MVP of Safety Devices

[Hank]

Yep, that's what happens when you try to study anecdotes. These stories must be normalized before they can become meaningful.

Let's see, there were only a couple of hundred deaths in GA last year, while about 35, 000 Americans died in automobiles. Personal aircraft are, therefore, 100 times safer than personal automobiles. Wrong! When normalized for exposure (the missing Cirrus work), the GA accident rate is 8-10 times higher. This does not require mention of someone's cousin Tim, what kind of car he was driving, or even its state of repair.

But thanks, the Cirrus BRS 'save' list was interesting reading. Does it count as a save if the chute fires from impact forces and nobody is killed?

P.S.--just read Mike's link. The advanced, safer Cirrus has a 36-month accident rate almost double the entire old-fashioned, aluminum spam can GA fleet! What's up with that??

[PilotDerek]

I wonder how many think chute first, fly second when an issue arises. I think the chute is a good safety feature along with an autopilot with straight and level. But I truly believe without the proper training and mindset they are both useless.

[jetdriven]

You have to control for accident rate and fatal accident rate per 1000 hours.  That said, It is far higher in the Cirrus. Its probably not the plane, its the high-income type "A" earners who want to impress the broad with high heels, a pencil skirt, and a nice set of cans.

 

Shiny new stuff on lease payments gets them every time.

 

BMW keeps popping up. Its the same thing, leasing something you cannot afford, in hopes you can attract attention from folks who think you are richer than you are.

 

Scott from Iowa knows what I am talking about here.

[AndyFromCB]

You have to control for accident rate and fatal accident rate per 1000 hours.  That said, It is far higher in the Cirrus. Its probably not the plane, its the high-income type "A" earners who want to impress the broad with high heels, a pencil skirt, and a nice set of cans.

 

Shiny new stuff on lease payments gets them every time.

 

BMW keeps popping up. Its the same thing, leasing something you cannot afford, in hopes you can attract attention from folks who think you are richer than you are.

 

Scott from Iowa knows what I am talking about here.

 

So essentially everyone who can afford and purchases a new BMW or a new Cirrus, is doing it because of "cans". Yeah. That's a great line of thinking. I know life is tough sometimes, but can we all get past out high school prejudice. I get it, not everyone got laid. You get a set of "cans" because you have a set of "balls". Because you have a set of balls, eventually, if that's you goal, you can buy a new Cirrus. And sometimes, because you have a set of balls, you die in one. This entire argument is getting funny and out of control. We are all "driving" death traps. The GA safety record, is equivalent to riding a 1960s Triumph with a set of drum brakes on a wet gravel road. And no, it doesn't have jack shit with what's between our ears, it has to do with equipment. I know, most of you think you're superior pilots, but I hate to break it to you, you're no Bob Hover. When your engine covers your windshield with oil for a third time in your flying career, talk to me about balls or useless safety equipment. Accept it, when it comes to living a long life, we're all doing about the dumbest thing we possible can. Give me 3 smart kids, a C++ compiler, an autopilot with servo redundancy, and I'll eliminate 99.9999% of GA deaths by eliminating the yoke/stick and the throttle quadrant the same way it has more or less been eliminated in real airplanes with 3 channel autopilot, auto throttles, big jet engines and two dummies sitting up front looking pretty. All  airlines crashes that happened in last 10 years could have been prevented by simply eliminating the yoke. I'm looking forward to sipping my coffee without a yoke in the way. Give me a touch screen to pick a destination.

 

I got lucky a few weeks ago, high enough, within a gliding distance of a field I knew as well as the back of my hand, and put the aircraft down. Had it been a few weeks earlier, I'd be dead. None of this would be an issue if I was flying a Part 25 twin jet. Yes, equipment makes all the difference in the world. Tools give you options. By the way, my set of "cans" hates my Ducatis, my BMWs (don't have any), my Nissan GTR (have one), or my Aston Martin (have one of those too, somehow), none of them leased, BTW. She does however, loves the little Fiat 500 convertible (leased). She also hates the Mooney too. I don't think her "cans" or the pencil skirt would be too impressed by a Cirrus either. She does love the PC-12 or a King Air 300 we charter for business though. You know why? They have a bathroom. Want tits? Get a plane with a bathroom. "Cans" don't find sacks filled with kitty litter too appealing.

 

Still working hard to match my partner's set of "balls" and if you'd see his type A personality drop in a couloir on a pair of skis at age of 50, you'd realize that even flying GA "death traps" doesn't even remotely means you have a pair. It's not a about a fear of death, it's about choosing your poison. He doesn't fly anything with propellers or less than two motors because as he tells me, he is not dumb like me. And yet, he still checks the weather himself and makes the go/no go decision for the two dummies up front.

 

In any case Byron, if you think that your or mine CAR 3 aircraft is superior of a FAR 23 certified one, being a big government liberal, then I can finally see why you're inviting tea party Scott into the conversation because cognitive dissonance makes for strange bed fellows.

 

And on this note, I'll repeat myself. World is changing, Mooney is dead, Beech is dead, long live Cirrus and Cessna or whatever else will follow. How does it feel to be grumpy old men? One day Garmin will make G10000 where you're only option will be clicking on the destination. Can't wait.

[FAST FLIGHT OPTIONS LLC]

,,,BMW keeps popping up. Its the same thing, leasing something you cannot afford, in hopes you can attract attention from folks who think you are richer than you are.

 

I had to pinch pennies but I bought it and didn't lease

[Alan Fox]

So let me get this straight , If I buy a Cirrus , I will get laid by a young girl with large cans and a pencil skirt?????  AND A PARACHUTE TO BOOT ????????     IM IN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[chrisk]

What I found interesting from the Cirrus deployment list were #2 and #4:  "autopilot-induced stall".  Autopilot is listed as a safety device on the poll and got 20% of the votes.   --Now, this has to be training.

[Marauder]

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b39_1265536174&comments=1

[Alan Fox]

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b39_1265536174&comments=1

What a shame there was a fire , A midair save would have been priceless...

[fantom]

I wonder how the numbers would look if gear up landings were considered a maintenance cost?  And while not maintenance,  it is certainly a cost of ownership. 

 

Anyway, I think the Cirrus is an incredible fixed gear plane.   I wonder what it could be as a retract. --Maybe a SX300

 

Or the cost for the ten year chute redo

[fantom]

The SX300...homebuilt, maybe 50 still flying, very fast, approach speed very fast, a fistfull to handle, and IIRC about 4,000 hours to build...I fell in lust with them in 1992, at Oshkosh.

 

[Rwsavory]

That settles it. An SX-300 and a parachute for each occupant!

[bnicolette]

Thought this might apply to this thread at the moment:

 

http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/news/pilot-escapes-plane-crash#.UbHc16UbcwE

[chrisk]

Thought this might apply to this thread at the moment:

 

http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/news/pilot-escapes-plane-crash#.UbHc16UbcwE

Interesting.  Picture 4 shows a prop strike.  I wonder what happend. 

[jlunseth]

A good auto pilot could keep some out of trouble and lower the workload.

Shoulder + lap seat belts that aren't frayed and are on tight should minimize injury.

But staying current/competent, avoiding real bad WX, having more fuel than you need in the tanks, keeping you eyes outside rather than buried in some gizmos, maintaing situational awareness, and not losing you cool and panicking when something goes wrong, will dramatically reduce your odds of becoming a statistic.

As Trey used to say, 'Don't do nothin stupid'.

Yes, me too.  I vote for a good AP that does not care what it looks like out the window or how many changes you are getting from ATC.  It just does what you set it to do.

[201er]

Yes, me too.  I vote for a good AP that does not care what it looks like out the window or how many changes you are getting from ATC.  It just does what you set it to do.

That's the weakest link right there!