There are a few reasons airlines are safer than general aviation. Now, airline pilots commonly fly at least 50 to 80 hours a month or more. Of course, mere frequency doesn't necessarily make one better at performing a task, but that frequency when coupled with rigorous performance and a desire to improve one's skill does. Then, there's that consistency, the rigor that's applied to airline operations. We've talked about standard operating procedures, profiles, safety management systems, and other mechanisms used by professional flight operations. Sure, the average general aviation pilot has little interest in bulky procedures, but all those things exist for one reason: They improve safety. Last month I mentioned Tom, my friend who's struggling to move from a basic retract single to a far more complex aircraft. Tom has flown in the same environment for years, and this new environment is outside his comfort zone. But he's working on it and already has a lot of training in the new airframe, where his success is sporadic. One day he absolutely nails it; the next it's like his first time in the airplane. Tom lacks consistency. Wassupwidat?
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