Nervous about flying?

I love flying, its so exciting and it never gets old for me. Saying that though for some reason I've become more weary as I've gotten older.

I think it depends on the look of the plane before I get on it :p Some look really old and bitty and it makes you think when you start to get turbulence.

Near landing at Cyprus a few years ago, I remember the plane having to dive because another plane wouldn't land and was circling the approach. The pilot came on and apologised and called the other pilot an idiot for not making up his mind! :eek:

That was a brown pants time I have to say.
 
Azagoth said:
Safe as houses! These days aircraft come with an auto-pilot that's perfectly capable of flying the journey from original departure to landing, completey un-aided.

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What film was that? It's annoying me. :(
 
We were on a flight from cinncinatti to detroit and there was pretty mad turbulance - I never get motion sickness but I felt a bit ill after that - the flight crew couldn't provide any inflight food/drink and the seat belt signs were on the whole flight. It was a weird experience but it didn't put me off flying and now when we get turbulance in flights I quite enjoy it.
 
I used to take over 40 return flights a year (and used to also jump out of planes 100 times a year :p) for 7 years... but also have been travelling around the world my entire life - I've never had so much as a bad meal on a plane. Maybe in the 700 or so flights I've taken in my life I've just been lucky - but I genuinely think it's a safe way to fly. However, the potential for disaster if it does go wrong is higher.

It's a ratio of risk vs severity vs chance of it happening. Chances are low, severity is typically high, and risk is relatively low.
 
Flying is the most boring, hateful thing ever. It's totally safe which only adds to the dullness.

I'd rather just not ever go on holiday ever again if it meant not having to sit in a plane.
 
I don't get the car verses flying thing. To say that a car accident in which you die is better than an air accident where you also die seems very silly. But of course if you do feel like that's a good argument then there is also the consideration that most deaths with crashing aircraft you gonna end up burning to death immediately. Whereas I imagine the most common deaths in cars are strung out for hours or even days.

What you should really compare is different aeroplanes and companies. Or air travel and ocean liners.
 
I always enjoy a bit of turbulence as it breaks up the monotonous long haul flights, i always think they should have paracutes for all passengers just incase, but i doubt if it would be that effective, i remember them saying that it would be possible to have big parachutes that could let the whole plane float down safely in the event of a problem.
 
AdamDaniels88 said:
I don't get the car verses flying thing. To say that a car accident in which you die is better than an air accident where you also die seems very silly. But of course if you do feel like that's a good argument then there is also the consideration that most deaths with crashing aircraft you gonna end up burning to death immediately. Whereas I imagine the most common deaths in cars are strung out for hours or even days.

What you should really compare is different aeroplanes and companies. Or air travel and ocean liners.
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Its the KNOWING that you are going to die as you plummet towards earth.
 
I do get nervous flying and when there's turbulence I have to look out the window to stop myself feeling ill. I think it's also the not being in control that's scary.

Although i was told (and these are apparently real statistics) that you have more chance of guessing a strangers phone number then being in a plane crash and more chance of being killed by a donkey (random!)

There were other's but I can't remember them lol
 
Used to be nervous about flying - now I am not :) Flew to Canada on my lonesome last month and didn't get nervous at all :)
 
AdamDaniels88 said:
I don't get the car verses flying thing. To say that a car accident in which you die is better than an air accident where you also die seems very silly. But of course if you do feel like that's a good argument then there is also the consideration that most deaths with crashing aircraft you gonna end up burning to death immediately. Whereas I imagine the most common deaths in cars are strung out for hours or even days.

What you should really compare is different aeroplanes and companies. Or air travel and ocean liners.
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Agreed. A plane plummeting to the ground would equate to instant incineration at least which is better than a car accident that could lead to a painful death or worse you survive but are grievously disfigured, injured etc for the rest of your life.

I don't really think the fear of death is as simple as people make out though because death itself is incomprehensible.
 
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Chimerical said:
Agreed. A plane plummeting to the ground would equate to instant incineration at least which is better than a car accident that could lead to a painful death or worse you survive but are grievously disfigured, injured etc for the rest of your life.

I don't really think the fear of death is as simple as people make out though because death itself is incomprehensible.
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exactly, its not death. It's knowing when your going to die, very soon and having no control over it.
 
you big girl OP.
Just because the panels look a bit old doesnt mean its unsafe. You should be assured by the fact they fly an engineer out to fix a minor fault. Its not like theres not many diversion airfield around that neck of the woods either incase something did go wrong!

Could be worse, you could be flying in a SeaKing, which are 50years old.. Id much rather fly fixed wing and something go wrong than rotary!
 
Jono8 said:
exactly, its not death. It's knowing when your going to die, very soon and having no control over it.
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I agree but personally I wouldn't have minded if one of the engines of the plane I was in failed or something when we were flying. Anything to relieve the tedium and provide some distraction would have done me just fine.

I hate flying but not for the reasons of safety.
 
AdamDaniels88 said:
I don't get the car verses flying thing. To say that a car accident in which you die is better than an air accident where you also die seems very silly. But of course if you do feel like that's a good argument then there is also the consideration that most deaths with crashing aircraft you gonna end up burning to death immediately. Whereas I imagine the most common deaths in cars are strung out for hours or even days.

What you should really compare is different aeroplanes and companies. Or air travel and ocean liners.
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Would have thought death from the impact/explosion in a plane crash would be pretty much instant as you would be suffocated/vaporised by the superheated fireball. I would be far more worried about a car crash and being trapped with the vehicle on fire and nothing you could do about the flames creeping up on you. In fact probably the worst way to die, modern equivalent of burning at the stake.

Or you might end up with the engine block in your lap dying with your insides hanging out.

Enough gory musings, haven't flown for a few years now but the main problem is the hassle - not getting the seats you want even though you booked them, endless queues, surly flight attendants, knees under chin with a hyper 12 year old kicking the seat behind, one meal and a congealed cheese snack for an 11 hour flight.

I used to enjoy flying and still take MS Flight Sim for a spin now and again, but the experience these days is not that pleasant - the fact the airline industry refers to passengers as "self loading freight" tends to sum it up.
 
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