Much safer than driving. I forgot the ratio but, it was staggering how much safer flying is. Ed
Are you afraid to fly?
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Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that in 2015, there were 32,166 fatal motor vehicle accidents that lead to just over 35,000 deaths. That comes out to be 1.13 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, and nearly 11 people for every 100,000 U.S. residents.
Contrast these numbers to U.S. airline accidents recorded by the National Transportation Safety Board: In 2015, preliminary statistics revealed a total of 27 total accidents — zero of which was fatal. Of the accidents that did occur, just 0.155 happened for every 100,000 flight hours. Airline accidents per one million miles flown came in at a rate of 0.0035.
http://fortune.com/2017/07/20/are-airplanes-safer-than-cars/
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that in 2015, there were 32,166 fatal motor vehicle accidents that lead to just over 35,000 deaths. That comes out to be 1.13 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, and nearly 11 people for every 100,000 U.S. residents.
Contrast these numbers to U.S. airline accidents recorded by the National Transportation Safety Board: In 2015, preliminary statistics revealed a total of 27 total accidents — zero of which was fatal. Of the accidents that did occur, just 0.155 happened for every 100,000 flight hours. Airline accidents per one million miles flown came in at a rate of 0.0035.
http://fortune.com/2017/07/20/are-airplanes-safer-than-cars/
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Originally Posted by Virtus_Probi
Flying commercial airlines doesn't bother me at all, other than dealing with security and the frequent delays.
I hope I never have to go through Newark again after being severely delayed when nobody was there to turn power on for the plane during prep and then the gate agent just left because she was tired of hanging around. The pilot came out to her desk to see what the heck was going on and I told him I heard her complaining about having to work late and then saw her just leaving with her purse...he was incredulous and kept saying, "SHE CAN'T DO THAT!!!" I would guess that he reported her...
I have also flown to Europe and Japan for business with no issues. Japan was actually business class (first class for the USA connection) and that was really nice.
My wife is a mess on planes and I keep telling her there's no way I'm taking her to Hawaii when just getting to CA nearly kills both of us with her antics.
The only time I got really freaked out in a plane was when I was flying with two coworkers between Dallas and OK in a three seat plane. There was an all you can eat catfish place with a dirt strip near the Red River they liked and I think this was the second time I joined them in renting a plane and flying up there...they were both licensed private pilots. Our company had negotiated good rates for employees to rent small planes.
I was stuffed to the gills on the way back and we hit bad turbulence...the pilot kept going lower and lower to try to find calmer air, which didn't make a lot of sense to me at the time. I started to feel awful because I had eaten so much and then got all paranoid thinking that I didn't know those guys so well and maybe they didn't know what they were doing...I was also worried about them both getting sick from having eaten so much and then getting shaken around, and being so low to the ground also started to get to me.
After we landed, I swore I would never get in a small plane again.
I think we went back a month later... ;^)
Never get the fish!
Flying commercial airlines doesn't bother me at all, other than dealing with security and the frequent delays.
I hope I never have to go through Newark again after being severely delayed when nobody was there to turn power on for the plane during prep and then the gate agent just left because she was tired of hanging around. The pilot came out to her desk to see what the heck was going on and I told him I heard her complaining about having to work late and then saw her just leaving with her purse...he was incredulous and kept saying, "SHE CAN'T DO THAT!!!" I would guess that he reported her...
I have also flown to Europe and Japan for business with no issues. Japan was actually business class (first class for the USA connection) and that was really nice.
My wife is a mess on planes and I keep telling her there's no way I'm taking her to Hawaii when just getting to CA nearly kills both of us with her antics.
The only time I got really freaked out in a plane was when I was flying with two coworkers between Dallas and OK in a three seat plane. There was an all you can eat catfish place with a dirt strip near the Red River they liked and I think this was the second time I joined them in renting a plane and flying up there...they were both licensed private pilots. Our company had negotiated good rates for employees to rent small planes.
I was stuffed to the gills on the way back and we hit bad turbulence...the pilot kept going lower and lower to try to find calmer air, which didn't make a lot of sense to me at the time. I started to feel awful because I had eaten so much and then got all paranoid thinking that I didn't know those guys so well and maybe they didn't know what they were doing...I was also worried about them both getting sick from having eaten so much and then getting shaken around, and being so low to the ground also started to get to me.
After we landed, I swore I would never get in a small plane again.
I think we went back a month later... ;^)
Never get the fish!
The answer for me is no. I took my first airplane ride at three years old and am now a licensed pilot. I feel a bunch safer in the air than I do on the California freeways.
No
Kestas
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I don't like flying for two reasons.
- I'm 6'4", which makes me a physical wreck after longer flights.
- It's no fun anymore.
I mentioned to my boss that I'm handicapped* and I need to be accommodated with larger seats. He doesn't buy it.
(*) - A handicap is an adverse physical condition that the person has absolutely no control over.
- I'm 6'4", which makes me a physical wreck after longer flights.
- It's no fun anymore.
I mentioned to my boss that I'm handicapped* and I need to be accommodated with larger seats. He doesn't buy it.
(*) - A handicap is an adverse physical condition that the person has absolutely no control over.
I am. That plane goes down, you're that high up in the air. MH370 and you will never be found. This from the safest means of travel.
And while I am not suggesting that road travel is safer, you can prepare for really every situation, don't tell me that there will be a semi truck barreling down your street 70MPH etc.. If there is, accelerate hard out of the way, you can get another car you can not get another life, who cares your tires your bumper . Put as much car between you and out of control vehicle, more than likely you saw it coming, as you have to drive for everyone else on the road.
Only thing you can do on a plane (if there is catastrophic failure) is have last moments.
And while I am not suggesting that road travel is safer, you can prepare for really every situation, don't tell me that there will be a semi truck barreling down your street 70MPH etc.. If there is, accelerate hard out of the way, you can get another car you can not get another life, who cares your tires your bumper . Put as much car between you and out of control vehicle, more than likely you saw it coming, as you have to drive for everyone else on the road.
Only thing you can do on a plane (if there is catastrophic failure) is have last moments.
I'm nervous flying in direct relationship to the size of the plane. I can handle the 747s or larger Airbuses but I start to slide into "freaked out" in the 737 zone if the flight involves a sharp bank or maneuver that the larger jets have to execute in a different way...or turbulence is bad. I don't like heights and I don't like roller coasters...it kind of goes hand in hand.
The experts seem to attribute these crashes to the MCAS ( nose control ) system and the potential kicker being what they're speculating wasn't taught sufficiently. These planes were apparently sold as "if you can fly a 737 you can fly a 737 Max" when in reality there were potentially differences that weren't covered...like the MCAS. So, using that as an example if true...I'm probably more fearful of the human element with these planes than I am with the planes themselves. TSA, crowding, and rude passengers are just added decay heaped on that idea.
The experts seem to attribute these crashes to the MCAS ( nose control ) system and the potential kicker being what they're speculating wasn't taught sufficiently. These planes were apparently sold as "if you can fly a 737 you can fly a 737 Max" when in reality there were potentially differences that weren't covered...like the MCAS. So, using that as an example if true...I'm probably more fearful of the human element with these planes than I am with the planes themselves. TSA, crowding, and rude passengers are just added decay heaped on that idea.
I was on a very bumpy ride in a US Airways 757 out of Charlotte, NC a few years ago.
Lots of turbulence climbing out during the summer rain , thunder and lightning.
Some passengers were not too happy and commented why can't the pilots "fly smoother"...
Lots of turbulence climbing out during the summer rain , thunder and lightning.
Some passengers were not too happy and commented why can't the pilots "fly smoother"...
I fly a lot. I'm more concerned driving on the roads, then I am on a plane. I flew across the Country yesterday, and then drove from Jacksonville to Gainesville. Yeah, driving is more nerve wracking.
I flew with my father when I was younger almost every weekend. Small singles and twins. And some aerobatics in a Stearman. I haven't flown commercially since before 9/11. I doubt I would enjoy flying commercially any more, due to all of the pre flight nonsense required today. The only "close call" I ever had was when my wife and I flew out here from Chicago on a 737. We were returning from Phoenix to Chicago, (Midway Airlines).
About halfway home you could smell something electrical burning that smelled like insulation. It went away for about 10 minutes, then came back. There was never any smoke, but we made an emergency descent, (no masks were deployed). But you could hear a pin drop in that airplane all the way down to 10,000 ft. We made an emergency landing in Wichita, Kansas. It turned out to be a burned out fan blower motor of some kind that supplied cabin ventilation. Wichita was not a regular stop for Midway, so we waited about 2 hours while they replaced the faulty motor.
This was a while after the Air Canada flight that had an electrical fire, and ended up making an emergency landing in Cincinatti. When 20 some people died in the resulting fire. About 15 passengers refused to board. They quickly moved them into a nearby lounge. Most likely so they wouldn't attract too many "friends". We took off, and made it back to Chicago about 3 hours late all total. After that I only made one other commercial flight, and that was back here from Chicago when we sold our home some years later.
About halfway home you could smell something electrical burning that smelled like insulation. It went away for about 10 minutes, then came back. There was never any smoke, but we made an emergency descent, (no masks were deployed). But you could hear a pin drop in that airplane all the way down to 10,000 ft. We made an emergency landing in Wichita, Kansas. It turned out to be a burned out fan blower motor of some kind that supplied cabin ventilation. Wichita was not a regular stop for Midway, so we waited about 2 hours while they replaced the faulty motor.
This was a while after the Air Canada flight that had an electrical fire, and ended up making an emergency landing in Cincinatti. When 20 some people died in the resulting fire. About 15 passengers refused to board. They quickly moved them into a nearby lounge. Most likely so they wouldn't attract too many "friends". We took off, and made it back to Chicago about 3 hours late all total. After that I only made one other commercial flight, and that was back here from Chicago when we sold our home some years later.
Heck yeah! We weren't made to fly....
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I like putting on the cape and taking off.
![[Linked Image]](https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/attachments/usergals/2019/03/full-54759-31059-superman.jpg "[Linked Image]")
Commercial air travel is magic.
All you need do is get yourself in a seat and you are quickly transported to wherever you want or need to go.
A highish fare these days is maybe twenty five cents a mile while you can often get fares of ten cents a mile or even less, so the cost is pretty reasonable.
For distances beyond maybe five hundred miles or so, flying is so much easier than driving unless you have plenty of time to spare, which most of us still working don't have.
I took my first commercial flight at eight. It was much more comfortable fifty years ago, but so was interstate driving. Much less crowded for either.
I prefer being in the right seat of a C172 to either driving or commercial flying, but a thousand mile trip in that aircraft requires at least one stop and maybe some unanticipated landings dues to either unfavorable winds or to wait out bad weather ahead. Even under favorable conditions, this would not be a quick trip either, nor would it be cheap. Rather expensive actually. Cost per mile all-in with a rented 172 exceeds the ticket price of what a Concorde flight across the Atlantic cost when they still flew.
Driving is also fun, but after the first few hundred miles, the fun wears a little thin.
Overall, neither me nor my wife fear flying and we do appreciate the distances that we can travel with ease in reasonable comfort.
All you need do is get yourself in a seat and you are quickly transported to wherever you want or need to go.
A highish fare these days is maybe twenty five cents a mile while you can often get fares of ten cents a mile or even less, so the cost is pretty reasonable.
For distances beyond maybe five hundred miles or so, flying is so much easier than driving unless you have plenty of time to spare, which most of us still working don't have.
I took my first commercial flight at eight. It was much more comfortable fifty years ago, but so was interstate driving. Much less crowded for either.
I prefer being in the right seat of a C172 to either driving or commercial flying, but a thousand mile trip in that aircraft requires at least one stop and maybe some unanticipated landings dues to either unfavorable winds or to wait out bad weather ahead. Even under favorable conditions, this would not be a quick trip either, nor would it be cheap. Rather expensive actually. Cost per mile all-in with a rented 172 exceeds the ticket price of what a Concorde flight across the Atlantic cost when they still flew.
Driving is also fun, but after the first few hundred miles, the fun wears a little thin.
Overall, neither me nor my wife fear flying and we do appreciate the distances that we can travel with ease in reasonable comfort.
4WD
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Been flying overseas since 1991 … mostly good commercial flights … scary flights have been on STOL, amphibious planes, and choppers in high winds …
Originally Posted by Leo99
Never get the fish!
That was the whole point of renting the darned plane!!!!
;^)
Never get the fish!
That was the whole point of renting the darned plane!!!!
;^)
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