Scared of Flying?
Im not sure if knowing a little about flying is a curse or a blessing. I count the runway markers on takeoff, and have done enough SLF to know most of the noises, and in Civ life I travel with work. So 'odd' things make me uncomfortable. Got caught out sat next to the galley at the back of a Northwest A320 and during the climbout one of the trollys came out and hit the other side of the galley with a huge bang. - That woke me up and I was on edge for the duration.
Had a wibble when walking out to an Alitalia MD80 - Id got used to not walking to the plane, and when I got there looking at this thing, I lost my nerve, well almost. I had no choice but to come home and spent 2 hours waiting for the thing to roll onto its back and plummet earthwards.
I never had any issue with climbing into something painted matt green/grey - Misplaced confidence perhaps, but I thought if you were half as good at your job as I was at mine, we were safe
Apart from Helecopters, I genuinly dont like helecopters. I had a 'window full of mountain' moment in the Falklands. Not been in one since.
Had a wibble when walking out to an Alitalia MD80 - Id got used to not walking to the plane, and when I got there looking at this thing, I lost my nerve, well almost. I had no choice but to come home and spent 2 hours waiting for the thing to roll onto its back and plummet earthwards.
I never had any issue with climbing into something painted matt green/grey - Misplaced confidence perhaps, but I thought if you were half as good at your job as I was at mine, we were safe
Apart from Helecopters, I genuinly dont like helecopters. I had a 'window full of mountain' moment in the Falklands. Not been in one since.
Yep, me too on the overhead wires! Flying between houses with wires above and/or not the performance to zoom through any holes. Not too bad in a Harrier ... but bloody difficult in a 747! Usually ended up taking the wings off against buildings but no one seemed to mind.
Used to have combat-induced nightmares as well but thankfully they passed a long time ago.
Used to have combat-induced nightmares as well but thankfully they passed a long time ago.
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I will tiptoe in with a couple of comments, as a non-pilot. The disconnect between flying and being on Earth is clearly strong with me.
Flying. Never a twitch when Air Cadets or PPL. The only bit I didn't like was spinning in the TM, in the back seat, where i had the sensation I was actually above the top wing. Passenger flying ... oh, about 500,000 miles, and these days doing about 40k-60k a year. Utterly detached, I really don't think about the wonder of flying [or perils] at all, although I'm always alert and focussed on takeoff and landing. I just read my Kindle or watch the IFE (if it's working, BA). Although the 30º AOB turns in a hold can generate an odd feeling, so I don't look out of the window!
Heights. My stomach seriously turns when I see images [still or moving] of people in high places [buildings, mountains or whatever]. Always has done. Buster Keaton hanging on that clock-face ... aargh. And you can forget the Grand Canyon! I can [could] get up a ladder to 1st floor guttering, but that was about it - and quite comfortable. I used to have to pressure-wash our roof in Surrey, due to pine needles, which fortunately had a very shallow pitch (20º?). I would happily drag the Karcher around on the single-storey bit, but the 2-storey part was challenging ... especially when I got anywhere near the edge, when it became crawling on hands and knees.
Flying. Never a twitch when Air Cadets or PPL. The only bit I didn't like was spinning in the TM, in the back seat, where i had the sensation I was actually above the top wing. Passenger flying ... oh, about 500,000 miles, and these days doing about 40k-60k a year. Utterly detached, I really don't think about the wonder of flying [or perils] at all, although I'm always alert and focussed on takeoff and landing. I just read my Kindle or watch the IFE (if it's working, BA). Although the 30º AOB turns in a hold can generate an odd feeling, so I don't look out of the window!
Heights. My stomach seriously turns when I see images [still or moving] of people in high places [buildings, mountains or whatever]. Always has done. Buster Keaton hanging on that clock-face ... aargh. And you can forget the Grand Canyon! I can [could] get up a ladder to 1st floor guttering, but that was about it - and quite comfortable. I used to have to pressure-wash our roof in Surrey, due to pine needles, which fortunately had a very shallow pitch (20º?). I would happily drag the Karcher around on the single-storey bit, but the 2-storey part was challenging ... especially when I got anywhere near the edge, when it became crawling on hands and knees.
Wires and townscapes
In my dream I'd only landed (helo) to visit my mother and I'm sure the wires weren't there when I landed! Still, not nearly such fun as the JCB I was flying one night, back home here in SW Wales
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I must admit that the flying didn't scare me, even getting airborne 30 hours after the fleet's worst catastrophe; it was the consequences of making an error that I couldn't cope with in my last 9 months. I am however very scared of heights. I couldn't even sit on the edge of the Los Gigantes harbour next to the lovely SWMBO yesterday.
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Another Earth/Sky disconnect! Quite surprising how many are evidenced here.
He famously nearly wiped out at Mt Alice in an F4 when doing a slow flypast. He learnt about downdraughting air from that!
I'm another one who has a recurring nightmare involving urban areas and overhead wires.
I was never scared of flying, but I did get rather uncomfortable when flying a Jet Ranger at 10,000ft with the doors off in light turbulence. Even after the incident when a Lynx shed a blade I was quite happy to fly one the following day.
The only time that I really, really didn't want to fly was after the Glasow Police Helicopter crash. I was flying the same type with NPAS(National Police Air Service),and they decided to send us and our aircraft up there more or less straight away as a temporary replacement. I was up there for a few days and was quite happy that I only flew once. That feeling took a while to go away. I think that it was the inexplicable nature of the accident that was the problem.
Getting Back on the Horse
I was a relatively low-time PPL-SEL (maybe 200 hours) in 1979 when a friend who was flying Evergreen 206 LR's to a test oil rig off the coast of Georgia said he would teach me to fly "frantic palm trees". I had accumulated four hours and could hover clumsily but handle other flight regimes satisfactorily when he called one Sunday morning to ask if I'd like to bring my wife and 9-year-old son on a sight-seeing tour. Hell yes, I would!
We flew for an hour doing some low-level (10') high-speed passes over the marshes, rivers, and ocean, and some fairly high G aerobatic work. We were on long final, three minutes from KSSI (McKinnon St. Simons). We had received permission to land and were descending through 2,000'. My "friend", a 6,000-hour 'Nam pilot who was flying right seat, came over the intercom and said "Watch this!" He reached for and cycled the Emergency Fuel Cutoff switch. The annunciator panel went from green to orange to red! He had starved the engine of fuel and we were too low to get a restart! This was going to be a genuine autorotation. I turned to my family in the rear seat and yelled "Brace! Brace! Brace!"
We hit the beach, the skids dug in, the helicopter tipped forward, the main rotor clipped the tail boom off in a neat decapitation which spun us a full 360 degrees. My wife grabbed our son in her arms and exited to the left; the end of still-spinning main rotor puffed up her hair as it cleared her by an inch! I fumbled with my 5-point restraint for what seemed like hours, then ran like the devil.
The starboard fuel bladder had ruptured and was spilling jet-A near the exhaust. The T.O.T. was ~ 700 degrees, the VSI pegged at 2,500 down, and the ASI at 40 knots. We were lucky to be alive...
Some serious adult beverage consumption coupled with general prayers of thanksgiving to anyone listening followed that afternoon, but bright and early the next morning I went alone for an hour's introspective solo in my 152. Had I not, I am not certain that I would have ever flown again.
I have abseiled and was an ardent skydiver until my then-wife put her foot down and forced me to choose between her and my T-28. I have hung by one foot and one hand 50' above the stage while changing gels and bulbs in theatrical lighting. But get me on a 6' step ladder and it's time for vertigo and acrophobia! Go figure...
- Ed
We flew for an hour doing some low-level (10') high-speed passes over the marshes, rivers, and ocean, and some fairly high G aerobatic work. We were on long final, three minutes from KSSI (McKinnon St. Simons). We had received permission to land and were descending through 2,000'. My "friend", a 6,000-hour 'Nam pilot who was flying right seat, came over the intercom and said "Watch this!" He reached for and cycled the Emergency Fuel Cutoff switch. The annunciator panel went from green to orange to red! He had starved the engine of fuel and we were too low to get a restart! This was going to be a genuine autorotation. I turned to my family in the rear seat and yelled "Brace! Brace! Brace!"
We hit the beach, the skids dug in, the helicopter tipped forward, the main rotor clipped the tail boom off in a neat decapitation which spun us a full 360 degrees. My wife grabbed our son in her arms and exited to the left; the end of still-spinning main rotor puffed up her hair as it cleared her by an inch! I fumbled with my 5-point restraint for what seemed like hours, then ran like the devil.
The starboard fuel bladder had ruptured and was spilling jet-A near the exhaust. The T.O.T. was ~ 700 degrees, the VSI pegged at 2,500 down, and the ASI at 40 knots. We were lucky to be alive...
Some serious adult beverage consumption coupled with general prayers of thanksgiving to anyone listening followed that afternoon, but bright and early the next morning I went alone for an hour's introspective solo in my 152. Had I not, I am not certain that I would have ever flown again.
I have abseiled and was an ardent skydiver until my then-wife put her foot down and forced me to choose between her and my T-28. I have hung by one foot and one hand 50' above the stage while changing gels and bulbs in theatrical lighting. But get me on a 6' step ladder and it's time for vertigo and acrophobia! Go figure...
- Ed
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I have no idea if anyone ever got the block on to the roof. The scaffold poles we had were bent and the picket block must have weighed half a ton. Anyway, no harnesses, sky hooks or railing on the roof. I don't recall actually getting on the roof myself but nothing held any fears for me in my inexperienced youth.
[QUOTE=Mogwi;10050770]Yep, me too on the overhead wires! Flying between houses with wires above and/or not the performance to zoom through any holes. Not too bad in a Harrier ... but bloody difficult in a 747! Usually ended up taking the wings off against buildings but no one seemed to mind.
[QUOTE]
Yes, very much the same. Seems almost as if there is a common link here? Wires are well known as a hazard at low level but, so is the ground, birds, poles, AAA and missiles etc. I have hit lots of birds and been shot at but never dream about that. The wires getting in the way seems very specific. Also, the consequences of eventually brushing them or damaging the aircraft don't seem of any importance, no big crash-burn!
Thanks to all who contribute!
OAP
[QUOTE]
Yes, very much the same. Seems almost as if there is a common link here? Wires are well known as a hazard at low level but, so is the ground, birds, poles, AAA and missiles etc. I have hit lots of birds and been shot at but never dream about that. The wires getting in the way seems very specific. Also, the consequences of eventually brushing them or damaging the aircraft don't seem of any importance, no big crash-burn!
Thanks to all who contribute!
OAP
I can only speak from a gliding point of view...I spent many happy years...20+, straight and level (and a few turns to!) with no problems...but as soon as somebody wanted to turn things upside down...I was a bag of nerves!
My only dream I seem to have (I stopped gliding 7 years ago)...and fairly often, is that I have turned up to fly...but don't have a medical!
...probably because I feared those nearly as much as aeros!
My only dream I seem to have (I stopped gliding 7 years ago)...and fairly often, is that I have turned up to fly...but don't have a medical!
...probably because I feared those nearly as much as aeros!
Interesting how so many of us have the same wires / urban areas dreams.
In my case ( ex maritime )the wires scenario makes no sense, as all my low flying was over the sea. Not a lot of overhead wires at 30W.
My version of the urban areas does not involve flying - I am taxying a large aircraft through a lot of narrow winding streets and worrying about the wing tips. (no, I never did have a taxying accident in real life)
In my case ( ex maritime )the wires scenario makes no sense, as all my low flying was over the sea. Not a lot of overhead wires at 30W.
My version of the urban areas does not involve flying - I am taxying a large aircraft through a lot of narrow winding streets and worrying about the wing tips. (no, I never did have a taxying accident in real life)
Interesting that Oxenos.. I had a recurring dream a few years ago very similar to yours.. we were flying down a street and I was amazed that we weren't knocking the wingtips off. I never have been able to recall my dreams before but - boom - when I read your post, there it was. Very odd.
Only ever a civil pilot and fortunately never frightened of flying despite having had a very alarming incident. But I have had dreams very similar to some of those mentioned here - being required to land a very large aircraft on a road and then taxi down some streets and needing to be very careful of the wingtips.
I'm repeating that I also had the recurring dream of flying through buildings but always thought it was my memory of reality as many landings of my last 16 years, before retiring, was on R/W 13 at Kai Tak.
I've often witnessed people undressing while turning 40 deg. from the checkerboard approach to line-up with the R/W at below 200 feet.
I've often witnessed people undressing while turning 40 deg. from the checkerboard approach to line-up with the R/W at below 200 feet.
I flew anything and everything I could get my hands on and enjoyed them all, but I never liked helicopters. On the few occasions I was forced to to fly in one the thought of all those nuts, bolts and rivets vibrating loose scared the pants off me. I will never forget witnessing a Belvedere explode in the night sky as I approached Khormaksar in an Argosy or sitting next to a young 2nd Lieutenant in an AAC Scout as he demonstrated his prowess with a practice engine failure and auto rotate landing in the Radfan. Looking up at an ancient yellow Sycamore rattling above me while being winched from a dinghy off Bahrain was no fun either. Even at my advanced age I would rather strap myself into and fly a Meteor or Vampire than take a ride in a chopper.
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I was a techie in the RAF so just did the usual transit flights etc. Never had any problem with those in fixed wing but I never really liked helicopters. It's down to the fact that they dont have wings sticking out to the side. Stupid I know, I'm aware they can autorotate in the event of an engine failure. It's just one of those irrational fears.
I flew gliders for years before doing a PPL and always wore a 'chute when gliding. I remember feeling distinctly unhappy during the first few flights of my PPL at the lack of one. Doesn't bother me now as the chances of getting out of your average spammy with a 'chute on are virtually non existent anyway.
I also hate being up ladders, and even get uncomfortable standing on a chair yet the heights involved in flying don't bother me at all.
The only fear I have when flying is a midair. There are lots of blind spots on light aircraft and there have been a few occasions over the years when I've only been a second or two from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I especially dislike busy circuits. The airfield I fly from has three training organisations on it and it's not unusual to have four or five fixed wing in the circuit, plus a chopper or two doing whatever it is they do, usually being flown by trainees who are maxed out flying the circuit, never mind keeping a good lookout. Needless to say my head swivels like the young lady in the exorcist film.
I flew gliders for years before doing a PPL and always wore a 'chute when gliding. I remember feeling distinctly unhappy during the first few flights of my PPL at the lack of one. Doesn't bother me now as the chances of getting out of your average spammy with a 'chute on are virtually non existent anyway.
I also hate being up ladders, and even get uncomfortable standing on a chair yet the heights involved in flying don't bother me at all.
The only fear I have when flying is a midair. There are lots of blind spots on light aircraft and there have been a few occasions over the years when I've only been a second or two from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I especially dislike busy circuits. The airfield I fly from has three training organisations on it and it's not unusual to have four or five fixed wing in the circuit, plus a chopper or two doing whatever it is they do, usually being flown by trainees who are maxed out flying the circuit, never mind keeping a good lookout. Needless to say my head swivels like the young lady in the exorcist film.
Last edited by thing; 13th Feb 2018 at 16:41.
thing
I do not think your "fear" irrational - quite the opposite.
You answered it yourself, FW has wings, when the engine stops you have a very expensive glider!
I consider helicopters inherently dangerous, both by design and by task.
The manufacturers & operators minimise the risks - but if a helicopter lets-go, it really lets-go, no half measures!
lsh
I do not think your "fear" irrational - quite the opposite.
You answered it yourself, FW has wings, when the engine stops you have a very expensive glider!
I consider helicopters inherently dangerous, both by design and by task.
The manufacturers & operators minimise the risks - but if a helicopter lets-go, it really lets-go, no half measures!
lsh
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Better if there is a jungle canopy to act as a safety net when the rotors lose power.
I never asked my dad if he had dreams about this accident but he was able to recall it clearly 49 years later when we discussed it.
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=155480
I never asked my dad if he had dreams about this accident but he was able to recall it clearly 49 years later when we discussed it.
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=155480