Scared of Flying?
safetypee,
This may be slight thread drift but if I may continue with your theme.
I grew up in an era when the phrase 'risk assessment' was not used. We talked about and implemented 'safety'. 'Process' was what was applied to some cheese and meat. We used judgement, common sense, experience. We had a sense of self preservation. We developed 'Airmanship'. Now, we blindly follow process and regulation. The format of a risk assessment and the process of its generation is often more important than its content, and if the overall assessment is 'low' then everyone is happy because nothing will go wrong. I cannot in my heart of hearts operate like that. I still have hairs on the back of my neck which, from time to time, stand up when I am confronted with a situation that is 'legal'; perhaps that is the fearfulness to which you refer. Without it, I may not still be here. I sometimes face difficulties when I refuse to do something that is 'within the regulations' because I consider it to be the wrong thing to do and potentially unsafe. Recently I have been asked to consider undertaking two different flying activities, both of which my judgement told me had risks that I was not prepared to take; I had a fear of those tasks but I am certainly not scared of flying. I convinced the sponsors of these tasks that they were not sensible. In a recent anonymous flight safety survey there was a question asking what I thought would be the cause of our next accident. I said not applying judgement and just blindly following regulations and process; could that be better phrased as a lack of fear? It is an interesting and valuable interpretation of this word that safetypee has given us.
This may be slight thread drift but if I may continue with your theme.
I grew up in an era when the phrase 'risk assessment' was not used. We talked about and implemented 'safety'. 'Process' was what was applied to some cheese and meat. We used judgement, common sense, experience. We had a sense of self preservation. We developed 'Airmanship'. Now, we blindly follow process and regulation. The format of a risk assessment and the process of its generation is often more important than its content, and if the overall assessment is 'low' then everyone is happy because nothing will go wrong. I cannot in my heart of hearts operate like that. I still have hairs on the back of my neck which, from time to time, stand up when I am confronted with a situation that is 'legal'; perhaps that is the fearfulness to which you refer. Without it, I may not still be here. I sometimes face difficulties when I refuse to do something that is 'within the regulations' because I consider it to be the wrong thing to do and potentially unsafe. Recently I have been asked to consider undertaking two different flying activities, both of which my judgement told me had risks that I was not prepared to take; I had a fear of those tasks but I am certainly not scared of flying. I convinced the sponsors of these tasks that they were not sensible. In a recent anonymous flight safety survey there was a question asking what I thought would be the cause of our next accident. I said not applying judgement and just blindly following regulations and process; could that be better phrased as a lack of fear? It is an interesting and valuable interpretation of this word that safetypee has given us.
Sitting strapped in in the back of a Whirlwind, feet dangling out of the door as we flew back to Kai Tak over the New Territories of Hong Kong (mainly open country in those days) I was happy as a sandboy.
All of a sudden we were over the built up area of Kowloon with skyscrapers seeming to rise up to meet us. I was immediately terror struck and crawled back into the far corner of the cabin.
Totally illogical, as a 1,000 foot drop onto open country would have had the same result as dropping into a street or building, but my brain just didn't seem to see it that way
When I was flying in the back of a Victor tanker I don't ever remember feeling scared, but about once a week I had what I understand is a common "anxiety " dream - being flown at low level a few feet above the ground, going underneath power cables etc and in imminent danger of crashing. When I left the RAF this dream stopped and I have only had rare recurrences over the years
Odd dream for me, our flying was very rarely anywhere near the ground - on tankers we considered FL250 as low level!
All of a sudden we were over the built up area of Kowloon with skyscrapers seeming to rise up to meet us. I was immediately terror struck and crawled back into the far corner of the cabin.
Totally illogical, as a 1,000 foot drop onto open country would have had the same result as dropping into a street or building, but my brain just didn't seem to see it that way
When I was flying in the back of a Victor tanker I don't ever remember feeling scared, but about once a week I had what I understand is a common "anxiety " dream - being flown at low level a few feet above the ground, going underneath power cables etc and in imminent danger of crashing. When I left the RAF this dream stopped and I have only had rare recurrences over the years
Odd dream for me, our flying was very rarely anywhere near the ground - on tankers we considered FL250 as low level!
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I go through phases. Although I have only ever been SLF, I’ve done quite a lot of flying. In the mob, on MAOTs. Hell, I used to take helicopters to work! Pumas would come and pick us up at Upavon and off to wherever the ex was. Flew in many different helos, Wokkas, SKs, Wessexes, Chicken Legs, Scout, Pumas, Lynx, UH-1 (German), CH-53 (German), UH-70(US). Fixed wing, Hercs, Transall (German), Tristar and VC-10. Never a problem at all.
Then in the 90s I flew to Malta on Holiday from Köln-Bonn. On the way back over the Alps, the flight encountered terrible turbulence. It was scheduled to stop at Munich, and I said to my then wife I was getting off there, and I’ll take the train back. No way in hell I was getting back on that aircraft. As luck would have it, they binned the Munich stop and landed at Köln first. I guess the weather was just too bad to go to Munich first. I didn’t fly again for about 12 years.
I divorced and remarried, and my wife inveigled me into going to the US on holiday. 747. I sat there for 8hrs or whatever it was gripping the armrests with white knuckles. Landed and all was well. I was fine then for years. So much so that when I left the mob and got a job that involved travel, I ended up with about 550,000 flown miles on BA and 1.2M flown miles on Delta (having moved to the US). I think that works out to about 3,000 hours. I would take planes like some people take buses. I’ve crossed the Atlantic a couple hundred times now.
Then I moved to the Knoxville area, and to go anywhere, you pretty much have to take a flight to Atlanta or Detroit and onward from there. It’s only a 27 minute flight to ATL, but I did one about a year ago that scared me again. Every bit as bad as over the Alps. It was a CRJ-70, blown about like a paper aeroplane. I haven’t needed to fly as much recently, but when I do, I look for the flights operated by aircraft type, not schedule. Some ATL flights are 717s. Much larger aircraft. I just don’t do well in turbulence, and the larger aircraft seem to handle it better. Don’t know how much truth there is to that. Then again I’ve been in a 76 that was blown about like a paper aeroplane.
So, I’m a Delta Million Miler, and I hate flying
Then in the 90s I flew to Malta on Holiday from Köln-Bonn. On the way back over the Alps, the flight encountered terrible turbulence. It was scheduled to stop at Munich, and I said to my then wife I was getting off there, and I’ll take the train back. No way in hell I was getting back on that aircraft. As luck would have it, they binned the Munich stop and landed at Köln first. I guess the weather was just too bad to go to Munich first. I didn’t fly again for about 12 years.
I divorced and remarried, and my wife inveigled me into going to the US on holiday. 747. I sat there for 8hrs or whatever it was gripping the armrests with white knuckles. Landed and all was well. I was fine then for years. So much so that when I left the mob and got a job that involved travel, I ended up with about 550,000 flown miles on BA and 1.2M flown miles on Delta (having moved to the US). I think that works out to about 3,000 hours. I would take planes like some people take buses. I’ve crossed the Atlantic a couple hundred times now.
Then I moved to the Knoxville area, and to go anywhere, you pretty much have to take a flight to Atlanta or Detroit and onward from there. It’s only a 27 minute flight to ATL, but I did one about a year ago that scared me again. Every bit as bad as over the Alps. It was a CRJ-70, blown about like a paper aeroplane. I haven’t needed to fly as much recently, but when I do, I look for the flights operated by aircraft type, not schedule. Some ATL flights are 717s. Much larger aircraft. I just don’t do well in turbulence, and the larger aircraft seem to handle it better. Don’t know how much truth there is to that. Then again I’ve been in a 76 that was blown about like a paper aeroplane.
So, I’m a Delta Million Miler, and I hate flying
I only really had one worrying moment (not that I have a huge amount of flying under my belt) and that was when I was doing my PPL. After a solo flight, I veered off the runway as soon as I touched down and I didn’t know why. Quite rightly they had me straight back up with an instructor but I couldn’t do the landing and had to give back control. I didn’t like it at all. Definitely scared.
However, next day I was more than happy to fly and had no problem with the landing. I was lucky I guess as unlike some on here, I didn’t have a career to worry about, which must have compounded their problems.
However, next day I was more than happy to fly and had no problem with the landing. I was lucky I guess as unlike some on here, I didn’t have a career to worry about, which must have compounded their problems.
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Tiger G. I can't comment on the canopy closing, but in the airline world the locked flight-deck door after 9/11 was for me a psychological thing. I knew I could open it any time I wanted from the inside, but the fact that when the cabin crew gave the final checks before start, and then locked the door, it had a strange effect on me. A bit of claustrophobia I guess?
I am not sure about a direct link between a Fear of Flying and a Fear of Heights.
Certainly in my case I have never been afraid of actually flying itself (although I have certainly been afraid in some scary situations).
In fact I have even laid face down on a perspex window at height watching the world go by below me with nothing solid at all in my peripheral vision.
But I do have a fear of heights, to the extent that I can get queezy standing on a chair! When I was younger I tried desperately to get rid of it by going mountain climbing and abseiling etc, but to no avail. I cope with it by simply focusing on overcoming it .......until something breaks the concentration!
So as has been said, it seems to be related to being in contact with the ground.
However during my time in Cyprus I did a lot of snorkling in the crystal clear blue sea (with panoramic views of the bottom a long way down) and this often gave me vertigo, which was tricky to deal with ......nothing to hold on to!
So not sure how this fits in?
Certainly in my case I have never been afraid of actually flying itself (although I have certainly been afraid in some scary situations).
In fact I have even laid face down on a perspex window at height watching the world go by below me with nothing solid at all in my peripheral vision.
But I do have a fear of heights, to the extent that I can get queezy standing on a chair! When I was younger I tried desperately to get rid of it by going mountain climbing and abseiling etc, but to no avail. I cope with it by simply focusing on overcoming it .......until something breaks the concentration!
So as has been said, it seems to be related to being in contact with the ground.
However during my time in Cyprus I did a lot of snorkling in the crystal clear blue sea (with panoramic views of the bottom a long way down) and this often gave me vertigo, which was tricky to deal with ......nothing to hold on to!
So not sure how this fits in?
Certainly, I would say that piloting is exciting and demanding. However, most forms of flying can be downright dangerous in certain circumstances and different people will have different perceptions and thresholds of acceptable risk, some of which will be at a subconscious level. AFAIU, the subconscious concerns can cause problems when sufficiently triggered. I experienced problems with this after years of dangerous FJ flying. Even if the individual is very keen on flying, the sudden manifestation of symptoms, that the sufferer has little control over, can be devastating. 
Interestingly, much later in my career I found the stress of poor work/life balance and overtask/overload at work (flying, teaching, examining, paperwork, rule bending/breaking, wars etc...) difficult to manage at a conscious level. This did not precipitate unwanted behaviour but, left me feeling overstretched and overstressed.
OAP
Interestingly, much later in my career I found the stress of poor work/life balance and overtask/overload at work (flying, teaching, examining, paperwork, rule bending/breaking, wars etc...) difficult to manage at a conscious level. This did not precipitate unwanted behaviour but, left me feeling overstretched and overstressed.
OAP
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A little thread drift, but I recall Andy Green stating that prior to his record setting run in the Thrust SSC, he was "violently ill" fighting nervousness... And he was A Phantom Pilot and Squadron Leader...
I never been nervous of flying. But soon after my second child was born, I had two very near mid air collisions in the space of 3 days which made me question what I was doing flying with a young family to support. And after a lightning strike which gave me a big electric shock, I have since always been nervous when flying near cumulo-nimbus clouds.
I once had a student, who was reluctant to handle the aircraft other than very gently. He had stated that his aim was to go onto heavies and not fast jets. But one day, I noticed his hands were shaking as we were walking for the first spinning sortie and I realised he was very nervous. And one day when I was DI, I watched one of his solos on the radar. He just flew around in gentle level circles until it was time to come back to do some circuits. One day, I mentioned to him that if he didn't think it was for him then there was no shame in withdrawing. He seemed relieved that I has realised his problem, but he said he wanted to carry on. In the end, he failed the end of course check and decided that he didn't want to do a re-take. I saw him a few years later where he was very happy as a supply officer.
One of my colleagues in my current airline had previously voluntarily withdrawn himself from TWU through nerves, leaving the RAF. He was a nervous airline pilot too. Mind you, he wasn't the luckiest guy. If anyone was going to have an engine failure at V1, it would be him. He quit flying and I last heard he was a maths teacher in a secondary school in Glasgow - which doesn't strike me as being very safe!
I once had a student, who was reluctant to handle the aircraft other than very gently. He had stated that his aim was to go onto heavies and not fast jets. But one day, I noticed his hands were shaking as we were walking for the first spinning sortie and I realised he was very nervous. And one day when I was DI, I watched one of his solos on the radar. He just flew around in gentle level circles until it was time to come back to do some circuits. One day, I mentioned to him that if he didn't think it was for him then there was no shame in withdrawing. He seemed relieved that I has realised his problem, but he said he wanted to carry on. In the end, he failed the end of course check and decided that he didn't want to do a re-take. I saw him a few years later where he was very happy as a supply officer.
One of my colleagues in my current airline had previously voluntarily withdrawn himself from TWU through nerves, leaving the RAF. He was a nervous airline pilot too. Mind you, he wasn't the luckiest guy. If anyone was going to have an engine failure at V1, it would be him. He quit flying and I last heard he was a maths teacher in a secondary school in Glasgow - which doesn't strike me as being very safe!
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A few thoughts after almost forty years of flying for a living...
I was once, in my youth, told by an AEF pilot I was a natural pilot. I flew an RAF flying scholarship at the age of 17 and found it easy. I desperately wanted to fly fast jets but to my surprise I hated RAF flying training on the JP. In fact I hated the whole BFTS jet training environment. Having worked as a builder's labourer for a couple of years before joining up and having very much learned to stand up for myself whilst doing so, I resented the bullying way it was carried out. I found myself becoming very stressed at times before flying and desperately wanted to punch the lights out of one particular QFI, who looking back, very much deserved it and probably shouldn't have been instructing. The system back then didn't really accept character clashes so I had to put up with the idiot for some time. I know Beagle found similar issues during his training, it wasn't just me. Faulty sinuses eventually resulted in me losing my medical. More stress, until I eventually found myself on RW, where the training system was run in a more adult fashion and I regained my enthusiasm for flying.
I've never been scared of flying, but I have been worried about launching at times. I've never been scared of heights either in or out of the cockpit, but I did feel a bit strange on a couple of occasions, once when orbiting power station cooling towers and looking down into the black hole of one and another time on task orbiting a very deep sinkhole where an old lead mine had just collapsed and the aircraft's night sun beam didn't seem to reach the bottom!
I too have suffered the recurring dream where I was flying down a long city street, below the rooftops and on trying to climb to safe altitude, being trapped by multiple power cables stretched above. That occurred often after an IMC event where I was flown over water avoiding one set of power lines below and suddenly realised we were under another higher set at the same time....
I also went through a period of operational flying in NI where I knew every flight might be the last. This thought occurred every wet, gloomy day at the armoury while loading the magazines of my Browning 9mm and my SA-80. We were suffering a period of very poor weather and because of it we had to fly all day in the high "PK" (probability of kill) zone for small arms fire at a time of high IRA activity. The worry of being shot down was ever present, the thought of being used as a political pawn after possible capture by the IRA was, too. The politics of the time played down the threat, we knew it was very real, aircraft were being brought down and the IRA hated helicopter crews with a vengeance. Soldiers were being murdered...in the UK. The rules of engagement were difficult, the thought of being prosecuted for firing back was also of some great concern, especially as precedents had been set.
Two of my RAF instructional tours involved teaching major emergencies on a full motion simulator. One day it suddenly occurred to me that I had become totally de-sensitised to crashing. After all, we always survived them and after resetting the sim, just carried on and had another go. I had to give myself a severe talking to about that! Possibly a unique scenario.
These days, in civvie street, the job is often demanding, especially in the winter bad weather, but the main concerns are not getting the job done, or rather, telling the aircraft owner we're not able to launch. Also not busting the ever increasing rules brought in by EASA whilst doing so....
I was once, in my youth, told by an AEF pilot I was a natural pilot. I flew an RAF flying scholarship at the age of 17 and found it easy. I desperately wanted to fly fast jets but to my surprise I hated RAF flying training on the JP. In fact I hated the whole BFTS jet training environment. Having worked as a builder's labourer for a couple of years before joining up and having very much learned to stand up for myself whilst doing so, I resented the bullying way it was carried out. I found myself becoming very stressed at times before flying and desperately wanted to punch the lights out of one particular QFI, who looking back, very much deserved it and probably shouldn't have been instructing. The system back then didn't really accept character clashes so I had to put up with the idiot for some time. I know Beagle found similar issues during his training, it wasn't just me. Faulty sinuses eventually resulted in me losing my medical. More stress, until I eventually found myself on RW, where the training system was run in a more adult fashion and I regained my enthusiasm for flying.
I've never been scared of flying, but I have been worried about launching at times. I've never been scared of heights either in or out of the cockpit, but I did feel a bit strange on a couple of occasions, once when orbiting power station cooling towers and looking down into the black hole of one and another time on task orbiting a very deep sinkhole where an old lead mine had just collapsed and the aircraft's night sun beam didn't seem to reach the bottom!
I too have suffered the recurring dream where I was flying down a long city street, below the rooftops and on trying to climb to safe altitude, being trapped by multiple power cables stretched above. That occurred often after an IMC event where I was flown over water avoiding one set of power lines below and suddenly realised we were under another higher set at the same time....
I also went through a period of operational flying in NI where I knew every flight might be the last. This thought occurred every wet, gloomy day at the armoury while loading the magazines of my Browning 9mm and my SA-80. We were suffering a period of very poor weather and because of it we had to fly all day in the high "PK" (probability of kill) zone for small arms fire at a time of high IRA activity. The worry of being shot down was ever present, the thought of being used as a political pawn after possible capture by the IRA was, too. The politics of the time played down the threat, we knew it was very real, aircraft were being brought down and the IRA hated helicopter crews with a vengeance. Soldiers were being murdered...in the UK. The rules of engagement were difficult, the thought of being prosecuted for firing back was also of some great concern, especially as precedents had been set.
Two of my RAF instructional tours involved teaching major emergencies on a full motion simulator. One day it suddenly occurred to me that I had become totally de-sensitised to crashing. After all, we always survived them and after resetting the sim, just carried on and had another go. I had to give myself a severe talking to about that! Possibly a unique scenario.
These days, in civvie street, the job is often demanding, especially in the winter bad weather, but the main concerns are not getting the job done, or rather, telling the aircraft owner we're not able to launch. Also not busting the ever increasing rules brought in by EASA whilst doing so....
Last edited by ShyTorque; 11th Feb 2018 at 07:06.
Scared OF flying OR Scared WHILE flying?
Two different things, in my view.
Lots of the latter, but very few big scares; generally over in a moment.
As Shytorque says, Northern Ireland needed sustained mental effort to keep going effectively.
Courage has been talked about as "Cold" courage and "Hot" courage.
If you can accept that notion; "cold" is where the mind finds it hard.
Certainly, pre-event nerves can get a hold.
There is nothing like a course to get you going up & down in the mental stakes!
lsh
Two different things, in my view.
Lots of the latter, but very few big scares; generally over in a moment.
As Shytorque says, Northern Ireland needed sustained mental effort to keep going effectively.
Courage has been talked about as "Cold" courage and "Hot" courage.
If you can accept that notion; "cold" is where the mind finds it hard.
Certainly, pre-event nerves can get a hold.
There is nothing like a course to get you going up & down in the mental stakes!
lsh
I'm another one who has a recurring nightmare involving urban areas and overhead wires.
While I can't admit to experiencing a fear of flying - other than during my Lynx conversion - as I got older I became more aware of my mortality, thus becoming increasingly circumspect about how far to push the limits, especially in NI.
While I can't admit to experiencing a fear of flying - other than during my Lynx conversion - as I got older I became more aware of my mortality, thus becoming increasingly circumspect about how far to push the limits, especially in NI.
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The strange thing about height was if I was hoping around on and off a Ten pylon or up a tall ladder the thing would frighten me, however shinning up the side of a Wessex or working on the decking of the Puma and Chinook never bothered me, I suppose it was over a set height it effects me, however when the Pumas shed the doors after the Norway incident I transited down the UK in a Puma at 7000 feet sitting in the door seats facing nothing but a big hole and bar being a tad cold, the view and height didn't bother me.
Flying has never bothered me strangely enough.
Flying has never bothered me strangely enough.
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During WWII on bomber command the pejorative description of those who expressed a fear of flying was that they "lacked moral fibre".
My dad was a flt cmdr on 267 in KL in the mid to late 1950's having originally been posted there as the Sqn QFS (the squadron was quite large with 4 or 5 different types of aircraft). Two of the Sqn Ldrs on the Sqn were WWII decorated Lancaster pilots. One had flown on one of the Tirpitz raids -- the one where they flew via Russia. My dad was a WWII fighter recon spitfire pilot in Italy.
So there was no lack of moral fibre on the part of those managing the Sqn.
When a first tourist lost his nerve and refused to fly the Pioneers into jungle forts claiming the aircraft were unsafe, he was up for the high jump. My dad, whose previous posting was as a Univ Sqn iCFI, was very sympathetic and attempted to save him. The outcome: the pilot was posted home in disgrace and my dad was viewed as a Quisling.
During the 1950's the attrition rate amongst RAF pilots was so high, it is remarkable that more pilots did not lose their nerve, but I suspect that few openly discussed their fears.
My dad was a flt cmdr on 267 in KL in the mid to late 1950's having originally been posted there as the Sqn QFS (the squadron was quite large with 4 or 5 different types of aircraft). Two of the Sqn Ldrs on the Sqn were WWII decorated Lancaster pilots. One had flown on one of the Tirpitz raids -- the one where they flew via Russia. My dad was a WWII fighter recon spitfire pilot in Italy.
So there was no lack of moral fibre on the part of those managing the Sqn.
When a first tourist lost his nerve and refused to fly the Pioneers into jungle forts claiming the aircraft were unsafe, he was up for the high jump. My dad, whose previous posting was as a Univ Sqn iCFI, was very sympathetic and attempted to save him. The outcome: the pilot was posted home in disgrace and my dad was viewed as a Quisling.
During the 1950's the attrition rate amongst RAF pilots was so high, it is remarkable that more pilots did not lose their nerve, but I suspect that few openly discussed their fears.
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What a fascinating thread. It should be required reading for any and all involved in any kind of aviation, especially those with responsibility for flight safety.
Refreshingly (brutally?) honest comments from pilots, other aircrew and the all-important ground crew about their own experiences. And no recriminations or put downs, just an understanding that 'it' happens.
Ahh, now there's a VERY good point ...
I never did very much: PPL (Spamcan), UAS (Bulldog) then VGS (Viking) and I loved flying and never felt the slightest concern pre-flight.
Even if I was scared witless (still am) about the idea of climbing a ladder to check the guttering on my house and had serious kittens about my daughter standing on the glass floor at the top of the CN Tower in YYZ and couldn't do it myself ..
My own experience? It never happened on powered types or when flying dual but latterly, solo on Vikings and just 'bimbling around' i.e. not doing a lot, just soaring, I started to get freaked out because at times I thought I could see myself sitting on the wingtip looking in at myself flying the a/c. (Not hypoxia, this was at 2,000').
Was this because of the lower workload and that my mind wasn't fully occupied or stretched and had too much time to think about silly / irrational things? Or something else?
Wish I'd seen this thread then because I never had the confidence to discuss it with anyone and stopped soon after .. Having a stude trying his best to kill us both on landing may have had something to do with that as well!!
CS
Refreshingly (brutally?) honest comments from pilots, other aircrew and the all-important ground crew about their own experiences. And no recriminations or put downs, just an understanding that 'it' happens.
I never did very much: PPL (Spamcan), UAS (Bulldog) then VGS (Viking) and I loved flying and never felt the slightest concern pre-flight.
Even if I was scared witless (still am) about the idea of climbing a ladder to check the guttering on my house and had serious kittens about my daughter standing on the glass floor at the top of the CN Tower in YYZ and couldn't do it myself ..
My own experience? It never happened on powered types or when flying dual but latterly, solo on Vikings and just 'bimbling around' i.e. not doing a lot, just soaring, I started to get freaked out because at times I thought I could see myself sitting on the wingtip looking in at myself flying the a/c. (Not hypoxia, this was at 2,000').
Was this because of the lower workload and that my mind wasn't fully occupied or stretched and had too much time to think about silly / irrational things? Or something else?
Wish I'd seen this thread then because I never had the confidence to discuss it with anyone and stopped soon after .. Having a stude trying his best to kill us both on landing may have had something to do with that as well!!
CS
I have, most of the time I am screwing up either in the air or in the sim and then letting myself down by failing.
Shytorque
Wire dream or nightmare..never read before of it nor told anyone that I have a similar one.
My fear of heights started with my mum hysterically screaming at Simon's Yat..a lovers leap over the Wye. Around the same age, 6, I slept off the roof of our prefab clasping an umbrella having seen a cartoon character do the same..did it hurt. Then a mate impaled himself on the spiked railings whilst conkering opposite Rochford Nick. My fear of heights had sown the seed.
My fear of flying was my first solo at Rochford when no one taught me what to do if I bounced and a PIO. One of the two useless instructors ended up in the CAA.
The month before I started at flying college two dead in a mid air after a controller had resigned because the procedures were dangerous. Two guys on my course had a mid air over the isle of Wight..one of the two areas the whole college fleet were sent to practice air exercises. Dopey
My aerobatic instructor was frightened of unusual attitudes and aeros so I did forced landings.
I joined BEA the month a Vanguard broke up caused by a corrosion problem that had been ignored for two years.
Then I started flying jets with guys who were frightened of the Trident and wouldn't let me try my hand shortly followed by my best mate dying in papa India. The captain had a nervous tick which got worse the closer one got to the runway..there was a joke regarding the radio altimeter.
By that time I was verging on neurotic as I didn't understand the system that put the worst pilots into management, fortunately I was helped by normal line pilots.
6 years on I put out a May Day on a VC 10..close to 40,000ft in a cloudless sky over Pakistan. Eventually I took out the autopilot as a last result as we all thought it would break up..problem solved runaway yaw damper. After that I lost a lot of my fears.
They more or less disappeared over the Pyrenees in severe cat when I was going through a divorce as I realised there was a positive side that I wouldn't have to go back to her indoors.
Later on I did NLP which allowed me to climb to the top of a mast 60ft above the ground.
In between I flew with a captain who had hid in the toilet when the destination went out in fog, various guys who were petrified, those with nervous to ticks, alcoholics and the worst was a 54 year old on a RIO with a double crew..he was so frightened he wouldn't go into the crew bunk nor fly the leg. Poor sod confided his fear but had another 6 months to get his pension. Died 3 months after retiring.
Had a mate who had a severe skin disorder and popped antidepressants..left and within a year was a fleet chief and trainer in the gulf..skin healed..would get his mates to check him out, write his own rosters to safe destinations and fly with experienced co pilots of his choice.
I lost my license and got into gliders..mountain flying, instructing and acrobatics. Wearing a parachute helped a lot but avoided close proximity to other aircraft as have had far too many lucky airmisses. Paraglide as well now..reserve is usable above 400ft whereas gliders it's above 2,000 ft realistically.
Still get frightened especially when I see better men than me crash but absolutely no pressure to fly in crap conditions.
Last flight last week was another fearful one having seen a video of an accident caused by wind shear..Kelvin - Helmholtz effect and flew into the same turbulence myself...5 minutes of trying to get down in one piece.
Of the 32 guys who graduated with me none kept flying after they retired..food for thought.
My fear of heights started with my mum hysterically screaming at Simon's Yat..a lovers leap over the Wye. Around the same age, 6, I slept off the roof of our prefab clasping an umbrella having seen a cartoon character do the same..did it hurt. Then a mate impaled himself on the spiked railings whilst conkering opposite Rochford Nick. My fear of heights had sown the seed.
My fear of flying was my first solo at Rochford when no one taught me what to do if I bounced and a PIO. One of the two useless instructors ended up in the CAA.
The month before I started at flying college two dead in a mid air after a controller had resigned because the procedures were dangerous. Two guys on my course had a mid air over the isle of Wight..one of the two areas the whole college fleet were sent to practice air exercises. Dopey
My aerobatic instructor was frightened of unusual attitudes and aeros so I did forced landings.
I joined BEA the month a Vanguard broke up caused by a corrosion problem that had been ignored for two years.
Then I started flying jets with guys who were frightened of the Trident and wouldn't let me try my hand shortly followed by my best mate dying in papa India. The captain had a nervous tick which got worse the closer one got to the runway..there was a joke regarding the radio altimeter.
By that time I was verging on neurotic as I didn't understand the system that put the worst pilots into management, fortunately I was helped by normal line pilots.
6 years on I put out a May Day on a VC 10..close to 40,000ft in a cloudless sky over Pakistan. Eventually I took out the autopilot as a last result as we all thought it would break up..problem solved runaway yaw damper. After that I lost a lot of my fears.
They more or less disappeared over the Pyrenees in severe cat when I was going through a divorce as I realised there was a positive side that I wouldn't have to go back to her indoors.
Later on I did NLP which allowed me to climb to the top of a mast 60ft above the ground.
In between I flew with a captain who had hid in the toilet when the destination went out in fog, various guys who were petrified, those with nervous to ticks, alcoholics and the worst was a 54 year old on a RIO with a double crew..he was so frightened he wouldn't go into the crew bunk nor fly the leg. Poor sod confided his fear but had another 6 months to get his pension. Died 3 months after retiring.
Had a mate who had a severe skin disorder and popped antidepressants..left and within a year was a fleet chief and trainer in the gulf..skin healed..would get his mates to check him out, write his own rosters to safe destinations and fly with experienced co pilots of his choice.
I lost my license and got into gliders..mountain flying, instructing and acrobatics. Wearing a parachute helped a lot but avoided close proximity to other aircraft as have had far too many lucky airmisses. Paraglide as well now..reserve is usable above 400ft whereas gliders it's above 2,000 ft realistically.
Still get frightened especially when I see better men than me crash but absolutely no pressure to fly in crap conditions.
Last flight last week was another fearful one having seen a video of an accident caused by wind shear..Kelvin - Helmholtz effect and flew into the same turbulence myself...5 minutes of trying to get down in one piece.
Of the 32 guys who graduated with me none kept flying after they retired..food for thought.