Airplane safety

Skydivers are people who look at the risks, assess them, and make calculated risks off of the information at hand. They are very safety concious, checking gear over, then checking it again and again. Even having friends check it for them. They do this vigourous routine before every jump. But they must not forget the things that our out of thier control; such as the aircraft and its pilot.

As a skydiver, I am guilty of getting on an aircraft, without thinking twice about what maintenance has been put into that particular plane. I assume that it is in working order, and get on. This is not taking calculated risks, like i should be, this practice is putting myself, in more danger than needed.
Every aircraft has a maintenance log that one should check, before getting on the plane. Make sure that the plane is up-to-date on its maintenance. Do a visual inspection. Walk around the plane, make sure it is not falling apart.
Then, there is the pilot. Who is s/he? what is their qualifications as a pilot. What kind of training do they have. It is required that jump pilots have a commercial pilots license, does yours? Have you seen it? Check! If the pilot has the propper license, then they would not be afaid, or angered to show it. Ask the pilot questions about the aircraft. What is the maximum operating weight for that plane. What are the stall speeds, and more importantly, has the pilot taken any training on stalls/spins; crucial skills not required to take to become a pilot.

Before getting on an airplane to skydive, do your homework!!! It may just be your own life that you are saving.