Anyone else afraid of flying?

jockeyboard

Mikeyt086 wrote: »

Not a bit scared of flying.

Statistically, you're more likely to be killed on the way to the airport.

statistics and lies:p

Kiera

44leto wrote: »

:rolleyes: yeah right, why would you care about the plane, you had a parachute:D

I didnt have one. The guy on my back did (oh matron) :P

stovelid

Not terrifyingly so but I hate it. I can hold it together though.

Novella

I just flew home from the UK on Monday night. It'll be over before you know it, seriously. You feel like you've just sat down and gotten yourself comfy when it's time to get off the plane again!

I don't mind flying, except landing. I hate waiting for the wheels to hit the ground.

sebastianlieken

pow wow wrote: »

Clearly you missed that awesome movie where the roof of the plane peels back like a can of sardines mid-air and people (seats included!) are sucked out the top at an alarming rate. You can make that #5 if you like. Merry Christmas.

Movie? no no, that already happened in real life. Aloha Airlines Flight 243. (google it and you'll see). The fasteners began to shear out and a zipper effect took place, the entire forward section of the roof and side walls tore clean off! sucked the air-hostess clean out! luckily the plane landed though!

but then again, that was all down to poor regulations and an absence of fatigue analysis on aircraft, which is mandatory these days.

so yeah... Merry Christmas :P

sunflower27

Novella wrote: »

I just flew home from the UK on Monday night. It'll be over before you know it, seriously. You feel like you've just sat down and gotten yourself comfy when it's time to get off the plane again!

I don't mind flying, except landing. I hate waiting for the wheels to hit the ground.

Thanks, Novella. I know it is a short flight, but it just seems to drag when you are literally counting seconds. I have a book to read so will get stuck in to that before I board and try and lose myself in that for a bit.

gerryo777

sunflower27 wrote: »

I remember being on a flight not long after 9/11. I was sitting down the back of the plane and a guy wearing a turbin got up to go to the toilet.

I think he had 100 pairs of paranoid eyes on him.

Just have a large straight whiskey half an hour before you board and you'll be fine.

Report back here tomorrow and let us know how you got on.

Good luck.

MagicMarker

There hasn't been a plane crash in a while, there's probably one due.

sunflower27

gerryo777 wrote: »

Just have a large straight whiskey half an hour before you board and you'll be fine.

Report back here tomorrow and let us know how you got on.

Good luck.

I'll get on fine, I just want to make sure I get off

Kiera

MagicMarker wrote: »

There hasn't been a plane crash in a while, there's probably one due.

Seriously? What a dickish thing to say!

Wibbs

Mikeyt086 wrote: »

Statistically, you're more likely to be killed on the way to the airport.

True... but is not a lot of the planes are the safest from of transport stats down to miles covered? In that case the NASA Apollo missions to the moon were the safest ever(no in flight casualties and millions of miles per vehicle) and they were about as safe as smearing yourself in mince, jumping on a hungry tiger shouting "grubs up".

Pilotdude5

jockeyboard wrote: »

thats mad! I think it sounds like the most unnatural thing in the world! God it would be fantastic to really enjoy it as you do:jealous!

I think people naturally have a fear of unfamiliar things and situations. Alot of those fear of flying classes explain how an aircraft flies, how a wing generates lift etc. If you read up on them it might help.

ed2hands

You'll be grand; or as they in the some parts of the world..
No worries!
(mate/darlin'):)

Sky King

I always get a bit wary of anyone who starts a sentence with 'statictically'. Have they examined and analysed the data behind the statement? What statistics are they using?

Like if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that an hour in a plane is about as safe as an hour in a car, but because we spend WAY more time in cars you could claim as a corollary that a plane is safer, whereas on a 'per hour' basis that might not actually be the case.

Darwin

Not a keen flyer myself, but whenever I get a brown adrenaline moment (such as moderate turbulence), I think of pilots who flew in wartime and be thankful that nobody is shooting at the plane. Just think of all the flights pilots and cabin crew take each day and live to tell the tale.

sebastianlieken

Most crashes occur at take-off anyway. Mostly in snowy/frosty conditions where ice builds up on the wing and casues loss of lift/control. Just make sure the pilot gets the wings de-iced and anti-iced before take off if it's snowy outside and you'll be grand!!!

Sky King

i was talking to someone i know who said they were a nervous flier. not the all out panic type but quite nervous. i was saying i always just thought of it like getting on a bus as i was used to regular flying
they said it helped a bit

Sky King wrote: »

I always get a bit wary of anyone who starts a sentence with 'statictically'..

So would I, I don't even think it's a word :pac:

mardybumbum

You are not the only one.

I feckin hate flying.

Had an 11 hr flight there about two weeks ago and while going for a slash in the toilet at the departure gates I was seriously considering hopping on the 16A and getting as far away from the airport as possible.

I am one of those people who thinks about every possible thing that could go wrong no matter how low the risk.

I got there about four hours early and watched all the planes taking off and landing while listening to some chill out music. I recommend some Zero7 or Royksopp for the ultimate chillout experience.

I was as happy as a pig in ****e about two hours into the flight. Ended up watching "The Inbetweeners", "The Hangover 2", some film about a pizza driver with a bomb strapped to his chest and the first half of "Contagion".

I was actually looking forward to the flight back at the end of my trip so that I could finish off Contagion. Alas, the particular plane I was on did not have that movie so I watched Harry Potter instead.

orourkeda

Whatever you do dont have a ****

Sky King

bluewolf wrote: »

So would I, I don't even think it's a word :pac:

Petty. Have you nothing better to do?

Sky King

Sky King wrote: »

Petty. Have you nothing better to do?

it was just a joke

and no, no i dont :cool:

Sky King

Me neither

Imaginary Boy

As Pan Am would say... "Flying is a mix of technology, and emotion. Add that to the fact that we could all possibly die, and it gets very exciting!!"

But really OP, you'll be fine!

sunflower27

Imaginary Boy wrote: »

As Pan Am would say... "Flying is a mix of technology, and emotion. Add that to the fact that we could all possibly die, and it gets very exciting!!"

But really OP, you'll be fine!

Thanks... I am going to stay awake till I get the bus, I'll be a zombie by the time I am due to fly so will see if that helps

Del2005

Wibbs wrote: »

True... but is not a lot of the planes are the safest from of transport stats down to miles covered? In that case the NASA Apollo missions to the moon were the safest ever(no in flight casualties and millions of miles per vehicle) and they were about as safe as smearing yourself in mince, jumping on a hungry tiger shouting "grubs up".

There where 3 crew members killed on Apollo 1 out of ~40 Apollo astronauts. You can't ignore ground deaths when dealing with flight. If you could then air travel would be even safer. Most airline crashes are at low level so the people don't die till they stop flying.

The Apollo rockets and capsules where single use only, only a tiny part of each did the round trip of about 700,000km. I'd say in it's 20 years a commercial jet will have done that several times.

bnt

Watch this Billy Connolly bit, you'll feel a lot better afterwards. Perhaps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_-dJEQju2I

:cool:

Clareboy

Just think about these facts; Ryanair, the world' biggest airline who carry 7 million passengers a year have never lost anyone, Aer Lingus has not lost anyone since 1968 and at any moment in time, there are 8 to 9 thousand planes in the air around the world!

Plowman

This post has been deleted.

sunflower27

I'm actually starting to feel physically sick now.

TeddyTedson

sunflower27 wrote: »

I am getting a flight tomorrow morning at 8am and am already dreading it. I never had a problem with it until I went on a flight with a friend years ago and she was a total panic merchant. Ever since, I get really paranoid.

I've got four hours to wait at the airport as well, as my bus gets me in at 4am

Anyone else paranoid about flying?

Sky King wrote: »

I'm a pilot btw.

:eek: I thought that was the OP again there for a second:pac::pac::D

orourkeda

Statistically speaking it's said to be the safest mode of transport

PK2008

PK2008 wrote: »

To make it comparable to something everyday, imagine when you woke up in the morning to go to work a team of engineers were testing every component of your car before you got in.

When you get in you realise you have independent redundant systems for every critical system required, including an extra engine and twice as much petrol as needed. The car is strong enough to survive a lightening strike

You have 2 drivers, both experienced, qualified professional drivers trained for every eventuality, who will drive the car to the nearest garage at the first sign of any issues. You car is also fitted with an auto drive system which can safely park the car in the very unlikely case your drivers cant.

Then before you set off people at your home and your destination confirm they have plotted your exact course and cleared every road for you and will track your every move to ensure no issues.

Then you get on the road which is completely clear and 4 miles wide. The road has no obstacles, no traffic, no traffic lights and no sharp bends- almost straight from home to work. Though possibly some potholes (turbulence), but nothing your car cant handle.

Even if all systems failed in your car the drivers could use the manual systems to safely steer the car to a safe stop.

As you come to your destination the entire parking sequence is checked and verified by your drivers and the people at your work.

Your car parks safely and another team of engineers at work again test all the systems before you go home.

Every week your car is given a full and rigorous service- all components are replaced well before their usable life span and all meet high safety standards which are regularly independently tested

(Source; my uncle was a flight engineer for over 20 years but its all available on line)

I have also flown a Cessna- that is a crazy experience

...

sunflower27

orourkeda wrote: »

Statistically speaking it's said to be the safest mode of transport

That is what I am telling myself. I should have slept earlier as I am tired now and have too much time to overthink it all.

TeddyTedson

sunflower27 wrote: »

I'm actually starting to feel physically sick now.

Don't worry about it. Flying is actually very natural, even though we often don't think it is. I don't like it either but on the day I never seem to mind, it's the thoughts of crashing that freaks me out.
But anyway, there's a great post on here from an actual pilot that is very reassuring, I'll try and find it for you, but if anyone else remembers it too please posts it. The pilot basically talked about how it was like a car except you have more engines than you need, more space in your "lane" than you could know what to do with, and how the whole plane goes through a rigorous inspection before each flight.

The Master of Disaster

If you ever get really scared just remember that you're 30,000 feet up in the air, going 600 kph, and the only thing separating you from the outside is about 6 inches of metal . . .

. . . and then realise that it's actually pretty amazing that modern science and technology has made that possible!!!

sunflower27

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Don't worry about it. Flying is actually very natural, even though we often don't think it is. I don't like it either but on the day I never seem to mind, it's the thoughts of crashing that freaks me out.
But anyway, there's a great post on here from an actual pilot that is very reassuring, I'll try and find it for you, but if anyone else remembers it too please posts it. The pilot basically talked about how it was like a car except you have more engines than you need, more space in your "lane" than you could know what to do with, and how the whole plane goes through a rigorous inspection before each flight.

Thank you. I am just freaking myself out, but I am hearing what you are saying and it is helping.

Jaxxy

If Lost has taught us anything, it's that all the good looking or interesting people survive plane crashes.

By that logic, you'll be grand!

sunflower27

Jaxxy wrote: »

If Lost has taught us anything, it's that all the good looking or interesting people survive plane crashes.

By that logic, you'll be grand!

I knew I started this thread for a reason

Kirby

Jaxxy wrote: »

If Lost has taught us anything, it's that all the good looking or interesting people survive plane crashes.

By that logic, you'll be grand!

I'm an alcoholic millionaire with a wooden leg who invented a time machine.






But I'm ugly so I'll be in the tail section .

TeddyTedson

sunflower27 wrote: »

Thank you. I am just freaking myself out, but I am hearing what you are saying and it is helping.

Argh I can't seem to find it, it was great.
I wouldn't recommend drinking too much though before flying, just enough to feel it a little.
But anyway, I'm not sure if this will help you though but most crashes are pilot errors and usually happen during take off or landing, so it's more likely a fast bus crash than anything...again not sure if that helps:o

TheZohanS

Clareboy wrote: »

Just think about these facts; Ryanair, the world' biggest airline who carry 7 million passengers a year have never lost anyone, Aer Lingus has not lost anyone since 1968 and at any moment in time, there are 8 to 9 thousand planes in the air around the world!

So what you're saying is they're due one...

sunflower27

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Argh I can't seem to find it, it was great.
I wouldn't recommend drinking too much though before flying, just enough to feel it a little.
But anyway, I'm not sure if this will help you though but most crashes are pilot errors and usually happen during take off or landing, so it's more likely a fast bus crash than anything...again not sure if that helps:o

Thank you for looking

I'm not drinking, so no worries there. It will be OK. I've flown so many times. I just need to relax... and breathe

BABYDOLL

Your doctor will prescribe valum... does the trick for me everytime

TeddyTedson

BABYDOLL wrote: »

Your doctor will prescribe valum... does the trick for me everytime

Jesus I'd love some of that.
I wish I could find a dearer who could regularly hook me up with Valium pills.

jockeyboard

Look sunflower, no matter what happens it could be worse..... You could have the seat next to me:)

get a bit of sleep now (everything worse when you are sleep deprived so even a nap), dont drink. When you are waiting to board plan, press your feet into the ground and remember that feeling.... If you get scared on the plane, close your eyes, breath slowly and deeply and press your feet into the ground. And watch the airhostessess at all times!

DB21

7 pages, and the obvious joke/quote HASN'T been made? Shame on you AH.

I ain't gettin' on no plane, fool!

Kiera

TheZohan wrote: »

So what you're saying is they're due one...

And that your post is 2nd hand :rolleyes:

sunflower27

jockeyboard wrote: »

Look sunflower, no matter what happens it could be worse..... You could have the seat next to me:)

get a bit of sleep now (everything worse when you are sleep deprived so even a nap), dont drink. When you are waiting to board plan, press your feet into the ground and remember that feeling.... If you get scared on the plane, close your eyes, breath slowly and deeply and press your feet into the ground. And watch the airhostessess at all times!

Cheers, I won't sleep now. I'd be paranoid I'd sleep through the alarm.:(

I tried earlier but to no avail so will just keep thinking positive thoughts. I've been looking forward to this trip for ages so I will focus on that.

Conor108

Wow didn't expect so many people to have a fear of flying.

If you panic just imagine this guy telling you to man up

carfiosaoorl

I love flying, I even love bad turbulence. I think its because I firmly believe the plane is not about to fall. I am a way more nervous passenger in a car.

OP I wouldnt advice getting drunk first, take an antihistamine. Phenergan will knock you out.

For the experts here is it true that 1 pint on the ground equals 3 in the air?