1. Joel_Zimmerman's Avatar
    Don't get me wrong, I'm not intending to bash people with 'aviophobia' as I used to have a phobia myself of spiders. I overcame this fear myself when me and my friends found a huge house spider the size of my palm. I was extremely scared but when it came to my turn of holding the creature, I didn't want to be seen as an embarrassment so I took hold of it. After about 10 seconds, my extreme fear for them had basically diminished.

    Fear of spiders is quite understandable, due to the fact that it was theoretically passed through our genes to avoid them because we used to live with poisonous species when we were undeveloped. Fear of flying is another thing. It's like saying that I'd rather walk to work on the motorway rather than a car, since people have deaths in cars. Not true because by walking on the motorway, you have a higher chance of getting run over. The same with an aircraft; I'd rather drive from London to Amsterdam because people die in aircraft crashes. This is also inaccurate because the percentage of crashes, let alone fatalities on aircraft, it is the safest overall mode of transport in the world. I watched an episode of Airline where this woman booked a flight with easyJet to go abroad and visit her relatives. Booked the flight? The amount of money flights cost these days, I'd be on that flight and make sure of it. I'd also purchase Speedy Boarding so that I can pick my favourite seat to video the takeoff, scenery and landing. Before the flight, she took therapy sessions which also costs money. She was able to drive to the airport, get through check-in, wait in the departure lounge and board the aircraft. BUT, before the door was about to be shut, she couldn't take the stress anymore and had to get off. I thought, why? And also, what makes people scared of flying? I find this TV program, Air Crash Investigation, very interesting. Not in the slightest does it deter me from flying; I can't get enough of flying. I'm sure that, with every reason these people have got which inhibits them from flying, there is an answer with full explanations and reassurances. It's not dangerous. If anything, it's enjoyable� apart from if you book with Ryanair whom you don't get ANY luxuries, let alone food.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    08-07-11 12:32 PM
  2. SCrid2000's Avatar
    Maybe it's genetically programmed in because, although there are vaccines for spider poison, theed no shot to save you from falling

    Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
    08-07-11 09:42 PM
  3. Rootbrian's Avatar
    i'm not scared of flying, I went on a plane for the first time to mexico and back and it felt no different than riding a megaton sized rollercoaster going though a large winding subway tunnel in the sky

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    08-10-11 01:41 AM
  4. Joel_Zimmerman's Avatar
    I've heard that some sufferers of the phobia find it just too hard to comprehend how it stays in the air. True, if I didn't know how some new-fangled contraption worked, I'd be pretty weary of it. But aircraft aren't new, they've been with us for more than a century. Some believe it's the engines which hold the aircraft up and if they fail, they plummet to earth. I'm afraid to say that this is wrong. If that's true, then how do they explain how engine-less gliders fly for hours without an engine? The craft is held up by the wings. It provides upward lift due to the normal air speed below and high air speed on the top. This difference in pressure forces the wing surface upwards and lifts the aircraft. This is why you see the wings flex upwards the most during takeoff and landing.

    If only they knew how things worked before they make assumptions. Fair enough, I can understand that phobia sufferers sometimes cannot overcome their fears, even if they do know every single aspect of what they are scared of. I, myself knew the ins and outs of spiders and how they were not at all harmul to me, yet I was still petrified of them. The same as rollercoasters. As soon as I experienced my fears head on, I lost the fears. I guess I'm just too much an aircraft enthusiast

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Last edited by Joel_Zimmerman; 08-12-11 at 11:06 PM.
    08-12-11 09:43 AM
  5. trucky's Avatar
    I'm not so afraid of how the thing stays in the air, but rather, is that flight attendant really a she? And why did that male attendant try to pinch my behind when I went past? These things are of much graver concern than if the silly thing should fly or not.
    08-12-11 01:36 PM
  6. jono212.'s Avatar
    I really feel for people who are scared of flying as it is the best mode of transport and the safest.

    I love being in the sky above everyone thinking about what's going on below especially flying into the USA loads of things to look at.

    Sent from my BlackBerry 9000 using Tapatalk
    08-12-11 05:41 PM
  7. paddygirl16's Avatar
    I'm a fearful of heights (came upon me as an adult). But did not stop me from jumping out of a plane at 14000 feet. There is something energizing about living on the edge and coming face to face with near death
    08-12-11 07:47 PM
  8. pixel8rberry's Avatar
    There might be a lot more accidents than aircraft crashes, but there is a better probability of survival in a car collision. I hate flying, but only because my flights last 11-14 hours each way. It's excruciating.

    Also, I will never forget when we were taking off from Heathrow and a huge gust of wind hit the plane. Tilted it ~10 degrees to the right, while we were only 30 meters off the ground.
    08-12-11 09:05 PM
  9. Joel_Zimmerman's Avatar
    I'm not so afraid of how the thing stays in the air, but rather, is that flight attendant really a she? And why did that male attendant try to pinch my behind when I went past? These things are of much graver concern than if the silly thing should fly or not.
    Very true indeed XD
    When I flew on BA269 from LHR to LAX, pretty much all the male flight attendants had a camp voice and while having conversations about aircraft, it seemed just a bit too suspicious� Funny point you made

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    08-12-11 11:09 PM
  10. Joel_Zimmerman's Avatar
    There might be a lot more accidents than aircraft crashes, but there is a better probability of survival in a car collision. I hate flying, but only because my flights last 11-14 hours each way. It's excruciating.

    Also, I will never forget when we were taking off from Heathrow and a huge gust of wind hit the plane. Tilted it ~10 degrees to the right, while we were only 30 meters off the ground.
    If I ever upload my takeoff experience on YouTube, I'd post it here. On my flight from LHR to LAX, we took off as normal and after we left the ground, violent shudders and vibrations rocked the aircraft for a good four seconds. The sound was as if pneumatic drills were pummelling the airframe. This guy by the window, who was asleep, just woke up, looked around and went back to sleep. Some women and even some men around or cabin section became startled and once the experience passed, they were mumbling and dwelling about it for ages. I theorised that it was just probably the landing gears being retracted.

    Statistics show that more people die in automobile accidents per year than in aircraft accidents per year. Sure, if one family sedan crashes on its own, a maximum of five could die. If a fully loaded Boeing 747-400 crashed on its own, 500+ people could die. But with the arrival of new safety aspects in brand new aircraft such as Airbus' A380-800 and Boeing's 747-800 and 787-XXX, air travellers can now look forward to greener flying, faster speeds and increased safety.

    I do find long-haul, even medium-haul flights excruciating in a sense that I cannot just sit and stare at the back of a seat for more than 5 hours, let alone the 13 it takes to get to Kuala Lumpur. I regularly get up, walk around the cabin or spend up to 20 minutes at a time observing the aircraft's wings, engines and scenery (if there are no clouds) in cabin crew galley areas. Of course, I do wonder what would happen if I was in an aircraft accident. The speed at which they travel at minimum easily dwarfs most car's top speeds and the impact is much severe, by many many times. Not a pretty sight for most.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    08-12-11 11:28 PM
  11. Joel_Zimmerman's Avatar
    I'm a fearful of heights (came upon me as an adult). But did not stop me from jumping out of a plane at 14000 feet. There is something energizing about living on the edge and coming face to face with near death
    I hate heights myself. Being on top of a 3 storey building and looking over the edge made me feel funny inside and automatically made me grab for anything which was firmly rooted to make me feel safe. One of my worst, but now most enjoyed, experience was when I had work experience at a grass airfield. I experienced a ride in a Robinson R22, a tiny two-seater helicopter with a sort of bubble cockpit. We were flying at about 8,000ft and he asked me what would happen if the engine failed. I shrugged and he looked at me, switched the ignition key to OFF and the engine suddenly started to power down. The altimeter started spinning backwards, faster and faster by the second, by which time he started pushing the nose beyond a 180� angle. I noticed that the slowed rotars were gaining speed, since the steep descent was making them spin faster. He finally pulled up and without any engine power, I watched as we were gaining slight altitude. Before we went down again, he switched the ignition to ON and continued as if everything was normal. I was full of adrenaline, more than any rollercoaster had given me and I was sweating slightly. At least i didn't wet myself :P

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    08-12-11 11:40 PM
  12. mustangv8's Avatar
    I'm scared of flying. Mainly the taking off and landing, really gets my nerves.

    It's also a feeling of having no control whatsoever. I know car accidents are far more prevalent, but at least I have a feel for my car and am doing a daily routine in driving.
    08-12-11 11:47 PM
  13. Joel_Zimmerman's Avatar
    I really feel for people who are scared of flying as it is the best mode of transport and the safest.

    I love being in the sky above everyone thinking about what's going on below especially flying into the USA loads of things to look at.

    Sent from my BlackBerry 9000 using Tapatalk
    I find every flight I go on to be an exhilleration. It's not everyday I go flying. For most, the holiday starts when they actually get to their destination such as their villa, hotel etc. and ends when they leave it. For me, the holiday starts at the airport. I always try to make my parents leave an hour earlier than normal from hom to the airport so I can spend time watching them. My holiday ends when I leave the airport after the return trip. Usually, I'm the last to claim my baggage. When I'm flying in an aircraft, I start comparing automobile journey times to aircraft. Rochester to central London? Over an hou on the train. Aircraft? Four minutes. Not even that.

    Even for people who are not even into aircraft and neither enjoy it or hate it, it is a necessity for them to get to holiday destinations around the globe.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    08-12-11 11:52 PM
  14. Joel_Zimmerman's Avatar
    I'm scared of flying. Mainly the taking off and landing, really gets my nerves.

    It's also a feeling of having no control whatsoever. I know car accidents are far more prevalent, but at least I have a feel for my car and am doing a daily routine in driving.
    I do understand the feeling of no control as I feel the same way too. When I bought my Mitsubishi GTO twin turbo, I would be pushing it to the limit on straight roads when they were empty. Extremely dangerous, I know, but as I say, I am the one at the wheel. In my friend's slower MR2, I become pretty nervous and involountary say he should slow down when he floors it.

    Landing procedures are very thought-based. In the textbook, there should be no conversations between pilot and copilot unless necessary. They do not land blind, however, because with the help of ILS and its growing popularity, they are becoming much easier and also safer. Still, landing is still the hardest task of piloting an aircraft. Crosswinds can also be frightening to individuals from their sudden and striking forces on aircraft, no matter how big it is.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    08-13-11 12:10 AM
LINK TO POST COPIED TO CLIPBOARD