While exploring the world can be dangerous, air travel remains one of the safest ways to get from place to place, despite the fear generated by the crash of EgyptAir flight 804.
That's the message from Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue, which is a Travel Risk, Security and Intelligence firm.
Richards says every travel decision involves an assessment of risk, including the choice to fly.
"It's generally a reasonable risk to take, but it's not 100 percent," Richards said.
Richards' firm provides access to medical and security evacuation services as well as telephone and smart phone access to risk intelligence and medical advice.
Usually, travelers get in trouble on the ground, like the novice who tries heli-skiing, or the sight-seer who ignores signs of political unrest.
Air travel is rarely considered risky, but a traveler can get information about airports with lax security, and it could be wise to ask where an airplane was before it arrived at the airport where you board.
"When you look at a flight out of Paris, what you don't know is: Where did that aircraft come from? Did it come from a region where the security protocols and resources that are in place aren't as strong as those in Paris?" Richards said.
