Morgans writes:

But leaving an event up to chance as the avoidance mechanism, is not
something that sits well with people. I have to feel that way, in that the
results of "winning" the odds are so dire.

Yes, but the perception doesn't match the reality. If everyone truly flew
around at random (which implies, by the way, that they'd be taking off and
landing from their backyards, not from airports that tend to concentrate
traffic), traffic avoidance would be a non-issue.

Look at it this way: If you and 200 other people go to a cocktail party in a
ballroom, what are the chances that you'll bump into someone else during the
party? If you are blindfolded (i.e., not actively avoiding traffic), what are
the chances that you'll bump into someone?

Now put all of those 200 people into the Australian outback. What are the
chances of bumping into someone else now? And even if you are blindfolded and
wandering at random, what is the danger that you'll bump into someone else?

If you're flying away from the crowd, midair collisions aren't much to worry
about. Terrain is always down there somewhere, so you have to worry about
that. And you have to worry about weather. But you don't have to worry too
much about traffic. If you're enjoying your flight puttering around in
out-of-the-way areas, you may be the only aircraft in a hundred-mile radius or
better, so you can relax.

To some extent, GA pilots are lucky in this respect, since they can fly VFR on
just about any path they wish. If they choose a lonely area of the country,
there's an excellent chance that they'll have all that sky to themselves.

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