Americans Still Feel Flying Safer Than Driving

Considering the odds, flying IS still safer than driving. The odds of being killed in an airplane are about 1 in 11,000,000, while the odds of getting killed in a car are just 1 in 5,000.  A recent study showed that over 40,000 people are killed in car accidents in the U.S. – compare that to the number killed in aircraft accidents, and you get the picture.

A more interesting statistic for those of us in general and corporate aviation would be the statistics of people being killed in general aviation aircraft and corporate aircraft.  In 2007 corporate aviation recorded .034 accidents per 100,000 flight hours compared to airlines at .005 per 100,000 flight hours, while general aviation recorded a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 flight hours.

In other words, corporate aviation is about as safe as the airlines for air travel, a fact not unnoticed by executives at many businesses. Add the typical delays for commercial airline travel, the hourly wage of upper level executives, and pretty soon you can see why corporate air travel is so popular in the United States.

Congress gets it – just just check out what Judicial Watch found through Freedom Of Information Act requests recently. According to emails acquired – “Taken together, these documents show that Speaker Pelosi treats the Air Force like her personal airline,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Not only does Speaker Pelosi issue unreasonable requests for military travel, but her office seems unconcerned about wasting taxpayer money with last minute cancellations and other demands.”

Yet they berate corporations for having jet aircraft, and demanded that GM and Chysler divest themselves of their aircraft fleets.  Double standard? You bet!

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

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The propeller is just a big fan in the front of the plane to keep the pilot cool. Want proof? Make it stop; then watch the pilot break out into a sweat.

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