As I reread the thread, even though the title specifies "AVIATION SURVIVAL KITS", I think your main gripe/rant is with the hazards of small General Aviation (GA) aircraft and not with survival kits per-say. The survival kit I have is not for GA flights; when I fly, 90%+ is IFR over water. Some flights it's 99.9% over water.

That said, if I was to go for a joy ride in a Cessna 172 I'd definitely take the vest whether or not I was feet wet or feet dry.

If you chose not to fly, you're in good company. The chances of a crash are low but real. The chances of crashing and surviving are just as real. We've read and discussed several stories where people have crashed and survived, especially in small planes. I prefer to be an optimist and be as prepared as I can be for that outcome. I hate flying. I only do it rarely. Not because I'm afraid of crashing, but because I don't want to get stuck on the ground without the supplies I need to survive and/or be comfortable.

My question is, if you choose to fly, why wouldn't you give yourself the best odds of surviving a crash?

Ooops. Double posted somehow. Sorry!

Snake,

Lots of airliners have crashed and had survivors. The Hudson River is just a well known one. A quick google brought up 10 or more in the last few years. Good friends were on one in the 70's that no one was lost. Thankfully they were only 2 miles from the airport so they were in the bar soon after.

The AR is an OK hunting rifle and a good defensive one, but if I crash I will be like Russ - loaded with signaling devices. In most of the world (including Viet Nam during the war) many pilots found that weapons were excess baggage if your people could find you. In the US, even with the problems of drug growers and labs, the chance of needing an AR is even more remote than being in a crash. Not that it might not be fun to while away the time till rescue, it would be very low on my priority list YMMV.

Respectfully,

Jerry

Exactly. Why bother with the kit when no one survives. And we have not had one survivor here.

This area is full of labs, people are welcome to carry what they wish. I refuse to be a victim. I'll stick with my choice of weapons. You must also remember that they spent millions looking for downed pilots in Viet Nam. Does anyone remember Capt. Scott O'Grady and all the effort spent looking for him? I doubt they spend that much effort and expense here in the civilian world. A better question would be, why do they crash so often?

Snake,

You are wrong about no one surviving lots of them do - as well as not having survivors here.

Respectfully,

Jerry

That is why signaling gear is more important than weapons. We have a lot better stuff today than we did back then.

Why do they crash so seldom is the right question. Look at the safety record of light aircraft - it is much safer than driving a car, playing baseball or even taking a bath. The number of crashes (not just fatal ones) is much lower than many of the things we do every day. Most especially driving!

Respectfully,

Jerry

Hey Jerry,
No need to say respectfully. I have tough skin. I am saying there have been no survivors here. I covered that in a reply to bacpacjac, but the wifi kicked me off just as I hit send.
The closest we have had to a survivor was an old guy in an ultra light who crashed in someones back yard and spent a long time in the hospital. Even on a cell phone it took them hours to find him. His insurance bought him a new one and he plans on terrozing the skies again. There's a rumor he plans on suing the home owners for having a pipe in thier yard and causing his crash to be worse.

You indicate that: “I should have known this was too controversial of a subject. My Bad. It was not my intent to upset anyone. It was a legitimate question.”

In my humble opinion, the purpose of these forums is to discuss and share knowledge relating to survival situations. One must be prepared to conduct the risk/benefit analysis one performs in relationship to probably encountered situations. If I am the owner and/or frequent flyer in small aircraft my analysis of my risks/benefits might lead to me to the decision to carry a well stocked survival kit and hopefully I will tailor it to the type of environment I am currently flying in or might encounter.

Just as a car driver might analyze what to carry in their car if traveling in icy/snowy conditions vs. desert travel to survive an unexpected emergency. If, you chose to believe that investing money in an aircraft survival kit as a waste of money, so be it. Just as someone else might think it a waste of money to purchase an AR just in case one was to encounter a meth lab in the wild.

Each of us has different experiences that shape our perception and thought processes. Just be open to ideas and you may just change how you feel on a particular subject.

Pete