They are so big and it seems like so much could go wrong yet they are statistically extremely successful.
In: Engineering
Because regulations are an extremely effective tool to protect the public despite what corporations, media, and business owners tell you.
My biggest reassurance is that it’s very expensive to crash a plane. It costs a *ton* of money. People/companies/CEOs don’t want that to happen, so they’re motivated very much to prevent it.
Because rich people use it a lot too. They didn’t want to die so that’s why they definitely need to regulate it 😅
There aren’t many bus, train, ship etc crashes, neither. Private cars crash all the time, public buses very rarely.
So, in addition to quite strict regulations and checks, the fact that vehicle is driven by a full-time professional seems to be key.
You’ve single vehicle and multiple vehicle accidents. ATC, procedures and anti-collision systems minimise collisions.
Many single vehicle accidents involve departure from the intended course and impact with an unyielding object with little time to correct.
At 36,000ft you have a bit more time to adjust.
Because Government has barged in and constrained the ubiquitous Capitalist drive to maximize profits rather than safety.
Adding onto what others have said- when flying large transport-category aircraft, there’s very little that can go wrong which won’t have a specific procedure to diagnose and/or solve the problem. For example, should an airliner have an engine failure, crews are trained extensively on exactly what to do at every single stage of flight from takeoff to landing. These procedures are specified down to the exact runway at an exact airport from which an aircraft is taking off. For example, an engine failure on runway A may have a different procedure than an engine failure on runway B at the same airport. How do pilots remember all of this information? Through extensive briefings before each flight, charts which lay out exact profiles to follow, and hours of vigorous training and studying with scheduled/unscheduled proficiency checks happening throughout the year.
Pilots are all put through the same paces to become a pilot. Planes are put through rigorous testing to become legal to fly.
Add in that planes aren’t near eachother most of the trip, and that unlike with a car, every pilot knows what the other is going to do (and radio someone in to tell them if it deviates from tradition).
Basically it boils down to standards and practices being at higher levels. Your less likely to have a cockpit with BOTH pilots drunk, yet in a car it’s much more likely kinda thing.
You remember how there were so few (non-war-related) deep sea problems before someone decided to “disrupt the industry” and “prioritize profit” and then some billionaires and a kid got turned into spaghetti? We made those safety regulations laws when it came to flying people through the sky.
“better technologies, better training, and, believe it or not, better regulation and oversight”
From pilot Patrick Smith, and his website Ask The Pilot: https://askthepilot.com/safest-year-2023/
I like his writing. He’s also critical of security theater; I particularly liked his story of having a butter knife confiscated from his flight bag by TSA while in uniform (it was from first class on one of his planes).
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