"Michael" wrote in message
om...
Frankly, I think that's only true if we accept that the aircraft are
not going to improve. Highway fatality rates have improved
Well airbags in seatbelts are one nice up and coming possibility for a
safety improvement.
Perhaps terrain avoidance systems can help prevent CFIT accidents, but is
that an airplane improvement or a pilot improvement?
Perhaps weather datalink can help reduce weather accidents, but really that
is providing info to the pilot, not improving the airplane per se.
In any event, it will take a really long time for this to trickle down to
the majority of the GA fleet... airplanes have a much longer average useful
life than cars.
Economics has a lot to do with this of course... there is no doubt in my
mind that adding TKS to all GA airplanes would significantly reduce icing
accidents... but that is not practical.
So I do think focusing on pilots is more important than focusing on
airplanes. And weather/judgment by far cause a disproportionate number of
accidents and have for years.
--------------------
Richard Kaplan, CFII
www.flyimc.com