If the report was to be taken literally, it starts out by saying "private-pilot flights" whereas the Nall report states all non-commercial fixed wing.

I have no idea if they (Businessweek) are smart enough to actually differentiate such accident stats, but one thing is for sure - statistics can be made to follow any particular agenda.

USMCFLYR

Not going to work. The only way risk assessments work is if they are enforced 100% of the time (not going to happen) and if they completely anticipate every possible scenario (not really possible). I go back to what I said before: They help safety-professionals sleep well at night, but do little to really address any problems. I'm well versed in safety culture, human factors (not the BS CRM stuff they sell you at aeronautical schools, I mean ergonomics and real human factors (psychology)).

Sorry about the "BS" CRM you received in the past. I can tell you that as a safety professional myself that works directly with a large percentage of the Fortune 500 flight departments (part 91), they do believe in the concept and enforce it. Perhaps as the material filters down to other GA operations out there it gets diluted. Or perhaps even misused?

After I received my instrument rating I offered to act as a safety pilot for the guys at my school still working on theirs. On one occasion I was riding in a G530 equipped c172. While en-route the GPS gave us a big middle finger ("GPS SIGNAL LOST") and the student flying under the hood completely lost SA in a short time and wasn't sure what to do. He's probably not the first one its happened to.

Once I get my CFII I'll make sure to reproduce that scenario for all my students.

+1. One of the best questions I got during my training was "where are you"? (ADF/VOR/ded rekoning days).

I think a lot of it has to do with reliance on GPS and not being proficient in VORs, ADF, NDB... Old school style. I have noticed a big difference in instructors too. Older instructors don't really like you to be so reliant on GPS (for good reason... its a wonderful tool, but should be your only means of SA) and younger guys aren't as reluctant to rely on it so much.

And yet more of it has to do with certain areas. Anyone who has flown around central FL on the weekends can attest to this. Every yahoo with an experimental, ultralight, recreational license, and wet private are out dorking around in the sky being about as safe as a skydiver without a parachute. I've almost had mid-air collisions several times at uncontrolled fields due to some idiot not knowing where he is in the pattern or not making his call-outs appropriately. I cussed out someone over CTAF in Palatka (not professional I know, but this idiot really pushed my buttons) because I called right base to final and he comes out of nowhere with a "base to final" call for the same runway. I was saved by the fact that I was a little high and I watched him go right through my flight path about 200 ft below. He got mad that I yelled at him and gave me the, "I fly here every weekend! Who do you think you are!?" I'm out here dropping skydivers out of the sky and this idiot is just out farting around not making any calls.

And don't even get me started on the huge amount of foreign student pilots around here who tie up the radios with unintelligible gibberish and really can't fly worth a crap. Nuttier than squirrel **** around here some days.

On my last checkride, my DPE mentioned that in the next 10 years... there will be a push by the FAA to make a Private Pilot rating include an Instrument rating. Basically 2 ratings in one. Will cost twice as much, but I think it isn't the worst idea. It would make things a lot safer I would think. It would basically go: Sport/Recreational, Private (including all the instrument training), Commercial, etc... What would everyone think of something like this?

If the IR is mandated by the FAA, you'll see the number of GA pilots shrink even more.

I think it would stink; very bad for GA.

I suggest you just turn the GPS off for the first 20 hours or so. Then use GPS only every other flight until time for checkride prep.

Bad idea. Other than the obvious economic impact to aviation (scaring away half the customers) I don't think an instrument rating will improve safety much unless it is exercised on a regular basis, and that will require more than six approaches every six months for a PPL who only flies VFR.

Probably better to develop a robust info campaign to keep folks reminded of the top hazards to GA.