How Safe is Flying!? The Truth about General Aviation Safety
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ม.ค. 2017
- Season 2, Episode 15
Sometimes when I create videos, I try to be really new and innovative, but other times, I just create what I wish existed while I was training for my license. I hope you guys enjoy a video like this with some cool graphics to help explain something that's not entirely evident before you start flying for real.
Hey, did you guys know that the FAA actually certifies flight instructors to tell you everything that I try to convey in these videos? You should definitely talk to one of them instead of trusting some video you found on the internet, because who am I to tell you how to fly? I'm just a pilot sharing my experiences with the world, and these videos are not meant to be instructional or advisory in any respect.
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"Airplanes cover ground much more quickly than cars" *cries in Cessna 150*
You still can go through trees and stuff which ultimately makes it much faster than sitting in traffic.
Eh, I owned a 150. For trips of a couple of hours or more, it took about half the time it would have by car. Yes, they're slow compared to other GA planes, but they're cheap to operate, super easy to fly and land, and a ton of fun. I miss my 150.
Trains are faster now. Even if we consider the airport security for railways in some countries for some train types
*bawls in j-3 cub*
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
The part that everyone forgets is that you then need to get in a car after you get to your airport destination, there is no escaping!
Private airparks ;)
If you live in your hanger or like m I live across the street so I don’t have to get in a car, also you can walk a couple of km if you want
The door. You can escape through the door. The window too, but that would look weird
And some neighborhoods have landing strips like the one near my house.
I've always said it's roughly as safe per hour as riding a motorcycle (which is accurate), however, on a motorcycle, you have to worry more about someone ELSE killing you, while in a plane, you mostly just have to worry about yourself and making good decisions.
Well said. I'm ok with that! :)
That and the engineering of the plane (eg: older plane designs catch fire easily upon impact or even is more prone to in cabin fire or in piper’s case, structural failure). New planes have better design overall and better safety systems. But still, I agree, the pilot and mechanic play a bigger role!
I don’t know why you pick on Piper. I don’t believe there’s a lot of difference in planes built before the 90’s based on design and age. Mooney gets a plus for the safety cage, but that’s about it. Cessnas may be a little worse because a dent in the A pillar can mean getting sprayed with fuel. Beech lovers seem to think they are better in every way, but I think their fuel lines are no different.
Diamond put in braided stainless steel protection for their fuel lines, and the record shows they are better. No surprise.
Having read so many articles and watched several videos like this, I think they completely miss the point. I don’t drive for the fun of it, at least not regularly. I drive because I have to get to work, or get to the store, or get to other places that I’m required to be. Driving is mandatory, and I rarely enjoy it. In contrast, I fly only for fun. I know it’s dangerous. We all know it’s dangerous. That’s why we spend so much time and effort learning and practicing what to do in emergencies. We do what we can to mitigate risk, and accept what risk remains, because we love flying and have judged the risks to be worth the rewards. If I had the choice, I would much rather be killed by my own mistake while doing something I love than killed by some random idiot while doing something I had little choice in.
Amen
This then makes flying safer thank you. There are more risks in driving a car in perfect condition than a plane in perfect condition.
Flying is far less dangerous than driving. See the odds I listed above.
To be honest as much as I'd like to agree with the conclusion of this video, many of the estimations were highly questionable. Especially the last one, no one can perfectly predict the safety of the pilots they fly with. And pilot error is obviously the biggest factor affecting flight safety.
That's why i don't like pilots with youtubd channels. They think they've made it and can now staet teaching whatever they're thinking as though it was actually right.
@@jasonMB999 Saying “That’s why I don’t like pilots with TH-cam channels” is like saying, “I don’t like anyone that drives a car because this one guy cut me off”.
@@jasonMB999 These guys that you don't like are making everyone else safer pilots.
@@WinterTM who's making who safer pilots?! I didn't pay $26 000 for my pilot training just to have some dude on youtube somehow make me a "safer pilot". Are you crazy? Lol
@@jasonMB999 You sound like you have a pretty dangerous attitude. You can always learn more. TH-cam videos might not teach you much but the more you get involved with aviation, watching safety seminars, practicing procedures, etc. You'll definitely get an improved mindset and perspective. Also if you had learned about most of this beforehand, you might not have had to pay that much money for your training and gotten more time in the practical part.
Thanks for this. I think all your videos are amazing. As a family man who's about to start his lifelong dream of getting my private license it puts things nicely into perspective.
So glad I could serve a purpose in your life :)
I actually like this type of intro where you're talking over the music, which will save my time, and it streamlines the video down while giving it a nice professional feel
And when was the last time you saw two pilots standing at a crash scene exchanging insurance information?
He is comparing fatalities. There are a hell of a lot more non fatal car accidents than plane accidents.
@@laurencea.8099 Exactly! Today's cars are very safe due to constantly testing them to insure they keep the occupants alive! This idea of flying is safer than flying is no longer true!!!
Laurence A. There are plane crashes every day and the people in the plane die every time😂
John Holifield it is still true u clearly have no idea what ur talking about a lot more people die from car crashes than plane crashes more than 2 million people die in road crashes a year more than 8000 a day
Shut up...
I would consider seat time the standard metric to use in these comparisons. You aren't very likely to be killed by a plane or car if you're not riding in it.
its all about experience, training, and equipment. ERAU flies strictly GA aircraft and has flown well over a million flight hours in the past 10 years with zero fatal accidents or serious injuries (Holy crap). On the other side of the spectrum, I've gone to flight schools with poorly trained instructors or pilots, who fly horribly out of shape aircraft
Excellent thought about ERAU or UND as testimony.
Yup. LeTourneau University I think has never had a fatality, and I think its been like 50 years since their last serious injury, though there might have been one in the 80's. Many, many thousands of Part 91 flight hours. It's all about training and experience leading individuals to make good decisions in flight and maintenance.
If you are going to eliminate certain causes of GA accidents, you need to do the same for autos. For example, what if you eliminated driving with a teenager, driving without a seatbelt, driving while intoxicated and driving after midnight? These are reasonable variables that can be controlled and I suspect are the cause of the majority of all fatal car accidents.
so the lesson is: if you don't get the results you seek, you have not done enough calculations.
my wife just had back surgery from an auto accident. Rear ended while sitting at a stop light. You should do a chart on injuries that needed medical attention driving vrs plane. Should be mile per mile. 400 mile plane flight vrs 500 mile auto trip or what ever it is. You can add driving miles getting to and from your plane and what ever those odds of driving are included in with the flying risk. If you die in a plane or car that is bad but the biggest risk to me would be minor to serious injury's. without seeing any data I would bet driving on the roads are much more dangerous than flying if you remove fatalities from the equation. I hear of someone getting hurt in a car accident almost daily but not planes. I believe if you include injuries and deaths on both driving and flying ga flying would still be safer.
Fantastic videos Keep up the good work.
Keep in mind that most of the time there's a general aviation accident that isnt fatal it has nearly nothing to do with flying. as we all know. Nearly all aviation-related accidents are completly fatal.
@@potatopilot1699 that made no sense at all
@@likes2fly airplanes crashes are nearly all fatal. car crashes are nowhere near as fatal as a plane hurling towards the ground at 200mph+
This is false. Approximately 20% of GA accidents are fatal.
Fantastic Video keep up the good work!
Will do, mate. Thanks! :)
Keep up the good work Nick!
Thanks, mate :)
Such a well done video 👏🏻
Yeah! Glad you thought so, mate :)
Great video, I'm going to use this to show a few of my friends that flying isn't as bad as they think. I have this one friend who is so scared of flying, and I'm sure this will reassure them. True fact that you are more likely to die in a car on the way to the airport or to your airfield than you are to die In a plane.
I know I don't have to say this, since I know you take the proper precautions, and perform all safety checks, and you are responsible, but stay safe. Can't wait for the next one.
Haha good, that's what I'm hoping that people will do with this video. That's why I made it in the style of so many other internet explanation videos ;)
That is a lie, and the author is not helping with these falsehoods, however well intended as he may be. John King (famous guy in aviation) had an article in FLYING magazine called 'The Big Lie", which is exactly what THIS video perpetuates. Check out www.WhyPilotsDie.com
This is my favorite of your videos. Thanks for making it. I used it as a model for a discussion on aviation safety in the first class I give for students seeking a PPL at the ground school I teach at.
by the way. I don't show the video in class because I don't have the ability to stream from youTube in the classroom. If I give you a shout out before I show it, can I get your permission to show a copy of the video during the class?
Absolutely! Thank you for asking! Does that mean that you would like a hard copy of the file from me, because I can do that for you too.
Friendly Skies Film I won't need to bother you with that detail. Thanks for offering though. I am sure my classes will enjoy the video.
By the way. The video went over great in class. Thanks.
Yay! Glad they enjoyed it :)
Nicely done and in a format everyone can relate to.
That's what I'm hoping! :)
Excellent breakdown and info.
Thanks, mate :)
Another great video, my aviation brother! I love how you put the statistics into some perspective. Of course the media will ignore all rational analyses and continue to sensationalize any aircraft mishap; it just draws the crowds.
So glad you enjoyed! It is unfortunate, but you're tight. Bad news will always sell. Thanks for contributing to the channel, and participating in the early access! You guys make it all possible :)
I'm reading the date on these comments, and it's says three and two days ago? I only got notified just now...
Ryan M. Same here.
Illuminati confirmed
Ryan M. This video was uploaded 8 minutes ago
Ryan M. the government is hiding something from us
Excellent thanks. I'm just getting back into flying again after a long break. I was watching thinking but yea, what if I was a very cautious VFR pilot when it comes to not taking VMC risks and extremely careful with fuel management, I'd like to see the statistics if you took out those 2 factors and you answered just after I was thinking it. Very good video, nice one
I’ve concluded GA flying is, on average, about as safe as driving a motorcycle, on average. The big asterisk is that the motorcycle numbers include young drivers of sport bikes who have a much higher accident rate. Similarly, about a third of ga deaths seem to be from inexperienced mistakes. Any pilot can make a fatal mistake, but I’m talking about VFR into IMC, hot dogging, weight and balance issues, density altitude, flight into mountain wave conditions and the like. Experienced, trained and non careless pilots are much less likely to fall victim to those errors much like a longtime motorcyclists on a cruiser isn’t likely to die going 110mph on a city street.
It's still best to be honest with your family and passengers. To us it's worth it, but let others make their own decision based on facts not the lie that the drive to the airport is the most dangerous part of the flight.Great video, I'm glad to see the topic addressed.
Excellent. Glad you enjoyed. I dislike hearing that lie as well. I might be true under some crazy circumstances, like rush hour in a smart-car, with black ice or something (can you tell I live in New England...), but it's simply difficult to pass that notion off truthfully.
Just finished Paul Craigs book "The Killing Zone" He came to the conclusion that GA is more dangerous than driving but comercial flying was safer.
That sounds reasonable
I also fly a Piper Cherokee 140! I’m obsessed with safety with everything, but especially when it comes to flying
cool video as always. can you do a video on sailplanes? I'm gonna solo soon in a Schweizer 2-33a N2028T.
One of my favorite videos I ever made! th-cam.com/video/MKSThgiLieU/w-d-xo.html
Friendly Skies Film ah cool! I'll check it out, thanks!
Your intros are awesome!
Thanks, mate :)
Someone else may have said this but here goes. If you choose to drive safely, during good weather or with excellent drivers, and in modern cars, the equation might work the other direction.
what if you fly in good weather with great pilots in well-kept aircraft?
Yeah but its only as safe as the worst driver on the road. The chances of a midair collision are much lower than a car crash. Most plane accidents are ruled as pilot error, and midair collisions are rare, and getting rarer as ADSB and TAS systems are put into more planes.
"If you choose to drive safely, during good weather or with excellent drivers, and in modern cars"... you could still get creamed by a drunk driver, someone running a light or stop sign, someone texting, someone falling asleep at the wheel, an aggressive driver, etc. etc. etc.
You can be as safe as you want on the ground, it makes little difference. In the air, there's very little chance of someone else ruining your day. Flying is safer.
What are the intro and outro songs?
Q: do the GA numbers include gliders? (...or other hobbyist contraptions?)
Sadly not a lot of data. As soon as I find good data, I will :)
In the "Killing zone. how and why pilots die" author Paul Craig offers very compelling and thorough statics showing that GA flying is 10.8 times more dangerous than the car driving...
Great vid and stats. Enjoyed. Very informative & objective. Liked & sub'd ur channel.
Glad you enjoyed :)
you applied factors to the aircraft that should be applied to cars too. how many car accidents are caused by driver error?
I've been meaning to do a second video about this. I think the biggest difference is that in an airplane, you rarely expose yourself to the stupidity of others, while on the highway, you expose yourself to quite literally hundreds of other drivers, rather than one or two pilots. They're really not comparable, that's the problem :P
i'm still not sure which is safer after having watched this video. should i multiply by 0.3 or divide by turboprop...
It about perspective, so you get to make your own call :)
Great Video. There are a lot of factors. Pilot experience, IFR vs VFR, fixed or retractable. I think we all wish the record was better. Seems about 380 fatal accidents per year has been pretty consistent. General aviation is about as safe as riding a motorcycle statistically.
Fuel question: Can you only fuel your aircraft enough to get to your location plus some or how does fueling work?
Just like a car, except you can't pull over ;) If you need to carry a heavy load, you might take only what you need, plus a reserve, but it's obviously safest to take as much as you can.
I think the biggest thing you pointed out is toward the end of the video and that has to do with just how many variables there are that can be (or not be) mitigated depending on the choices of the pilot.
Just looking the numbers:
5% are Aerobatic accidents
9% are VFR continued into IMC
5% are unsafe acts (which to the FAA are basically egregiously stupid things, not normal flying)
18% are insufficient terrain clearance enroute (usually called controlled flight into terrain)
14% are loss of control in adverse weather
That means 51% of GA fatalities are not just avoidable, but easily avoidable. Almost all controlled flight into terrain happens in mountainous areas in IMC with terrain obscured. That's an easy situation to simply avoid. You don't have to fly aerobatics at all. You should never continue VFR into IMC no matter what happens, if for nothing else than it's illegal to do so. And simply planning properly and leaving yourself wide margins to avoid adverse weather again raises your odds greatly. None of those things are hard to do as a pilot to mitigate risk. They are actually very easy to do.
Also, location plays a large part in the overall risks. Here's a number for you. 1 out of every 7 GA fatalities happen in Alaska. The reasons are fairly obvious (a lot of scud running and terrain issues there). Want to cut your risks by 1/7th without even trying? Don't fly in Alaska.
Thirdly, the fatalities per hour stat so often cited does not take into account that many accidents have multiple fatalities. Sometimes 10-12 when a King Air or Biz Jet goes down (rare) and often 4-6 when a twin or 6 seater goes down. So the risks that your specific airplane will have a fatal accident are actually lower than it appears. This is why fatal accidents (i.e. individual airplanes) are a better number to use vs. total fatalities in all those accidents.
I could keep giving examples but the point is that your average VFR daytime flight is actually much safer than the overall stats seem to suggest.
Wow! I wish I talked to you while making this video! Those are some great point! I had no idea that "1 out of every 7 GA fatalities happen in Alaska" although I've felt that for years, and I hadn't thought about the difference in hauling capacity of the aircraft!!! SO TRUE!! EXCELLENT!!! Thank you so much for sharing!
I think I took my numbers from 2008 for a similar stat and did just that. Only the deadly accidents, not the sum of victims. The number of death per 100.000 hours in GA was 1.3 that year. Sum number would have come out at arround 2.5. Starting flight training this week ; )
Very interesting video and statistics. I heard once on the news that there's on average 800 boating fatalities per year in the USA alone and yet most people being afraid of flying might not think twice about going boating or jet skiing.
Right? There are so many parallels between boating and flying, especially in the money, that people seem to just ignore.
Very insteresting and well realized !
I do my best :)
Hi Nick, another great video, thank you.
I'm writing this tonight before my flight to Tampa tomorrow with my entire family, and I mean everyone.
If anything happens there's nobody left in my estate. In light of what happened in FFL this morning, we could have been there, as we stay in Delray often flying through FFL.
It's not the flying I'm concerned these days as much as the nut jobs surrounding us. Be safe people.
Thanks, mate. That meant a lot to me today too, and so does your comment. Me entire family (all 3 of us) is planning on moving to Jupiter in a year or so, and we just flew back from FLL. The actual scene of the crime was less than 100ft from where we wait for the hotel shuttle all the time, which you could see on the news footage. You stay safe too, and I'll see you in the skies of FL soon, my man :)
Friendly Skies Film I hope so mate. If not there maybe at WPI. We're hopefully in the running for the fire sprinkler installation at the Foisie Studio building. Fingers crossed 🤞
Low Profile
Waitgbsd What!? Really?! That one caught me by surprise! You should message me on FB ans stay in touch in case that happens!
Friendly Skies Film will do, but I need some sleep before our 7am flight out of PVD, what's now today !!
Ps. Check out Steveo latest "emergency in the Cessna". Great stuff, incredible graphics
Mqybe 2015 was bad year for private Aviation ?
I’m almost 16 and I have 14 hours and tbh I’m scared of doing my first solo
I guess there’s other things to consider as well. Aircraft accidents would tend to have more fatalities than car accidents. Do aircraft accidents happen more in the take off and landing phases of flight?
They do happen MUCH more often in those two phases, but we have just as many fender-benders as cars do. If you scrape a wingtip on the ground or scratch someone else's paint, it all has to be reported to the FAA.
I'm 35 and my dad started in aviation when I was 4 or 5. I can remember going to the airport at 5. In that time (30 yrs) I haven't seen 1 plane have an incident. I got my drivers license at 15 and in that amount of time (20 yrs) I can't count the auto accidents I've seen with my own eyes. Yes I've seen planes that have crashed; a few belly landings and a couple of crop dusters catch wires but not the actual incident like autos.
Nearly 8,000 have died in aviation crashes since 2010. BUT...in that sam period over 500,000 have died in a car.
@@gbigsangle3044 How many total flights does that account for vs how many total drives?
@@TheMaxKids Your odds of dying in a car crash are 1 in 114, while your odds of dying in a plane crash are 1 in 9,821. For another perspective, that's 1 fatal accident per 16 million flights
@@speedomars link?
@@speedomars You're probably confusing general aviation and commercial aviation.
Instant like as always. I would love to support you on patreon, but I don't have enough money to do that.
Keep up your work.
Haha thank you! You're supporting me right now ;)
Flying is safe if you don't mess up
Haha well put! XD
Friendly Skies Film thank you
JetMechMA Sky will ask for payment if you mess up while in it and same with the sea... In it ;D What is wrong with me xD
flying is safe... until it's not
Well done!
Thanks, mate! :)
Nice video. The source of risks at the end is key here. Pilots can control many, but not all, of the risks. In cars, it's a free for all with unsafe drivers all around you.
Well said. I tell people that there are more idiots in on the road, than there are in the sky. If you're one of the bad drivers, of course you're more likely to end up in an accident that one of the good ones, but it's the high density that makes the difference.
Friendly Skies Film I've been saying that the reason aviation is safer than driving is that accidents that are caused by bad pilots are usually fatal. Thus, idiots get culled.
I've been reading accident reports from the BFU (the German equivalent to the NTSB) and it appears that almost all the fatalities in the last couple of years were caused by gross stupidity.
realulli
Yeah, I tend to celebrate those a little too much too. It's obviously very sad when somebody makes a mistake and we lose them, but every accident caused by poor decisions makes the numbers hurt me a little bit less.
That's not entirely true, as you'll be aware if you've ever had to buy car insurance for/as a teenager! Insurance companies know about risk.
David Willett True, there's a uplift for at risk groups, such as teenage males or hot rod airplanes, but the baseline risk is consistent across all users.
Maybe I missed it but maintenance on an aircraft is mandatory but not mandatory on a car in the US. That is one very important factor.
In Chicago the press reports a GA crash almost weekly. They always say its being investigated. It takes months or a year before the final NTSB report is announced... unless a celebrity is involved, of course. We almost never hear why it happened. That's why the occasionally flying public is fearful of man and machine. We've lost too many local broadcasters who were described as "very experienced" GA pilots.
I always tell my family to drive FAST (to outrun the other guy). Drive safe is assumed.
A wonderful video, discussion provoking as always.
Glad you enjoyed, old friend! :)
Very interesting presentation. If the pilot is well trained and concerned for the overall well being of the occupant of the front left seat, then I'm more than willing to fly with them anytime.
The biggest variable is like you said....The competency of the pilot and how well the plane is maintained. There is a huge difference between a truly professional pilot who flies for a living and a poorly trained new private pilot. The same is true for the mechanical reliability of the aircraft . You should never fly with a new poorly trained private pilot in an airplane that he built himself (without having the required skills to build a plane). It would be worse than riding as a passenger on the back of a motorcycle driven by a 16 yr old boy who got his license an hour ago. Even with all of the regulations, there are a lot of people flying who should never be a pilot.
Great video, thanks for making it. This is off topic, but can you share with us how you made the video. I would love to use this method of explaining at work. Thanks so much and keep up the good work. I will be happy to be a patreon for your videos. Abed (PPL in Canada and own a cessna 150).
Glad you enjoyed :) Like the graphics? Haha it sucked! XD I should have actually done it by hand, but being a protectionist got in the way once again...
Most of my flying allows me to avoid driving through LA on some very congested, often very fast moving traffic. I've dodged ladders (more than once), other cars sliding across the road, tires, furniture, and other debris. I've even had to maneuver around people . . . on the freeway . . . I've had so many close call moments that I've lost count.
But, for example, at 8500 feet doing VFR corridor over LA on my way to Van Nuys, there are no ladders, no cars, no debris, and certainly no people in the way. It's so relaxing. I feel so much safer in the air in a 1963 Cessna 205 than I do in my brand new car on the freeway.
Same! There are times when I don't feel safe at all flying close to the ground, but for the majority of a flight, I wouldn't even care if my engine quit. You're really lucky getting to skip that commute!
I would like to know were in the FAR's (Federal Aviation Regulations) it says that the FAA issues a Pilot License. I looked on mine and I had one for over 42 years now and I can't find the word license on it! But it does say certificate! Flying is not all that hard, anybody can learn too! The hard part is gaining enough experience to know when to say no. Accidents happen because of a chain of events that by themselves would be a none issue, but together, the become a trap and sometimes it ends badly!
When the FAA issues an Airman Certificate with Private Pilot privilege to me, I'll say that I'm getting a pilot's license. The 2 words are synonyms. I hate people that lecture about the difference.
Nice video. It's real hard to compare different activities. Errors flying and driving contribute to accidents in both activities.
Thanks, mate :) Too true.
when filling up a plane, how much does it cost, per gal/l is it cheaper than petrol or diesel, i think flying is safer, you have more time to react and you not only have left and right like a car but also up and down . great vid
Thanks, mate :) HA! We wish. I average $4.90/gal.
I have taken a tester session for flying. But it's common sense if your car dies on the highway you just pull to the side. In a plane 5kms in the air as you don't have that option
I heard some planes are designed to glide in case of engine failure. Some even have parachute installed.
In reference to the opening statements of this video, do you ever feel nervous or unsure while taking people for their first flight? Especially since, as the pilot, you have an obligation to keep them safe?
Not me personally, but I won't offer a flight to anyone who I personally deem is an idiot.
Life is dangerous... I‘d rather have a nice life flying and doing my stuff than being safe and live longer.
Why do we measure quality of life in years?
If you think flying is too dangerous, then leave it to those who love it.
There are a lot of dangerous things in the world, and we can’t evite death, so let’s just fly as safe as we can and enjoy
Should I have anxiety over the hypothetical happening of the elevators suddenly pitching downwards, sending us into inevitable death? I feared this when I flew a DHC back in June; smaller, propellerd aircraft scare me.
In conventionally controlled aircraft, definitely not. In hydraulically controlled aircraft, yeah... a little more... it used to happen with Boeing 737 rudders every so often until they figured out what the problem was. In Fly-by-Wire aircraft, even a little more. All this is not to scare you! I swear! It happens one out of a few billion flights, so I certainly don't worry about it, but it would also be wrong for me to tell you that it doesn't happen. Interesting question!
hmm. That does put in perspective some issues.
I am currently a registered student of 'light sport aircraft', where locally there's been a major push to try and improve safety, because in this category fatalities in this country seem to be about 6.8 per 100,000 hours.
Now, the LSA category covers everything from paragliders, to small two seat aircraft that also qualify for being registered as a 'general aviation' aircraft, but it still does seem a little questionable...
My problem with this (common) type of analysis is that it groups all GA flights into one category. There are many types of GA flights. Some include flights for emergency purposes, business purposes, to visit family/friends on a scheduled visit and a need to get back in time to go to work , etc. This type of flight often ends up with pressure to get there even when there are weather issues, lack of proficiency on the pilot’s part, or even minor airplane issues. Many of the fatal accidents result at least partially from these issues. On the other hand, there are a lot of people like me who basically fly for fun and don’t fly if there are any issues with the plane, or the weather is bad, or I’m not feeling proficient. Yes, something can always go wrong but those of us who are careful to stay within our limits, stay proficient, and always strive to improve should be less likely to have an accident. Unfortunately, current data doesn’t seem to allow us to get an objective evaluation of that section of the pilot community.
Nice video. The numbers can vary but that doesn't really matter. The point is well made as it concludes on a note of who is PIC. Additionally, as mentioned, living life well should be an acceptable set of calculated risks.
I worry about them every day :P ...ANXIETY!!! Thanks, mate :)
What kind of plane do you own/fly
Max Lucas Piper 180.
I like your interpretation on danger based on energy, but something even better is to make your own unit "x" in which *x=E • possibility of release*
HM! Very interesting! Funny, I'm working on a similar equation for engine failure right now.
Is it a cherokee 180? If not then what is it?
What, my plane? Warrior II.
I believe this was hinted to in an earlier comment. I generally tell people that ask me what risks there are in flying my small plane, that it is about the same as riding motorcycles. They both have higher accident and injury/death rates than driving... and they're both a lot of fun.
Absolutely! I think about it every time I ride by bicycle! Puts things in perspective.
John and Martha King say that GA has a similar safety record as riding motorcycles. I've been flying since 1968. I've also owned two motorcycles when I was a kid. I've seen deaths on motorcycles and in airplanes. At least with airplanes, most of the control is in the hands of of the pilot. With motocycles, you can't predict when the other car is going to cut you off at the last second. I'm glad you continue to make very informative videos. We need them. Over 20 years ago there were 800k licensed pilots. Today there are only about 550K. If this trend continues, we will all be flying drones.
Glad you enjoyed it. Nicely said about the differences too. I hope we can bring GA back to it's glory someday...
Maybe if electric airplanes take off (ha ha!). Without a complicated engine to maintain and very cheap "fuel", i think it will make flying a lot more accesible.
Very nice
I'm pretty sure we all know people (maybe ourselves) that have been in car crash and some probably have died. How many people do you know of that have been in plane crashes?
I know people on the internet that have been in a plane crash but survived and planes are safer than cars
Hey man! I realize you use the carbenaro Piper. I'd recommend the A2A Piper. It's more like the warrior and is better and it's more realistic. :)
Yup, you're not wrong. It's also a framerate killer, if that matters to anyone. As for being more like my Warrior, though, I've modified the Carenado Archer to be nearly identical to my Warrior inside and out. There ain't no modifying an A2A plane! They're untouchable! Thanks for commenting, mate! :)
You will probably survive a crash in an aircraft (excluding collisions) since you will most of the time come to a controlled landing (engine out/out of fuel) but if you have a crash on the motorway/freeway you will instantly come to a stop and possibly die.
Also safety varies depending on the traffic or lack there of (both in air and on ground)
Its not very often pilots get the chance to do a nice soft landing on the grass if were talking international flights.
I consider flying super safe I would love to fly with this pilot!!!!!I love Friendly Skies Film!!!also Friendly Skies Film has incurage'd me to get my pilots licence when I'm older!!!!
Aw, too kind ;)
Friendly Skies Film your welcome!!Also can you make a video on how to buy your first plane please?
FliteTestFan !!
Yeah, that's something I've been wanting to do for a while now. I think it fits well into some of my summer stuff, so you can expect it then :)
Friendly Skies Film YEEESSSSSSSSS can't wait!
FliteTestFan !!
:)
I wonder what would happen if you looked at fatal accidents per trip/flight. I think that would be interesting, and quite a fair comparison. After all, one would not die in a hypothetical accident if one stayed home, ergo: you only get a chance to get involved in an accident and hurt yourself, once you go on a road trip (however short or long) or a flight. I think that would make for an interesting statistic. However, I doubt that there exist such data (number of car trips, number of GA flights)...?
As a driver and a pilot, I know I can beat statistical averages simply by doing a few things people “on average” don’t do. Most people speed on the highway, do some amount of texting/ phoning, drive while tired. Most pilots cut corners on weather minimums at least a little, skimp on preflights, fly too few hours under varying conditions per year. If I choose to do none of the above risky behaviors, I KNOW, I will beat the statistical averages.
I also like to think about how many of the accidents can be chalked up to certain types of flying, like mountain, cold weather, low altitude (agricultural), IMC, and so on. Just like you said, if I don't do any of those, then I'm always going to beat the average :)
Friendly Skies Film , I’m glad you’ve included those as they these too are lumped in!
I often tell people that GA aircraft are similar in risk to that of motorcycles. The difference is, on a motorcycle, while the primary risk is going to be your own behavior in traffic (if you ride safely) there's also a large risk factor related to the behaviors of other drivers. With GA, your risk is going to primarily be a function of your own behaviors. Hence the adage, "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots."
"Flying is safe so long as you remember how dangerous it is" (source Unknown). Private pilots decide what level of risk is personally acceptable. Remembering how dangerous it is causes us to operate in a way to reduce risk to a level that is personally acceptable. And then as with everything in life there is a degree of good and bad luck. You can be unlucky in a car, plane, or watching tv (a 40T truck smashing in to your house). The statement "you couldn't pay me to fly with some pilots" is therefore absolutely correct, just like I wouldn't get in a car with some people. Great videos.
Well said. Thanks, mate :)
I worked in line service at a small municipal airport in Ks in the '80s. It was an education as to the differences in the attitudes of pilots whom I considered would be competent across the board. There were some who would rarely do a preflight, one, a physician who jumped in his twin Cessna like he would his car to to across town. I rode with one or two who acted more like cowboys than serious pilots. This diverse situation was a bit unsettling.
Well said. It can be scary to watch :P
Finally a real comparisons. So sick of the over simplified statistics of how safe flying is! well done
I tried! I only make videos that I would like to see myself, so hopefully you enjoyed.
Did you hear that the FAA has changed the medical regulation for GA pilots? I requires less FAA exams but puts more restrictions on what you can fly.
I was actually just reading up on that. I was thinking about making a video about it soon.
Friendly Skies Film If you would. I only got a little e-mail from avweb on it.
Well i wasn't scared before this but after this well it really hasn't changed my mind :P
Haha same here ;)
Key, the quality of the pilot. The skill of the pilot. I agree that good pilots are many; it is the few who make the skies dangerous.
Sadly, it's only all the more on the roads.
There is probably no Fly rage. where there are so many auto accidents over road rage. this would have to be a factor. Thanks Nick. Back in 2000 when I was taking some refresher time. I was taxiing on Alpha at Norwood KOWD heading for 35. A student pilots doing solo work came out of the South ramp so fast the Ground Controller yelled at him to stop and wait for his instructor to move the plane.
Ha! That's funny! I know the exact spot you're talking about, too.
I see that 25% of accidents are due to stalls, yet a stall is quite easy to prevent and even quite easy to recover (given you have enough height). How come it makes up for such a large proportion of accidents?
Probably stall-spins close to the ground. Also easily preventable! Just not as easy to recover from.
Makes sense. Maybe also ending up over-controlling with crossed controls in a cross wing landing might be statistically counted as a stall-spin. Thank you!
I would set the average speed for a car to be quite a bit lower than 50 mph. I'd say 40 as my guess
The most important difference imho is that when you are flying your own plane, its your own fault if you crash the thing. Its pretty rare for another plane to crash into you unless something goes seriously wrong. For cars you might be screwed up from some drunk guy pushing you off the road.
I literally got spun off the road by a three time convicted drunk driver this week going 120mph. Your comment resonates with me :P
lol, yeah. thats my point. On the road a lot of the time it is simply not your fault.
That was different... cool!
Good kinda different, I hope :)
Yep!
I took my 1st small plane flight last Monday and tomorrow I'm staring proper lessons with actual theory. I don't take my exam until next year because I'm not 17 yet. But my question is how hard is the theory and can you recommend any books that could help me???? And how often should I take lessons???
mullins108 wow
Yes?
Congratulations! I find that a lesson every week or a little more often is great if you're trying to get your license in a year. Every two weeks if you're looking to take it slow. My favorite text is the Jeppesen Private Pilot Manual: www.google.com/search?q=jeppesen+private+pilot+manual&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijq_mFya7RAhXrzlQKHeOtDYQQsxgIHA&biw=1920&bih=913
I know you didn't technically ask ME, but I'll try to answer your questions:
1) start with the Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and the Airplane Flying Handbook. both are free and can be downloaded from the FAA website. it is difficult, but if you keep plugging away, you will eventually get it. you can also take a ground school if you're not disciplined enough for self study.
2) fly as often as you can afford. if you take big gaps between lessons, you will end up having to relearn stuff and in the long run will cost you more moolah.
good luck!
h2oski1200
I would be honored to have you answer all the questions on my channel :)
One thing I noticed about you're comparison between flying to driving. You removed commercial aircraft but I didn't hear you remove commercial truck traffic. I wonder what are you're thoughts on that and how might that Change you're numbers? Trucks might be hard to remove as a lot of cars crash into trucks. Depending on the study you look at, 84 percent of car-- truck fatal crashes are caused by the car. Having driven well over 3 million miles in a commercial truck those car-- truck stats sound about reasonable to me. Also the way you compared fatalities to energy was simple and brilliant. Never heard it explained that way before.
Glad you thought that was cool ;) I did look at some of the numbers while doing this, simply because I was interested. Some of my friends are afraid of big rigs, and I tell them that they're actually the safest drivers on the road. I think the reason I left it in (other than simply not considering removing them, if I was being completely honest) would be that when you fly, the dangers are (mostly) isolated to the aircraft that you are actually in, while on the road, the vehicles tend to... "interact" more.
FSF, I like his point about the miles a commercial truck driver travels. I would say that would take out a majority of those miles. I get what you mean about traffic interacting, but most trucks just do alot of cruising on the highway by themselves. Good points all around.
Also, you may not need to FEAR big rigs, but you REALLY need to respect them. As pro student driver mentioned, the accidents are usually caused by someone in a car (who probably didn't respect the truck).
Anyway, overall, good video. Anymore, I figure no THING is really dangerous, the PERSON is where the danger comes from. That applies to everything.
GA is on a ONE FATALE crash per day 9/11/22 - 9/17/22
I did a calculation similar to yours to compare motorcycling to private flying (flying your own plane) - I used to have a 69 Cessna 177 Cardinal - and I ride motorcycles. If you compare the two the fatality rate per hour/mile is similar. BUT I figured that, flying myself, that at least it would be totally my fault, I would have to mess up some way (and I was very careful and methodical). Though you can solo-crash a motorcycle (I did that exactly a year ago today and broke my arm, lost traction on the back tire in a corner) - the advantage of flying over riding is YOU ARE VERY UNLIKELY TO HAVE ANOTHER PLANE TURN LEFT IN FRONT OF YOU. So - all things being equal - flying should be somewhat safer than riding a motorcycle, or at least if you do get into an accident it's much more likely to be your own damn fault.
I think it's still apples vs oranges, how many of the dead in car crashes died because of their errors and not because of other drivers errors? I mean imagine a truck driven by an "error prone" driver slamming into an average car stopped at a crossroad: the unlucky man on the car dies while the truck driver survives the crash. Is this considered in the statistics?
Idk, it's easier to keep safety high in aviation, car driving has a lot more variables I think.
I agree on both accounts. Well said. Commercial aviation certainly proves that it's very possible to create a VERY safe system.
Wow. This video was excellently executed (by executed I mean the way in which it was done ... not the islamic state type of execution). Well done!!! Keep up the good work.
Ha... Thanks, mate :)
FWIW - Blue sky driving shows an uptick in accidents (CDL-A experience). More poorly qualified drivers and many paying less attention on a 'nice' day.
Despite the inherent danger level mentioned, flying give you more control over 'acceptable risk' than driving, even when defensive driving is practiced.
▶ *Great video!* very interesting... :) Greetings from Austria :)
Thanks, mate! :)
I like how the cover photo of this video says 100,000,000 hours of driving which is 11,415.52 years
The final point mentioned is the most important one to consider. In flying, the pilot is in control of almost 100% of the level of safety. You can make a flight as safe or as hazardous as you wish. On the road, you are largely subject to the mistakes of other drivers. The most cautious driver on the road could be killed by a drunk driver. Fatalities from multi-car collisions are common. In aviation, there is virtually zero chance of being killed from someone else's mistake. Midair collisions are < 1% of fatalities, contrary to public perception. Bottom line - the national average accident statistics don't have to apply to you. Follow a few simple best practices, and your odds of having a bad day drop by an order of magnitude.
Couldn't agree more! Thanks for posting!
Would also be interesting to compare the numbers of fatal car accidents in cities or rural areas.
I saw those numbers go by while I was making this video. It was interesting. The Highway Safety Institute has most of those numbers in the US if you're really interested.