Mortality

People who don't fly always comment on "how dangerous it is" when they find out I am a pilot.  Yes flying is dangerous, but so is crossing a busy street or going swimming in the ocean.  It's all about managing risk.  Why am I being so morbid?  Over the weekend I was made aware that a fellow aviator whom I met recently is no longer with us after dying in a light plane crash.  I have been flying since June of 2004 and this is the first flying person I've met since that time who has died doing what all aviators love to do.

While this sad event does serve as a reminder that we are all mortal, it doesn't dampen my aviation enthusiasm one bit.  In fact, I cannot think of a better way to commemorate his life than taking a plane up for a bit of a fly. 

RIP R.P.

Comments

LocalFlightEast said…
I'm sorry to hear about your friend.
However you are correct, the likelyhood of you being injured in a car carsh or crossing the street are much much higher.

Having said that, flying is not a zero risk activity. All we can do are make sensible choices which minimise the risk we expose ourselves to. Somethig which is actually a lot easier to do in flying than it is in many avenues of our daily activities.

A flight woudl indeed be a fitting tribute. Enjoy.