Nervous flyers
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: UK and Italy
Nervous flyers
I am sure we have all sat next to nervous pax, who keep the aircraft aloft by gripping the armrest with an iron grip and breathing deeply and stertorously. I always encourage them by watching films on my laptop along the lines of 'famous air disasters' or 'Snakes on a Plane'.
Seriously though, on a flight into Kai Tak, we were going to have an interesting landing. My neighbour's breathing now resembled a steam train climbing a difficult gradient. I explained to her that Kai Tak had an excellent safety record, but that for the safety of passengers the pilot would probably put the aircraft down firmly on the piano keys and that there would probably be a bit of a thump as we landed. 'What are piano keys?' she asked, with a hint of hysteria in her voice. I explained.
Sure enough we hit Hongkongese concrete with a thump that had the overhead lockers bursting open. 'See? Nothing to worry about!' I reassured, while making a mental note not to fly out on that a/c until the landing gear had been checked over for damage. At least she didn't soil herself, and though that hard landings were normal.
If you want to watch the BA 'Fear of Flying' course, it's at Series 3 Episode 3 of 'Heathrow - Britain's Busiest Airport'. You can download it from TPB or the usual suspects. It's quite amusing.
Off topic, the Kai Tak checkerboard has been restored and is something of a tourist attraction. You can see it on Google maps at https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ch...oASAFQAw%3D%3D
Seriously though, on a flight into Kai Tak, we were going to have an interesting landing. My neighbour's breathing now resembled a steam train climbing a difficult gradient. I explained to her that Kai Tak had an excellent safety record, but that for the safety of passengers the pilot would probably put the aircraft down firmly on the piano keys and that there would probably be a bit of a thump as we landed. 'What are piano keys?' she asked, with a hint of hysteria in her voice. I explained.
Sure enough we hit Hongkongese concrete with a thump that had the overhead lockers bursting open. 'See? Nothing to worry about!' I reassured, while making a mental note not to fly out on that a/c until the landing gear had been checked over for damage. At least she didn't soil herself, and though that hard landings were normal.
If you want to watch the BA 'Fear of Flying' course, it's at Series 3 Episode 3 of 'Heathrow - Britain's Busiest Airport'. You can download it from TPB or the usual suspects. It's quite amusing.
Off topic, the Kai Tak checkerboard has been restored and is something of a tourist attraction. You can see it on Google maps at https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ch...oASAFQAw%3D%3D
PPRuNe Handmaiden
Joined: Feb 1997
Posts: 4,910
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From: Duit On Mon Dei
I was once positioning home in the bat suit minding my own business in 19C, when suddenly a pax in 19D grabbed my arm and said "I am so scared!!" just immediately after rotate.
Poor lad. He was from Peru and studying in Oxford but was travelling for some reason. I can't remember where.
He'd just survived his first round of medical studies exams and was just a bit overwhelmed with it all.
I chatted with him, reassuring him and just sat with him until he was ok.
Poor lad. He was from Peru and studying in Oxford but was travelling for some reason. I can't remember where.
He'd just survived his first round of medical studies exams and was just a bit overwhelmed with it all.
I chatted with him, reassuring him and just sat with him until he was ok.
Joined: Nov 2011
Aviation Qualifications: SLF
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From: Japan
Long story short, just the heart of a wondrous day.
At Islamabad airport in the departure louge, looking down on the apron at the repairs to the engine fan. Worker climbs up into engine cowling, repeatedly hits something with large hammer, removes large chunk of offending blade, shows to mates with laughter, climbs down from engine cowl placing broken blade in knapsack, and returns on three-wheeler to maintenance shed.
I can see and hear nervous seated lady on sofa (with two children) in gorgeous costumes arguing in panicky voice with tall gold-braided uniformed man standing in front of her, looking like the Captain of our flight. He tries to calm her down, but with not much success, and finally walks off.
She is obviously still in distress, so I casually wander over and quietly reassure her that I have taken this flight many times, and that despite various minor mishaps we always get through safely.
She looks at me in some hesitant surprise, then smiles, and tells me that the man she was speaking with just now was actually her husband and he is the Captain of our upcoming flight.
At Islamabad airport in the departure louge, looking down on the apron at the repairs to the engine fan. Worker climbs up into engine cowling, repeatedly hits something with large hammer, removes large chunk of offending blade, shows to mates with laughter, climbs down from engine cowl placing broken blade in knapsack, and returns on three-wheeler to maintenance shed.
I can see and hear nervous seated lady on sofa (with two children) in gorgeous costumes arguing in panicky voice with tall gold-braided uniformed man standing in front of her, looking like the Captain of our flight. He tries to calm her down, but with not much success, and finally walks off.
She is obviously still in distress, so I casually wander over and quietly reassure her that I have taken this flight many times, and that despite various minor mishaps we always get through safely.
She looks at me in some hesitant surprise, then smiles, and tells me that the man she was speaking with just now was actually her husband and he is the Captain of our upcoming flight.
Thought police antagonist
Joined: Jul 2003
Aviation Qualifications: LAME
Posts: 1,573
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From: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Long story short, just the heart of a wondrous day.
At Islamabad airport in the departure louge, looking down on the apron at the repairs to the engine fan. Worker climbs up into engine cowling, repeatedly hits something with large hammer, removes large chunk of offending blade, shows to mates with laughter, climbs down from engine cowl placing broken blade in knapsack, and returns on three-wheeler to maintenance shed.
.
At Islamabad airport in the departure louge, looking down on the apron at the repairs to the engine fan. Worker climbs up into engine cowling, repeatedly hits something with large hammer, removes large chunk of offending blade, shows to mates with laughter, climbs down from engine cowl placing broken blade in knapsack, and returns on three-wheeler to maintenance shed.
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Bruggen gliding club. Lady arrives at launch point with family and asks if she can watch and have a look as she's visiting them and maybe fancies a flight.
All was going well until a couple of cable breaks in quick succession occurred. Now a wire launch can look daunting and a cable break even more so.
Hence, the lady was clearly nervous having decided she wanted a ride round.
Took me about 45 mins using my charm to convince her to trust me....even more so when it emerged she had never flown before in her life !.
Get airborne (silent prayer answered concerning a break) ) and at about 500 ft I said "you can open your eyes now" with a hint of gentle laughter. Watched as her head slowly extended, bit like one of those cartoon tortoises, and then " oh WOW !! " ....
After landing she clearly enjoyed the trip, but, was only entitled to one. ...so I paid for her second trip.
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,279
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From: Chedburgh, Bury St.Edmunds
Years ago, MD87 out of Heathrow. Taxing, lady next seat asks me how safe is flying these days. I reassure her that nothing ever happens here, day in, day out etc.etc., TWA Tristar ahead of us starts to take-off, aborts halfway down runway. Doors and slides come out, pass evacuate 'cos it's on fire!!!!. [Air conditioning problem}. She doesn't speak to me again. Aircraft some years later burnt itself to destruction on the ground.
Joined: Jan 2008
Aviation Qualifications: SLF
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From: Australia
Years ago, MD87 out of Heathrow. Taxing, lady next seat asks me how safe is flying these days. I reassure her that nothing ever happens here, day in, day out etc.etc., TWA Tristar ahead of us starts to take-off, aborts halfway down runway. Doors and slides come out, pass evacuate 'cos it's on fire!!!!. [Air conditioning problem}. She doesn't speak to me again. Aircraft some years later burnt itself to destruction on the ground.
PPRuNe Handmaiden
Joined: Feb 1997
Posts: 4,910
Likes: 184
From: Duit On Mon Dei
I had the opportunity to assist on an AWPA/Qantas Fear of Flying course many decades ago. It was a brilliantly run course and went into a lot of depth about managing fear and explaining what was going on.
Any way, I was assigned to a nervous participant. I asked her to do the calming exercises she was taught while we were taxiing out on a B747. She had a death grip on my arm and her eyes were clenched shut. (I am not sure if the calming exercises were really working well). A moment later we were airborne and above the grey gloom. I said very quietly "the sun's out up here". She looked and exclaimed "oh wow! Was that it?"
Yep, it was. She then relaxed and trusted the processes a bit more for the landing and return flight.
A very successful day.
I have dealt with quite a few nervous flyers at work too. All present differently. Criers are relatively easy - as in it's obvious. The silent non com can be trickier but I tend to use non emotive words anyway but the aggressive snappy guys are the hardest to figure out.
Quite often they'll project their fear onto their partner - as in "my wife's a nervous flyer" and what you see is him death gripping the chair, frozen and looking out while she's chilling, reading a magazine.
Any way, I was assigned to a nervous participant. I asked her to do the calming exercises she was taught while we were taxiing out on a B747. She had a death grip on my arm and her eyes were clenched shut. (I am not sure if the calming exercises were really working well). A moment later we were airborne and above the grey gloom. I said very quietly "the sun's out up here". She looked and exclaimed "oh wow! Was that it?"
Yep, it was. She then relaxed and trusted the processes a bit more for the landing and return flight.
A very successful day.
I have dealt with quite a few nervous flyers at work too. All present differently. Criers are relatively easy - as in it's obvious. The silent non com can be trickier but I tend to use non emotive words anyway but the aggressive snappy guys are the hardest to figure out.
Quite often they'll project their fear onto their partner - as in "my wife's a nervous flyer" and what you see is him death gripping the chair, frozen and looking out while she's chilling, reading a magazine.
Joined: May 2024
Aviation Qualifications: Spotter
Posts: 971
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From: Near SOU
My late mother was a dreadful flyer.
At the gate dad and I would stand each side of her and literally push her down the airbridge (or up the steps). She always sat in the middle seat with dad in the aisle and me in the window seats (dad was significantly stronger than me, so able to stop her escaping into the aisle and running amok towards a door...any door)
She would grip both armrests or dad's arm til her fingers were blue and had been known to break armrests. Sat in her seat, eyes tightly shut, not speaking, not eating, not drinking til we landed and she was always 2nd off the plane (after dad).
We went on holidays once or twice a year and it was the same every single time.
The only time she was not too bad was aboard Tridents with the rear facing seats (she didn't completely relax but at least she didn't grip the seat or dad's arms so tightly) but any other aircraft she was a total nightmare.
Me, on the other hand, I tend to make others nervous cos I usually pass the time during flights by reading AAIB or NTSB reports...those sat beside me usually do a cursory look at what I am reading and their facial expression changes, the colour drops from their face, they swallow hard and look straight ahead for the rest of the flight.
At the gate dad and I would stand each side of her and literally push her down the airbridge (or up the steps). She always sat in the middle seat with dad in the aisle and me in the window seats (dad was significantly stronger than me, so able to stop her escaping into the aisle and running amok towards a door...any door)
She would grip both armrests or dad's arm til her fingers were blue and had been known to break armrests. Sat in her seat, eyes tightly shut, not speaking, not eating, not drinking til we landed and she was always 2nd off the plane (after dad).
We went on holidays once or twice a year and it was the same every single time.
The only time she was not too bad was aboard Tridents with the rear facing seats (she didn't completely relax but at least she didn't grip the seat or dad's arms so tightly) but any other aircraft she was a total nightmare.
Me, on the other hand, I tend to make others nervous cos I usually pass the time during flights by reading AAIB or NTSB reports...those sat beside me usually do a cursory look at what I am reading and their facial expression changes, the colour drops from their face, they swallow hard and look straight ahead for the rest of the flight.
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,279
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From: Chedburgh, Bury St.Edmunds
Dear departed friend had only flown in an Auster. 'The only aircraft I will fly on is Concorde' she said, thinking it wouldn't happen. Her husband and I called her bluff and we took her on a Sunday morning cruise to Bay of Biscay and return Concorde BOAB. She had much sherry before departure, and they flew many times after that!.
