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Scared of flying - A380 safe?

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Scared of flying - A380 safe?

Old 11th Oct 2012, 03:57
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Question Scared of flying - A380 safe?

Hello everybody,
I am a student in Singapore, but I am born and normally live in Norway. This means that I had to fy to get here, and I have to fly back. As you can see in the Title of this post I am not a comfortable flyer. In fact I feel that it is dead scary.

My question though is this; What is the safest planes I can fly, getting from Singapore to Norway? Is it the A380 that is the safest carrier across continents?

Hope to hear answers that eases my fear of flying, and informs me how to get home most safely.
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 05:03
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Well, don't walk or drive that's for sure...
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 05:08
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Rather than studying the minutia of air accident statistics and then comparing and contrasting with conflicting and biased anecdotal evidence - why not:
1) See a shrink
2) Buy some Xanax
3) Go talk to some pilots
4) Have some wine before the flight.
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 05:17
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RE @Load Toad

Thank you for your answer, and for showing an understanding of my concern. I hardly have to point out that I am currently doing what you suggest as option #3; "Go talk to some pilots". I know no pilots myself, therefore I turn to this forum, which I understand to be rich in Pilot users.

What is the answer a pilot would give me?
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 06:26
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On here, he (or she) would probably say "Click on the second FAQ at the top of this forum where you will find every answer ever given on the subject".
Try it and see....

Last edited by strake; 11th Oct 2012 at 06:28.
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 06:44
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What is the answer a pilot would give me?
I'm not sure what you expect us to say? I'd say: "Well you can look at the statistics but that tells you nothing about how safe the next flight will be".

The A380 is a relatively new aircraft compared with the likes of the 777/747/A330. That means it's hasn't done as many sectors as the older types which in turn makes it very hard to make a meaning full comparison in terms of accidents/incidents per sector (because the sample sizes would be vastly different across the various types)....

In summary the A380 a modern design which has a good safety record so far......

Last edited by wiggy; 11th Oct 2012 at 06:46.
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 06:46
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Even if you flew on the world's most dangerous airline, your chances of being in an incident on single journey are negligible. You have a higher chance of being killed by a knife wielding maniac, hit by a bus, having a heart attack, or hit by a random bullet from a shoot out.

That said, do not pick an airline known to be unsafe and above all stop worrying.
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 08:06
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No you will be OK.

Airbus have been quoted, the A380 in "uncrashable".

You will have to erase all memory of the Titanic.
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 09:07
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I would be more concerned about the dangers of falling over in the ice during a Norwegian winter than flying!
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 10:30
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Not a pilot but a SLF with over a million miles under my belt over the past 20 years.

1) Still alive and talking
2) Alcohol is not always the best cure
3) More chances of getting run over by a wheelchair at the airport than getting hurt in an airplane.
4) Airport security is more scary
5) 380, singapore = SQ so check their track record.
6) Last know 380 fatality.................

Don't be scary things getting better by the day!
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 11:21
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If the A380 ever has a crash it will probably be because it's so ugly the sky rejects it. Play safe and choose a 747/777.330/340 instead.
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 12:24
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The SSK You nailed it in one. Thanks for a big laugh.

For Pikabo. Sorry that you are getting a rough ride on your first visit here. Please do read the FAQ as Strake suggests. I know that fear of flying is a phobia and so does not react to reasoned thought.

In nearly 47 years as a passenger (not a million miles but regular long haul) I have never had a moment when I thought the aircraft was in danger. I have never experienced ANYTHING other than normal operations.
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 12:28
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Knowledge is power, ignorance can feed fear. To help overcome your fear, have you ever considered studying what it is that keeps a plane aloft? It won't help you control the plane you are travelling in as a passenger, but a better understanding of what is going on when you are on board may help you to address your fears & improve the overall experience.

Anyone can learn to fly. You never know, you might find you become as nuts about it as most of the folks who post on here
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 12:47
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I have several friends and colleagues who suffer from fear of flying and have run seminars to try to help them.

It is, like most phobias, irrational. Explaining what keeps the 'plane aloft does not really solve the problem, nor does explaining the various noises and movements which take place during a flight. The conversations always turns to the 'what if ....' type questions. Interestingly, in my experience, most people find turbulence scarier than anything else.

Unfortunately most of that 'what ifs' are based on actual accidents, so it is hard to deny that they happen, one can only say that the chances are negligible and that the investigations after each event make flying safer. It doesn't help!

One of our friends has a phobia about dogs, and our gentle soppy labrador/beagle had to be locked up when he came round. Nothing would persuade him that the dog was not going to tear out his throat!
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 13:45
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SQ have a pretty decent safety record but they don't fly direct to Oslo, as far as I know the closest would be Copenhagen so even if a 380 gets you that far you still have another flight with which to contend! Or get a ferry, and what a safety record they have around the world...
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 15:12
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The most frightening thing about your trip will be the price of a beer in the bar when you arrive in Oslo!

As everyone has said here flying is very safe nearly 40 years as crew and never a scary moment.....except point one above!
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 16:12
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If the A380 ever has a crash it will probably be because it's so ugly the sky rejects it.
I spilled my tea!
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Old 11th Oct 2012, 23:39
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The most frightening thing about your trip will be the price of a beer in the bar when you arrive in Oslo!
Compared to the price of beer in Singers...? Y' think...?
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Old 12th Oct 2012, 01:13
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What is the answer a pilot would give me?
If it was the pilot of the aircraft in question, they would probably say that if they didn't think it was safe then they wouldn't be flying it.
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Old 12th Oct 2012, 08:55
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Originally Posted by Tableview
That said, do not pick an airline known to be unsafe and above all stop worrying.
TV, I think you would struggle to find any commercial airline to be 'know to be unsafe'. Even the worst regulatory body on the planet would not permit such an airline to operate.

It it's scheduled it is likely to be safe. Even airlines like Air France who have a higher than average 'unscheduled hull retirement' rate is not unsafe, more likely unlikely. (Their incidents are not due to one single reason).

Find the flights that meet your schedule and price requirements, and enjoy your flight.

Last edited by ExXB; 12th Oct 2012 at 08:56.
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