Fear of heights?

[parabellum]

When I was at Middle Wallop 1964/5 we had to climb to 10,000 in the Sioux with doors off, wearing parachutes, don't think anyone enjoyed it, in later flying, at high altitude, the secret for me was to keep the doors on. Eventually flew for nearly forty years.

[B2N2]

Confession time....when I started flying business jets I sat sideways for the first two weeks hating right turns at altitude.
Captain boss man thought it was hilarious. Eventually got used to it and enjoyed flying at 45,000'.

[aa777888]

I love flying with the doors off. Must be all that time I spent skydiving in an earlier life

Keep at it, Rusty. Humans are remarkably adaptable and you will acclimate no problem!

[megan]

Humans are remarkably adaptable

Indeed they are (Building the Empire State).

[Hughes500]

Rusty

Most of us have this problem, I used to do a lot of rock climbing, high altitude climbing when much younger so you think I wouldn't suffer from vertigo. BUT
even today after 8000 hours, with doors off at high altitude get that vertigo feeling despite doing a lot of long lining with no door on. Don't get the effect when long lining, only get it when dropping parachutists from 8000 ft and only when they have left the aircraft ! The only other time time was with Richard Hammond from top gear when we were trying to dip a bucket into a cloud at 5000 ft, oh boy really had a problem with that along with Hammond screaming he couldn't handle not having a door on.
You do get used to it !!!

[Rusty1983]

Guys, thank you so much!!
I thought already I have to take a serious therapy and something is wrong with me and in worst case have to give up flying.
I will definitely take an instructor with me the next flights.

Haven't been flying as PIC for 3months now, because of that thing, seems like it's time to grab the balls and ride the horse again :-)

[Rusty1983]

Originally Posted by megan

Indeed they are (Building the Empire State).

Ay and that is nothing for me. I mean I have no problem up to 3m standing on the edge of something unsecured...but when I helped a friend of mine building the roof of his house which was 5-6m high, unsecured, I started sweating on the edge and had to go back. Standing on top of a skyscraper inside or outside with distance to the edge or a fence and leaning over the fence is ok but already with a uncomfortable feeling coming up.
Skydiving and Bungeejumping is not a big issue, due to the fact that you dont have to thrill and punish yourself on the edge a long time and can jump quickly, after the jump it's fine.

And this stuff is...I dont know how to say, from my point of view a mixture between crazy/insane absolute not possible for me, but if these guys find their freedom an satisfaction in it, I would accept but never do it on my own:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAU54D7Xeys

Or it would be a long adaption phase...if you'll survive it

[pilotmike]

seems like it's time to grab the balls and ride the horse again

You really should leave that until after you've enjoyed the flight! Best to keep both hands on the controls at all times during flight.

[Rusty1983]

Originally Posted by pilotmike

You really should leave that until after you've enjoyed the flight! Best to keep both hands on the controls at all times during flight.

Will do that for sure, 100%!

[BOBAKAT]

If I climb more than 3 meters, I get dizzy. I can not move the antenna on my TV on the roof ... My mother lived on the 12th floor, I can not get close to the window ... VERTIGO
But when I am not connected to the ground i have nothing... Last time i clim on the FL 120 i was on Squirrel to take picture above Bora Bora Island. No cloud, and a japanese professionnal photographer shooting on the back, doors opened from the bottom.. Except very bad feeling with the blade vibrations , no vertigo ! but very cold ! lol