2012 - Safest year on record
 

2012 Was the Safest Year Ever to Travel by Plane | TIME.com

Highlights:
Risk is statistically 1:14 million.
23 times safer than driving.
African commercial operations are the most dangerous with Latin American operations coming in second.

I cant think of a better excuse to study a little harder, tightnen up the reigns and keep our heads on a swivel. Lets keep this up and keep it out of the dirt. :)

safety first

Absolutely - that is ... unless it becomes safety ONLY. Then I have a problem. Safety has to be cost effective. No way am I going to do a full restoration on my a/c, and demand severe clear for 500 miles every time I contemplate a few laps around the pattern.

One problem remains: how does one legislate common sense, when we cannot even define it?

Unfortunately, some operators are still fine with safety being in the "top three"...

IMO, anyone who says "safety is priority number one" or whatever variation thereof is a red-flag BSer. My education is safety-based, and the most basic tenant is that it's a compromise, with acceptable losses and certain probabilities that are known. The ones that use the "safety-first priority" phrases are usually the ones most likely to tell you to just "be safe", not necessarily have a structure and system in place that ensures safe operation. I think the emphasis on safety-culture is right on track...I do not know however, whether or not you can really change all organizations that do not have that culture. Money is a hell of a motivator, especially when you are detached from actually running an organization.

Amen! Safety is an illusion. Minimizing manageable risks is just smart.