Flying Fear - Sweat and Prayers at 37,000
Posted: Thursday, September 10, 2009
by Julian Price
http://www.uk-freelance-content-writer.co.uk/
Flying, it is said, is the safest form of transportation. Poppycock! I wonder how many of us would take the test if experiments were being carried out to discover how safe an aeroplane is when it crashes if they were also conducting the same test for cars.
Don't panic; you get the full set of safety gear for each experiment, crash helmet, padded clothing and parachute! The catch (isn't there always a catch?) is you can only choose one of the experiments to partake in. Which would you choose? Thought so, me too.
I am terrified of flying, or more accurately, of crashing. However, I have grasped the concept that my spirit of adventure will be all spirit and no adventure and my cravings to see some of the more exotic, far flung places in the world will all be done via Google maps unless I can get myself on that plane.
I wonder if the fear of flying is hereditary. The closest either of my parents have been to getting airborne is putting their feet up on the sofa. Do you remember the character of BA Baracas in the A Team, played by Mr T? No, he is not my parent but he did have a terrible fear of flying and had to be rendered unconscious in order to get him to travel on a plane. Well, whatever the potion was that worked for BA, I want it!
I remember my first transatlantic flight which was also my first flight of any kind. I had the window seat and a lovely old couple sitting on my outside left. I had managed to arrive at a panic free, trance like state about 3 hours into the flight, when in a very nonchalant, "I fly 3 times a week" way the old lady said to her husband, "Look at how much the wings are bending today darling!" All I saw for the remaining 5 hours of trembling and sweat was how much those fragile looking wings were bending in the wind!
My wife constantly reassures me that everything is in God's hands and that not a hair on my head (does this count if you are already bald?) will be harmed unless He permits it. Of course, I know this to be true but whilst I am still in my human body, I am still going to be feeling a little uneasy at 37,000 feet.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)"Flying, it is said, is the safest form of transportation. Poppycock! I wonder how many of us would take the test if experiments were being carried out to discover how safe an aeroplane is when it crashes if they were also conducting the same test for cars.Don't panic; you get the full set of safety gear for each experiment, crash helmet, padded clothing and parachute! The catch (isn't there always a catch?) is you can only choose one of the experiments to partake in. Which would you choose? Thought so, me too."It is called the safest form of transportation, because it is less likely you will die in a plane than in a car. ~43,000 die a year from car accidents. In 2008, there were ~876 deaths from plane crashes. And no one would volunteer to test either sort of crash. They are both likely to be fatal, but the image of a plane crashing is just more imposing.I fly all the time, but I started when I was very young so it seems natural to me. I would suggest that once you're up there just try (1)not to think about it or (2)Dramamine.Source: I can't post URLs. :/Hi remaai, I dont think you quite captured the spirit of the article, but thats ok. I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment and i appreciate you adding some stastitics. Which vehicle are you most likely to die in if they both crash? Thanks again, Julian
Alright, so I can't cite properly, but I used the FARS Encyclopedia (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) for my data. Acording to this source, there are 37,261 vehicular crashes per year, 34,017 of which are fatal (I am using the most recent data, 2008). That means that over 91% of car accidents result in a fatality. Now, assuming that plane crash fatalities are 99% (this seems to be what you think; it certainly isn't higher, and for the purposes of the argument let us use this number), there is only an 8% difference between the death rates. Especially considering the much higher rate of car crashes, I think that suggesting planes are somehow more dangerous is vastly hyperbolic/misguided. It seems to me like you have a case of subjective validation.I understand why it is scarier. However, so is being attacked by a lion or falling into a pit of snakes. Just not as likely.Hello again remaai, thanks again for taking such an interest in this article. I am sure your stats are very accurate and i wont even begin to dispute them, but the point of the article was "fear of flying" rather than my opening sentence which was intended to create some interest( i guess it did that). It is also an article about opinion and i dont believe i mentioned a single % stat. However now that we are on the subject, and once again I have no qualified stats, are the percentages of car crash fatalities due to the sheer volume of traffic? If air traffic volume was as high as car traffic volume i wonder if the percentages would change? So if there were as many planes in the sky as there are cars on the road? Just interesting really. Thanks again, JulianThere is no way to know that. However, air traffic is much more tightly regulated, and all the pilots and AC towers have radios, so I would guess no.Thanks again for your comment Remaai.
Great article--I could relate and I also had some belly laughs reading about your observations and feelings.My second commercial flight (727) was going smoothly as one could expect until landing time and I was as calm as could be. We had to circle the airport for an hour because of a snow storm on the ground. Then, we tried to land and at the last minute the pilot pulled back up and circled for another half hour. Trying to remain calm I caught myself saying, I don't want to die, I don't want to die as we circled the second time. I've never been the same since. Enjoy your flight and you know what they say, if you are crashing, simply bend over, grab your ankles and ...forget it, this is a family site--enjoy Greece.Thanks Steve for reading and commenting, much appreciated! I made it there and back and had a great vacation in the middle...but still not cured of my fear of flying!lol Thanks again..Julian
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