Reducing the Accident Rate

"Richard Kaplan" wrote in message ...
"Andrew Gideon" wrote in message
online.com...

Why else not attend?

I think there is a reasonable subset of pilots who frankly enjoy a bit of
danger; these pilots may be hard to reach in a safety seminar.

Have you ever asked around your airport to see the % of pilots who ride
motorcycles? The percentage is astoundingly high. I think this gives a
bit of perspective as to the risk management profile of some pilots.

I'm not sure I take your point, Richard?

As a matter of fact, our CFI rides a motorcycle. He tries to "manage
the risk" in the same manner he manages flight risks, and do so as
safely as possible.

But I do think you've got a fundamental point: if some pilots actually
aren't *interested* in trying to fly as safely as possible, but would
rather perceive flying as a daredevil, risky activity, they aren't
likely to take much from a safety seminar even if they go.

FWIW,
Sydney

"Snowbird" wrote in message
m...

As a matter of fact, our CFI rides a motorcycle. He tries to "manage
the risk" in the same manner he manages flight risks, and do so as
safely as possible.

To what extent is this possible? In aviation the vast majority of the risk
can be managed by the pilot in choosing weather minimums and flight
procedures. In motorcycle riding, there will always remain the major
non-manageable risk that someone will hit the motorcyclist in a much larger
vehicle even if the motorcyclist practices defensive driving. Even worse, a
60 mph collision while riding a motorcycle almost always results in a fatal
or extremely serious injury, whereas there are lots of survival airplane
accidents.


But I do think you've got a fundamental point: if some pilots actually
aren't *interested* in trying to fly as safely as possible, but would
rather perceive flying as a daredevil, risky activity, they aren't
likely to take much from a safety seminar even if they go.

Correct... maybe the motorcycle comparison is a bad one... but in any event
there is clearly a significant group of pilots not particularly interested
in flying safety.

Look at it this way -- Flight Safety used to say (maybe still says?) that no
holder of their "Gold Card" had ever been involved in an airplane accident.
Is that to Flight Safety's credit, or to a large extent does pilot
self-selection play a role?



--------------------
Richard Kaplan, CFII

www.flyimc.com