Paul, thanks for an informative article. I have a comment on risk. You wrote, “but under five chances in 100,000 [hours] is an exceedingly low risk.” Well, it maybe low, but I am not sure about exceedingly low (and, no, I’m not trying to split hairs here).
If you fly 100 hours per year, then your risk of a crash is 5 per 1000 (or one in 200) per year. Fly ten years at that annual rate and it’s one in 20. Not looking so exceeding low anymore.
Don’t get me wrong, I fly at least 100 hours per year, most if it in a homebuilt. I’ve been riding motorcycles for over 40 years. Knock-on-wood, I’m still here to write this comment. Regardless, whether the risk of flying is “high” or the risk of flying is “low” all depends on what one’s personal threshold is for risk.
Finally, and as you noted, the actual risk experienced by any particular pilot is substantially (but maybe not completely) under her/his control. That is a big part of what I like about airplanes and motorcycles.