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Thread: Fear of Heights
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Old 4th August 2005 | 23:02
  #9 (permalink)  
DubTrub
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I was amazed at just how many pilots were scared of heights
No great surprise, really, since all pilots are human, and most humans are scared of heights! Me included.
But like acrophobic, I can cope en avion until above about 3000', then I get nervous too. So I stay low-level, where I can see the darn ground!

Funnily, if I use a mount other than my regular steed, I am not so nervous. I think it may be to do with the view of the horizon (my regular steed has little, whereas say a 152 or Pa28 has lots).

I am more happy inverted, where the windscreen is full of ground. Perhaps the human mind needs to know its position in relation to the horizon (but that might be just my excuse for falling over late at night when coming out of the pub!)

There is a vertigo situation, Whirly and Mike, associated with perspective when crossing objects of differing heights (like flying across the top of a tall mast...the ground hardly moves, but the mast top does!). I also get vertigo in steep turns if I look at the higher wing against the sky...). Perhaps someone could give a logical expanation for vertigo, other than the "inner ear" argument.