You can tell by the number of plane crashes!
My job at Anchorage International was a dual-role gig, law enforcement and Crash/Fire/Rescue (Now called Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting).
Spring and Fall were busy times. All those guys that didn't fly fly during the winter coming out in the spring who weren't current, airplanes that had been idle for several months and stuff happens. Float planes crashing into the shore, engine failures shortly after takeoff (you really gotta drain the sumps well), just mistakes made in technique, etc.
In the fall it was very heavy loads trying to get all the hunters into moose camp and get that same load back to town with the moose you have taken. Watched a 206 on floats make 4 attempts to take off....each time the roar of the Continental but he could quite get the airplane up on step do back to the dock and throw a couple boxes out and try again. On his third try I parked by patrol car and got the rescue boat out and called a partner over to give me a hand. He finally made it on the 5th try but used all of Lake Hood and Lake Spenard? Lots of crashes out in the bush taking off heavy where they would hit the trees after staggering into the air. Lots of poor decisions - and I really hate to second guess guys but.....
This year isn't looking good. 5 dead in just a week or so. Another 5 when they hit a mountain near Denali at 11,000'. Pilot survived long enough to made a couple sat phone calls -- they were on a sight seeing flight and sounds like they were in the clouds when they hit the mountain - not sure what they were seeing. Single pilot in a 206 trying to get through Rainy Pass, very notorious we know killer, you fly into it and it has a 90 degree turn into a very narrow gap you can't see through until turning - if it's blocked you might not be able to do the 180.
Now I've made some mistakes, once did the "continued VFR into IMC" when the wife and I were scud running near Slave Lake in Alberta. I had kept working the altitude down to maintain ground contact and finally that big flashing red light that all pilots should have started flashing --- the once that says "hey stupid, you're going to kill your wife and have to spend eternity listening to her!" We had just flown over a cabin with a short strip, I make it on the GPS and told her I was making a 180, to follow our position on the sectional (she was good at that) and did the basic 180 RLH. About 5 long minutes later we were back on CAVU conditions and spent the night at the Slave Lake Lodge were we had a great dinner of Sambuca Shrimp and a couple rums.
It saddens me to see guys making the dumb decisions, especially the guys flying Part 135. The money just isn't worth it, the job isn't worth it. So very sad.
[Kicks that thing away I was standing on but can't remember because of this friggin brain cancer (which has improved from the radiation:)
