Lane:



Thank you for tackling the subject that "must not be spoken." The risk inherent in flying is seldom discussed in personal terms, most discussions resorting to the recitation of statistics. Thank you for raising the subject of the affect of risk and anxiety on family and friends .



However, one comment puzzles me. You mentioned that you had lost more than two dozen friends in airplane accidents. I found that remarkable. I have not known anyone, personally, who was lost in a GA airplane accident (or any other airplane accident). According to NTSB records, we lose approximately 350 -400 people per year in GA accidents - about one person per day. That sounds like a lot, and it is.



But it is interesting to compare that statistic to auto accident deaths, which have consistently been in the range of 45,000 - 50,000 per year for many years, (about 1/2 of those alcohol related). We're not talking apples to apples here - because there are many more cars - and passengers - on the road each day than GA airplanes. But the point is, I have not known anyone, personally, who was killed in an auto accident, either. I have known two people, generally, who were killed in motorcycle accidents. I should add that I live in a very highly populated area just west of Chicago.



I am wondering: were several of the more than two dozen fatalities you mentioned in one accident? I think if I lost more than 24 friends in GA accidents, I would be more hesitant to fly.



Thanks for tackling a tough subject. Have you really lost that many friends in GA accidents?