THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY HAS ACHIEVED the incredible feat of being the safest mode of travel. It is far safer than riding a bicycle – or even walking. But general aviation (GA) is lagging far behind.
The good news is that, thanks to safety management, GA is getting safer, despite the exposure every minor incident gets on social media.
Social media
AOPA argues that the “proliferation of general aviation accident analysis through social media distorts GA’s safety performance, resulting in more attention being focused on fewer accidents. More people are more aware than ever of our accidents, so it feels like we’re experiencing more. We’re not.
“People are less aware of the 26 million hours a year we fly safely. That’s more than 30 million safe takeoffs and landings. There’s no news, no dramatic analysis over non-events. Routine doesn’t drive clicks—those defibrillators in constant demand to resuscitate social media channels.”
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