There are probably few pilots who don’t recognize the famous teaching couple, John and Martha King, and the company they founded—King Schools—to help teach new and existing pilots everything except the actual flight training. The company celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, and John and Martha are still actively flying their Dassault Falcon 10. As holders of almost every pilot certificate and rating in existence, they seem to have run out of further certifications to pursue.
Over the years, the Kings have learned a lot about flying and the meaning of safety. After nearly killing themselves a few times, they gained a healthy respect for the importance of safety margins and evaluating and mitigating risk. They have also emphasized that the commonly repeated claim about driving to the airport being riskier than general aviation is actually a myth. According to statistics, the opposite is true, and the Kings haven’t shied away from sharing this data. Rather than endlessly repeat bad information, such as the airport-driving myth, they would prefer to see pilots, especially new ones, embrace the concept of risk management. As John King says, “Flying is not safe. It’s a risky activity,” and he and Martha are not afraid of the controversy that this statement generates.
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