Are You Afraid To Fly?

busdriver11
Sun, 24 Apr 2011 01:41:23 +0000

Drinking a couple of glasses of wine really helps the fear, I promise you. Turbulence almost never takes an airplane down, airplanes are designed to handle much more turbulence than you ever feel. The only hazard is to the poor flight attendants who are walking around when they should be sitting. If you fly a stiff winged airplane (like an Airbus instead of a Boeing) or a commuter jet, you will feel the turbulence alot more. But it’s not dangerous. Takeoff is not generally that hazardous, the only danger is if there are mechanical problems (it takes alot for a pilot to screw up a takeoff, even in bad weather). And if they happen at a slow enough speed, the pilots can handle it easily. Landings are the most dangerous part of the flight, as you can have mechanicals, pilot errors and weather surprises. If you do want to minimize risks, don’t fly turboprop aircraft in the winter, in cold climates. Dealing with enroute icing and snow upon landing is a particular danger especially for those kind of aircraft.

It’s not really so bad. Drink wine, you’ll feel better! And of course, as they say, the most dangerous part is driving to and from the airport (so don’t drink too much wine). I’ve been a military/airline pilot for over 27 years, and serious problems are very rare.