I've talked to many pilots about the most dangerous flying they've done, and have heard more than once that flying in the Aleutian Islands (or all of Alaska, for that matter) can be pretty rough, and that central Africa, with its lack of ATC services and navaids, can be very dangerous, too. But, from your experiences, where have you flown where the conditions/terrain/etc. have been the most hazardous?

 

Boca Raton, FL before they got a control tower. Madness, I tell ya'. Had a buddy/aquaintance killed there in a mid-air in '00.

Other than that, I've got nothing exciting.

 

Instructing was probably the most dangerous for me...in any location (no, I'm not kidding)! Just seems like one really has to keep very close tabs on things as an instructor, since the best way for a student to learn is to make mistakes. Add to this the fact that I had very little flight time/experience when I was instructing, and you can start to see why. A close second to the danger of instructing is flying into any airport with a flight school...maybe I just think this because I suffer from paranoia of mid-airs. The high volume of inexperienced traffic (including me ) can just get a bit too exciting at times.

For the record, I spent a summer doing weather modification with a company that works primarily severe and tornadic storms (unlike most companies that did not "work" such weather)...and I still think instructing was more dangerous.

 

oh sweet.. that just makes me all the more excited to get into the right seat.

i don't really have anything too crazy. the guys at the airport i work at tell some pretty stupid stories of buzzing the rivers and skimming a wheel on the water. .. on purpose

 

Check out the "runways" in the first two videos..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8IB4...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8wmZ6hhpg8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BL_jT5y-uE&NR=1

 

How does Aerial Firefigting rank?

How about Ag Flying?

Both seem to have higher accident rates than the norm.

 

I did a Solo VFR flight on The Hudson VFR Corridor with a fresh private pilot license 2 years back. I came across a good number of helicopters; This was the first time I was afraid flying solo! I wanted to do the VFR corridor for a while but at that time I really wasnt prepared for it. At least I felt comfortable talking over the comms but It was awesome learning experience.

 

Yeah, I hear the life expectancy of an aerial firerfighter is only a few seasons if they stay with.

 

I've pulled three crop dusters out of our rice fields before. twice for power lines and once for being overweight.

 

That reminds me! I had a few really cool firebomber photos forwarded to me last month during the CA fires.

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