Safety in the air in simple terms means a reduction in the number of accidents. There are many factors which influence air safety, some of which are being dealt with by other lecturers; for my part I propose to consider a vital one, namely, the human link in the mechanism of control of heavier-than-aircraft which, for all practical purposes, is the pilot. However much importance is placed, and rightly, on such factors as aircraft structure and performance, meteorological aids, ground traffic control, and the many other details which are concerned with an aircraft's safety, the ultimate factor in this, as in practically every form of transport, is almost always the human one.

Although there may be, and usually are, contributory causes leading up to an accident, subsequent enquiries frequently record an error of judgment on the part of the pilot as being the final precipitating factor.