Jon-

I prefer to have someone else at the field for fellowship and safety, although I occasionally fly alone. That said, I also prefer to either be the only plane in the air or have no more than one other up with me. I don't like to worry about a crowd.

From a safety perspective, I disagree with the statement that flying alone is no more dangerous than mowing your yard alone. I have no concerns that my mower might backfire, causing the blade to fly off and hit me. I don't have to reach down near the mowerblade to tune the mower engine. Whether I am flying alone or with someone, I am extra-careful around the prop. This is largely because I cut off a finger with a table saw last year.

Despite being careful, accidents still happen. When I was at the field (your field) on Sunday, our safety officer had a thrown prop hit him in the stomach, making a nasty gash. I also had a prop thrown off my plane, which I managed to dodge.