Scared PAX
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Remember that the pilots are human too, and would prefer to grow old gracefully. I flew professionally for 39 years, and my take was simply: I've got a wife, children, nice house, nice life, I want to get home. If I felt any doubts about not getting to the destination safely, I didn't go. Try the fear of flying course; they seem to help. Then relax and enjoy the flight.
According to my research there has not been a commercial airliner fatal accident involving FLL in 30 years (DL191) or 41 years in the case of IAD (TW514). In both cases safety improvements were made and following the investigations aircraft were fitted with Windshear detection and GPWS respectively so even those accidents are very unlikely to happen today.
I am not a betting man but I think the odds are very much in your favour that you will reach your destination in one piece!
I am not a betting man but I think the odds are very much in your favour that you will reach your destination in one piece!
onthefly1,
TV's Craig Ferguson was a nervous flyer. Someone said he had a control problem so he took flying lessons and got his license.
Too late now but perhaps a few lessons will allay the fear in the future?
TV's Craig Ferguson was a nervous flyer. Someone said he had a control problem so he took flying lessons and got his license.
Too late now but perhaps a few lessons will allay the fear in the future?
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: glendale
Posts: 819
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
if you are afraid, cancel the trip.
see, you are in control. no one has to go to either fort lauderdale or dulles airport to live.
you are fully in control. you can cancel the flight, take the train, rent a car, take a bus.
or, take the flight and when you get on the plane, tell the flight attendant you are a nervous flyer and could you please say hi to the pilots?
Whenever someone comes on the plane and is afraid to fly, I always take time to chat with them and try to make things better for them.
see, you are in control. no one has to go to either fort lauderdale or dulles airport to live.
you are fully in control. you can cancel the flight, take the train, rent a car, take a bus.
or, take the flight and when you get on the plane, tell the flight attendant you are a nervous flyer and could you please say hi to the pilots?
Whenever someone comes on the plane and is afraid to fly, I always take time to chat with them and try to make things better for them.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: US/EU
Posts: 694
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was never a particularly anxious flier, but did get nervous on occasion, especially with unexpected aircraft movements. The thing that completely changed this for me and made me much more comfortable when flying commercially was to learn how to fly a small GA aircraft. Once you spend some time actually controlling a small aircraft and getting bounced around by things like thermal updrafts and feeling how the plane responds (it wants to fly) and attempting crosswind landings and such gives you a lot more confidence and had a dramatic effect on how I felt about flying commercially.
Paxing All Over The World
It is often said that the two aspects that most upset nervous passengers are:
- Sudden changes in attitude of the aircraft
- Noises under their feet, or sudden changes to engine noise
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: u
Age: 46
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have been through fear-of-flying therapy with a psychologist specialized in the matter. He also has a private pilot license and a small airplane (a Piper if I remember correctly), and tries to convince patients to take a spin in the tiny airplane as part of the therapy, after a few sessions.
I fly a few times a year, and got tired of being afraid. Just taking the step to go through therapy helped me in itself, because I felt I was doing something to address an issue that made me feel like an idiot everytime I took a flight.
The therapy helped me a lot!!! I understood the basis of fear, to accept that I was afraid and how to make it not take control over me. I even flew in the darned Piper!
I can't say I am totally off the hook but I have tools to control my fear, and don't lose my sleep before a travel.
Yes, it's expensive. But your health has no price! Do it!
I fly a few times a year, and got tired of being afraid. Just taking the step to go through therapy helped me in itself, because I felt I was doing something to address an issue that made me feel like an idiot everytime I took a flight.
The therapy helped me a lot!!! I understood the basis of fear, to accept that I was afraid and how to make it not take control over me. I even flew in the darned Piper!
I can't say I am totally off the hook but I have tools to control my fear, and don't lose my sleep before a travel.
Yes, it's expensive. But your health has no price! Do it!
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 297
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I honestly do believe that taking flying lessons helps. I think it can assist in many ways,
1) you get to see exactly what is going on and understand that certain things are normal , like the change in engine pitch during climbs, descents etc
2) it acclimatizes you to the movement of a small plane so that turbulence in a larger one doesn't seem so bad
3) you become addicted to flying small aircraft and so no longer have the money to spend on foreign holidays ....
.... problem solved
1) you get to see exactly what is going on and understand that certain things are normal , like the change in engine pitch during climbs, descents etc
2) it acclimatizes you to the movement of a small plane so that turbulence in a larger one doesn't seem so bad
3) you become addicted to flying small aircraft and so no longer have the money to spend on foreign holidays ....
.... problem solved
PPRuNe Handmaiden
It can and it can't...
I know of a guy who was involved with the BA 747 that flew into the volcanic ash cloud that stopped all the engines. (Fortunately, they got 3 of them restarted).
He did the fear of flying course with Qantas twice. He took flying lessons and he was fine in any aircraft type except a B747. The irony being that it was the very fact that it was a B747 that meant he survived that accident.
Sadly, he was to fly to Melbourne from Sydney after his second FoF course. It was a B747, he got on but just before doors close, he bolted.
So yes, grabbing some lessons in a light aircraft will give you an understanding of flight and the various forces on it, but if there's a specific problem, it may not fix it.
I know of a guy who was involved with the BA 747 that flew into the volcanic ash cloud that stopped all the engines. (Fortunately, they got 3 of them restarted).
He did the fear of flying course with Qantas twice. He took flying lessons and he was fine in any aircraft type except a B747. The irony being that it was the very fact that it was a B747 that meant he survived that accident.
Sadly, he was to fly to Melbourne from Sydney after his second FoF course. It was a B747, he got on but just before doors close, he bolted.
So yes, grabbing some lessons in a light aircraft will give you an understanding of flight and the various forces on it, but if there's a specific problem, it may not fix it.
Son of Slot
Super Senior Moderator
Super Senior Moderator
I'd like to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread and I've added it to the FAQ of fear of flying for future reading by new arrivals here.
If I might offer the perspective of another avoidant passenger I think sometimes it isn't even about being up in the air.
It's more the sheer scale of the modern airliners and the number of folks you're surrounded by, the procedures, the sort of hidden stuff behind the shiny surface and gleaming smiles - stuff you aren't party to as an SLF, because it might freak you out I suppose - but the feeling that other people are totally in control of the situation, and you're not (for obvious reasons) can maybe be a trigger for a lot of people's fear.
I think it's part of mine. I've only flown twice - once there, and once back because I had to. I spent the week obsessively watching the weather forecast. Don't get me wrong, I adore aeroplanes and find them incredible to watch, in fact I'd pay extra to live under a flight path.
But going in a large one again is something I'd never do. Maybe it is my way of feeling in control in a big world, but it's just the way I am and luckily I don't have to travel. You know, sometimes a smaller, more bumpy plane is easier than something that doesn't even feel like it's moving - like you're not quite in touch with your surroundings, somehow - I know I'd far rather go in a tiny little turbo prop than an A380.
As a slightly feckless motorcyclist for many years though I wonder if there's a parallel in the way a lot of folk hate going pillion, but are happy to ride the beast themselves. Control, again, I suppose.
There's also the claustrophobia aspect which must affect a lot of folk. The 'not being able to get off if I want to' thing. That is probably the strongest thing for me. You can get off a boat, usually, somehow.
Thinking about it...how do planes stay up anyway?
It's more the sheer scale of the modern airliners and the number of folks you're surrounded by, the procedures, the sort of hidden stuff behind the shiny surface and gleaming smiles - stuff you aren't party to as an SLF, because it might freak you out I suppose - but the feeling that other people are totally in control of the situation, and you're not (for obvious reasons) can maybe be a trigger for a lot of people's fear.
I think it's part of mine. I've only flown twice - once there, and once back because I had to. I spent the week obsessively watching the weather forecast. Don't get me wrong, I adore aeroplanes and find them incredible to watch, in fact I'd pay extra to live under a flight path.
But going in a large one again is something I'd never do. Maybe it is my way of feeling in control in a big world, but it's just the way I am and luckily I don't have to travel. You know, sometimes a smaller, more bumpy plane is easier than something that doesn't even feel like it's moving - like you're not quite in touch with your surroundings, somehow - I know I'd far rather go in a tiny little turbo prop than an A380.
As a slightly feckless motorcyclist for many years though I wonder if there's a parallel in the way a lot of folk hate going pillion, but are happy to ride the beast themselves. Control, again, I suppose.
There's also the claustrophobia aspect which must affect a lot of folk. The 'not being able to get off if I want to' thing. That is probably the strongest thing for me. You can get off a boat, usually, somehow.
Thinking about it...how do planes stay up anyway?
PPRuNe Handmaiden
You're absolutely correct, fear of flying is often a manifestation of some underlying psychological issues. Mostly agoraphobia and claustrophobia. Which seem at odds but not really. General anxiety disorders play a part as well. So hence the reason why I always recommend seeing professional guidance, such as fear of flying clinics etc.
I also recommend to people who are mildly anxious to get familiar with how to get to the airport and the terminal etc. Familiarity reduces the stress.
How do aeroplanes fly?
Serious answer. Benoulli and Newton. Physics mainly.
Real answer. Money. No money, no aeroplane will fly.
I also recommend to people who are mildly anxious to get familiar with how to get to the airport and the terminal etc. Familiarity reduces the stress.
How do aeroplanes fly?
Serious answer. Benoulli and Newton. Physics mainly.
Real answer. Money. No money, no aeroplane will fly.
