beyond weather and fuel
 

It would be pretty interesting to see the data that insurance companies have collected and how they determine risk on RV's. Once getting past the typical weather and fuel exhaustion issues that are shared with all of GA, how many RV specific problems are actually on their radar.

Statistics
 

The AOPA Air Safety Foundation publishes a report every year covering these statistics. You need to do some number crunching to make comparisons as they deal in the number of accidents, not the percentages. I have been fiddling with getting the fleet numbers and coming up with some meaningful numbers. Here is the link to the report:

http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/08nall.pdf

John S. Clark ATP, CFI
FAAST Team Member
EAA Flight Advisor
RV-8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA

Being in Alaska I have a few thoughts on this:

1. One persons sip is another persons gulp. I have been told that flying single engine IFR is absolutely insane. Surely this person was just trying to protect me, but what if I'm willing to take that risk? Others certainly are.

2. Some people think that safety comes in a very expensive box that says lycoming on the side? What about those who don't give any room to auto conversions?

3. Some people wouldn't dream of landing off airport, where up here, many haven't touched pavement in years.

The point I'm making is that this conversation is all centered around risk and being bold enough to point it out to a fellow pilot, however, some people think that anything beyond flying in a straight line on a perfect day is too risky.

I think the better solution is for all of us pilots to really take a step back and really think about our limits and what we are able/willing to do and not go beyond those limits. Because pilot skill is so varied, we need to make sure we are up to whatever situation we put ourselves in, but also understand that there are those around us with both more and less skill.

schu

It's all in the training..
 

...as Schu mentions.

We have Ag schools, where I spent 6 weeks learning the ins and outs including the chemical mixing, and recurrency training, thanks to our PAASS program.

We have aerobatic schools and one of the most interesting, JAARS (Jungle aviation and Radio support), up in Waxhaw, N.C. (just south of Charlotte), where the missionary pilots supporting the Wycliffe Bible translators learn to fly Helio Couriers and Skywagons off 700' strips. They land on undulating uphill/downhill, one-way-in, one-way-out strips we'd never even consider. They do it routinely in many parts of the awfully unforgiving third world areas, with great success. They also give tours and a very good day trip to tour their facilities.

The point here is that when you are properly trained in whatever endeavor you choose, the outcome will be so much more likely to be successful.

Self-taught low level aerobatics comes to mind, and we've already read some of the reports here. Get trained in low-level aerobatics if that's your leaning....go to Ag school if you want to spray crops. All these hazardous appearing activities need not necessarily be so. I'm in my 39th year of ag work at a few feet above the crops at 140 MPH or so, with an above gross airplane, but I was trained for that.

Just don't go where you shouldn't and you'll be fine.

Regards,

Fuel Exhaustion
 

Two days ago at our airdrome (KDYB), a Bonanza landed with 3 gallons of fuel remaining. Our airport had been notamed closed due to runway / ramp re-surfacing. His partner had just flown the aircraft before him leaving less than full fuel in the tanks. The pilot estimated he had enough fuel for the short flight between KCAE and KDYB only to discover men & equipment on the single runway at KDYB. Despite the fact the airport closure was also announced on AWOS, he pressed on and landed on the taxiway.

Low Level Aerobatics
 

If you haven?t had a chance to read Julie Clark?s book about her life challenges and career, please do pick up a copy. In the book?s appendix, she lists the names of the professional low altitude air show performers, all friends of hers, who have lost their life during performances. I forgot the exact number of fatalities, but the list was about 65 names long.

"You can only tie the record for low level flight." - Unknown

Huh? In the spirit of Paul's note, I've gotta say it...
 

Hans, if you're saying you never plan to stall your RV6A just because you did it once and got a shake -- well, in the spirit of Paul's original post, I've gotta say it... That's a REAL dangerous attitude.

First of all, if your 6A gave any appreciable stall warning on your one attempt, it was probably a fluke and could even mean that something isn't rigged right. There is no washout in the RV wing, so the vast majority of RV6's give no warning whatsoever. The only time I ever got a shake in mine was when the ball was half out -- and when it broke, it spun.

Second of all, if you're not practicing stall recovery, the movements won't be second nature when you need it. The whole idea is to train your body to react so that you don't have to remember what to do.

And in the third place, if you think a stall can't sneak up on you in an RV, you're whistling past the graveyard. You'll eventually get use to that ridiculous angle of attack at low speed and not notice it when you need to.

Case in point:

I was downwind following a Cub into SWRFI a few years ago, with my head out of the plane watching the cub and the pattern and the show instead of my airspeed. As I turned base, my STALL WARNING LIGHT lit up and probably saved my bacon. I'd gotten was down to 55 mph following that Cub and hadn't even noticed it.

The personality types that don't belong here stand out like a sore thumb to me. Rogue, self-absorbed, impatient, shallow, and careless all come to mind (but there's many more that fit the bill)

I have a few dead friends/acquaintances:

#1. Rogue and careless. Several of us seriously talked to him after we knew he was the "type". Snap rolled a Laser into the ground.
#2. Self absorbed: Underperformed in UPT, but was slotted to go to an A7 guard unit. He was the type who only wanted to strap a blow-torch to his butt and go say "hey look at me". He graduated pilot training, but didn't last 6 months in the A7.
#3. Careless: Tore the wings off an RV3 while doing an over the top type of maneuver. The plane never got the mandatory wing strengthing mods, which had been available for several years.

Only thing I'd like to add is, be VERY VERY careful who you ride with. Some of the "nice guys" Paul mentioned aren't running a tight ship at all in their flying endeavors. If in doubt, steer clear.

I hate posting because I?ve learned there?s nothing to be gained, only offered. However, the slant of this post prompted me? once again.

Those who spout ?Let freedom ring? and recite the pledge want to impose their judgments on others. Bad idea. In any form, BAD IDEA. You warn others to be careful, yet would be appalled by a similar warning to be careless. It?s not the message, it?s the warning. Keep it to yourself.

I believe in getting the most out of life, an airplane, a marriage, a career, a vacation? you name it. To ?be careful? leaves too much unexplored envelope for me. I view it as a waste of a resource. Straight and level to nowhere.

It?s why courageous conquerors are celebrated and careful safety freaks are forgotten as ?men of no particular merit?.

akschu and Pierre nailed it. Just because you don?t want me to die doesn?t mean you should burden me with the judgments you?ve made. You may laugh last, but I?ll live best, thank you.

There are worse things than dying. Not living FULLY is at the top of MY list. And most people think I'm a nice guy.