Re: Tom Knauff's newsletter

At 18:38 30 June 2008, Bill Daniels wrote:
>
>"Jim Logajan"  wrote in message
>news:Xns9ACD6DD997C5AJamesLLugojcom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> tknauff@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:
>>> The glider pilot fatality rate is one of the highest of any activity.
>>
>> I've been looking for accident statistics for gliding/soaring and
>haven't
>> come across any formal studies. So the assertion above comes somthing
as
>a
>> surprise and it would be greatly appreciated if you can provide the
>> location of any sup****ting data. I know of some cross-modal studies
that
>> indicate that helicopters appear to have a higher accident rate on a
per
>> mile and hour flown than fixed wing aircraft, and that motorcycles are
>> more
>> dangerous than general aviation flying, but gliders weren't split out
>into
>> their own category in those studies.
>>
>> Actually, cross-modal accident studies are, in general, hard to find
so
>> I'm
>> always curious to know the source of any such claims.
>
>It's confusing to address relative safety as it relates to the 's****t'
as
>opposed to the pilot.  A glider, in and of itself, is neither dangerous
or
>safe.  It's only when you put a human pilot in it and launch it into
the
>air
>that the activity can become dangerous.  One statistic that comes
through
>loud and clear is that 99% of all glider accidents are pilot error.
>
>So, I tend to agree with Tom Knauf.  The safety issue almost entirely
>involves pilot knowledge, skill and whether the pilot chooses to use
them
>on
>any particular flight.  If you are to survive, you must accept that
it's
>only your knowledge, skills and a determination to use them on every
>flight
>that will assure survival.
>
>Flying is highly Darwinian. As a pilot you must know two sets of rules. 
>One
>set is, of course, flying regulations.  The other set is Mother
Nature's
>laws - like gravity, weather and aerodynamics.  Regulations are to keep
>you
>safe.  Mother Nature just wants to clean the gene pool. Cross Her and
>She'll
>kill you without mercy.
>
>Bill Daniels
>"If you can avoid the really stupid mistakes, what's left is
>manageable."

On reflection, I believe we would all want pilot error to account for 100%
of the accidents.  This would remove those accidents attributable to
equipment flaws and would make flying that much safer.