Fear of Flying?

Since the pre-requisite to getting anywhere (interesting and exotic) requires flying in an aeroplane I decided to check out just how safe this mandatory exercise actually is

Here are the Real Facts:

1. Airlines do not teach pilots to fly. All pilots have their commercial flying license before they are hired by an airline..
2. Commercial pilots are boring people. Before Airlines hire a pilot, the pilot must take rigorous psychological tests to ensure he/she is a conservative person who is detailed oriented and takes little or no risks in life. Nice people, but boring :)
3. Pilots often go a full career without ever experiencing an engine failure.
4. Airplanes can fly safely to their destination if one engine fails. If flying on a two engine plane, one engine went out, the aircraft could fly with just one. In three engine planes, they could fly with just two. In four engine planes, they could fly with three.
5. If all engines were to stop at cruising height (35,000 feet) an aircraft can glide for 30 minutes before it lands on the ground. With the ability to glide 120 miles because all the controls work as if the engines were still going.
6. No flying bird can stop a jet engine. During the testing phase of jet engines, testers throw whole chickens through the jet engines to ensure they maintain full functionality.
7. Jet engines cost an average of $11,000,000.
8. Airplanes are built on the highest safety bidders. NASA Astronauts fly to space on a spacecraft that is built with equipment from the lowest price bidders, pilots and passengers fly on aircrafts that are built with equipment from the bidders with the highest level of safety.
9. Brand new plane every 4 or 5 years. Because of rigorous maintenance of aircrafts, a typical American commercial aircraft will be completely overhauled every 4 or 5 years through repairs and maintenance.
10. Back up, back up, back up. Every commercial airplane system is built with a primary, auxiliary, back-up, and emergency system (four systems) to ensure the safety of passengers.
11. Most planes can land in 0/0 visibility (heavy fog) because a) most runways are equipped with an electronic glide slope b) pilots are trained to do so c) planes are equipped with low-visibility landing equipment.
12. Ice is safe because of modern “deicing” practices a) new warm water and glycol deicing fluid used as of 1993 b) post-deicing, planes are coated with fluid to keep ice from forming c) the time between deicing and takeoff has been reduced.
13. Our modern electronics and computers make 0/0 (fog, etc.) visibility landings possible.
14. Ground proximity warning system (GPWS) is aboard every commercial airplane. If the plane is coming dangerously close to the ground, a female voice states “Pull up, pull” and warns the pilot.
15. As a back up to air traffic control system, every commercial airplane has traffic and collision avoidance system (TCAS) to monitor and avoid airplanes in the vicinity of the aircraft.
16. Weather radar is abroad every commercial airplane, and the pilots are trained on how to interpret the radar, so they can avoid thunderstorms and other potentially dangerous weather conditions.
17. Lightning may strike an aircraft, but because the aircraft is not connected to the ground, the lightning simply “passes through” the aircraft leaving the passengers and aircraft completely safe.
18. There is no such thing as an “air pocket”. An “air pocket” is a figment of the reporter’s mind. The term “air pocket” was coined during World War I by a journalist trying to describe air turbulence. There is no such thing.
19. Aircrafts can survive the strongest air turbulence, even that of thunderstorms. Check out “Hurricane Hunters”, they chase and fly through hurricanes, and the aircraft stays completely intact. (MY BEST FACT)
20. A “near miss” is categorized as aircrafts which come within 1000 feet of each other. Are planes 900 feet apart in danger of colliding? No.
21. Eastbound flight courses are on odd altitudes and westbound flights are on even altitudes. For example, if a westbound flight is flying at 26,000 feet, and an eastbound flight would be flying at 25,000 feet to maintain the minimal distance of 1,000 feet.
22. Most commercial airline airports have doubled and tripled their security measures preventing people to enter their premises with better fences and security patrols.
23. Post 9/11, the airline pilots are locked into the cockpit and cannot open the door for anyone.
24. According to the NY Times, of the 760 million passengers who flew on commercial airlines from the United States in all of 2006, 760 million passengers flew and lived with a zero fatality rate.

OK I Get it... flying is safe! :)