Well SAFE is what has allowed me to get into the hobby, and I LOVE it. It's let me learn at my own pace and on my own, and I've been really successful with it. I use it for take off and landings and for learning the flight characteristics of new planes. The first plane I bought, the Sport Cub S, I've flown with SAFE off from take off, to loops and rolls, to landings. The UMX Timber, which I bought second, is not getting flown a little more with SAFE off... but the Timber X has only had SAFE flipped off for a couple rolls and loops while I get used to is and get it trimmed out right.
I'm a guy who doesn't want to make time to find an experienced pilot to teach me... or join AMA... or a club. SAFE has given me the opportunity, confidence and experience I needed to get into this hobby... and I'll wean myself off of it as time goes on... or not.
So, those guys who say I'm not really flying... I say "I don't care." I'm having a BLAST... and I'm not crashing planes!
I am curious how SAFE made you crash? Was it that you were so used to how planes controlled without it, you got into a situation where you didn't have enough maneuverability to get out of trouble? Safe has SAVED me from more than a few crashes... where I am flying with it off and lose orientation or just make some mistake and I'm about to crash... flipped SAFE on, and BINGO, leveled out... no crash.
