Jim, IMHO the safety of a flight is really dependent on the owner/pilot who makes the decision to fly. Since most coupes seem to be owned (rather than rented) the owner/pilot has final responsibility for maintenance, preflight, and in flight decisions. Things like participation in safety seminars, the WINGS program, the quality of preflight briefings are, to a large degree, all pilot related; as are the in flight decisions. As the old saying goes, "You can lead a pilot to safety but you can't make him think." Pilots that want to fly safely usually do. I believe the number one cause of VFR general aviation accidents is weather related. A friend of mine, an experienced CFII who had flown light planes from coast to coast many times, had a fatal weather related accident about twenty five years ago. His aircraft was at a small airfield about 40 miles from a controlled field with a full time tower. He wanted to be at his home base, 150 miles away, for an early morning appointment. He tried to leave the night before but the weather was lousy and he stayed overnight. Getting up about 4:30 am, he started calling for weather. It seemed to be improving at those reporting stations available. However, none of the stations were in his immediate vicinity or proposed line of flight. Rather than waiting for sunrise, he took off in what was probably "difficult weather" to "just take a look." A technique he had used several times in similar situations which often allowed him to depart in marginal but improving weather. While close to the departure airport, he managed to contact the tower of the controlled field, who said they were still IFR with thunderstorms in the area. Indications are that my friend tried to return to the field he had just left. He never made it back. His aircraft hit the top of a tree while on what could have been a wide downwind. The moral to this story? The first mistake is not always fatal. But repeating mistakes usually is.
John Roach N 2427H [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > suggestions about how to increase safety ? > > . > >
