to the face on final in a light twin.

I’ve lost one in a motorcycle crash on the way back from the airport.
Nobody I’ve ever known has gotten shot.
Me, I’ve been shot at but not hit.
Couple o’ times lol

This means that if you know me in real life you’re about 8 times more likely to die in an aviation accident then in a motor vehicle crash.
Statistically.....

Yes, by a large margin if you're talking airlines.


That's actually not true. GA stats are far more similar to motorcycle safety stats that automobile stats. But like motorcycles, there's a wide variability depending on the mission, equipment, driver, and conditions.

You're much safer taking a leisurely cruise up the coast highway on a Sunday morning with an older biker than rocketing up your local winding mountain road late Friday night in bad weather behind a 20 year-old with a Ducati and an invulnerability complex.

Statistically, even commercial aviation does have more risk than most other occupations. It is regularly in the top ten highest rate of occupational deaths - almost invariably higher than police or firefighters although generally behind loggers and commercial fisherman:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...ca/1002500001/

A surprising number of those cases - in my experience - are medevac. It seems like human nature that if you get someone critically sick or injured in the back of the airplane or helicopter you become willing to bend the rules and even break them to give the person a chance when the reality is that you and your medical crew are being put at greater risk for someone who might be unlikely to survive in any event- but like I said, that’s human nature.

Tactical flying (military fighters) is a whole nother issue and not covered by these stats. It’s gotten safer over the years but it’s still inherently dangerous. Nothing like a four v four at the merge to pucker those sphincters - even in the back seat. Maybe especially in the back seat.

I lost a number of friends in that business.

The only "safe" aviation occupation is 121 airlines, and that's only because 200 members of the traveling public will follow YOU to the accident scene within milliseconds. The system cares about the general (voting) public and behaves accordingly.

High-end corporate aviation can be equally safe if the boss cares and has the money to follow through.