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.

Yes, anecdotal, only applies to me. Cars and guns are frequently thought casually to bring death and tragedy at random times, so it was merely an anecdotal comparison.

Funny, aviation shows up as “dangerous” and for ground workers it is. Ramp work involves accidents, freight and baggage handling involves injuries, but rarely deaths.

Here’s one that’s not for the careless biker: ”Tail of the Dragon” in the Smoky Mountains. :cool:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bc/6d...2cd3c6e3ab.jpg

I had thought small planes were doing OK but then I haven't flown them in decades. No wonder insurance is so expensive. I have a Facebook friend who's invited me to fly with him in a 182, but I'm not in any hurry to do that. My last flight as a pilot in a single engine recip was 1980, then in the mid 90's I rode with with a friend in his Tri-Pacer floatplane. With the floats the thing climbed at all of 300fpm. I did my ATP in 1987 in a Piper Seminole. The gear wouldn't come down normally so I did all low approaches until gravity extending the gear for the last approach.

I was an aircraft accident investigator in the Air Force, but I was on C-130's which don't crash all that often. Now the fighter guys were told in safety school you will most likely investigate a fatal accident. The Marine Harrier Pilots had a horrendous accident rate, I think it was 5 times Air Force fighters (memories on that have faded so I'm uncertain the exact numbers).

Mark Twain once said "There's nothing so exhilarating than to be shot at and missed". I did some anti drug stuff in Central America in the C-130 and came home one day with about a dozen bullet holes in the plane courtesy of a local Air Force base who's pilots were in the pocket of the local "Farmer". Nothing came thru the fuselage so we didn't realize how bad it was until after landing and getting up on top of the plane. Lot of holes in the wings. I rode a bicycle to and from the squadron because it was quicker than driving. That evening I was pedaling so hard I broke the chain :eek:

In general aviation, would you guys say it is safer to fly a plane rented from a flight school (that does 100 hour inspections) or a non-rental plane that only requires an annual?

Either way, I agree with rickair7777 that the highest level of safety exists in the airlines. There is no way anyone can convince me that flying a night cross country flight in a single engine GA aircraft is safe. You lose your engine and if you're lucky your landing light will show you what you are about to crash into right before you crash into it.

Non-rental for sure assuming you have full visibility on the Mx history. You can do your own 100 hour if you want, all or most of the items an A&P would inspect.

You never know what kind of abuse the engine suffered at the hands of renters.