Madrid plane crash - are you still happy to fly?

[Gangle]

Hate flying anyway but after this latest crash am seriously doubting whether to get on a plane. We're supposed to be flying to Jerez this afternoon with DS, five months, and absolutely terrified, mainly for him. Feel so irresponsible, taking him on a plane when I'm not sure it's safe. Has anyone else cancelled their hols because they're too scared to fly? Always hated take off, even more so now.

Are you too scared to go in a car? you are far more likely to die in a car crash.

agree with soupdragon

i think things like this highlight that things can go wrong, but statistically it is still really safe

we flew home from spain the day of the crash but did not read about it until we got home , it would not have stopped us getting on the plane

I've flown since then, with all three DSs.

I don't think that you are being irresponsible to fly with your DS, not at all.

Still the safest form of transport there is.

Dh flew this morning.

Sorry I am with Gangle here... people always quote the statistic about cars, but I am not sure how that statistic breaks down given that the average person spends much more of their life in a car than in a plane. Is the statistic is based on a person spending an equal number of hours on a car and a plane in their lifetime?

Furthermore, imo the sheer scale of devastation when something goes wrong in a single incident on an airplane is very difficult to comprehend and that is not to say that fatal car accidents do not cause immense grief to the families involved.

I have always been a nervous flier, even as a child, and catastrophes like in Madrid do little to ease my nerves...

friends of dd1 weren't allowed to come to the cinema with us during July 2005, because the mum was scared we'd be bombed

I would have thought the Holloway Odeon pretty low on the Al Quaida hitlist...

in other words, risk is all relative

Some stats here

Yes. I might feel a bit twitchy about flying with SAS (Spanair parent company) because there had been rumblings about pennypinching before the Madrid crash, but then again they'll probably be being extra careful now and their planes will all have had extra checks.

the point is Bluebutterfly, that I bet you don't think twice before getting into a car. I'm pretty sure you never wonder whether you should do it because you might die.

Plane accidents are, on the whole, rather rare even looking at all flights rather than personal ones.

I don't know anyone who has been killed in a plane crash. Whereas I know scores of people who have been killed in road accidents.

I know this is very unscientific, but even so...

I understand the point soupdragon, and I do worry about getting behind the wheel of a car. Nonetheless, the statistics do not account for the number of hours spent either driving or in a plane in a lifetime. For instance, if a person spends equal amounts of their life in a car as in a plane, the statistic of liklihood of death is altered (obviously if a person NEVER goes in a car, but only travels by plane then their risk of fatality in a plane accident is greatly increased while the risk of death in a car is removed altogher making an airplane more dangerous).

We can only claim that cars are riskier because the average person spends so much more time in a car (probably almost every day of life in most cases, whereas the average person does not spend anywhere near that amount of time on a plane).

Statistics are misleading...

Well yes bluebutterfly, but you make the pertinent point - the very fact that people don't fly very often (probably including the OP) means that they are less likely to die in a plane crash.

And add to that the fact that the Madrid crash was in Spain, and that the OP is also flying to Spain makes it, IMO, even less likely that anything will go wrong.

No, people don't fly very often but even if you look at all flights like I said, accidents are still rather rare.

which isn't to say that I didn't think "my children and I re all going to die and it's all my fault!" as our plane landed, rather wobbly, during turbulence/crosswinds in Antigua this summer

Have flown twice since with no concerns.

I have read the statistic that if you flew once every day, statistically it would be nineteen thousand years before you would be involved in a fatal accident. I haven't seen the working on that, mind you.

I have flown since, and I used to be the worst flying phobic ever (brandy and vallium anyone )
But after a life changing moment I decided there are far worse things that can happen than dying in a plane crash, FAR WORSE!! And that if Im meant to go like that then Im meant to go.

One MNetter said to me that she loves it because no-one can call her or bug her and she just sits back, shoes off and reads or watches the films etc and its the start of a rest, or just a few hours rest.

I still dont love it but I can cope. Catashrophic plane crashes are rare (unless we're talking about far-flung countries with bad safety)

Clearly that MNer wasn't travelling with children!

lol soupy, dont all mothers make their dh sit with the kids on a 3-3 plane layout
oops just me then

(mosschops sits back with nice drink and latest trashy holiday read )

DW is a very nervous flyer and has been on various courses/ had hypnotherapy/ read books etc. From her experience, the key thing (apart from drinking bucket sized glasses of white wine before the flight) is to accept that your fear is irrational.

On a rational basis, there are far more things likely to cause your death or injury in the course of every day life, for example, driving a car. I'm sure you don't get into a car shivering and sweating and thinking "Oh god, this could be it, my last journey, we might get hit by another car, veer off the road, god anything could happen," even though the odds on this happening are (arguably much) higher than of anything happening on a flight. Ditto going for a walk to the shops, going for a swim etc. all of which have much higher odds of death or injury thatn travelling by plane.

Unfortunately, because the fear is irrational generally just being given all the facts evidencing it's safety isn't much good, rather like someone who's claustrophobic being told that being in a tight space can't actually hurt you doesn't do much in alleviating their claustrophobia. On the other hand, so long as you can accept it's irrational, it does give you an alternative way to look at it (and provide some reassurance that you're not actually acting irresponsibly in taking your DS on the plane!)

Has anyone's attitude to risk become skewed since having children though? I've always been a nervous traveller, but used to get on with it anyway. Since having children I have only flown once and even have secret panics about car journeys.

I dont see the argument between cars and planes and never did even when I was phobic.

I think for most people, its not the dying, but the knowing youre going to die for that length of time and falling and knowing. For me it was always thinking about looking at my children, holding on to them, trying to re-assure them.

In a car youre on the ground, yes death is still horrible and painful but it hasnt got that 5-10 minute wait for it, and youre on the ground.

For me thats the difference, I have no desire to die in either, but a car would be preferable if I had to choose

Can I ask, why did you decide to book a holiday abroad if you're so terrified of flying? Or why didn't you choose somewhere that you can get to by ferry/train.

I'm not a nervous flier, but I can imagine that it wold spoil a holiday completely if I was - weeks before worrying about going and then the whole holiday worrying about coming back. Easier to stay in the UK or go to France/Spain by ferry.

I've always been a very nervous flier and am flying to Spain with dd for the first time on Saturday. I'm really looking forward to the holiday but am dreading the flight. I normally sink a fair few vodkas before flying to ease my nerves but can't even really do that whilst being in charge of dd