Even though flying on a plane is much safer than many of the other things that we do on a daily basis, lots of people are still absolutely terrified of getting on a plane.
If you are one of these people, you might be wondering what your chances of crashing in a plane are, or how safe your flight will actually be.
The majority of fears and worries are nothing more than the worst thoughts of an anxious flyer, but is there any merit for your concerns? Probably not. We are going to talk you through the safety of flying small and older planes in this article.
As well as this, we are also going to take a look at the things that are more dangerous than flying on a plane, and you might actually be surprised to learn of some of these things.
Ultimately, we hope to put your mind to rest, so you can enjoy your flight knowing your chances.
Are Older Planes Less Safe?
Older planes are no less safe than modern planes, and there isn’t actually any concept of an old aircraft in terms of aviation. The plane is either operable or inoperable, and any plane that is safe to operate will be just as safe as a new airplane on its first round of flights.
The age of an average aircraft will vary depending on the individual airline, and all airlines will have planes of different ages. As well as this, each airline will have different timelines for how and when it will replace older aircrafts. So, there is no specific age where a plane will be taken out of use, it all depends on the individual plane.
The remaining service life of a plane is measured in years, flight hours, and quantity of takeoffs and landings, and each of these things will be assessed independently. Some aircrafts will become over-aged more quickly than others due to frequent flights of shorter distances.
There are lots of aircrafts that will keep on going after they have been taken out of service. Many of these aircrafts will be used as cargo aircrafts, that will be perfectly operable for many more years after they have stopped being used for commercial purposes.
Essentially, the safety and reliability of an airplane will come down to how well the aircraft is taken care of. So, an older aircraft can operate just as safely as a newer one.
Is Flying a Small Plane Safer Than Driving?
Flying a small plane is much safer than driving, and flying is safer now than it has ever been before.
With new advancements in technology and high training standards for pilots, getting on a plane has never been safer. You are actually 19 times safer flying on a plane than you would be driving in a car, and when it is put like that, flying seems much safer.
Every single pilot will have to go through masses of training in order to gain a pilot’s license, and the rules in place are quite strict to ensure the highest standards. The syllabus for learning to pilot a plane is much more thorough than learning to drive, and the learning process will also take much longer.
As well as this, every single pilot must take part in flight checks every two years with an instructor to ensure that their skills are still up to scratch. There are no such checks with driving, which is another thing that makes it safer.
Before the plane takes off, a pilot will have to go around and check the aircraft to make sure that everything is in full working order, just like you should do with a car. However, many drivers just get in and go.
Another thing that adds to the safety of an aircraft is that they must be checked multiple times a year on top of their standard daily checks. They also must be serviced every 50 hours, and undergo a more thorough annual check, which is almost like an MOT. However, with an MOT, you won’t have to wait too long, but an aircraft MOT can take at least 2 weeks from start to finish.
During this annual inspection, everything on the plane will be checked to make sure that it is still in excellent working order. All moving parts will be inspected to check for things like weakness and corrosion, and if something isn’t up to scratch, it will be either repaired or replaced.
What’s More Dangerous Than Flying?
There are so many things that are much more dangerous than flying, and you will probably be surprised to find out what some of these things are.
First of all, driving is much more dangerous than flying, and there are more than 5 million car accidents every year. This compares to just 20 flying accidents a year.
Something that you might be interested to learn is that bubble baths are even more dangerous than flying, as you have a 1 in 685,000 chance of drowning in a bath.
Another thing that is more dangerous than flying is lightning, and you actually have a 1 in 136,011 chance of being killed by lightning. Now that you know all this, flying might not sound so scary anymore.
Why Do Small Planes Crash So Much?
One of the biggest reasons that small planes crash is due to the fact that amateur pilots will have fewer restrictions than commercial airline pilots.
They do not need to have as many flight hours of experience behind them to get an amateur flight license, and inexperience plays a big role in the number of small plane crashes.
Another cause of small plane crashes is a loss of control that can be caused by turbulence and other natural hazards that are more likely to affect smaller planes. Some small planes have crashed after a bird flew into their engines, and the weather can also contribute to small plane crashes.
