Safety statistics

Can anyone tell me how safety statistics for soaring compares with
statistics for driving automobiles?

Thanks in advance,

--Ephraim

Apples and oranges, supported by unsupportable numbers.


"Ephraim" <ephraimf@compuserve.com> wrote in message
news:68ed2ee6.0308281553.38261eba@c om...
> Can anyone tell me how safety statistics for soaring compares with
> statistics for driving automobiles?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> --Ephraim

Paul Lynch wrote:
> Apples and oranges, supported by unsupportable numbers.
>
>
> "Ephraim" <ephraimf@compuserve.com> wrote in message
> news:68ed2ee6.0308281553.38261eba@c om...
>
>>Can anyone tell me how safety statistics for soaring compares with
>>statistics for driving automobiles?
>>
>>Thanks in advance,
>>
>>--Ephraim
>
>
>

I would like to know, you know, for the next time someone rolls their
eyes upward when I tell them I'm taking soaring lessons :-)

john
orlando, fl

Government statistics tell us that;

1. There are more than 40,000,000 vehicles registered
for road use in the UK. If only half are used each
day, many on multiple journeys, say 5 each, that means
over 100million vehicle journeys each day. On average
UK drivers slaughter 10 persons per day.

In the history of Uk gliding we have not done 100million
launches and have certainly killed more than 10 people.

2. More people die in a hospital bed than anywhere
else in the UK.

So if you crash your glider don't go to hospital!!!!!

One of my first instructors would rarely fly in a thermal
with another glider and made the point that every pilot
of every other aircraft airborne was flying blind and
was out to get him.

Eventually he died in a hospital bed, aged 86, which
I suppose proves the point.....whatever it is.





>Weeeell, that may depend on who your copilot is in
>the bed!
>
>:-)
>
>Ian
>
>'Al' wrote in message
>news:3f4ed7c2$1_4@127.0.0.1...
>> Your gonna die no matter what....
>>
>> is staying in bed until that moment safer..?
>>
>> Probably....
>>
>> is it more exciting than soaring
>>
>> NO...
>>
>>
>> Al
>>
>>
>> 'Ephraim' wrote in message
>> news:68ed2ee6.0308281553.38261eba@c om...
>> > Can anyone tell me how safety statistics for soaring
>>>compares with
>> > statistics for driving automobiles?
>> >
>> > Thanks in advance,
>> >
>> > --Ephraim
>>
>>
>
>
>

> Can anyone tell me how safety statistics for soaring compares with
> statistics for driving automobiles?

If you are wondering if flying is more dangerous than driving the
answer is an unequivicable yes. How much more dangerous is hard to
determine (do you drive drunk?). Most of us have to drive, whereas
flying for most is recreational. If you want to reduce your requests
find the toughest, most demanding instructor you can (I assume you are
a student). Demand extra instruction, not just the minimum required
for the ticket.

It is informative to read the accident reports at the NTSB web site.
Most glider accidents are pilot error, and most fatal accidents are
stall-spin. You can train for this (see above). It is absolutely
imperative that you take the correct action for each and every
emergency. I recommend getting some power instruction even if you have
no intention on getting a power license. You can get alot of landing
practice this way and you will appreciate the issues faced by your tow
pilot.

I have had people I know ask me about the "soaring thing"....What do you do
when the wind stops?......etc. I tell them that glider flying is something like
crossing a stream jumping from stone to stone. Then I ask them if they have
ever done that...you know, jumped from stone to stone as they crossed a
stream. Certainly, most people say "yes". Then I ask them if they ever just
jumped up in the air and then looked to see if there was a stone to land upon.
Naturally, everyone looks at me with a strange look and says..."Of course
not!!" Then I explain that in soaring we go "from stone to stone" only the
"stones" are safe landing places...in other words, you never jump off from one
safe landing place without the altitude in hand to either make it back or then
proceed on to the next safe landing place ( the next "stone").

Most people, when they see that glider flying (soaring, as I prefer to call it)
is not some sort on unreasoning, suicidal passtime, understand that it CAN be
safe. And, like many things from mowing your lawn to skydiving, your personal
judgement is quite important in determining the risk level involved.

So, I guess that is my point....develop good judgement and the risk level is
manageable....fail to develop good judgement in any endeavor and the risk lever
goes way up.

Don Johnson, Reno,. NV

"DonDLHMN" <dondlhmn@> wrote in message
news:20030901234912.18214.00000212@mb-m25....
> I have had people I know ask me about the "soaring thing"....What do you
do
> when the wind stops?......etc. I tell them that glider flying is something
like
> crossing a stream jumping from stone to stone. Then I ask them if they
have
> ever done that...you know, jumped from stone to stone as they crossed a
> stream. Certainly, most people say "yes". Then I ask them if they ever
just
> jumped up in the air and then looked to see if there was a stone to land
upon.
> Naturally, everyone looks at me with a strange look and says..."Of course
> not!!" Then I explain that in soaring we go "from stone to stone" only the
> "stones" are safe landing places...in other words, you never jump off from
one
> safe landing place without the altitude in hand to either make it back or
then
> proceed on to the next safe landing place ( the next "stone").
>
> Most people, when they see that glider flying (soaring, as I prefer to
call it)
> is not some sort on unreasoning, suicidal passtime, understand that it CAN
be
> safe. And, like many things from mowing your lawn to skydiving, your
personal
> judgement is quite important in determining the risk level involved.
>
> So, I guess that is my point....develop good judgement and the risk level
is
> manageable....fail to develop good judgement in any endeavor and the risk
lever
> goes way up.
>
> Don Johnson, Reno,. NV
Don,

Very good analogy.

Frank Whiteley
Colorado

At 22:06 02 September 2003, Bruce Hoult wrote:
>In article ,
> Robert John wrote:
>
>> Average speed 80kmh? (50mph) I wish!
>> I drive about 12000 miles a year and much of it is
>> 70-80mph motorway, but when you look at the overall
>> average mph (my car computer tells me) it's about
>>35mph.
>> It's the bits around home (trips to the shops, the
>> office etc) that kill the average speed and, statistically,
>> are most likely to kill the driver too.
>> I live in a village 30 miles outside London, BTW
>> The average speed against distance suggests I spend
>> about an hour a day in the car - sounds about right
>> and probably typical for a highish mileage driver.
>
>So you're in by reputation one of the worst places
>in the world for low
>average speed of traffic, do at least average miles
>(I'd say a bit more
>than average) and yet spend less than 350 hours a year
>driving? I think
>that backs up my claim that 500 hours is way too high.
>
>I'd be interested in your reasons for saying that 'the
>bits around home'
>are more likely to kill the driver. More likely to
>suffer a minor ding,
>sure, but it's pretty hard to get killed when you're
>doing 30 mph or
>less -- unless you're a cyclist or pedestrian.
>
>-- Bruce

Probably right Bruce, though I can get quite quick
on the windy roads from home to gliding club (15 mins
- I chose the house to be near the club - looks like
Bert Willing should do the same! 20,000km per annum
to and from airfield?! that's extreme dedication or
extreme something else which I am far too gentlemanly
to suggest!)
Rob
>