Is it all worth it???

First of all, let me apologize for this depressing post. I was sitting in my office today when my secretary came running back and said "Kevin was just killed in a plane crash in Princeton." My head hit the table, along with my heart...I could hardly believe it. A family/church friend for several years was killed today when his plane crashed in the vicinity of Princeton (KPNM) airport. Investigators are unsure of what happened, whether the accident happened on departure (most likely) or on landing. His dog managed to survive the crash. This has just reopened the wounds from our recent RV family losses. Kevin was full of life, a joy to be around, and on top of his game in the business world. Cut down in the prime of life.
The prevelant thought on my mind today is "Is flying worth the risk?" I know the loss is very fresh and that is tainting my thoughts right now, but for those of you who have lost friends...what are your thoughts? I am really bummed (words cannot throughly express how we feel), I am tired of so much death being associated with such a wonderful sport/hobby. I'm not necessarily posting this to find answers...I guess I am hoping you will share your thoughts on this matter.
PER DOUGS RULES...DONT SPECULATE ON THE ACCIDENTS IN YOUR POSTS PLEASE. I don't want this thread to become one of those.

aarvig said:

"Is flying worth the risk?"

Click to expand...

I'm sorry for your loss, Aaron. I first lost someone I knew in a GA crash when I was about 14. Since then, over 35 more years, including military losses, I've lost perhaps 25 more friends or acquaintances--some of them very, very close.

Each time, I ask your question. While the emotion is still raw, the answer for me is sometimes "maybe not." Within a few days though, the answer has always returned to "yes, definitely."

I use the these tragedies though to reaffirm my commitment to flying as safely as possible. After that, there's nothing else I can do.

--
Stephen

Double your flying Aaron. For Kevin. And triple your training...

First, my heartfelt condolences on the loss of your friend...what a kick in the gut, as something like this always is.

In re: your question, if you have to ask that question, perhaps it's not worth the risk. For me, flying is what I'm all about and always have been. If I quit flying because I was afraid of the risk, I don't know what I'd do with myself....it's a part of who I am so quitting is a last resort and if it happens, it won't be because of risk.

I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. Is is worth it? That's a question I asked myself very shortly after I got my PP-ASEL and bought my first airplane. A good friend of mine who I learned to fly with had just bought his first plane too, just a couple weeks before I got mine, had an engine out after doing a low pass and attempted the impossible turn back to the runway with the usual tragic results. I even flew right over his crash site not knowing what happened until after I landed and never saw it while on short final. I helped to load the broken pieces of his plane onto a trailer out of the field the next day. I decided to keep on flying and am very glad I did. That was over 12 years ago now. My friend Kenny would not have wanted me to give up flying. The adventures I've had and the new friends I've made over the years has not made up for the loss of my friend and never could, but have made my life so much richer nevertheless. I will keep flying until the day I no longer can.

Vlad said:

Double your flying Aaron. For Kevin. And triple your training...

Click to expand...

Vlad, well said!

Whenever I fly to my other house in Rangeley, ME I am reminded that my good friend, Steve crashed his King Air there because they named the airport after him.

I remind myself that they wouldn't do the same for me so I must not do the same!

Recently Vlad and I flew there and remembered our good friend Tony.

Flying is what we do. We accept the risk and the challenges.

I am sorry for your loss. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. I am certain that Kevin was a great guy and we all would have enjoyed his company!

Press on! It is what we do!

It is what Kevin would want. Steve too...

CJ

I think it's a valid question and the answer isn't the same for all of us. I'm sorry for your loss, genuinely Aaron. You should take some time and ponder the question. My concerns are for my family, not for myself. I know what eternity has for me. I try to envision what life would be like for my family without me. What hardships would come their way. Have I prepared them financially if my income is taken out of the picture. These types of questions are foremost in my mind.

It is worth it. Here's a video of my (nearly) 3 year old son's first flight with me. His facial expressions mirror the way I feel every time I fly. (BTW, you may want to turn the volume down - neither the music or the engine noise is particularly pleasing.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWoJlEMZt88

Man, I completely understand. In the last couple of years, there have been a number of crashes that have claimed the lives of people I knew; some quite well. It seems like every time I get ready to jump in the game and start flying, another plane goes down with someone I know in it. It's sobering, incredibly sad, and a major reality check to say the least. It usually makes me step back and reevaluate my priorities, which is probably why I've been hangar flying for years but haven't pulled the trigger and gotten my PPL. As much as I dream about flying and want to, I still struggle with the very real risks.

Let your emotions run their course, then reevaluate. There's a right answer for you, but it'll be tough to see when you're still hurting from the loss of a friend.

Flying for me has never been a hobby - it is a way of life. I have lost friends and co-workers who were flying at the very outer reaches of the envelope. They dd it because it needed to be done (for the future of mankind) but no one would ever say that they didn't enjoy it as well.

To stop flying would not honor their loss - it would dishonor their memory - because they believed in flight.

And that is why we keep doing it.

Is it worth it? That is a personal decision that everyone must make - and the answer depends on how much flying is worth to you.

Sorry to hear of the loss - no matter how many times I have gone through it, it is never easy - so I understand.

Aaron, I am sorry for your loss. I have been flying for almost 50 years and during that time have lost a number of friends, and had a few close calls myself. Each time I ask myself the same questions that you are having. So far I have chosen to keep flying, but I do what I can to mitigate the risk i.e. don't exceed my personal limits, careful maintenance of my plane, and I still fly with an instructor twice a month( I never know what he is going to ask for). It keeps me honest about my skills.

Any of us can be taken in a flash. Our bicycle club was doing a multiday ride in Moab 2 weeks ago. Sunny, dry day; newly paved road with little traffic; flat, low speed section. What could go wrong? One of our riders was hit with a microburst that flipped him and his bike in the air. Landed on his head(wearing a helmet) suffering an unsurvivable brain injury. Who would have thought?

My wife and I met doing technical climbing; another high risk activity. After every climbing death, people would always say he died doing what he loved. While that may be true, most were taken in the prime of their life and the families were left to carry on without a mate or parent.

I still don't know how to reconcile all these various needs and wants. There is no perfect answer, so I just try to make reasoned decisions. Life is a risk.

Jim Berry
RV-10

I used to think flying was 'worth it'.

Not any more. I only use it to stay in touch with friends and anymore I can't wait to get on the ground.

When I'm 'finished' I don't think I'll miss it a bit.

The above said.....I absolutely love building airplanes .

Of course it's worth it.

I'm deeply saddened by your loss Aaron, truly. But let's keep some perspective here. Texas has already had approximately 2,650 fatalities on our highways to date THIS YEAR.

My area is in the center of the Eagle Ford Shale oil play. I was run off the highway last week by a 32 wheeler. I've given up on replacing windshields & took to driving a clunker because of the battle damage. One day I was chatting with a County Clerk just before she was to go see a doctor. While she was parked at a highway intersection, a collision occurred between oilfield vehicles & a 10" pipe went through her vehicle decapitating her. I learned of it about 30 minutes later & was devastated. Stuff like this is a daily occurrence.

Personally, I feel safer flying over this madness looking down on it. A crash is a crash, period. Inexperienced drivers don't properly secure their loads and it falls onto oncoming vehicles. I can go on ad nasuseam. I'm looking forward to my next flight. I'll do my best to be as safe as I can. However, I'm sorry to say my money is on me either going through an automobile windshield or some piece of equipment coming through & taking me out.

I'd rather dodge buzzards now. Surviving is a gamble regardless. Good luck Aaron. I hope you keep flying. God Bless.

Is it worth it?

Aaron,
My most heartfelt wishes for comfort go out to you and, especially, to Kevin's family and friends.
As for your question, let me say I am grateful that you have asked it so openly. Few aviators do. We are mortals after all, but I believe we must ask. Mark, I feel differently about whether the risk is acceptable if one has to ask the question: On the contrary, I believe a mature and conscientious aviator and responsible aircraft builder must ask it, and often.
Gang, I was the USAF Chief of Aviation Safety and Air Combat Command's Director of Safety from 2008 until my retirement 6 months ago. During those 5 years I directed and executed about 3 dozen "Class A" aviation mishap investigations (those involving fatalities, total aircraft destruction, or damage exceeding $2million). Of course the fatalities hit hardest, and for reasons far beyond the fact that some of them were personal friends. Remember the C-17 crash at Alaska a few years back? I knew one of the pilots, and yes it was tough to watch the video of the jet nosing over. Try repeatedly analyzing the time-synchronized cockpit voice recording, hearing my friend and his crew's final "oh God" utterances in this world. It made "the question" quake the very foundation of my aviator soul.
Every time, I asked myself why the **** I'm building this aircraft, why I keep flying. And very time I got the same answer, each time with a deeper sense of conviction. I am an aviator. It's what defines me, defines my passion. I couldn't live without it, even if it introduces risks that wouldn't exist if I just sold the project. So I'll not turn a blind eye to the risk. I'll build my aircraft carefully. I'll learn from Kevin's loss: I'll apply the mishap prevention lessons that his investigation team offers us just like my investigators did in Air Force Safety. We owe that to all our friends, past and present.
Mark's logic does have merit, though, because it broaches the basic tenets of Risk Management: After summing up the risks, and assessing the potential effectiveness of available risk mitigation tactics, if the risk's severity and probability still outweigh the benefit of flying, then I'd say it is time to call a "knock it off."
That's ultimately a very personal decision, but it starts by asking the question: Is this really worth it? Aaron, I'm glad you asked.

When I die they will put me under the ground. Until then I will fly above it.

Sorry for your loss.

To NOT ask this question of yourself, to NOT consider carefully the risks and then make your decision, is foolhardy.

Many years ago when I was in commercial helicopters I lost six friends in four weeks. That really got my insides churning and I started to look for different work. Then another friend was taken by a freak mechanical failure just a day before I received a job offer elsewhere in the industry. Without hesitation I took that job. While I doubt I will ever find another career path that provides the constant high level of stimulation offered by helicopter ops, I also have been able to sleep better at night knowing my personal risk level has been reduced to limits I can live with.

We each make our own assessments as to risk and base our decisions on those assessments. Two other forces are at play - complacency in the form of not wanting to embark on a path that requires us to affect and accept change, and emotional turmoil that results from grief. The latter force is one we understand can be mitigated with the passage of time, while the former requires great personal strength to change.

I sincerely hope you find a way to be at peace with yourself and with the risks you take in life, whatever they might be. In the meantime, mourn your friend, honor him as best you can and let some time pass before making a decision as to how you wish to move forward.

Ironic post for me

I am 58 and a retired State Police Sergeant..spent all of my career on the road. Lots of close calls with people and traffic, and yes, I have had people point guns at me and try to disarm me...but today, 10/28, was the closest I have ever come to being killed. Came out of the New Balance store in suburbia, had a green light and arrow, pulled onto an obstructed view state route...and a semi-driver ran a red light, locked up the brakes, and came within (literally) 10 feet of broadsiding me, turning me into a meat waffle, and turning my wife into a widow. I have handled thousands of crashes..there is NO WAY I would have survived the hit..When a Freightliner vs. a Honda Civic, Freightliner wins.

My point: Getting killed this morning was the last thing on my mind. I was just buying a pair of shoes. Bad things happen even when people ARE careful. Living the life you want is optional...dying is mandatory. Nobody is getting out of here alive.

I suggest strongly that you do not make any rash decisions. You are too close to this tragic incident to make a rational judgment. Give it some time..and then if you feel the same way, and give up flying, at least you can look at yourself in the mirror every day.

Sorry for your loss.

So many great responses.

First, let me add my condolences. I've lost three friends in flying accidents, and it's awful.

That said, we're all either living, or just waiting to die. I would rather face the specter of a possible death in my RV, versus hanging it up and waiting for the inevitable decline into darkness.

No one is getting off this planet alive, and frankly, my genetic duty here is done. From this point on, I live for me -- and that life includes flying an RV-8 as often as possible until I am no longer physically able to do so.

If I ever buy the farm while flying, I would hope y'all will lift a cold one to me whilst facing West, knowing that I died doing EXACTLY what i wanted to be doing. My family knows this, and understands.

Yes

Aaron, yes...to me it is worth it.

Every year, at our National Ag Aviation convention, we hold a "moment of silence" for the deceased crop dusters that died that year, EVERY year. This year, four of my colleagues have died, same as last year. Two of them hit towers...one was only 32, with a wife and two little daughters.

My best friend died in a Formula One air race in DC and my boss died in his Bearcat, on the way home from Reno.

At 68, in my 43rd year of ag flying, we just push on and I can't see myself doing anything else....that, and BFR's occasionally.

Give it a couple of days and go on from there.

Best,

Yes, of course it is worth it.

I understand your concern but it will pass. I too am completely bummed when we loose a friend but it happens to cancer, car accidents, whatever.

My little plane has given me the opportunity to see places and things and to share those very special experiences with friends family and most of all my wife that I would never be able to do without it. Just this last weekend I took my 13 year old son out to breakfast in the plane and he worked on straight and level, following a track, eyes outside etc and loved it. On the way home we went up and around some of the nicest clouds ever at 6-10K...his comments were this is "awesome". If its my time one day sooner than later, he will remember that trip much more than a morning on the couch with x box. I will not sit on a couch or hide from the dangers of the world. I built the best plane I could, I check all I can religiously, I work on safety and I do my best to fly safe and smart. Its all I can do. If its my time.....its my time. Don't live in fear or you wont go atv'ing or snow mobiling or to the big cities, or out of the country, or even on the major highways etc etc. Live life on your terms and share the fun of it will all the people you can. My life is WAY better for having an airplane. I would say its possible the therapy of having a plane and the joy I get out of it actually makes my relationships with wife and kids BETTER, the friendships I have made are rewarding, and the flying lowers my stress etc that may have other beneficial impacts on my health etc. Fly safe, be smart, take precautions but LIVE it up. Just my 2 cents because you asked.

Dead

Sell your plane, sell your motorcycle and cars , live a safe and boring life and hope you don't slip and fall in the shower .
Tom

First my condolences to you for the loss of your friend, Its alwas a tough thing to handle. Your post shows that you are going through the process that all pilots go through when an aviation accident claims someone we know.

for me there is no question, flying is what I do for a living. however, being involved in the more dangerous aspects of flying, air racing,warbirds, and experimental aviation I have not only lost a lot of people to accidents, but witnessed a good number of them. Reno 2011 caused a lot of sole searching on my part as it did for a lot of people that day. At the end of the day it comes down to the same thing every time. We are all going to die sometime. I believe that when that time comes, it really doesn't matter what we are doing, our time is up. I just try to fly as safely as possible and enjoy every minute as if it were my last, because someday it will be.
I think that I would regret not doing things I wanted because of fear a lot more. Life is a risk, and we all need to find the level of risk that we are comfortable with.
As one race team had as their motto, " the object of life is not to arrive at the end safely in a well preserved body but to slide in sideways, hair on fire at mach 3 screaming that was one **** of a ride."

bob burns
RV-4 N82RB

Ironflight said:

To stop flying would not honor their loss - it would dishonor their memory - because they believed in flight.

And that is why we keep doing it.

Is it worth it? That is a personal decision that everyone must make - and the answer depends on how much flying is worth to you.

.

Click to expand...

Each of our lives is full of choices, and many of those choices carry risk. Many years see more than 40,000 people die on our highways, but we seem to accept that risk.....every day.

Flying is more dangerous than driving a car, BUT, if we don't participate in buzzing, if we don't let our planes run out of fuel, if we don't fly VMC into IMC, if we don't try The Impossible Turn, if we stay out of thunderstorms, if we have good shoulder restraints, if we pay attention to the proper maintenance of our planes, and if we train-train-train and practice-practice-practice, the chance of dying in our planes is pretty small.

Yes, mechanical failure can still happen and take our lives, but that is way down the list in the causes of fatal accidents.

Commit and re-commit to training and always being prepared. That honors the flying lives lost.

Arlen said:

Each of our lives is full of choices, and many of those choices carry risk. Many years see more than 40,000 people die on our highways, but we seem to accept that risk.....every day.

Flying is more dangerous than driving a car, BUT, if we don't participate in buzzing, if we don't let our planes run out of fuel, if we don't fly VMC into IMC, if we don't try The Impossible Turn, if we stay out of thunderstorms, if we have good shoulder restraints, if we pay attention to the proper maintenance of our planes, and if we train-train-train and practice-practice-practice, the chance of dying in our planes is pretty small.

Yes, mechanical failure can still happen and take our lives, but that is way down the list in the causes of fatal accidents.

Commit and re-commit to training and always being prepared. That honors the flying lives lost.

Click to expand...

I don't think there is much more that can be said on the subject than this...

We all have choices to make while flying, that have a huge impact on the level of risk we are exposing our selves to.

We all have different motivations for flying I think, my personal feeling comes from a quote by a famous person, I first saw it in Dick Rutan's hangar. Here it is:

"Any coward can sit in his home and criticize a pilot for flying into a
mountain in a fog. But I would rather, by far, die on a mountainside
than in bed. What kind of man would live where there is no daring?
And is life so dear that we should blame men for dying in adventure?
Is there a better way to die?
-- Charles Lindbergh"

I am scared of flying. There, I said it. I worry all the time I'm in the air that the engine will quit, a part will fail, and on and on. But the sheer thrill of flying outweighs the fear by tons. Sometimes the fear factor goes up - news of a crash, odd behavior from the aircraft, my personal mental status. But I can't imagine not being a pilot.

I also ride a motorcycle. I used to split lanes in the California Bay Area to commute to work. It's just what I did. I'd hate to do it now. Now I live in an area where bikes semi-regularly run into elk or deer, which are often on the road near my house. I still ride. I can't imagine not being a rider.

There are times I choose not to ride or fly. I'm not feeling well or the equipment needs work or the conditions are not conducive. Maybe someday my health will fall to the point that I can't continue but, until then, I will only temporarily stop my favorite activities.

Someone recently wrote that they hate the phrase "at least he died doing something he loved". I agree. I don't want to die in an airplane or on a motorcycle. I don't want to die. But I also don't want to not live.

It is

Life is precious. It hurts us more when we lose a friend because being a pilot is a very special privilege and a very special bond. Condolences to your friends family.

Aaron, I am sorry to hear of your loss as well. I have lost far too many friends and acquaintances in my years of flying, and while it hurts like ****, I have never once considered giving up flying. I don't say that as in any way a judgement of other's reactions or decisions, I don't know why I am that way, but I accept it as it is.

I wrote an article for Sport Aerobatics around 20 years ago in which I compared flying, and flying competition and airshow aerobatics in particular, to dancing with the most beautiful and seductive woman imaginable, but she is also a vampire. (Change gender if applicable) You can enjoy yourself, but you have to watch her like a hawk every second, because the moment you let down your guard, she will bite you in the neck!

I still treat flying that way. I love my plane, but I don't trust her. She is going to betray me at any second if I don't check and double check everything, and keep my eyes on her. I don't trust other pilots not to do something stupid and I am ready for them to take the opposite runway when I am on short final. I don't trust myself to not become complacent, and so I try to always leave myself a way out if things suddenly don't go as decided and planned.

It sounds as though flying with an attitude like that would suck all the enjoyment out of it, and yet I love it like nearly no other. I can't say why that is.

I won't try to convince you how you should feel, only you can decide that. I share only how I have learned to deal with this.

I will say as well, having lost friends and family outside of aviation, I have come to the realization of that great trade off - the longer you are alive, the more loss you will suffer in life. Some of those losses will be painful beyond compare. The price we pay for simply being alive, and living long.

God bless you, and your friend's family. Great comfort can be found in just being there for those that have suffered loss, and I pray that those who were close to your friend will find such peace.

Damon

RV vs. Motorcycle

I gave up a lifelong love of bikes because I had 2 very close calls with distracted/unaware motorists. I feel 5x safer in an RV where one has 3 dimensions to find safety in and the other aircraft are mainly flown by well trained pilots. Once off the ground and have plenty of altitude and speed, I feel safer than in a car surrounded by the same kind of folks who scared me away from bikes...

Just yesterday we lost a pilot flying a Lancair over at McMinnville, OR which is very close to home for us. I didn't know him but the tragedy still hits us hard.

Prayers for his family.

Be safe,

Jerry

A different perspective...

Recently lost a close co worker to brain cancer... He was cut down in his prime, and though he lived an active life, death came in the form of something completely unrelated to any lifestyle choice. He always wanted to learn to fly, but his life was too full of other things and never got around to it.

My take from his experience is to live while you are still alive, for tomorrow is promised to no one.

First of all, like every one else has said in their well worded responses, I am really sorry to hear about the crash. Being killed in any aircraft accident carries like a siren for all to hear. It's tragic and horrible. But no less tragic than dying from a drug reaction, a medical mistake, a car accident, a slip and fall, by violent crime, by old age and nothing to show for it, or by any other means.

I really appreciate the question though. Is it worth it?

Some days, it is not. Some days I just get a feeling that for my pleasure flying, for whatever reason, it's better to just stay on the ground and do something else productive (preferably aviation related for some small part of the day). We all have to listen to our inner voice on that - perhaps there are subtle weather threats, mission threats, physiology catching up with us on some days (IMSAFE), or what about that nagging little issue on the plane that we have learned "to live with" slowly without being aware just how much.

In any regard, at the end of the day, I can't live without flying. The freedom that sport aviation allows me cannot be matched by anything else. It's an inner knowing that I belong in the sky and a special treat, to be able to be aloft, on my own terms.

When I'm wearing my professional pilot hat, I am able to operate to a much higher standard of efficiency, safety and performance that I know I can't match with my pleasure flying. But the the professional people I work with, equipment I work with, and the corporate backing I have allow me the operational capability and luxury of massive redundancy and resources. Confidence is high in professional aviation, though things still happen - we still live by the rules of physics and there are no certainties in life.

For light aircraft flying, we are in charge of everything including our own flight debriefs (was that arrival really as acceptable as you want to think it was; do you have an excuse for not seeing that other traffic until that point; etc?). For experimental aviation, we are even in charge of maintenance and final inspections. This is a heavy burden unless we allow ourselves the luxury of asking questions like this (is it worth it) and unless we are brutally honest with ourselves and allow support and critique of our aviation friends. It's healthy to be self aware and self critical to a point. Some days I just like going up with a trusted friend or colleague who is at the top of their game and observe. That is usually enough to get me back in the game of being "on my game" and knowing it's time to get out there again and flying for me. I know I need it - I need to be in the air. I just also feel the need to be able to justify that same nagging question that sometimes crosses my mind too. Is it worth it? Really worth it? To be able to answer that honestly, I think there is a second question that needs answering. "What have I done to earn it, recently?" (training, mental conditioning, maintenance, risk management, etc).

Yes, it is worth it to me: As long as I can keep earning it.

Aaron,

Sorry to hear of your loss.

You've got to press on, aviation has nothing to do with it. My first experience loosing a friend was just out of high school, he was killed on a roofing job. Another died of cancer at the age of 20. Over the years, a few have been lost in aircraft mishaps. If you live a long life, you will loose friends and family, that's how it is.

Look at it this way, you're among those still standing. Life is short, grieve you loss 4 days and move on. (4 days of grief was a Sioux Indian custom that makes good sense - to grieve longer is wasting your life)

If this tragic event makes you apprehensive of flying, give it up. It's no fun flying scared.

For me, flying is among a few items worth living for, I won't give it up while my brain is still connected to the rest of me, no matter what.

The question is 100% normal...

Having been in and around aviation for 30 years and also a fireman for the same time period, I have seen death of many friends and many strangers. In all cases, I too ask the question, is it really worth it.

The motorcycle crash that took a co-worker and father, the gun that took my neighbor, the aircraft fire that took a friend at Mallards Landing, the weather that took my friend at Newnan, the defective air regulator that malfunction while in a structure fire that almost took mine, the simple cold that took my college roommate, the heart attack that took Al's life no matter how long I did chest compressions, and so on.

We live, and then we die. I don't have a death wish but it is true that life is all about risks that you are willing to take for its enjoyment. When its no longer fun or satisfying, do something else.

I am sorry for your loss and I too understand how you feel.

I am also sorry for your loss, but I to ride a motorcycle in dear infested mountains and love flying and accept the risk along with the thrill. Quote, get busy living or get busy dying. shawshank Redemption.

aarvig said:

...The prevelant thought on my mind today is "Is flying worth the risk?" ...

Click to expand...

The same question goes through my mind each time I lose a friend or acquaintance in an airplane (I don't keep count). You are right that the feeling will fade with time. How would (Kevin, Tony, and the others) have answered the question? I daresay that most I've known would have answered in the affirmative.

In most of our endeavors I believe there is some amount of rationalization we use to internally justify whatever it is we think we want to do. During my time flying fighters and trainers in the AF I remember believing that bad stuff always happened to the other guy. Not that I was luckier or more skilled, but I had to believe that my training and experience would help me to survive and not become another statistic; otherwise it would have been difficult to go on flying. The fact that I?m still here may be pure chance but bolsters the rationalization, justified or not. One of the reasons to build an airplane is not leaving the systems design or maintenance up to someone else ? mentally (at least) avoiding the risk associated with renting or borrowing someone else?s airplane. I also plan to be trained as best as I can before ever taking that first flight, which seems to be a common plan. I guess with all of that taken into consideration, if the perceived risk outweighs the experience, i.e, the rationalizations fail, then one should think long and hard about hanging it up. It doesn?t make a difference if you?re statistically safer flying than driving to the airport, if it becomes a white-knuckle experience then it probably is too dangerous. I personally can?t wait to get back into the air after an eight year hiatus, but that?s a personal decision we each have to make and re-evaluate from time to time. I add my condolences and wish you the best.

==dave==

This is a really good thread, and an important question. I've been monitoring it throughout the day, and sometimes the emotions have grabbed me.

I remember when I was a young, dumb pilot quite well. The sheer joy of flying with my new PPL took me away from the troubles of Earth- job, domestic life, everything- and it proved what I was capable of doing as an intelligent human being. Even though I was joyriding around Wisconsin in a dilapidated old Cherokee 140, nothing compared to it... it was precious and it shaped my personality. Every moment I was on the ground, I wanted to get away from it. Flying forever changed my life!

I also remember some experiences that I look back on and say "WOW, luck was on my side that day." I didn't realize the danger of some of the fun things I did (or my flying friends did), but it all worked out ok.

The more flying experience I put into my logbook, the more I learn. Every time I learn something new as the result of a mistake or a close call, or reading about others who make a mistake, have a close call or die, it takes some of the shiny innocence away. Now when I fly, (when I FLEW, it's been a long time,) nothing is given up to chance in mechanical preflight, weather, physiological feelings... as it should be for a safe pilot. But I must admit that I haven't enjoyed a flight as much as I did back when I was young, dumb and complacent. Ignorance really is bliss. I hope when I do get back into the air, I can enjoy flying as much as I used to, and accept overcoming the risks as just another satisfying part of the challenge. (Maybe flying an RV instead of an old spam can, as beloved as it was, will help. )

Thank you all for the very thought provoking replies. I have enjoyed reading all of your posts. One thing it has shown me is that you are all very intelligent people with some deep substance to your characters and I am proud to be a part of this aviation family. Reading through all the posts...there is a definite trend. Flying is worth it. Manage the risks to the best of our abilities and live life to the fullest. Flying has always added fulfillment to my life and I can't imagine it not being a part of my life.

?The greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.?
To laugh is to risk being a fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement.
To express feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd
Is to risk their loss. To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
The person who risks nothing,
Does nothing,
Has nothing and is nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But they simply cannot learn, Feel, change, grow, love or live.
Risks must be taken because,
The greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
Only a person who risks is free.?
- Leo Buscalia