For example, general aviation is roughly similar risk to riding motorcycles. But in GA, you don't depend on someone else paying attention.
Flying gliders now, you depend on the tow pilot, and he depends on you, until you release and you're on your own. Takes about five minutes to get up to 3000 feet, the common release height for pleasure flights. Did 4 hours Sunday.
Then there's thermalling (tight circles) where another glider or two may see you've hit good lift and join you.
Gliders have the right of way over power planes (they scare me) but, well, you know how that goes...
My 1980 Schweizer SGS 1-35C, #97 (of 101 of the series built), at least as much fun as a fast bike (I have a 2002 Bandit 1200, not really fast, though), in a solitary sort of way. Sunday flew 4 hours and didn't see another plane anywhere near me, except the towplane. Maybe I'm blind. Old enough to be, at 69.
I'd like to run the Blue ridge Parkway / Skyline Drive again on the bike, before I get too old/blind. That's almost like flying.
As for Scheduled Western Commercial Aviation, I always say "It's the safest way to die".
My gliding thread...
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