...but it's been four years since there has been a commercial airliner crash in the United States. That streak sets a record. I had noticed this, mostly because I travel by air more now than I ever have before. Actually, I thought it was longer than four years. But that is a heckuva streak. Apparently the news is good everywhere:

 And things are pretty rosy around the globe: Last year was commercial aviation's safest year since 1945, with just 475 fatalities worldwide.

Better planes, improved communication, and more advanced equipment, like navigation technology, are behind the safer figures, the New York Times reports. Another big improvement: Regulators are much more proactive about safety, as evidenced by the grounding of the Boeing 787 fleet before anyone was hurt.

Of course this type of thing tends to be streaky. I recall in the mid-80's there was a stretch one summer where it appeared there was a plane crash every week(including one in Milwaukee). Many people at the time were convinced there was some common thread; there wasn't. Hopefully this long streak is due to the industry getting safer.