Mike, I agree 100%. Airline travel really is no fun these days. Still OK for short haul in AUS but unless you can snag a J class seat regular long haul in Y wears out after a while. On flying your own aircraft. The gliders I fly are possibly a better bet to get into a paddock (field) than a GA single, but even the Jabiru I fly with it's small wheels if a reasonable chance if the fan stops. I think it is an 'in control' thing. I'd rather be flying something that is about to crash than leave it up to someone else. Regards John YPAD. On 16 Jul 2003 at 22:46, Mike Gammon wrote: > Personally, I feel much safer in a bird where, if s**t starts to happen, I > just find the nearest farmer's field and land :-) > > I'd rather have smoke in the cockpit in my Beech Sundowner, than at night > out over the middle of the ocean. I can be on the ground in 5 minutes. As > SR111 illustrated, you don't have to be too far out over the ocean for it to > take too long to get down safely. > > Just because of the sheer unpleasantness of airline travel I now go out of > my way to avoid it. I don't really worry aboard an airliner, but I feel > perfectly at home in my Beech, and would rather be there. > > Mike Gammon >