risk
Roald Amundsen on luck
I may say that this is the greatest factor … the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it.
Victory awaits him who has everything in order—luck, people call it.
Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.
Roald Amundsen, first man to the South Pole, and first man to reach both Poles. In his 1912 book The South Pole.
I know my personal limits
“I knew my personal limits. It was my pride to know my abilities and those of the airplanes I flew. Still, there was always a part of me that knew I could dart outside the limits for a bit and sneak back in quickly.” ~ Ryan Lunde This quote is from an excellent personal article well worth reading: Impact, online at BackCountryPilot.org
All dangers are over?
“He that will not sail till all dangers are over must never put to sea.” ~ Thomas Fuller. He wrote this towards the end of the 1600’s. So we’ve known for a long time that ‘perfect safety’ or zero-accidents is kinda silly. There are always dangers in the deep and in the air.
Risk is our business
“Risk is our business” ~ Captain James T. Kirk, starship Enterprise. In Star Trek Season 2, episode 22. First aired 9 Feb 1968. It’s … Kirk … and … a bit … cheesy. But he captures some of the difference between safety, static, and risk, active. If safety was our business we would never fly. Risk management is our business. Flying safely is the result. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toG6aSQFF7Y