Fear of flying....

[Danoff]

I just tell myself the pilots are professionals at the helm of something amazingly complex, because there's a lot of triple redundancy built into the aircraft for the sake of safety.

That plane doesn't take off alone, there's two pilots (and possibly at least one as a passenger). Ground control makes sure they go to the taxiway in careful order, air traffic control guides them, they follow an air route that's used over and over again, and follow a handful of procedures to land it. Everything they do is recorded and could be used against them for deviating from that plan.

Pilots are usually rated to fly only one or two types of aircraft, and there's a ton of standardization between each aircraft of the same type. They spend hours in simulators, dozens of hours a year going over practice for conditions, and require medical clearance on a yearly basis.

You don't hear the media about the thousands of aircraft that take off and land every day, just as much as you don't hear about one hundred million vehicles arriving safe and sound to their destinations.

And along with that, air rage and annoying passengers aren't as prevalent as the media would lead you to believe. People are actually quite courteous, and the worst that happens is an armrest becomes a battle of who nods off first...

First of all, there may be a crack in the fuselage that has been growing undetected, then suddenly as you rise in altitude POP! Cracks form naturally from the cyclic pressurization. Maintenance looks for them periodically (with fancy instruments), but there are corners where cracks are difficult to detect. I've had to learn all of the way that airplanes fall apart, and some of them are not great. By the way you want to be in an airplane with 2 engines rather than 3.

Here's an example of a crack growing undetected:

Low altitude flight, only one person killed if I recall (flight attendant sucked out of the plane when the cabin ripped open - keep your seatbelt on).

Second of all, you're assuming that the personnel are all behaving responsibly... not a fantastic assumption.

Third, you're trying to provide rational reasons why someone should not have an irrational fear. It's irrational, you can't combat it with rationalizations.

 

[grrlpurple]

Fear of "flying".

Fear of crashing - rational
Aerophobia - irrational

I wonder how many people who are scared of flying are actually scared of humans taking flight rather than plummeting from 30,000ft. The second is perfectly understandable, and would obviously deter you from wanting to fly. But it's not a fear of the actual flight itself but a possible consequence of it.

I have a fear of drowning, but I don't have aquaphobia; I'm not scared of water.

/Deputy Regional Non-Executive Director Of The Pedantic Society

Actually... not wishing to be at all pedantic, isn't a 'phobia' by definition an irrational fear and all phobias are almost always concerned with a 'disproportional' fear to the plausible risk at hand.

 

[Azuremen]

My fear is not knowing what might happen and not being in control of it I guess, I do enjoy the actual flight just not the fear of what might happen.

Just accept you don't control very much of anything in the world and it helps.

 

[Pupik]

@Danoff, you're right in nearly every regard, in nearly every thread you post in, but you stink at reassurance for worried flyers. Of course, there's chances at failure. But multiple folks have to fail in succession.

So, here's a photo of me...right now, in my airplane seat:

514 flights and counting...other than a bumped head when exiting a tiny CRJ-200, I'm all good. They even let me sit in the exit row.

 

[Danoff]

@Danoff, you're right in nearly every regard, in nearly every thread you post in, but you stink at reassurance for worried flyers. Of course, there's chances at failure.

I did explain that I struggle with flying right?

 

[TenEightyOne]

First of all, there may be a crack in the fuselage that has been growing undetected, then suddenly as you rise in altitude POP! Cracks form naturally from the cyclic pressurization.

Never ever ever go an a fairground ride if airline safety checks aren't enough for you

 

[Exorcet]

I watched that TC plane go out and, eventually, come back in

In person? It must have been something to watch. I haven't seen a single thing out of the ordinary when it comes to flying besides some touch and goes.

 

[SniperRed3]

I remember my first flying experience. Stunt flying in a plane that got recalled the next week for mid air engine failure.

 

[Danoff]

Never ever ever go an a fairground ride if airline safety checks aren't enough for you

I don't!

 

[TenEightyOne]

In person? It must have been something to watch. I haven't seen a single thing out of the ordinary when it comes to flying besides some touch and goes.

I smoke too much and work very close to Manchester Airport I could hear the plane climbing (it climbed away from our office that day, that's the normal wind direction with landings coming in directly overhead not far from threshold). Very impressive noise, he climbed out to the west (Liverpool John Lennon, Wallasey... and Warton if you're desperate) but he came around after dumping fuel and made the expected normal landing with emergency provisions.

Nerdy observations of FlightRadar24 show the occasional return but rarely anything visibly impressive when you see them come back in.

@Danoff... nor do I

 

[sems4arsenal]

I only get scared during landing (the approach in particular), then again I don't like stuff I don't drive . Watching documentaries though, one can learn just how safe air travel is.

 

[TB]

Never ever ever go an a fairground ride if airline safety checks aren't enough for you

If you feel the need to fear anything, fear these death traps!

 

[Pupik]

I did explain that I struggle with flying right?

Aye, missed that...Sorry for the ridicule. Aren't you in the field of aerospace, though?

I do read more and more about aircraft, what pilots do, and eventually, the disasters are brought up. You really can't go far on the web without the discussion of Bernoulli's Principles turning into a discussion about some stubborn, non-functioning aileron.

About my biggest fear is being a passenger in a car, with a driver who goes too fast, swerves, and tailgates. I usually insist on driving with my co-workers, because they also like to drinky-drink.

 

[Danoff]

Aye, missed that...Sorry for the ridicule. Aren't you in the field of aerospace, though?

Yes, if anything that made it worse as I had to study all of the failure mechanisms for aircraft.

About my biggest fear is being a passenger in a car, with a driver who goes too fast, swerves, and tailgates. I usually insist on driving with my co-workers, because they also like to drinky-drink.

That's just a rational concern, not a phobia.

 

[SniperRed3]

I have a phobia of anything that leads to my death.

 

[Danoff]

I have a phobia of anything that leads to my death.

So you have to wait until you die to figure out what you're afraid of.

 

[Swagger897]

I've always wanted to be a pilot but circumstances have changed to allow that. I've flown probably a few hundred times, but still have a shiver every time I fly.

I have FS9 (Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004) and a good payware aircraft (QW757) and fly from ATL-PIT all the time, since that is my most common route IRL. Normally before a flight I'll check flightaware for the planes scheduled route, and then look at the charts on my iPad and view them... I have a flight simulator app too on my iPad and normally I'll make a route that will last as long as the flight to burn time.... Whatever it does to make me get side tracked..