On Sep 8, 2007, at 9:48 AM, Peter Todd wrote:

> Even that's vastly simplified. There's danger, and risk, and they
> are seperate things. I'd call myself pretty risk adverse, I hate  
> cycling
> downtown, but I love all sorts of dangerous activities involving  
> heights
> and confined spaces. The thing is, they aren't *risky* activities.

This is a similar sentiment from most light aircraft pilots I have  
spoken with over the years about "Why do you do it?".

As a group, generally pilots tend to be HIGHLY risk-averse, but have  
no fear of strapping on an airplane and bombing through the wild- 
blue, because they've been highly trained, and understand (well  
hopefully) all of the phenomena going on, to reduce the risk to a  
level acceptable to them.

Most pilots I have talked to also LIKE the idea that they're  
responsible for their own "fate" as it were, if they mess up in  
controlling those phenomena, they can hurt themselves.  The sense of  
"responsibility" for themselves (and perhaps others) keeps them  
interested.  (Otherwise, why bomb around the sky in a Bugsmasher in  
the first place, just to go get the proverbial $100 hamburger at  
another city's airport?)

Interestingly, and not by mistake, pilot ratings are typically staged  
in "levels of responsibility" in most countries.  Sport Pilot,  
Private Pilot, Commercial Pilot, Airline Transport Pilot -- that's  
here in the U.S., anyway.  Others are similar.

Then there are so-called "add-on" ratings being specific to specific  
skill sets.  Airplane Single-Engine Land, Airplane Multiengine,  
Airplane Single-Engine Sea, Airplane Multiengine Sea, Instrument  
Rating, Lighter-Than-Air, Helicopter, Sailplane... etc etc etc...

Interestingly, the U.S. is one of the only countries that doesn't  
require a specific Night Flight endorsement.  We should, honestly.   
It's a very different "world" in the dark.

--
Nate Duehr
(Private Pilot, Single-Engine Land - working on an Instrument  
Rating.)  :-)

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