I just remembered something that might make flying easier than you think.

 

You've spent enough time in the simulator that you know exactly how the flight controls work, and what to do to make the plane turn, climb, etc, right? Well, remember that I mentioned being terrified of heights. I'd still go on roller coasters, although I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. Until one day I pretended I had a joystick and moved it the same way I would to control a plane that was doing the same thing the track ahead was doing. Suddenly I lost my fear altogether. I was "flying" the roller coaster.

 

If you're a passenger, pretend you're flying the plane (I've done this for fun in airliners). If you're actually at the controls, you probably won't have any problems.

 

Hook

I'd sincerely recommend that you do a 'fear of flying' course.

 

My GF wouldn't entertain the idea of flying at all, not under any circumstance. However, an important business opportunity in Australia came up (which she'd turned down once), so she took the bull by the horns and did one of those courses. It helped considerably, and while she's still a nervous flier, she can handle it.

This is a story I haven't told anyone before.

I had an NZ PPL when I moved to Oz. I needed to pass the Oz PPL flight test to fly here, but I didn't need to do all the hours and only one theory exam. Because I was being fast tracked, I wasn't that familiar with the congested airspace and new aircraft - do get me wrong, I wasn't dangerous, just down on confidence that you get from the hours getting to first solo in the same plane at the same airport.

 

I went out for my first solo circuits from start to shut down. I'd flown solo once before, but that was after a couple of laps with an instructor. So I'm sitting in the plane and I'm actually starting the freak out a bit. Never ever has this happened before. There were some outside pressures from a job I couldn't switch off from (which I subsequently left, and still haven't replaced!), so I'm sure it wasn't all flying related. I considered going back to the office and not going. But then I pulled myself together, picked up the checklist (which I had mostly learned, but it was the security blanket at that point), reminded myself that I had 40 or 50 hours PIC so I could do this.

Master on

Beacon on

Avionics on

Check ATIS

'Parafield Ground, Tobago YTD, at FTA apron, request start up for circuits'

The previous five minutes became a distant memory, and not one I have really revisited until now.

 

Don't know if that helps anyone, or just makes me look like a bit of an idiot!

 

Mike

I love aviation,

 

GIMBALRATES? Don't want to hijack the topic, but with that user name, I have to ask... You don't happen to be in the INS business by any chance?

I love flying (passenger), face is always plastered to a window, the higher the better. The only thing that would make it better for me would to be at the controls! I have never been afraid of heights or falling / crashing. I love standing near the edge of a cliff or on top of a mountain. As far as crashing is concerned, I learned along time ago while race car driving that there is always that possibility and that must be accepted. Then to do your job well it must be put out of mind as with the old saying, "It'll never happen to me.". The key point is whether you are driving or flying (PIC), know what you are doing and how to respond as automatically as possible when a situation does arise. When you know you can and will do everything possible in an emergency and make all of the right decisions then there is nothing more you can do and there in no use in being afraid in advance.

 

I would like to readdress the comment I made about heights. I am not sure at all how I would like skydiving. Maybe I would, probably though, I wouldn't. My gut felling is that I just would rather either have my feet on solid ground or my rear firmly belted into a seat! That said, I'd probably try it, . . . . . . at least once.

 

What does make my palms sweat is to be a passenger with someone who is visibly frightened of being at the controls and appear to be incapable of having good responses in an emergency - the accident waiting to happen type.

 

Mel

I would like to readdress the comment I made about heights. I am not sure at all how I would like skydiving. Maybe I would, probably though, I wouldn't. My gut felling is that I just would rather either have my feet on solid ground or my rear firmly belted into a seat! That said, I'd probably try it, . . . . . . at least once.

 

I'm reminded of the old adage: Never jump out of a perfectly good airplane.......

 

John

I'm reminded of the old adage: Never jump out of a perfectly good airplane.......

 

Or a perfectly good car. I saw a weather station video clip of a incident where a female driver attempted to jump from her car as it was doing a very low speed (10mph?) skid on a iced over street on a hill. She was lucky! She skidded past several parked cars while she was still half in and half out with the drivers door only missing the parked vehicles by inches. The car finally came to rest by gently bumping into the curb on the passenger side with her still hanging out of the drivers door. If it is true that someone protects the stupid, then this person is most certainly bullet proof! Actually it is just an example of how strangely and improperly some people are inclined to respond in a perceived emergency. That makes me wonder, . . . . , when a airliner is flying in turbulence, do the attendants have to keep a eye on exits / passengers?

 

Regards,

Mel

Or a perfectly good car. I saw a weather station video clip of a incident where a female driver attempted to jump from her car as it was doing a very low speed (10mph?) skid on a iced over street on a hill. She was lucky! She skidded past several parked cars while she was still half in and half out with the drivers door only missing the parked vehicles by inches. The car finally came to rest by gently bumping into the curb on the passenger side with her still hanging out of the drivers door. If it is true that someone protects the stupid, then this person is most certainly bullet proof! Actually it is just an example of how strangely and improperly some people are inclined to respond in a perceived emergency. That makes me wonder, . . . . , when a airliner is flying in turbulence, do the attendants have to keep a eye on exits / passengers?

 

Regards,

Mel

 

Years ago I had an embarassing incident. I was new to driving in the snow, and had just recently moved to Minden, Nevada. My commute was up the trecherous "Kingsbury Grade" to my office in Lake Tahoe. On our first heavy snowfall, I drove the route and everything was fine until I hit the downhill side of the commute. I just lightly tapped my brakes, or so I thought, and suddenly my car was doing a 360 degree turn on the busy US 50. God was watching over me that morning, I didn't hit anyone or anything. I sheepishly straightened my car out and proceeded to my office. Thought no one noticed, until one of my employees said "I saw your car spinning all over the place tee hee"

 

Sorry to go off topic, but your post about a car on an icy hill reminded me of that day. The very next day I went out and bought some studded snow tires. Some weeks later, I drove down to the Napa Valley where my parents lived. I pulled up to get gas, and the attendant wouldn't stop staring at my car. I asked him what was wrong, and he said "Mister, you got metal things sticking into your tires"...... That was obviously someone who never lived in mountain snow country!

 

John

If you think you have a phobia go and do a "fear of flying" course, I hear they are well worth the money. No amount of explaining statistics will help you with a phobia. If you simply think you have a " hump" to get over book an introductory lesson with a flight school. Your passion ( and knowledge from simming) will take over. When I started lessons my biggest fear was talking to ATC. My pure desire to learn to fly quickly dealt with that problem and once I heard other(trainee) pilots mumbling and stuttering over the radio I quickly got over it. Either way don't deny yourself if it's something you really want to do

Tom,

 

No I'm not. My first "flight" simulator, if you can call it that, was Apollo 18. Having family who worked on the Apollo project I was fascinated with the navigation system they had in place on the spacecraft at that time, where the astronauts had to enter there own Gimbal Rates.

 

My next true flight simulator was Falcon:Allied Forces. I had the call sign of "Gimbal" at that time, which is why I use my own variation here on Avsim.

 

Thank you gents again for all the feedback, I'm right down the street from KPAE,and will be checking on flight lessons around the area.

 

It's still wonderful knowing it doesn't have to stop me from flying as a hobby, I didn't know before reading all the posts how a flight instructor would even feel bringing someone up in the air who has a fear.

 

Thanks again everyone,

Steven

Hi Steven,

 

Let us know how you make out... It may take a few flights - but - remember - familiarity breeds comfort... The more you do it - the more routine and easier it should become...

 

Regards,

Scott

The more I have gotten to know real world flying and Simming, this is my current understanding

 

1) Commercial aviation (Airliner) is very very safe. The redundancy and what not is amazing.

 

2) GA is actually quite dangerous and risky. I fly in the DFW area and the airspace below the DFW Class B on a Saturday morning is insane.,. its crowded. The G1000 traffic advisory showed me how crowded it was. Before the G1000, I was not aware it was that crowded. Also GA Pilots get rusty pretty quick if we are not flying that often. No... its not like riding a bicycle. ^_^

 

Manny

2) GA is actually quite dangerous and risky. I fly in the DFW area and the airspace below the DFW Class B on a Saturday morning is insane.,. its crowded. The G1000 traffic advisory showed me how crowded it was. Before the G1000, I was not aware it was that crowded. Also GA Pilots get rusty pretty quick if we are not flying that often. No... its not like riding a bicycle. ^_^

 

Manny

 

I agree with you. GA is somewhat risky and unreliable.. Most of the GA aircrafts in air consists of trainee and young pilots.. In India GA is not yet crowded enough..The airport i fly hardly gets more then 2 aircrafts in a pattern .

I can pretty much imagine how it must be to have GA traffic around in countries like America..

GA is actually quite dangerous and risky.

 

Whilst I agree that GA safety statistics ( understandably) fall way behind Commercial aviation is it not possible that your statement is a bit severe? Certainly here in Ireland the skies aren't crowded with GA aircraft and in my limited experience ATC does a great job in communications with GA pilots.

I agree with you. GA is somewhat risky and unreliable.. Most of the GA aircrafts in air consists of trainee and young pilots.. In India GA is not yet crowded enough..The airport i fly hardly gets more then 2 aircrafts in a pattern .

I can pretty much imagine how it must be to have GA traffic around in countries like America..

 

Hi Sidh.

 

Where in India do you fly? My flight instructor was in Bangalore (he works for the same firm as I do and he was assinged to a long term project there) and wanted to rent an aircraft He finally found an FBO/Flying club... but they would not let him fly Solo. The man has over 4000 hrs in his log book. And they had 1 rickety old GA aircraft for rental.

 

BTW, When I was in Chennai I read an editorial written by a Pilot objecting to a proposed new airport in Chennai. I couldn't believe what I was reading. This Pilot went on to say how if the airpspace got crowded it would be dangerous for commerical aviation. The silly News paper ("The Hindu") even let that bloke write and publish such drivel.

 

India badly needs aviation schools and airport. Chennai has I believe just two airports. One is the MAA (Chennai Intl) and then the other one is the IAF (Air force) at Tambaram. Thats it... what crowded airspace was that bloke talking about? Its insanity. So many Indian students either have to come to the US or go to Australia and spend a fortune to get a commercial license. They may as well have small airports and flying schools in India. Not sure whey the idiots (Many Pilots) in India object to this.. I don't understand their motives behind it.

 

Manny