Last week one pilot made headlines, the other 588,656 did not

In 2005, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) ran an ad in USA Today and Roll Call with the tag line “Last week one pilot made headlines, the other 588,656 did not". 

As I embarked on this adventure, the advice I get the most form the people that care for me is “Be safe”.   Also, for those acquaintances I tell about my quest for a pilot’s license, I hear “oh you are brave” or “how scary”.  The stories of JFK Jr. and Ritchie Valens run through their minds

I absolutely understand the inherent dangers if soaring thousands of feet above the Earth.  I don’t have a death wish, and I have a beautiful wife and son at home that I want to be with for years to come. 

Personally, I don’t know of anyone that has ever been in a plane accident, let alone one from a general aviation accident.  I often hear that “flying is safer than driving”, but is it really true?  Wikipedia, the source of all things unnecessary, stated:

Ok, it is safer than motorcycles, bicycles and other types of transportation, but these numbers most likely include commercial aviation (heck, it is Wikipedia, so how accurate is it?). 

I went to the 2010 Null Report (2011 is not out yet) published by one of the most trusted names in general aviation.  “2009 saw a total of 1,418 general aviation accidents” of which a vast majority (82%) were non-fatal.  These rates are the lowest in decades.  This gives general aviation an accident rate of 6.6 per 100,000 hours of flight time.

Grated, the accident rate is not zero, nor will it ever be, but this shows me that thousands of non-commercial (amateur) pilots fly their entire career without incident.  Safety is my number one goal and I plan to be one of the pilots that always land smoothly on the ground. 

It will take vigilance, commitment, and knowing when not to fly, but I have set an expectation to be around for my family without compromise.

Kate and Rome, I love you and will grow old with both of you.