I love aviation, commercial aircraft, and every last thing to do with flying. I love learning something new about my passion almost every day. I loved the hours I spent learning VOR navigation, IFR planning, Controlling at ZAU on Vatsim back in the day, the feeling I would get when I accomplished a simulated aviation task I was working on for awhile (such as a tricky approach), basically everything.

 

Which leads me to my point, I'm absolutely terrified to fly in the real word. I guess this would have to do with the saying that "there are no small accidents in aviation" I'm planning on conquering this of course, but I was wondering if anyone else has such a passion for aviation, yet is terrified to step onto a aircraft?

 

 

Thank you

Steven

Seeing as you're a simmer you'll know about the incredible amount of redundency built into today's aircraft. One more thing, even if accidents are bigger that with other forms of transport, just remember that they're few and far between, check out avherald.com and you'll see that although there are small accidents and incidents every day, there hasn't been a fatality on a commercial flight in ages, and they only happen very seldom...

 

Also, I wouldn't say there's no such thing as a small accident in Aviation, there are plenty of small accidents... (Is that comforting? :huh: ). An example would be that someone ingested a badger while taxiing last week, an accident, but nothing serious only a 20 minute delay to swap aircraft over...

 

Probably not the best speech on why you should feel safe in the air, but you get the jist...

 

Regards,

Ró.

Not terrified, however some apprehension during take-off and landing as well as alot of excitment. I did not fly for sometime after working an accident. I won't get into particulars w/ my experiences, but I think if you spent time looking over horrific car accidents, you may be more terrified of your car then airplanes. It is still the safest way to travel and for sure, you do have a long line of very qualified folks looking after your well being. :rolleyes:

I've only flown 3 times (Taylorcraft Auster, Cessna 172 and a Swallow glider) and was a passenger each time.

Can't say I enjoyed it because I was on the verge of being airsick the whole time!

I've never flown in an airliner but wouldn't like to for the same reason, and i'd also feel uncomfortable and claustrophobic.

As far as I'm concerned it's perfectly normal not to like flying, I mean anybody who likes sitting in an airtight tin box 6 miles high at 500mph surely can't be normal?..

 

PS- I also hate car travel,(I've never had or wanted a car) and have to make excuses not to go when my niece offers to take me out in hers. Coaches and trains I also dislike, I feel sick the whole journey and it lasts for a couple of days afterwards, boy am i weird..

I'm planning on conquering this...

 

The first few times I flew in a airliner I was a bit apprehensive, but I've spent so much time in them since then that I really enjoy the flight. One flight with my boss, the poor guy was terrified the whole trip. I just smiled reassuringly. Many years later and a different company, I did a lot of flying from Dallas to Salt Lake City. Shortly after I left that job, the flight we usually took crashed on takeoff. That kind of thing makes you think.

 

When I took a couple of flying lessons in a Cessna 152 in the early 70s, I was terrified of heights. I had problems with stepladders. But for some reason, I had no problems whatsoever in the Cessna. It was weird.

 

Just get in a lot of flight time and you'll be over your fear of flying in no time. I recommend getting used to turbulence as a passenger on an airliner, because when you're in a Cessna 172, it's a whole different experience, especially if you're at the controls at the time. After a while, you'll just think it's fun.

 

Hook

I don't think it's weird. Like Hook, I don't like heights which is a thought I'd ponder while sitting alone at 6,500' in a 172, not the slightest bit concerned about it. My first trip in the back of a Friendship as a kid was nothing but exciting. But now, I don't much like sitting in the back. I'm getting used to it, and don't think about it so much any more. I'm much more comfortable in the LHS - forward looking windows, knobs and a sense of control, no doubt.

Hi Steven,

 

Believe it or not - I've heard many a pilot confess to being somewhat apprehensive about flying... I'm a bit of an adrenalin junkie myself and I've always been drawn to activities that tend to have pretty dire consequences if not performed properly... When I jump out of a plane - I think the rush part is from every fiber in your being screaming "don't do it" and your mind willing your body to do it anyway... So - it's not that most people don't have fear during inherently risky activities - it's just that they find a way to manage any apprehension that arises during those activities... LOL - what I find most calming and reassuring in the cockpit - is just running a checklist... That simple mundane task just settles everything down - forces you to concentrate on something familiar - and - reassures you that everything is set the way it should be... You just need to find what works for you in various situations...

 

Now - I guess there are different reasons for people being apprehensive about flying - air sickness was mentioned above - honestly - if I got sick every time I went up I'd be pretty apprehensive too...

 

One thing that may lesson your apprehension - is if its a fear of heights - I really wouldn't worry about it too much... Again - I know pilots who have mentioned this phobia... Once you get a few thousand feet off the ground - you really kind of lose all depth perception... I guess - since you have no objects relatively close to you - your body doesn't get that vertigo feeling you would say - standing on the ledge of a 50 story building...

 

If you love flying - just face up to your concerns and go take an introductory flight in a small plane with an instructor... Be sure to discuss your concerns with the pilot ahead of time - so - he eases you into it gently...

 

While I'm certainly not ready to go yet - my biggest fear - lasting to a very ripe old age and going slowly in a hospital some place - with all the tubes and monitors keeping me alive - as my body slowly withers away - LOL - now THAT scares me...

 

Best of luck...

 

Regards,

Scott

I am the same way..I don't like "open heights" . Heights that im not in control of, like cable cars. I hate the idea of a cable holding it up. Same with wall/mounting climbing.

 

Flying though I'm fine with.

 

Lee

I am the same way..I don't like "open heights" . Heights that im not in control of, like cable cars. I hate the idea of a cable holding it up. Same with wall/mounting climbing.

 

Flying though I'm fine with.

 

Lee

With you on the "open heights" thing; I quite easily get vertigo in those situations, but being up in the sky inside an aircraft is totally different. Also, the parts of a flight I most enjoy are the parts that scare most nervous passengers -- take-off & landing: watching houses and fields screaming past at an ungodly rate of knots is so unreal it's fun :lol:

Most crashes are due to pilot error, so in an airliner I'd be forever worrying whether the pilots were doing their job properly..

someone ingested a badger while taxiing last week, an accident, but nothing serious

Bet the badger had a different opinion...

Cheers

Keith

Bet the badger had a different opinion...

 

Nah... a badger wrote my car off some years ago. On another occasion I've driven along a country lane behind one, with it looking back over its shoulder every now and again as though it was racing.

 

Badgers are well hard. I can imagine this one coming out of the back and trotting off to boast to its mates about... 'never mind beating a car in a head-to-head race, pal-- I just wrecked a plane! Gonna try for a super-tanker next'.

 

Steven, statistically flying is by far the safest way to travel. It's even safer than walking but logic doesn't really come in to that kind of apprehension. Maybe during an introductory flight your instructor can show you around the structure of the plane so you understand its physical strength, and spend some extra time taxiing so you have a chance to grow accustomed to the real thing before getting up to where the air is cool and clean.

 

Regards,

D

"Apart from this, how did you enjoy your flight Mr. Farage?"

 

 

Thank you all for the replies and the feedback. I'm glad I'm not the "ugly ducking" with my love and passion for aviation, yet fear of flying.

 

I took away a lot from this feedback, thank you all very much. There was one thing though that was absolutely wonderful to hear.

 

I was under the false perception that if you have a fear of flying, or apprehension of flying, that you picked the wrong job, that you could never pursue a career or even a hobby in real life aviation, that this was unheard of from pilots. I mean, they go to work in a aircraft right? How could they have ever been nervous about flying?

 

I honestly thought someone in my shoes in the aviation world, would be laughed off the stage.

 

It feels really great knowing that although it may be a obstacle to my real word aviation, it wont be a impassable brick wall, and that some pilots today once had a fear of flying!

 

Many thanks,

Steven Bentley

I love aviation, commercial aircraft, and every last thing to do with flying. I love learning something new about my passion almost every day. I loved the hours I spent learning VOR navigation, IFR planning, Controlling at ZAU on Vatsim back in the day, the feeling I would get when I accomplished a simulated aviation task I was working on for awhile (such as a tricky approach), basically everything.

 

Which leads me to my point, I'm absolutely terrified to fly in the real word. I guess this would have to do with the saying that "there are no small accidents in aviation" I'm planning on conquering this of course, but I was wondering if anyone else has such a passion for aviation, yet is terrified to step onto a aircraft?

 

 

Thank you

Steven

 

Not me--I've flown as often as I can, and even now I am considering a position which will have me in an aircraft going somewhere every couple of weeks--I may be gone as early as next week. I had a similar job for many years, but while my daughter was young I took time away from consulting in the field. I had just one worry in my journeys--actually two. When I was fifteen I was coming into JFK on a DC-10, and turbulence seemed like it would shake the plane apart. I just sat there being bounced about for what seemed like an eternity. We learned later that JFK was closed due to the weather, shortly after we landed.

 

The second incident took place many years later, when I was flying into Michigan on business. The pilot of our Beech 1900 was flying an IFR approach, and when he broke out of the cloud deck he could not get lined up with the runway. We did three approaches, with the last being low on fuel, before we managed to make a landing. A pilot that was dead heading on the flight was the first out--and the first thing he did when he got down the steps was kneel down and kissed the ground. I guess that guesture said every thing that needed to be said. I learned later that we did not have enough fuel to find a suitable alternate airport--they were all socked in with weather. The irony was I was not supposed to be on the flight--but my boss called me in and told me they had an emergency at a client site, so I flew out from California.

 

John