Fear of Flying and Airplane Stories?

Pigman II · 13-12-2005 01:08AM

Could be rubbish but here's a heads up for tomorrow.

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Time - 15:00 to 16:00 (1 hour long).
When - Tuesday 13th December on Discovery

Telling the untold human side of aviation disasters, focusing on the physical and psychological plight of the people inside a crashing airliner.

Mmmmm, cheery!

scojones · 13-12-2005 01:16AM

Where to start....

My father is an aircraft mechanic. He has about a million horror stories, but one sticks out in my head. Before I explain it, let me just say, he is TERRIFIED of flying, and he's a bloody aircraft mechanic! He doesn't think they are safe at all, not enough proper checks are done on them, etc etc.

Anyway, he was on a plane in stansted waiting to leave for Shannon, and the pilot came on the radio and said there would be a short delay. So my father sees these lads come on board in boiler suits (ya know, the white ones), and he looks out his window as sees one on the wing. The guy on the wing had a hair dryer (YES A FREAKING HAIR DRYER) and was "drying" the wing. Freaked out by this, my father asked to speak to the guy incharge of this reservicing, as he is very high up in his job back in Shannon. To cut a long story short, the guy told him that this was the plane's last flight (it was an MD-80), and there were tiny holes in the wings, but they really needed to get it back to Shannon, so they were doing a temporary fix on it.

Freaked the crap out of me.

Another story... My uncle used to live in Cyprus, he lives in Belgium now, while flying from Cyprus, he was looking out the window (in a similar position to where my father was on his plane in stansted), and he saw a screw bopping up and down, and it flew off. Then another, and another.... And then the engine fell off. This was a plane with four engines, so the other three were able to take over. My uncle flies everyday with his job (sales rep) and says he has no fear of flying, but that really scared the be-jesus out of me.

If you really want to freak yourself out checkout http://www.planecrashinfo.com (yes this link is safe

) they have the blackbox recordings of alot of plane crashes, some are transcripts in text, some are mp3s. Not for the faint-hearted!

Atrocity · 13-12-2005 01:48AM

I have never been on a plane. Those things go down man, they shudn't be in the air.. I have NEVER left the country. NEVER

Kablamo! · 13-12-2005 01:53AM

i used to love flying when i was younger.
lately, i still really enjoy it, but during touch down and taking off i do get hold the arm of my seat a bit tighter, haha.

my dad referred a cousin of mine on my mams side to a place for flying lessons, he crashed and died. my mother still claims he done this on purpose. haha, good aul dad.

Nightwish · 13-12-2005 01:55AM

I have no issues with flying, it doesnt bother me at all. However I was coming back from London in Septmeber and the turbulence as the plane was flying over Malahide, scared the sh!te out of me, I had never felt it so bad.

ronbyrne2005 · 13-12-2005 08:19AM

when younger flyinh never bothered me but when i turned twenty i was on flight from london to dublin,had panic attack and since then have been scared of flying.reluctantly flew twice since that,in 2002 flew to LA ,11hour flight,i was dreading it for weeks,i looked up statistics on the safety of air travel etc but they didnt reassure me,i considered sailing to new york and getting train to LA but this would have been too expensive and taken too long.i was going to san diego for the summer.anyway i took a load of xanax and sleeping pills and the 11 hours seemed like ten minutes ,i was out cold and missed the meals drink etc.when i got to LA i was going through international arrivals and was still a bit out of it going through passport control,michael douglas was in front of me in the queue with about ten guys pushing his luggage ,i thought i was imagining things but it was him.
everyone knows the safety of air travel but they doesnt help those who are really scared of it,i think its something to do with the fact your so high up and if anything goes wrong your fecked,everyones gonna die sometime but people dont wanna have a few minutes in a plane crashing when they know they are gonna die.
i watch air crash investigation on national geographic all the time and it just makes me more scared.i dont think i will fly again,i get the ferryand train to the uk if im going to london manchester or the like,if i go to australia in future i plan to make a long trip over land and sea to get there,including going on the trans siberian railway etc
i know,im a fruitcake!

ronbyrne2005 · 13-12-2005 08:23AM

article from a bermuda newspaper yesterday
......................................................................................................
A couple who forced a plane to land in Bermuda after they attacked cabin crew who stopped them having sex are facing a $34,000 bill for their pleasure.
And they run the risk of national shame back in England after UK tabloid The Sun ran the story with an appeal for the public to name and shame them.
It said stunned passengers watched in horror as the randy couple attacked cabin crew after being told to return to their seats.
They shouted abuse and spat as they grappled with the British Airways staff who forced them back into their business class seats.
And despite being restrained with plastic handcuffs, the pilot decided he had no choice but to divert the 777 jet to Bermuda.
The "sex rage" incident, as The Sun described it, began when they started drinking heavily on the ten-hour flight from Gatwick to Kingston, Jamaica on Monday.
They joined the "mile-high club" in one of the loos. But after their noisy passion was overheard by flight staff they were ordered out – and went berserk.
A passenger said: "They were asked politely to return to their seats but went ballistic. They were shouting vile abuse and spitting at staff." Another said: "The captain tried to calm them down but they were just as abusive to him."
The couple, who were booked on a two-week holiday, were held by Police in Bermuda and on Wednesday put on a flight back to Gatwick – where they were arrested. Now the pair from Luton, England face being charged with air rage – and the £34,000 cost of diverting the plane.
Bermuda Airport manager Jim Howes said: "It's always the joke among us pilots, and I am a pilot, about have you joined the mile high club?"
When asked if he had Mr. Howes said: "I can't comment – and you can quote me on that." Although he did say that on that long haul flight the couple had probably joined the seven-mile high club.
Asked if he had ever come across the phrase "sex rage" Mr. Howe said: "I can't say I have but I guess if they were caught by flight attendants in the flagrante delecto they would be a little perturbed by that."
Asked about the $34,000 cost of the tryst Mr. Howes said: "I just hope it was worth it."

-oRnein9- · 13-12-2005 10:54AM

I used to love flying when I was younger. 18 now but am beginning to fear every time I fly. As others have mentioned, I think its the fact that we have no influence over the safety of our lives in the event of an accident while flying. I went to gran canaria in the summer and really didn't enjoy the flight, maybe it was the fact that the plane was a piece of ****, god I will never fly with futura again, no messing, when we were boarding the plane me and my mates we like wtf this rust bucket wouldn't get you as far as shannon never mind las palmas.

Also flying with ryanair to engalnd last month really ****ted me up the planes were also pieces of ****. Boeing 747-200's these are the worst commerial airlines still in use these days in my opinion.

I hate Boeing 747-200's

connundrum · 13-12-2005 11:05AM

Having done the flying thing quite a bit (mostly not by my own choice), I've only thankfully had 2 near death/white light exeriences :eek: One was in Hong Kong international where the runway just drops off into the sea (whats the bleedin story with that?!), the plane landed and the pilot obviously decided it'd be way more fun to see how close to the edge he could come to a complete stop.. that was the only time that there was all the emergency service peeps rushing around - scary as fook though!

2nd time was flying Namibia to Paris and the plane went into loads of turbulance and we "came close" to a mountain range. That was the only time that I've been on a plane when the mask things have dropped.. I was only 5 or 6 but I fairly copped that a bleedin mask wasn't gonna save us from a mountain range! Go me! :cool:

magpie · 13-12-2005 11:35AM

I've gone from being mildly scared, to very scared, to phobic, to just not flying in about 10 years.

Worst experience was an emergency landing at Madeira (tiny ww2 airstrip), fire brigade, ambulances etc. The flight staff told us it was a "drill" :rolleyes:

Fear is not really linked to any particular instances though, as others have said its more the lack of control - and the possibility of knowing you're goingto die for a few minutes while stuck in an aluminium tube at 40,000 feet full of screaming people that puts me off.

I've tried ye olde hypnosis, but its a scam (surprise surprise) and works by desenstitising you to the various parts of your trip that make you nervous. For €100 I got hypnotised to not feel nervous about going to the airport. The next €100 would have dealt with getting on the plane.

I was thinking about doing the course at Dublin Airport, but they don't do the "graduation" flight any more, so it would be no good to me. I'd do the course but not fly!

Its at the stage where its really pissing me off now, I wish I could be brainwashed or drugged Mr T style. I know the odds are tiny, I just don't want to feel the stress of "what if". If I could be knocked out I'd have no problem flying anywhere, anytime.

Stupid eh?

el tel · 13-12-2005 11:45AM

connundrum wrote:

Having done the flying thing quite a bit (mostly not by my own choice), I've only thankfully had 2 near death/white light exeriences :eek: One was in Hong Kong international where the runway just drops off into the sea (whats the bleedin story with that?!), the plane landed and the pilot obviously decided it'd be way more fun to see how close to the edge he could come to a complete stop.. that was the only time that there was all the emergency service peeps rushing around - scary as fook though!

Hong Kong Kai Tak - mercifully now closed...
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?&specialsearch=ACCIDENT&countrysearch=-%20Hong%20Kong%20-%20Kai%20Tak%20Int.%20%28HKG%20%2F%20VHHH%29%20%28closed%29&maxres=500&nr_of_rows=51&first_this_page=15&page_limit=15&sort_order=photo_id+DESC&thumbnails=&engine_version=6.0&nr_pages=4&page=

Pigman II · 13-12-2005 08:36PM

Pigman II wrote:

Time - 15:00 to 16:00 (1 hour long).
When - Tuesday 13th December on Discovery

Good programme. Really a bunch of testimonies rather than a 'documentary' but it gave a good idea as to what a crash would be like. The prog got testimony from survivors of six different plane crashes giving various recollections about burning bodies, broken bones and thinking fast in order to get out alive.

http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1978/1978-75.htm
http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1982/1982-3.htm
http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1989/1989-7.htm
http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1992/1992-12.htm
http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1995/1995-32.htm
http://www.planecrashinfo.com/2000/2000-44.htm

The worst one was probably the 2000 with descriptions of melting bodies & fireballs or 1989 where a large hole (I estimate 10x 20ft) blew out the side and sucked anyone who had been sitting there right out of the plane (just like in the movie Fight Club). Think twice before ordering that window seat in future!

Learned a few little facts like most aeroplanes crash within distance of 1km of an airport and that the plane wall is only 15cm thick. Scary!

Also interesting to know that the flight attendants themselves aren't just there to serve drinks and go thru the 'safety dance' but are also trained every 6months to deal with many emergency situations like these so be nice to them next time your on a plane instead of just moaning to them about your meal.

godtabh · 13-12-2005 09:53PM

Was flying from San Diego to NY via Chicago. Got about 20mins form Chicago and were told that we couldnt land in Chicago. And that was it. For about 3 hours we circled the airport. I thought the place hand blown up and we where gona crash cause we had no fuel! In the end we where told it was just a bad thunder storm. But it was a couple of days before the 9/11 first aniverseary.

That was the thing that started the ball rolling.

On the way home from Iceland last year on Iceland Express I flew through a blizard. Scary as f*uck! Plane was bouncing all over the place. I think a stewardess hurt her self and there was bags every where.

Been on some dodgy flights since.

But still I'll get on a plan say a prayer and hope for the best!

snorlax · 13-12-2005 10:03PM

i had a flying lesson for my 17th birthday was great cráic turning the plane and everything, nothing to be afraid of at all

.

tinka · 13-12-2005 11:13PM

Royale with Cheese wrote:

Yes I have known people who will freak out at the sight of a banana... however just one.

i know someone with a fear of bananas... interesting.

i've been flying since i was six weeks old so no fear of it. my only fear would be of some of the people you might have to sit beside. flying home from ny once (after a connecting flight from la. very long, stressful day) i was seated next to a couple with a baby. i was close to tears from exhaustion. thank god the plane wasn't fully booked and i moved to a window seat on the left side of the plane. and the arm of the seat beside me was broken so i had two seats to myself. i could have kissed that wonderful flight attendant. :rolleyes:

magpie · 14-12-2005 10:06AM

a couple with a baby

Those insensitive swine

joejoem · 14-12-2005 10:22AM

I have no problem with flying, I just cant wait until I am rich enough to go busines class everywhere, so I can use those pull out beds.

Pull out bed + prescription drugs = happy flight

arac · 14-12-2005 10:52AM

Funkstard wrote:

My worst experience was when flying to Shannon this year before going onwards to Boston. The wind was so bad we came in to land twice and had to go back up because it was too strong. The turbulance was something else - it was the first time I felt properly scared on a flight, there was several times where the plane just dropped and my heart was in my mouth. Along with that, half the plane got airsick and the smell was absolutely repugnant. I had to mash my pillow in my face to get rid of the smell.

I think I would have died a slow death there!!
Don't really like flying but get on with it..always think that its just not natural for a big lump of metal to be up in the sky:eek:

Chopperdog · 14-12-2005 12:20PM

I love flying, even after a very scary incident a number of years ago. Flying from Bahrain to London we were forced into an emergency landing when the cabin filled up with smoke at 30,000 feet. O2 masks, crash positions the lot. Landed in Schipol to all the emercency services not knowing if we were going to make it or not. Scary is not the word folks, that day I really felt that I looked death in the face and got away with it.
Still love flying though and am doing my private pilots licence.
Sure, if your time is up there's damn all you can do about it!!!

Chavster · 14-12-2005 02:06PM

magpie wrote:

Its at the stage where its really pissing me off now, I wish I could be brainwashed or drugged Mr T style.

My mates sister is terrified of flying so she pays a visit to the doctor before the trip and he prescribes her deluxe strength valiums for the flight. It works for her.

tabatha · 14-12-2005 02:16PM

i was on a plance once that was hit by lighting....scariest thing ever! plane lost all power and fell. over head compartmens opened, airhostesses hit the floor. nearly died! power came back after a few minutes and all ok thank god!

joejoem · 14-12-2005 02:17PM

tabatha wrote:

i was on a plance once that was hit by lighting....scariest thing ever! plane lost all power and fell. over head compartmens opened, airhostesses hit the floor. nearly died! power came back after a few minutes and all ok thank god!

Holy crap!

Scraggs · 14-12-2005 02:25PM

Chopperdog wrote:

Sure, if your time is up there's damn all you can do about it!!!

I like your attitude!
When i was flying to milan an air hostess spilled a pot of coffee all over me..didnt even say sorry:(
Thats my scariest experience!!

SpAcEd OuT · 14-12-2005 02:29PM

tabatha wrote:

i was on a plance once that was hit by lighting....scariest thing ever! plane lost all power and fell. over head compartmens opened, airhostesses hit the floor. nearly died! power came back after a few minutes and all ok thank god!

:rolleyes:

Chavster · 14-12-2005 03:17PM

tabatha wrote:

i was on a plance once that was hit by lighting....scariest thing ever! plane lost all power and fell. over head compartmens opened, airhostesses hit the floor. nearly died! power came back after a few minutes and all ok thank god!

How long ago? I thought that lightning isn't supposed to affect planes due to the fact they're not earthed. Lightning will hit, pass through the metal outer hull and then exit at some other point on the plane.

Planes & Lightning

daveg · 14-12-2005 03:18PM

Why oh why did I read this thread...

I've been on a good few flights (USA 3 times, Spain 2 times, UK etc many times). Had some bad turbulence coming back from the States a few years ago. The 3 second drop some others have been on about. Ever since that I hate that feeling in your stomach when you start to drop. The worst flight was last month flying back from my stag from Manchester to Galway (air Areann). The plane was tiny and was all over the place taking off from Manchester. I really thought we were going down. Was only a taster for the landing in Galway with gale force cross winds. Worst flight ever.

We start our round the world trip Friday 2 weeks. 11 flights all together and 5 of them are long haul. I've also just found out in work I have to go to Israel :eek: on business in April and then Switzerland

. Looking forward to Switzerland but Israel !!

BEAT · 14-12-2005 04:38PM

Turbulance on a small propeller jet plane on a windy day is the worst...
sitting next to a man on an 8 hour flight who has a persistant cough and nothing will cure it is even worse.
On the flight back to the states recently I sat next to a man who every 2 minutes for the entire flight (im not lying here...I am surprised he didnt cough up a lung) he hacked..LOUDLY! he was an old man so there wasnt anyone that would say anything other than to offer him a cough drop.

*the most eye opening thing that ever happened to me, that I have posted about before:
Nov 2001, 2 months after the 9/11 thing.
Taking my first trip across the ocean, waiting to board and I hadnt looked at the time since Id been there, the first time I look at the time on the wall...it says 9:11 on a big red digital clock.
Reflag #2.
#1 was a vision I had 2 months prior of a plane crash.
I told my aunt a plane would crash the dy I was flying...not mine.

I get to New York to connect flights,
walked past people waiting to board a plane that would soon fall out of the air.

That day...while I was in the air, another plane fell apart in the air over new york.

When I came back everyone knew what I had said prior to the light and was just kinda like...wow.

*but even with the redflags did I cancel my flight, no ..because if it happened to have been my flight, well then it was my time. Everyone is going to die, if its your time there is nothing you can do about it. No sense in being afraid of living until it happens

people have taken to asking me if I had any funny feelings about air travel before they book thier flights now , lol

joejoem · 14-12-2005 04:43PM

TurquoiseDream wrote:

Turbulance on a small propeller jet plane on a windy day is the worst...
sitting next to a man on an 8 hour flight who has a persistant cough and nothing will cure it is even worse.
On the flight back to the states recently I sat next to a man who every 2 minutes for the entire flight (im not lying here...I am surprised he didnt cough up a lung) he hacked..LOUDLY! he was an old man so there wasnt anyone that would say anything other than to offer him a cough drop.

*the most eye opening thing that ever happened to me, that I have posted about before:
Nov 2001, 2 months after the 9/11 thing.
Taking my first trip across the ocean, waiting to board and I hadnt looked at the time since Id been there, the first time I look at the time on the wall...it says 9:11 on a big red digital clock.
Reflag #2.
#1 was a vision I had 2 months prior of a plane crash.
I told my aunt a plane would crash the dy I was flying...not mine.

I get to New York to connect flights,
walked past people waiting to board a plane that would soon fall out of the air.

That day...while I was in the air, another plane fell apart in the air over new york.

When I came back everyone knew what I had said prior to the light and was just kinda like...wow.

*but even with the redflags did I cancel my flight, no ..because if it happened to have been my flight, well then it was my time. Everyone is going to die, if its your time there is nothing you can do about it. No sense in being afraid of living until it happens

people have taken to asking me if I had any funny feelings about air travel before they book thier flights now , lol

What? Planes fell out of the sky over New York in November 2001?

Sleipnir · 14-12-2005 04:49PM

I used to be 100% fine when I was flying until I took it upon myself to start researching air accidents. I spent months reading reports, looking at CDR's and CVR's of crashes.

I also read a book written by a Chinook pilot who was the first chopper on the scene of Lockerbie, collecting bodies. I will never forget the things he described seeing. They are burned into my soul.

Now I ain't so comfortable flying sometimes but I still love it too, which may sound odd.

Pigman II · 14-12-2005 04:50PM

Yep, some good pixs of the crashsite here http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/11/12/newyork.crash/

This is my favourite. Looks like something out of WarOfTheWorlds http://www.cnn.com/interactive/us/0111/newyork.crash.gallery2/03.jpg

Fear of Flying and Airplane Stories?

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