To never want to get on a plane again?

[TwatMcTwonk]

Just watching coverage of the French air crash
I've always been a nervous flyer, took medication etc and would still be anxious all the way through the flight.

Used to go on holiday as a family, maybe two or three times a year, but I'm seriously thinking I don't think I could physically get on a plane again after all these news reports.

I know, statistically, it's rare to be involved in a plane crash, but I can't shake this awful feeling that it is just happening too often for my liking.

Anyone else feel like this?

I read a really interesting article about the plane that safely crash landed in the Hudson. One guy seated next to the emergency exit said that as the plane was going down, rather than worrying he focussed solely on reading, understanding and memorising the emergency instructions on opening the door. Then, when they landed he did so and was perfectly calm and rational.

I have also heard that you should count how many rows there are to the exits.

Counting rows to exits is a good idea in cases of compromised visibility it's essential.

Watching the Hudson River incident always completely takes by breath away. Wow.

You should always read the leaflet so you know what type of doors are nearest you and how they open. Don't just consider the nearest one- it may be 'unavailable'. Count the rows of seats to each so you can find your way if crawling on the floor in the dark, holding your breath.

Wear clothes you can run, crawl & swim in, but are warm enough to protect you from hypothermia if you have hours to wait to be rescued.

I'd put in my contact lenses rather than glasses.

Don't wear heels.

Sit next to your family.

Don't drink alcohol.

Sit on an aisle seat.

Sit at an emergency exit if you can.

(When I was a young solo traveller I was usually sat at the exit because I'd be a good bet for being able to open the door and wouldn't be trying to get my family together).

Always wear your seatbelt when seated.

Don't ever inflate a life jacket while still inside the aircraft.

Really most plane crashes aren't as all or nothing as people imagine.

NancyRaygun The trainers weren't saying that they'd leave anyone behind but they looked for alert people who might help them and wanted to instill that in their recruits.

only1scoop The thing about emergency exits was taken very seriously. Also the medical training. They were stressing they are not doctors and would try to get the help of a doctor passenger but they could do a lot and did spot stuff. They also had access to a US-based service, I forget what it's called now, but basically a trauma doctor could talk them through it.

It seemed to me that a common problem was people missing their medication. There was a really good role-play where a trainer was being the bitch from hell and it turned out she was acting as a diabetic who'd been delayed and got her insulin out of sync.

There was another trainer who appeared to be drunk, which would be common, but in fact was acting out a serious head injury.

I did a one-day course but the crew do much more. I was rubbish at crawling into the inflatable life raft that holds about 90 people and that was without it being on rolling sea. It's really slippery. I had to wriggle like a worm.

I was good at working as a team to get the weatherproof cover on the raft though I looked like shit and the female crew managed to keep their hair in sleek buns and with immaculate make up.

And I was so good at sliding down the escape chute they let me do it three times shouting #go, go, go'. I don't think I've ever gone so fast.

It was very interesting and I do pay even more attention now

The professional thing isn't me being rude btw, though I can see how it might look that way. There's nothing wrong with having a trade and doing it well.

I'm not a professional but I know how to do my job. I think.

The other thing they said that was in the event of an emergency, you usually have quite a lot of time to limp in so that should reassure people.

They judged when to prepare people. Therefore you might delay telling them because there's no point making people worry with mounting panic for an hour if you could bark at them to get themselves ready in the final 15 minutes.

It's a skill that I admire.

Obviously those poor people on that Germanwings flight didn't have much time.

Wow limited you know your stuff

We also use the U.S. Based company you describe which is direct contact with trauma doctors on the ground.

And certainly yes depending on the Amount of time to prepare the cabin in a pre planned emergency landing there is much we can get on with sorting.

Certainly was not the case yesterday.

In 2014 1.3million people died globally in road accidents.

In 2014 1320 people died in air traffic accidents. It means there was less than one accident for every 1 million flights.

yes but how many journeys were there by car compared to journeys by plane?

I couldn't find the figures but you might have more luck if you fancy a look.

And those flight safety stats are global stats. Good airlines with good planes and good pilots flying in Europe & North America are much safer than small internal flights in parts of Africa, Asia and South america.

Yanbu. I have a huge fear of flying and am grateful we can't really afford to go at the moment. I didnt have a fear until i had children and I also have GAD. But I wish I could enjoy flying and see the world someday. It's the whole panic and terror whilst dropping for miles that scares me.

This article is really interesting. I've read it before and the bit about wearing natural fibres has stuck with me. That, and that people become frozen when terrified and wait for someone to tell them what to do. You've really no idea how you'll respond, I suppose, if it's you though. Terrifying.

I think people who don't pay attention to the safety brief ahead of take off are stupid and rude no matter how often they travel by air.

it is certainly rude not to pay attention to the safety briefing. Most of it will make no difference, but the thing that DOES is to know the location of the emergency exits, and to count the rows between your seat and the exit.

if it hasn't come up already: best safety briefing ever...

That Air New Zealand video has its heart in the right place but is far too waffly and luvvieish to work.

I watched it and remembered that you should wear trousers and sleeves in natural fibres in case of fire - though female flight attendants always wear tights, which would cause horrible burns.

When doing the brace position - head between knees, hands over head - never interlace your fingers. It seems natural but never do it. You will break your fingers.

It's really hard not to do this.

Instead, place your weaker hand (usually the left) lightly over the top of your stronger hand. You protect your head and if anything breaks it will be the weaker hand.

Place your elbows outside your knees, not inside or on top. If you do inside or on top you will break your elbows and/or thighs/knees.

Wear flat shoes or take heeled shoes off and angle your feet slightly back in line with your forehead leaning down. In an impact, if you're lucky, you won't break your shins or ankles.

And then pray

I am getting more and more worked up about flying Sunday now. But I can't stop reading.

Dh is doing a lot of flying at the moment - two or three flights a week - because most of his work is in London, but we live near Glasgow.

Due to a number of factors exacerbating my depression (his mum's final illness and death from cancer last December, with the funeral just before christmas, the dog needing major knee surgery, necessitating lots of driving in the morning rush hour in Glasgow, me losing my voice, and then getting a nasty virus), I have not been coping with dh being away, and part of this has been me fretting about all the flying he is doing.

One morning, a couple of weeks ago, he came in and said goodbye before heading for the airport in a taxi, and as he went out, I had a sudden, terrible feeling of doom, and became very irrational. I rang him up in tears and total panic, and begged him not to get on the plane, because I was so sure something dreadful was going to happen.

He was kind and understanding, but he had to get on the plane, and I just had to suck it up and cope - and of course, nothing dreadful did happen to that flight. But the crash in France has reawakened my fears - even though I know it is not rational, flying is far safer than driving, the chances of his plane crashing are minimal etc etc.

It doesn't help that a lot of his flights are on Airbus320s.

Can I recommend that you read William Langewiesche's books about flying? They are really interesting and, as a nervous flyer, I've found them helpful. He wrote one about The Miracle on the Hudson which is great but my favourite is called Aloft and is a series of short articles about flight. It does include some chapters about air crashes but these make it clear how unusual these events are.

Oh God. It appears that it was a deliberate act by the co pilot.

www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/mar/26/germanwings-plane-crash-investigation-press-conference-live-updates-4u9525

This makes it seem even worse.

It makes me feel better actually. About flying I mean.

Though I am not sure how they can be 100% sure it was deliberate.

According to the BBC website, the pilot left the cockpit to use the toilet and the black box recorded him being locked out by the co pilot. Horrible.

I have just listened to recordings on the black box, apparently they have known this for a while but have confirmed it was crashed deliberately by the co-pilot.

I presume one of the thoughts is that he was suicidal and decided to take everyone out with him? Hard to feel any sympathy.

Impossible in fact.

"I have just listened to recordings on the black box"

Surely they haven't released the recordings?