While it is true that statistics overall say that flying an airplane is
about as hazardous as riding a motorcycle, the vast majority of flying
accidents are due to pilot error. In other words, the pilot made poor
choices about when to fly, what to fly, or where. Flying IFR at night in
areas of forecast icing over mountains in a light single engine airplane is
probably a poor choice.

If your husband is in the habit of flying low over the ground, showing off
and taking unnecessary risks, then flying is not very safe at all. If he
flies "by the book," carefully weighing the risks created by weather,
terrain, the condition of the airplane, and his own condition at the time,
then he is probably as safe as any airline captain.

The reason you hear about small airplane accidents in the news is because
they are rare. After all, the vast majority of automobile accidents, even
the fatal ones, never make it into the news because there are thousands of
automobile accidents every day. So airplane accidents happen rarely enough
to get reported, but just often enough to keep up a steady drumbeat of
"flying is not safe" in the news.

Risk management is an important concept in flying safety. Pilots are taught
that they should always have an "out" in case something unexpected happens.
For example, flying low in an unfamiliar mountain canyon might seem to be a
lot of fun, but it is more risky than flying at 10,000 feet on a cross
country over a well travelled route. Risks increase when you are flying low
because of the greater chance of encountering obstructions, fewer choices in
emergency landing areas in the event of some malfunction, and the
possibility of getting trapped by rising terrain or lowering weather. Risks
increase at night because of the greater difficulty in choosing an emergency
landing area in the event one is needed, more difficulty in navigation,
invisible terrain, pilot fatigue, and the need to fly on instruments when
the pilot may not be qualified or rusty.

No pilot of small airplanes will intentionally fly into a thunderstorm, yet
pilots do it with alarming frequency. Why? Well, they thought that thin band
of weather up ahead was benign and they decided to just punch through it.
They had gotten away with it many times before and were lulled into thinking
it was safe. But this time the thin band of weather was not so thin and it
concealed a thunderstorm.

Your husband's instrument training will make him a better pilot and,
arguably, a safer one if he flies regularly. He will learn how to handle the
plane better, how to read the weather better, and will be watched much more
closely by air traffic control services. You can do a great deal to help him
fly more safely. First of all, encourage him to fly often to keep in
practice. Discourage him from flying when he is tired or if he is medicated
with drugs or alcohol, sick, or emotionally high or low. Encourage him to
get weather briefings every time he flies and discuss with him the
particular risks involved with each flight. By becoming pro-active,
supportive of good flying practices, and helping him to prepare for his
flights you can be a big factor in his flying safely.