Since the dawn of flight, pilots have been forced to validate their infatuation with aviation by giving a convincing answer to the simple question, “Are airplanes safe?”

It’s a loaded question that addresses a complex set of dynamics, and like most simple questions has no simple answer. No matter what the pilot answers, the response is suspect.

If you answer yes, then you are deemed either a liar whose aim is to generate undeserved approval for an avocation that’s clearly dangerous, or a reckless daredevil with either a tiny brain or a death wish. After all, the evening news is routinely festooned with tales of airplanes – and their occupants – lost…