Flying phobias
Discussion
I flew home from Cyprus yesterday and I can say I didn't enjoy it one bit, probably due to the gutful of beer the night before.
I've flown all around the world in my time and never used to have a problem with it but now seem to carry this paranoia around with me.
I had a bad flight once from Auckland to Cairns, or somewhere around there and the plane experienced some heavy duty turbulence. It was terrible.
I've never been right since then even though I know the physics of how a plane flies.
I still wouldn't let it stop me flying though.
How do other PHers fare on planes?
I've flown all around the world in my time and never used to have a problem with it but now seem to carry this paranoia around with me.
I had a bad flight once from Auckland to Cairns, or somewhere around there and the plane experienced some heavy duty turbulence. It was terrible.
I've never been right since then even though I know the physics of how a plane flies.
I still wouldn't let it stop me flying though.
How do other PHers fare on planes?
Statistically, if you flew every day, it would be 13,000 years before you had an accident. This is the problem with statistics, we have only be flying for a hundred years, yet thousands have died. The way I see it is the odds are 50/50. You are either going to crash, or you arent. Funny things odds, say you need to throw a six to win, you have a 50/50 chance of doing so, not 1 in 6. You are either going to throw a six, or you arent.
I need another drink, I am quite pissed as it is, its my birthday. I am a 142 you know. I still make the effort to type and punctuate correctly though. I am a stubborn S of a B.
I need another drink, I am quite pissed as it is, its my birthday. I am a 142 you know. I still make the effort to type and punctuate correctly though. I am a stubborn S of a B.
Only been on an airliner once (twice if your count the return trip).
Did a Heathrow to Fairford flight for the RIAT 2004 in a Boeing 747. Never experienced turbulence though due to it being such a short flight on a nice day.
Would love to fly further now
Did a helicopter pleasure flight from Southend, which is a bit different.Esepcially when you look past your feet and see the ground moving very slowly about 1000 feet below you
Is a bit wierd when Southend suddenly goes at 45 degrees
Did a Heathrow to Fairford flight for the RIAT 2004 in a Boeing 747. Never experienced turbulence though due to it being such a short flight on a nice day.
Would love to fly further now
Did a helicopter pleasure flight from Southend, which is a bit different.Esepcially when you look past your feet and see the ground moving very slowly about 1000 feet below you
Is a bit wierd when Southend suddenly goes at 45 degrees
Once had an horrendous landing into Birmingham (having been diverted from Manchester), every bottle on that plane did not make it. Stopped me flying in the future - No way. The best part for me is take-off and landing, the bit in between is the boring bit.
Also remember taking a flight in Dan-Air a few days following their recent crash on a Comet B. Best flight we've ever had.
Oh b****r I've just given my age away
Also remember taking a flight in Dan-Air a few days following their recent crash on a Comet B. Best flight we've ever had.
Oh b****r I've just given my age away
The 'best' flight i ever had was in a ten seater twin engine jobbie over the Grand Canyon during a massive electrical storm!
It was a tourist plane and had headphones with different types of music for all the passengers, I selected 'heavy rock' and cranked them up as the lightning was striking all around us. I wish i had had a camera as it was a thing of beauty, i had a fantastic view from the co-pilots seat.
It didn't put me off flying at all...if a small plane can get through that kind of stuff then big planes must be even safer, right?
It was a tourist plane and had headphones with different types of music for all the passengers, I selected 'heavy rock' and cranked them up as the lightning was striking all around us. I wish i had had a camera as it was a thing of beauty, i had a fantastic view from the co-pilots seat.
It didn't put me off flying at all...if a small plane can get through that kind of stuff then big planes must be even safer, right?
Balmoral Green said:
Funny things odds, say you need to throw a six to win, you have a 50/50 chance of doing so, not 1 in 6. You are either going to throw a six, or you arent.
You have to look at 'equally likely outcomes'. You can throw a six or not throw a six, but they are not equally likely outcomes. So the chance is one in six.
Happy Birthday!
Andrew Noakes said:exactly! Otherwise I would play the lottery because it would be worth it at even odds (either you win or you don't
Funny things odds, say you need to throw a six to win, you have a 50/50 chance of doing so, not 1 in 6. You are either going to throw a six, or you arent.
You have to look at 'equally likely outcomes'. You can throw a six or not throw a six, but they are not equally likely outcomes. So the chance is one in six.
Happy Birthday!
)A quick mental count has me reckoning I've made something like 500 take-off's and landing's (always a bonus 
) in the last 9 years (I worked in Europe for 5.5 years, then moved to Scotland and had to do a weekly commute to the South coast). Aside from business trips, I fly probably 10-12 times for leisure per year too.
In all that time, I have experienced just one aborted takeoff leaving Zurich, one incident of being struck by lightening (in an electrical storm over India) and a few dodgy landings (there are so many women pilots these days!) including one really nasty see-saw one coming in to land at Sciphol.
Statistically then, my time won't be that far away now..!!
This topic puts me in mind of a joke:
Two strangers, a man and a woman, are sitting next to each other on a trans-Atlantic flight. Suddenly, the plane plummets out of control.
In panic, the woman turns to the man, tears off her blouse and cries, "Make me feel like a woman one more time!" Rising to the occasion the man tears off his shirt and says, "Here, iron this."
) in the last 9 years (I worked in Europe for 5.5 years, then moved to Scotland and had to do a weekly commute to the South coast). Aside from business trips, I fly probably 10-12 times for leisure per year too. In all that time, I have experienced just one aborted takeoff leaving Zurich, one incident of being struck by lightening (in an electrical storm over India) and a few dodgy landings (there are so many women pilots these days!) including one really nasty see-saw one coming in to land at Sciphol.
Statistically then, my time won't be that far away now..!!
This topic puts me in mind of a joke:
Two strangers, a man and a woman, are sitting next to each other on a trans-Atlantic flight. Suddenly, the plane plummets out of control.
In panic, the woman turns to the man, tears off her blouse and cries, "Make me feel like a woman one more time!" Rising to the occasion the man tears off his shirt and says, "Here, iron this."
Flying is very dangerous.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional.
There are just so many things that can and do go wrong on a daily basis that disasters only make the headlines if at least a hundred people die.
The excellent books by Macarthur Job make good reading.
The Channel 4 series "Black Box" was also compelling viewing.
Take the car if you possibly can.
Mr T had it about right.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional.
There are just so many things that can and do go wrong on a daily basis that disasters only make the headlines if at least a hundred people die.
The excellent books by Macarthur Job make good reading.
The Channel 4 series "Black Box" was also compelling viewing.
Take the car if you possibly can.
Mr T had it about right.
saf - no such plane as a Comet B. Comets were described as Series I, II, III or 4. The Series 4 was made as the 4, 4B and 4C. As Dan Air were the last civilian operators of the Comet, their fleet was a mixture of 4Bs and 4Cs which they had picked up second hand from BEA, BOAC and the RAF.
As far as I know, Dan Air never lost a Comet in an accident.
BOAC had a number of crashes with their Series I aircraft in the early 1950s which led to their permananent withdrawl from service. Series II aircraft on order were cancelled and the only Series II aircraft to remain flying were a handful delivered to the RAF. Only one Series III was ever nuilt and it was retained by De Havilland. The bulk of Comets built were Series 4s.
As far as I know, Dan Air never lost a Comet in an accident.
BOAC had a number of crashes with their Series I aircraft in the early 1950s which led to their permananent withdrawl from service. Series II aircraft on order were cancelled and the only Series II aircraft to remain flying were a handful delivered to the RAF. Only one Series III was ever nuilt and it was retained by De Havilland. The bulk of Comets built were Series 4s.
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