Flying phobias in aircrew
I don't like heights. Flew a gazelle with the doors off recently and it felt awful. Totally irrational, but a feeling nonetheless. Doors back on and problem went away..
Did a drop of free-fall parachutists from a Lynx over Edinburgh once, and had an overwhelming desire to jump out after them, but that may have had more to do with the crappy aircraft.
One that has come back to haunt me over the fifteen years since I retired from flying, is wires. They feature in my dreams regularly, despite never having had an encounter during my flying.
Do a Hover - it avoids G
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Like several above I cannot stand heights. Mrs F does all that is needed up ladders or wotever.
I have come to the conclusion that in my case it is not just a fear of heights but a fear of falling. Provided I can strap whatever it is on my back end of problem. I even managed an aero tow in a Dagling to 2000ft over Cranwell North when I was 2 i/c the Gliding Club there in 61 ish. Deliberately getting airborne without any indication of IAS or height was an issue but nothing else.
I have come to the conclusion that in my case it is not just a fear of heights but a fear of falling. Provided I can strap whatever it is on my back end of problem. I even managed an aero tow in a Dagling to 2000ft over Cranwell North when I was 2 i/c the Gliding Club there in 61 ish. Deliberately getting airborne without any indication of IAS or height was an issue but nothing else.
When I was approaching my 8year option in '73,the chance of getting a decent civilian Flt Nav' job was less than finding rocking-horse s**t,so I thought I would go to CSE Oxford and do a CPL.
They said to start with a PPL while HMQ was still paying me, so off I went to Staverton. By then I had 2700hrs as a nav but had never been in anything smaller than the Valetta/Varsity, apart from dinghy drill uplifts by Whirlwind.
I was absolutely terrified in a Cessna 150 and hated every minute of the 30 or so hours I did, especially stalling and spinning. Once, the instructor hadn't fastened his door properly and it flew open when we doing steep turns, I nearly wet myself.
Back at Lyneham I explained this to some of my mates and several said that they had been like that at first on Chipmunks/JPs, but, as I told them I was paying and it felt like throwing good money away.
Suffice to say I gave up even though my instructor ( Pete Rayner exCFS) said I ought to have a double brandy before I flew to calm my nerves.
Years later No1 son took me up in a Jaguar, didn't enjoy that much and I did experience what he said was called 'knife edge'.
It certainly vindicated my decision to only apply to be a nav' back in '65.
I don't do heights at all - once when staying with an old Herc mate in HK he found it amusing that I insisted Mrs B48 slept next to the window of his 12th floor apartment.
They said to start with a PPL while HMQ was still paying me, so off I went to Staverton. By then I had 2700hrs as a nav but had never been in anything smaller than the Valetta/Varsity, apart from dinghy drill uplifts by Whirlwind.
I was absolutely terrified in a Cessna 150 and hated every minute of the 30 or so hours I did, especially stalling and spinning. Once, the instructor hadn't fastened his door properly and it flew open when we doing steep turns, I nearly wet myself.
Back at Lyneham I explained this to some of my mates and several said that they had been like that at first on Chipmunks/JPs, but, as I told them I was paying and it felt like throwing good money away.
Suffice to say I gave up even though my instructor ( Pete Rayner exCFS) said I ought to have a double brandy before I flew to calm my nerves.
Years later No1 son took me up in a Jaguar, didn't enjoy that much and I did experience what he said was called 'knife edge'.
It certainly vindicated my decision to only apply to be a nav' back in '65.
I don't do heights at all - once when staying with an old Herc mate in HK he found it amusing that I insisted Mrs B48 slept next to the window of his 12th floor apartment.
In the pre huggy-fluffy days, vertical metal ladders on the outside of buildings and towers were fitted with metal hoops to give the same feeling of security. Not allowed to climb them nowadays of course without multiple ropes and safety nets.
I lasted 4 minutes of the video, then I think my pizza and chips from the pub were going to make a reappearance!
Last edited by Brian 48nav; 7th Sep 2011 at 20:49. Reason: spelling
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I was once offerred the jump seat in a NATO E-3A cockpit for landing. All went well until the aircraft started oscillating on the nose wheel and the Italian aircraft captain started to chase it. Just as it got decidedly interesting, the USAF co-pilot called "I have control" and stabiliased things. I never flew AWACS seat 5 for take-offs and landings again, (about 6,500 hours worth) and I always passed offers to the "less experienced" members of the mission crew.
(I also discovered why the Pope always kissed the tarmac after landing with Air Italia).
(I also discovered why the Pope always kissed the tarmac after landing with Air Italia).
Avoid imitations
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I also used to experience the "trapped under wires in flight" dream. Not pleasant. Possibly brought on by the fact that at the time I was in a job where the exercise air control orders for helicopters were always "Not ABOVE 150 feet agl".
Never seen my wife up a ladder. She wouldn't wear the suspenders, either.
Never seen my wife up a ladder. She wouldn't wear the suspenders, either.
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I lasted 52 seconds before getting that nervous sickening feeling.
At six minutes I noticed I was holding my handkerchief over my mouth
All this while sat in a chair at my PC!
I could never ever do that job, no matter how much I was offered, as it would probably quite literally kill me through fear related heart failure. On the other hand, I would not have any problem with being in a glider or (more recently) a Tiger Moth with no chute at that height.
At six minutes I noticed I was holding my handkerchief over my mouth
All this while sat in a chair at my PC!
I could never ever do that job, no matter how much I was offered, as it would probably quite literally kill me through fear related heart failure. On the other hand, I would not have any problem with being in a glider or (more recently) a Tiger Moth with no chute at that height.
Weird experiences in roughly chronological order.
Last Solo Navex from Valley, up a valley in Scotland, low cloud & pine forest. Complete loss of depth perception, turned left & snuck out the side of the valley through last remaining letter box. First time in my life I'd felt real fear; had to lap a hill twice just to calm down. Found out a year later that a Jag guy crashed (fatal) up the same valley less than 20 mins later, report said possibly due to loss of depth perception - I KNOW it was. Relieved to find out fear was completely justified, as it has been on the other occasions it happens to me. Never had the 'inexplicable fear' some others have mentioned here, but I suspect you were right to be fearful!
Out-of-body experience closing in on a night lights-out Visual Ident (before NVGs). Seemed like I was drifting up and back from my body; no fear, just peaceful, detached. Guess a small part of my brain remembered the North Luff medical brief. A little voice said "get back in there". Instantly back in my own head, can't have lasted long - a few seconds?, nav didn't notice, completed intercept, no after effects.
Nearly fell asleep once over Paris on a long formation transit home. Nav was already asleep. I now find it impossible to sleep on any airliner, even after 50+ hours without sleep. No nerves, it just can't happen.
Like many I was afraid of heights, anything over about 10 feet, though never in an aircraft (even in a low hover). Took up skydiving. Fear (especially in the open doorway) lasted till jump eight. Never any fear once out of the aircraft. No fear anywhere from jump 9 onwards, or in any other situations afterwards - I now like skydiving on my back looking up at the sky, and happily helped a neighbour relay his roof in the snow last winter. Simple solution guys, do 9 jumps!
Recently singlehanded the Atlantic. Occasionally felt like jumping off the back for about the first 10 days 'just to see what it would be like'. Had read lots of singlehander tales that told me this was quite common. Feeling went, with no recurrence. You hear voices, dogs barking, that kind of thing also, which is also quite common, apparently.
To the best of my knowledge, I am no more crazy than the rest of you.
Last Solo Navex from Valley, up a valley in Scotland, low cloud & pine forest. Complete loss of depth perception, turned left & snuck out the side of the valley through last remaining letter box. First time in my life I'd felt real fear; had to lap a hill twice just to calm down. Found out a year later that a Jag guy crashed (fatal) up the same valley less than 20 mins later, report said possibly due to loss of depth perception - I KNOW it was. Relieved to find out fear was completely justified, as it has been on the other occasions it happens to me. Never had the 'inexplicable fear' some others have mentioned here, but I suspect you were right to be fearful!
Out-of-body experience closing in on a night lights-out Visual Ident (before NVGs). Seemed like I was drifting up and back from my body; no fear, just peaceful, detached. Guess a small part of my brain remembered the North Luff medical brief. A little voice said "get back in there". Instantly back in my own head, can't have lasted long - a few seconds?, nav didn't notice, completed intercept, no after effects.
Nearly fell asleep once over Paris on a long formation transit home. Nav was already asleep. I now find it impossible to sleep on any airliner, even after 50+ hours without sleep. No nerves, it just can't happen.
Like many I was afraid of heights, anything over about 10 feet, though never in an aircraft (even in a low hover). Took up skydiving. Fear (especially in the open doorway) lasted till jump eight. Never any fear once out of the aircraft. No fear anywhere from jump 9 onwards, or in any other situations afterwards - I now like skydiving on my back looking up at the sky, and happily helped a neighbour relay his roof in the snow last winter. Simple solution guys, do 9 jumps!
Recently singlehanded the Atlantic. Occasionally felt like jumping off the back for about the first 10 days 'just to see what it would be like'. Had read lots of singlehander tales that told me this was quite common. Feeling went, with no recurrence. You hear voices, dogs barking, that kind of thing also, which is also quite common, apparently.
To the best of my knowledge, I am no more crazy than the rest of you.
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Followed them all the way to the top - fantastic - on video! - but I'll pass on the chance to try it for real!
Damn !Now I'll get that recurring nightmare about hanging on top of a flimsy ladder which starts to keel over!
Damn !Now I'll get that recurring nightmare about hanging on top of a flimsy ladder which starts to keel over!
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That Video
Watching that movie of the tower climb gives me the strangest feeling in my scrotum. I am not totally averse to unusual sensations in this region, but this one I don't need.
These guys deserve a medal of dustbin-lid proportions; I thought I was game for a laugh, but this is beyond the Pale. Whatever they get paid, it's not enough.........
HB
These guys deserve a medal of dustbin-lid proportions; I thought I was game for a laugh, but this is beyond the Pale. Whatever they get paid, it's not enough.........
HB
Watched the vid and kept thinking "slippery glove". Completely barking!
From a personal point - I have no trouble being winched or even abseiling from a helo. I think nothing about 'spacewalking', (apart from double double checking the harness straps, QRF etc).
However, put me up a ladder to paint the side of my house ...
Completely barking!From a personal point - I have no trouble being winched or even abseiling from a helo. I think nothing about 'spacewalking', (apart from double double checking the harness straps, QRF etc).
However, put me up a ladder to paint the side of my house ...
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On fear of "exposure" or to give it its technical name "acrophobia"...
As a sufferer (and as aircrew) many moons ago it was explained to me thus.
Man desires to fly
Some men desire to fly a lot (strangely they often become aircrew)
Men who desire to fly lots go up building/cliff/mountain
subconscious mind says..."you want fly...jump, it will be good"
Conscious mind (also known as fear) says..."are you out of you ****ing mind, get away from the edge!!
What we aircrew hear and feel is our conscious mind responding to our subconscious desire.
That is why we love being in an aeroplane or dangling from a harness (where we are secure) but hate being at an edge, where we are exposed.
It made sense to me
As a sufferer (and as aircrew) many moons ago it was explained to me thus.
Man desires to fly
Some men desire to fly a lot (strangely they often become aircrew)
Men who desire to fly lots go up building/cliff/mountain
subconscious mind says..."you want fly...jump, it will be good"
Conscious mind (also known as fear) says..."are you out of you ****ing mind, get away from the edge!!
What we aircrew hear and feel is our conscious mind responding to our subconscious desire.
That is why we love being in an aeroplane or dangling from a harness (where we are secure) but hate being at an edge, where we are exposed.
It made sense to me