Spook wrote:
> I was waiting for you to say the dipsey drivers
> claimed, "I didn't even see him!", a common plea from
> unattentive drivers who run into motorcyclists,
> bicyclists, and pedestrians.
My trouble was that the first dipsey driver DID see me and, having only one
reaction to problems in her repertoire, she slammed on the brakes and
stopped - right in my path.
The second driver never did see me, before or during the incident. She
might have noticed me when I subsequently pulled up beside her and shouted
VERY loudly and made rude gestures.
Though we brag about the safety of our small aircraft, I'm afraid that some
reviews show that the safety of small aircraft is only about the same as
motorcycles.
Fortunately, the majority of the danger factors in aircraft are under the
pilot's control. By firmly resolving and taking action to be sure we don't
have accidents as a result of these factors, we eliminate 80% or so of the
flying risk - leaving those accidents to the fools.
* Continuing VFR into IFR conditions
* Running out of fuel
* Taking off when there are mechanical problems
* Buzzing locations on the ground
* Flying over terrain where there's not a good landing spot
(difficult in some parts of the country, I know)
* Aerobatics in a plane not specifically designed for them
Etc.
P.S. thanks for adding the OFF TOPIC tag to the subject line.
Ed
Ed Burkhead
http://edburkhead.com East Peoria, Illinois
ed -at- edburkhead???.com (change -at- to @ and remove "???")
