Planes - why are they trying to kill me?

[FnG]magnolia

[FnG]magnolia

[FnG]magnolia

Caporegime
Joined
29 Aug 2007
Posts
28,769
Location
Auckland
So I'm clearly not a very good flyer. Long haul I'm happy as Larry, a nice 777 is just what I'm after and it's like sitting in your living room but with more channels and prettier guests. Upside - you're in one; downside - you're probably not going to be in one for most flights.

Enter the 737 (well the A300 actually which still wants to kill me). We flew from Auckland to Wellington on Friday gone and I genuinely thought we were going to be in the news. I cannot stand turbulence and when the Captain comes on before you've even taken off to tell everyone he's going to insist on seatbelts for the entire journey as 'tonight isn't good flying weather ... unpredictable ... severe gales ... won't be a bit bumpy, will be really bumpy' I'm not in my happy place. We had to hang on to drinks, food and we had that side punch to the plane several times which some of you might be familiar with.

Ok, so I can understand that turbulence feels far more unsettling to me than it does to the plane (clear air turbulence - feel smug here). We're not going to crash. We're really not. I mean, we're not, right? And we didn't but I hated it and I hated the return journey which had almost no bumps.

Anyone else have any irrational fears that don't really stand up to scrutiny but they just can't shake?
 
I have a lot of faith in the pilots and the aircraft, air accidents are very rare, so it doesn't really bother me. Yes, they do happen, but the chances are astronomical that it isn't even worth considering. If it wasn't safe to fly, the plane wouldn't be up there. Really.

I like turbulance as it makes the flight more fun imo, but I can understand why others don't - I've seen people start crying etc throughout. And yeah, the 777s are fantastic planes, I think I flew one LGW - Orlando but I'm not so keen on the smaller planes Easyjet use around Europe because they murder my ears on takeoff and landing.
 
Just recently I've started to hate flying.

The other week I travelled London-Oslo and we had some turbulence, nothing too big. But it felt like the plane was sort of tipping the whole travel. First down a bit too much, and then full on up again. Hated it.

Then when we were landing we were told to put our seatbelts on and get ready but nothing really happened until all of a sudden the pilot just tipped the plane down to a point where stuff under the chairs started rolling out etc. When all of a sudden you could hear the engines full on and the plane was sent straight up in the air again. The pilot over the speakers sighing then said "Oh, we came in at a bit of a wrong height. We'll try it again and see how that goes". Not a very pleasant flight.

I know I have to fly and I know it's completely safe and I'm more likely to die on the way to the airport but I just can't help but be scared. Used to love it when I was younger :(
 
yup - after the 7/7 bombings in london i flew to brussels with my then girlfriend. i had a beer before the flight, and the whole way my stomach felt odd, which i put down to the beer. fly back a few days later and i feel more queasy, but no beer before the flight this time... anyway, a few months later we flew to malta, and i was TERRIFIED. white knuckles clinging to the arm rests, felt sick etc. the flight back was mega turbulance, i mean all over the shop. threw up a few times on that one and legitimately thought that's it, i'm doomed!

anyway, since then, every time i've flown, admittedly not many (amsterdam and thailand) i've been fine, and not worried in the slightest... i suppose i just got used to flying without crapping myself after a while
 
I went to mexico in 97 with the family and we had to circle the airport in mexico due to a stormcloud hovering over it. Was going fine until we hit a cold air pocket and the plane fell about 150 foot in 2/3 seconds lol. Most of us wasn't wearing our seatbelts either due to no warning light so we ended up stuck to the roof for nearly half of that time.

Needless to say, when we landed, most of us kissed the tarmac :)
 
James J said:
I went to mexico in 97 with the family and we had to circle the airport in mexico due to a stormcloud hovering over it. Was going fine until we hit a cold air pocket and the plane fell about 150 foot in 2/3 seconds lol. Most of us wasn't wearing our seatbelts either due to no warning light so we ended up stuck to the roof for nearly half of that time.

Needless to say, when we landed, most of us kissed the tarmac :)
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Did it kiss back?
 
did an internal flight in tunisia... djerba>tunis and from take off to landing i thought i was going to die cos of turbulance. Also experianced the falling 200 feet without warning. was a really small turboprop thing, i couldnt even stand upright properly.

also been in choppers in stormy rain clouds flying sideways and bouncing all over the place.. not fun.
 
Wellington is notorious.

I flew from there to Picton on the South Island back in 2006. Tiny plane which only seated about 10 people.

I swear the two pilots were still in their teens. They told us it was going to be really rough and then I heard them arguing about who was going to fly, as they were actually looking forwards to the madness.

Longest 20 minutes of my life. We nearly flipped twice. The pilot was telling us not to worry as if we flipped, he would just flip us back. GF at the time threw up into her bag as well.
 
apeZ said:
I like turbulance as it makes the flight more fun imo, but I can understand why others don't - I've seen people start crying etc throughout.
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Absolutely. I love a bit of turbulence.

Although, on my last flight to New York, someone puked before the doors on the plane were shut. :confused:

Unfortunately, onto my seat...their seat... my jumper... and the flight was full. :( So, upgraded to business class there and then, a clean jumper and dry cleaning paid for. :D
 
I'm not going to say I enjoy turbulance, but my mate really hates it.

We were flying from Vegas to Newark last year and it was fairly rough towards the latter end of the journey. At one point we dropped, kind of what it feels like on a roller coaster and I saw him reaching for his phone... Afterwards I was like "Why did you reach for your phone back then?" He replied "I was just going to give me Mum a quick call 'cos I thought that was it!"

Laughed the rest of the flight :D
 
Flying doesn't scare me, there's not really much to be afraid of - if the plane crashes worrying about it isn't going to do much, there's a better than average chance you'll be dead on impact with the ground if not before so why concern yourself with something you can do nothing about. However the only thing that bothers me about flying is that it now rather bores me unfortunately. I can remember the first time I flew it was all new and exciting, now about the only part that I do look forward to is the takeoff and the feeling of acceleration, the rest of it is just waiting about to get where you want to go.
 
I'm absolutely terrified of flying and really want to get over it. I didn't mind it at all when I was younger and then I didn't fly for a good few years. When I finally did I was terrified and it was only to Spain!

Since then I've missed out on a few holidays with mates and I've always wanted to go travelling but I can't obviously. It's that bad that I start getting scared weeks before the flights and feel sick just by thinking about it.

People have fears of all sorts of things but I hate heights and also not being in control, an example is if somebody is driving fast I don't like it, but I would be fine if it was me. So put them two fears together and I'm a mess. Hopefully I'll get over it one day, as it they're really isn't much too worry about but I can't even face trying one of them courses that they run at various airports!
 
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Turning right when you get on a plane annoys me. Had to do it this summer. Fortunately the flight was only 3 hours, but urgh.

I'm always fine flying. Don't mind a bit of turbulence as-long as I don't spill my Champagne! It's a bit dumbed down now though. I still remember a few flights where as a kid I went into the cockpit for while. Like they'd allow that these days!
 
Gall1987 said:
I'm absolutely terrified of flying and really want to get over it. I didn't mind it at all when I was younger and then I didn't fly for a good few years. When I finally did I was terrified and it was only to Spain!

Since then I've missed out on a few holidays with mates and I've always wanted to go travelling but I can't obviously. It's that bad that I start getting scared weeks before the flights and feel sick just by thinking about it.

People have fears of all sorts of things but I hate heights and also not being in control, an example is if somebody is driving fast I don't like it, but I would be fine if it was me. So put them two fears together and I'm a mess. Hopefully I'll get over it one day, as it they're really isn't much too worry about but I can't even face trying one of them courses that they run at various airports!
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Take a trial flying lesson, seriously. It will teach you how a plane handles/flies and it will also teach you what real turbulence is like ;). Once you've been up in a 172 or a PA28 you'll realise just how safe a modern passenger jet really is.
 
Adz said:
Take a trial flying lesson, seriously. It will teach you how a plane handles/flies and it will also teach you what real turbulence is like ;). Once you've been up in a 172 or a PA28 you'll realise just how safe a modern passenger jet really is.
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How much do they cost? I intend to do something about it once I finish Uni, because I really want to go travelling and a couple of years ago I went to Barcelona on a coach and never want to do that again! :rolleyes:
 
Gall1987 said:
How much do they cost? I intend to do something about it once I finish Uni, because I really want to go travelling and a couple of years ago I went to Barcelona on a coach and never want to do that again! :rolleyes:
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£200 or thereabouts depending on the club/airfield. When I took my first lesson I was a nervous flyer. Standing up on the wing of a 35 year old PA28, about to get into a cabin the size of a Ford Fiesta to fly with someone who didn't look any older than me, there were a few moments of "what the **** am I doing?" but, truth be told, I liked it so much that I did another 25 hours. When I've got more time I'm going to complete my license, then you can come flying with me :D.
 
I can't stand flying and have to fly to NYC in OCT :(

In July I was prescribed some drugs from the Doc to help with the fear, they did nothing :(
 
Adz said:
£200 or thereabouts depending on the club/airfield. When I took my first lesson I was a nervous flyer. Standing up on the wing of a 35 year old PA28, about to get into a cabin the size of a Ford Fiesta to fly with someone who didn't look any older than me, there were a few moments of "what the **** am I doing?" but, truth be told, I liked it so much that I did another 25 hours. When I've got more time I'm going to complete my license, then you can come flying with me :D.
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There are so many stories about people hating it and end up loving it. I'm going to give it a go at some point! I can't see myself being somebody who loves it though, but being able to tolerate it would do me :D
 
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