Rating: 
Summary: Good reminder to keep your skills current
Review: My CFI recommended this book a while back, and I've recently passed my PP-ASEL checkride. The wet weather this December has kept me grounded, so I picked this up in order to do a little "chair-flying".Like the other reviewers, I also had some concerns about the validity of the statistics used to define "the killing zone". However, once I got past the marketing hype of the title, I had a hard time putting this book down. The author has nicely organized the most common ways GA pilots have killed themselves, collected case studies of relevant aviation incidents from the NTSB and NASA/ASRS archives, and provides advice on avoiding these scenarios from his personal experiences as a pilot and a CFI. The NTSB reports are summarized, but the incident numbers are provided so you can read the reports in their entirety online: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/query.asp I picked up a few pointers, and I expect I'll be re-reading it several times. This book demonstrates the importance of staying current, continuing on with IFR training, and challenging yourself vs "boring holes in the sky" to build hours.
Rating: 
Summary: Good thinking material
Review: The author hardly says anything new, since lack of experience - as well posed by another reviewer - is a well known cause of accidents. However, I appreciate the book for providing an overall and reasonably concise summary of the prevalent accident causes and for pointing out in no uncertain term when pilots are mostly liable to have accidents. Also I found very informative the tables at the end where the author shows how and what flying skills degrade with time. This is not only a powerful argument for continuous training, but also gives good ideas to pilots doing it - through programs like the FAA Wings - on training topics. Risk management though is given only a very shallow treatment and this is a pity. Nonetheless I would reccomed the book to any pilot and to anyone interested to be a pilot. The title is somewhat upsetting for non-pilot relations that may see a loved one reading it. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It brings some realism into the matter and forces the reader to think in terms of risk management even if one's aviation activities are limited to short summer flights in good VFR.
Rating: 
Summary: Awful
Review: The thesis of this text may be true but the statistics used to "prove" it are hogwash. Mr. Craig should plot the proportions of pilots who crash against flight time instead of the raw numbers. Bad use of statistics.
Rating:
Summary: OK, but not worth the hype
Review: The use of statistics is pretty questionable -- the author cites the absolute number of accidents at different experience levels, but not the *rate* of accidents. Are there more accidents between 50 and 350 hours because those pilots are less safe, or just because there are more pilots with 50-350 hours experience? The Killing Zone may actually exist, but the numbers in this book don't prove it; in fact, they may give a false sense of security to pilots with more than 350 hours experience, because their accident rates may be relatively higher than they think (how many private pilots give up before 350 hours?). When you strip away the number games, what's left? This book does contain good safety information and a selection of accident reports, but that information is no different that what you will find in a typical flying magazine or online article: don't fly VFR into IMC, don't turn back when the engine fails just after takeoff, etc. etc. By all means, read it, but read STICK AND RUDDER and THEY CALLED IT PILOT ERROR first -- they'll give you far more for your time and money.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book to keep as a reference and a reminder!
Review: When I first read the book, my confidence level dropped because I am in this "Killing Zone". In the begining it does make you think that no matter what, if you have less than 350 hours, your chances of getting killed are pretty good.
What I do like about the book is - it is a great review of basic aviation knowledge. He breaks down the the reasons of why pilots die. It's all about the basics and not becoming complacent. It gets you thinking. It reminds you that like a car you don't have the opportunity to pull over and evaluate the situation.
I recommend the book to all pilots and especially student pilots. It is a good reality check for all pilots and students. Above all it is the type of book you keep on the side as a reference.
The statistics need to be updated.
Rating:
Summary: recommended purchase
Review: Within just a few pages of reading this book, I began to see ways of improving my flying practices, training approach and attitude - changes that will decrease my chances of being involved in any sort of accident. There is almost a case for not needing this book, because some of the material within is exactly what your instructor taught you (if you had a good instructor that is). However, it's pretty clear people are making horrific mistakes even in cases where they should have known better. It's easy to criticize but there is plenty to forget or overlook quite easily and I am finding this book good revision and review. If you're looking to be aware of those most common errors, understand them more and increase your recognition for the situations as they may be happening then this book is for you, regardless of experience level. I believe that reading this book is good airmanship. Reading this book saved my life, it's just that I don't yet know it.
| 
