fear of flying?

[mikeyp102]

I don't mind taking off and landing, which is irrational TBH.

that we were gonna switch the automated landing system on and let the plane land itself.

Concorde was the least worried I've ever been. It was a female pilot and I never felt the wheels touch the ground. An A320 was weird though, the descent felt very electronic and controlled, like there was no pilot finesse, just a height and speed to be at so it kept speeding up and slowing down during the descent much more than than a pilot would.

pretty much all the planes land on auto , it's more fuel efficient to hit the ground with a bit of a bump ... if you get a smooth landing then chances are that was a manual landing

the female Concorde Pilot was probably Sandra , she taught my dad to fly :-) .. I had Mike Bannister when i flew Concorde , possibly the most famous pilot on those planes ?

To both... How was the Concorde flight? Would've loved to experience that

[Stevo985]

Planes land themselves?
 

Well that's me terrified

[GarethRDR]

I **** hate it.  I'll do it though, my fear doesn't prevent me from flying.  Oddly enough, take-off I'm okay, landing I'm perfectly fine with (normally as I'm more concerned with the searing pain in my ears at the time) but if the plane so much as shivers in the air tears start streaming down my face and I've suddenly found my faith in God through desperate prayer.

 

During some turbulence on a flight from Düsseldorf, one of the cabin stewards noticed the sweat gushing down my forehead and asked if I was alright.  I told him I wasn't a good flyer, and he said to keep looking at him as he flies all the time and thus I shouldn't be worried unless he looks worried.  He turned around, took two steps up the gangway then turned back to me and pulled this face.

 

 

Git.

[Stevo985]

Hahahaha, what a dick

[tonyh29]

 

I don't mind taking off and landing, which is irrational TBH.

that we were gonna switch the automated landing system on and let the plane land itself.

Concorde was the least worried I've ever been. It was a female pilot and I never felt the wheels touch the ground. An A320 was weird though, the descent felt very electronic and controlled, like there was no pilot finesse, just a height and speed to be at so it kept speeding up and slowing down during the descent much more than than a pilot would.

pretty much all the planes land on auto , it's more fuel efficient to hit the ground with a bit of a bump ... if you get a smooth landing then chances are that was a manual landing

the female Concorde Pilot was probably Sandra , she taught my dad to fly :-) .. I had Mike Bannister when i flew Concorde , possibly the most famous pilot on those planes ?

To both... How was the Concorde flight? Would've loved to experience that

to quote the Americans " Awesome"

 

 I always wanted to fly it but price meant I never thought I would  .... but with only 3 days left to go it was one of those do or die moments and I managed to get a seat  ... I think most people want to be down the front as it's quieter but sod that I was as near the back as I could get so you could hear the noise of the engines as it powered up the runway

 

It takes off and banks so steeply you do have the brief " we are going down" moment but on the whole just enjoying the noise to much

 

 

Once you get up to speed you spend the rest of the flight glued to the MACH sign waiting for it to hit MACH 2 .. we hit just over 60,000 and MACH 2.2 

 

it's true you can just about see the earth's curvature and the sky is this beautiful dark blue on the horizon

 

the seats aren't that comfortable .. but your at MACH 2 , you don't really care

 

I managed to blag my safety landing card as a keep sake ( though they give you a boxed diary with the date and flight number printed on it)   , it was crazy times to be on Concordes , people were stealing everything

someone had got on one of the Concorde's the day before me with a screwdriver and removed the Concorde plaque from the wall

 

 

Went to Heathrow with the family 2 days later and watched the last ones all come into land one after the other

 

 

Me ....

[hogso]

I'm fearful I'm fearful I'm fearful of flying, and flying is fearful of me~

[NurembergVillan]

I used to be an inconsistent flyer - sometimes fine, others quite anxious.  It was taking over my life, though, as from 2004-2007 I flew about 60 times a year so spent too much time worrying about my next flight.

 

Then I found a book written by a flight anxiety therapist who is married to an Aer Lingus pilot.  I read it a couple of times and it helped me massively.  I'm now an incredibly relaxed flyer.  It explains everything - what all the noises are, what's happening to the plane whilst you're checking in, the likelihood of things happening (you're more likely to be killed by a fridge than in a plane crash) and relaxation techniques for in-flight.

 

Seriously, it changed my life.  And here it is, for your reading pleasure - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Conquer-Your-Flying-Maeve-Byrne-Crangle/dp/0717147436/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364512138&sr=8-1

 

Thank me in a few months time...

Edited March 28, 2013 by NurembergVillan

[darrenm]

 

 

I don't mind taking off and landing, which is irrational TBH.

that we were gonna switch the automated landing system on and let the plane land itself.

Concorde was the least worried I've ever been. It was a female pilot and I never felt the wheels touch the ground. An A320 was weird though, the descent felt very electronic and controlled, like there was no pilot finesse, just a height and speed to be at so it kept speeding up and slowing down during the descent much more than than a pilot would.

pretty much all the planes land on auto , it's more fuel efficient to hit the ground with a bit of a bump ... if you get a smooth landing then chances are that was a manual landing

the female Concorde Pilot was probably Sandra , she taught my dad to fly :-) .. I had Mike Bannister when i flew Concorde , possibly the most famous pilot on those planes ?

To both... How was the Concorde flight? Would've loved to experience that

to quote the Americans " Awesome"

 

 I always wanted to fly it but price meant I never thought I would  .... but with only 3 days left to go it was one of those do or die moments and I managed to get a seat  ... I think most people want to be down the front as it's quieter but sod that I was as near the back as I could get so you could hear the noise of the engines as it powered up the runway

 

It takes off and banks so steeply you do have the brief " we are going down" moment but on the whole just enjoying the noise to much

 

 

Once you get up to speed you spend the rest of the flight glued to the MACH sign waiting for it to hit MACH 2 .. we hit just over 60,000 and MACH 2.2 

 

it's true you can just about see the earth's curvature and the sky is this beautiful dark blue on the horizon

 

the seats aren't that comfortable .. but your at MACH 2 , you don't really care

 

I managed to blag my safety landing card as a keep sake ( though they give you a boxed diary with the date and flight number printed on it)   , it was crazy times to be on Concordes , people were stealing everything

someone had got on one of the Concorde's the day before me with a screwdriver and removed the Concorde plaque from the wall

 

 

Went to Heathrow with the family 2 days later and watched the last ones all come into land one after the other

 

 

Me ....

Also awesome. Mine was a Goodwood pleasure flight from Heathrow to Birmingham.

 

Met David Goodwood at check-in who remarked how lucky we were to get the back row, apparently it was the best experience.

 

We were told that due to it being a subsonic flight with no luggage and little fuel, we would get a full burn take off which they normally can't do. The acceleration was face-altering. I seem to remember take off speed being 200mph and it taking 10 seconds from standing still to getting off the ground.

 

The thing leapt into the air, pointed up at the sky and forced you up there. It was incredible.

 

Such as shame they became financially unviable and ended with a poor safety record.

[Daniel1Avfc]

Aeroplanes are the safest way to travel, I think I learnt that from the film fight club     

[Xela]

I'm not a great flyer... seem to have worse as I have got older. Take offs are the worst bit for me. Once we're cruising then i'm ok... just!

 

Would never stop me going anywhere though.

[Jimzk5]

ive been looking around online, and found this for a stat

 

to be involved in a plane crash, you would statistically need to fly 24 hours a day, for 93,000 days.

 

still doesnt make me feel any more confident about being fired into the air in a tin can full of petrol and a pilot that is drunk though.

[darrenm]

And being distracted from the stewardesses showing them their tits.

[NurembergVillan]

So nobody's looking to buy that book I recommended then?

[Stevo985]

I'd be interested in giving it a read. Might order one of the cheap used ones off of Amazon later.

[GarethRDR]

Yeah, just ordered up a copy.  We're off to Berlin end of May, would rather not have to take my usual mid-flight change of trousers with me.

[Tayls]

I'm not a bad flyer, my gf is terrified and holds on quite hard during certain points - take off, etc.

I do sometimes do this thing where I find it difficult to take a deep breath as I feel as though I'm gonna choke. I have to really think about it in order to get that deep breath satisfaction. Not sure what that is, was thinking vertigo or something as I get it when I stand close to ledges and balconies to.

Edited April 5, 2013 by Tayls

[Shillzz]

I have never really been scared of flying, I've even done an Air Acrobatics day in a little 2 seater, but flying from BHX to Dubai a couple of weeks ago left me a little shaken;

 

The turbulence got pretty intense as we flew over Turkey, with a fair few screams and shreaks. It was undoubtedly just par-for-the-course, but having never exeperienced bad turbulence before, it left me a little fearful of flying. It was a little like being on a rollercoaster, and had I not been strapped in, then I'm sure I'd have involuntarily left my seat a few times. You could literally feel the aircraft dropping what felt like hundreds of feet maybe 5 or 6 times every minute, and you were left wondering if the next 'fall' was going to leave the aircraft stalling towards the ground.

 

Edit: Those looking to overcome their fear should avoid the spoiler (though it's not that bad at all).

Edited April 5, 2013 by Shillzz

[Stevo985]

My mate is in the RAF and offered to take me up in a Cessna to do some aerobatics.

 

I actually burst out laughing at the thought of how much I DIDN'T want to do that.

I think he was a bit offended, but a herd of wild horses couldn't have pulled me into that plane.

[Shillzz]

Doing the Aerial acrobatics was one of the most fun things i've ever done; I actually got to pilot the plane through Loops, Barrel Rolls and Aileron rolls.

 

Would definitely cure a fear of flying if you could bring yourself to do it.

[GarethRDR]

My Dad said going up in a Lightning when he was stationed at Leconfield was the closest he ever came to losing his lunch.  Just after take-off, when they flip it to a nigh-on vertical ascent and it tears into the sky.  **** that, man.

 

 

He would also take great delight in commenting whenever we were on a family flight that any noises the aircraft made "didn't sound right".  Dickhead.

Edited April 5, 2013 by GarethRDR