Flying!!

[Jemimafuckingpuddleduck]

I’m a really bad flyer and for some reason part of me irrationally wants to read and watch every air crash investigation or file on historical flights and landings before and after I fly

I think it’s because I hate being out of control and not only not knowing what’s happening but also not being able to do anything about it!!

After having made 4 short flights last week for work (which were all completely smooth) It’s made me wonder where my fear has stemmed from especially as I have never experienced any more than a little bit of turbulence!

Give me your flying stories, does anyone else check flight attendants faces for any worrying expression, Is it true that turbulence and falling a few ft is one of the safest parts of the flights and has anyone ever experienced a “Go Around” because that shit scares the hell out of me!!

I did a weekly air commute for years in a smallish plane (40- ish seater prop plane), and often had bad turbulence, and a couple of times were unable to land as the plane’s nose kept being blown up, and we had to fly around over the sea waiting for it to die down. Once the stewardess sitting behind me was saying Hail Marys under her breath.

But this week a friend had turbulence so bad two stewardesses were injured, there was a shout-out for a medic (none on plane), and paramedics met the plane at LHR.

Oh my gosh that sounds terrifying!! I much prefer bigger planes but unfortunately most of my flights are short haul so the little propellor ones that feel so light and like they would blow away in the wind!!!

I am not a good flyer. I don't think I could cope on a very small plane. We flew to Germany once on a propellor plane, fairly small just 3 seats wide (2 seat, aisle, one seat) and that was bad enough.

I recall a programme a few years ago about people who had survived fatal air crashes and things like the importance of knowing your nearest exit, counting back the rows in case you need to find it in smoke.

I also don't like being out of control and am fairly claustrophobic. I'm not a good passenger generally. I cope with short haul holiday flights once or twice a year through diazepam. Alcohol, and alternatively burying myself in a book and praying. I've not yet been brave enough to fly long haul.

I think the thing of having to fly frequently for work is interesting though as I would imagine that the more often you cope with something the easier it is.

I have never let it stop me going anywhere and have traveled to America, the Caribbean etc but I have never ever been on a flight and truly relaxed!!

One of my America internal flight (Philadelphia to Jacksonville) was so small it pulled onto the grass due, off the runway due to a “technical issue” I’m pretty sure that was also the flight that the captain arrived on board, in jeans and late and announce “hang on this flights going to be fun!!”

I used to hate flying, would pick an aisle seat then sit there during takeoff with my eyes closed, gripping the armrests, and spend most of the rest of the flight listening intently for any changes in the engines. Now I drink beforehand and can sit in a window seat, look out of the window during takeoff and find it exhilarating.

Since discovering that flying is one of the many things which are much better when you are drunk, I’ve been on two flights from London City where we had to do a go around because the pilot misjudged the runway on approach) it’s very short, requires specialist training to be allowed to land at and go arounds are quite common with it) and it was more fun than anything else. Captain and crew all remained totally calm and as if it was no big deal and the captain explained over the tannoy what he was doing and why, which made it seem totally fine.

Flying to Miami years ago from LHR. Went straight out over the Atlantic. About half way across we flew through two gulf streams. Horrendous.

Plane inc crew were seated for over an hour as we were tossed around. At some points it felt like we were flying backwards.

People being sick, few screams etc.

Probably were completely safe the whole time, but a couple of years later the Air France jet went down (half way over the Atlantic) and i I've always thought that could have been us.

I hate flying - diazepam, beta blockers plus wine are the only things that get me through it. Had some turbulence on my last flight but did not care a jot - probably so drugged up I'd have been happily smiling away as the plane nose-dived into the sea

Fuck that LadyDuplo it sounds horrific!!

I also am much better after a few glasses of wine.

Do people feel safer or more anxious over water?

I think I feel marginally safer as the whole safety brief, life jacket, inflatable slide, whistle suggests a successful water landing!!...

There’s no map, binoculars and emergency food parcel given in case of a safe crash on land!!

We had a bird strike upon take off once. It knocked out one of the engines. We had to turn around and make an emergency landing. The bIg fear is landing with a full fuel tank (it was a medium haul 5 hour flight) because of fire risk so we were met by fire engines but all went well in the end. The planes can fly even if they lose an engine.

I've had an emergency landing due to an engine fire. We landed at a small airstrip and had to disembark using the inflatable chute.

The crew remained totally calm and managed the situation superbly. There was no panic and we were all very safe. I really don't worry about flying. Pilots are extremely well trained and tested and many are ex forces. You really are safer in a plane than you are in most other forms of transport.

It was Jemima but I've flown since no problems so it hasn't put me off flying.

Engine fires etc that the two PPs describe would terrify me.

Years ago my friends Dad was flying into Changi airport and they lost both engines. Plane basically a glider. The air stewardesses were sobbing as they were doing the safety bit. That would have terrified me.

Oh, and my old flat mate who is an aeronautical engineer said he tries to remain seated as much as possible and always keeps his seatbelt on throughout. This is due to the risk if clear air turbulence where the plane will suddenly, with no warning, hit a pocket of turbulence and then drop. Pretty rare though.

He also told me the reason planes have curtains in places isn't so much to separate the classes but instead to stop people looking completely down the aisles and seeing the plane twist. Which is what it is designed to do in turbulence etc. But seeing it happen tends to freak people out