Fear of Heights and Flying

Stingray Don

Stingray Don

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Stingray Don
Any other pilots have a fear of heights or is it just me?

I do have a fear of heights but strangely it is not triggered by flying. More than 2 steps up on a ladder and I'm uncomfortable. Standing near the window on the 19th floor where I work makes my palms sweat and my heart race. Getting up on a roof - fuhgettaboutit! I've gotten up on my roof before and I'm almost paralyzed with fear. When I'm flying my plane I can look out the window and just enjoy the view.
 
I'm the same way. I've determined I'm more afraid of sheer dropoffs than heights though. Ski lifts don't bother me, Gondola's dont bother me. Being suspended in the air has never bothered me, but sheer drops/cliffs always do.
 
Ladders and tall buildings (inside), don't bother me but definitely some uneasiness looking over the ledge up high.

Looking down from the 50 ft rappelling tower at Parris Island was a bit scary. Never was comfortable walking on tower catwalks either. Went to watch the Blues from the lighthouse this year and I couldn't get anywhere near the railing.
 
I'm not a fan of ladders, ledges, bungee jumping, sky diving, etc. I have no problem getting inside the plane though.
 
Stingray Don said:
Any other pilots have a fear of heights or is it just me?

I do have a fear of heights but strangely it is not triggered by flying. More than 2 steps up on a ladder and I'm uncomfortable. Standing near the window on the 19th floor where I work makes my palms sweat and my heart race. Getting up on a roof - fuhgettaboutit! I've gotten up on my roof before and I'm almost paralyzed with fear. When I'm flying my plane I can look out the window and just enjoy the view.
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That pretty much describes me.
 
Same here, I used to think I just didn't trust my legs as much as I do my hands.
 
My wife is the same as the OP. Never understood it. She'll fly in my plane all day, but she gets paralyzed with fear whenever we drive over a mountain pass.
 
No problems ever with flying, but that glass-bottom sidewalk over the Grand Canyon ........ AIEEE !! Can't even look at it on TV.
 
I hate driving over bridges and riding on ferris wheels.
 
I once read somewhere that the incidence of fear of heights is greater in the pilot population than in the general population. It doesn't affect us flying because there is a sense of control.

Me too. Very bad with heights. Fine with flying.
 
I'm not big on heights, but usually I am OK. An 8/12 roof is a place where I am not at all comfortable...

The only time I've had that uncomfortable feeling in an airplane was leaning out an open door and looking down from a thousand feet or so.
 
I think what most here are describing isn't a fear of heights, its a fear of edges. Most of us can be comfortable in a tall building but only when you stand next to the window or ledge that they get the heebie jeebies. I know I do. I work in a tower but can't stand to go out on the catwalk. In Korea, the catwalk was made of the see-through steel grate which made it doubly fun.
 
Guys at work make fun of me because I hate getting in the genie boom or on extension ladders. I am 30 hours in on my private training and love it but they don't understand how I can do that and have such a hard time on the ground. Went to New York last month with my sons 8th grade trip and did not have any issues on the empire state building but you are caged in pretty good.
 
Seems pretty common amongst pilots I've talked to. I don't do ladders, roofs, cliffs, lighthouse observation decks; but I'm OK climbing trees. My fear of heights increases exponentially when other people are around - fear of being pushed. ( I'm not generally the trusting type - known too many moronic doctors - but that's a whole nuther story).
 
That's too funny. I'm terrified of heights, especially on ladders and near edges. Don't think a thing about flying. I think I feel secure in a plane but know any sudden slip on a ladder ends poorly.
 
Terrified of heights, OK with flying. I have however managed to get up the courage to go bungee jumping once (75') and ride one of the rides on the top of the Stratosphere in Vegas. Enjoyed them both.
 
Same here. Love flying, hate heights. I think Mark is spot-on with respect to it being a control thing. I'm not a good passenger in an airplane...

I'm good on a ladder up to about the 4th step. Don't mind highrises as long as I'm inside and not leaning against the window. I don't like outdoor/exposed staircases, or steep staircases (think spiral-type). I've been to the crown of the Statute of Liberty (nearly had a panic attack coming down the small, steep spiral staircase), and I've been to the summit of the Eiffel Tower (also a horrifying experience). I also really dislike ski lifts. However, being at the top of a mountain doesn't bother me much (I've run the Pikes Peak Marathon the last 4 years).
 
I can hang out thousands of feet in the air in a tiny cockpit all alone and be totally fine, but you won't get me near the edge of a building or top of a lighthouse. Ladders don't bug me and just last week I was perfectly fine sitting & leaning against the window of my room on the 26th floor of my hotel. I think it's the open space/exposed thing. And, like someone else said, it's worse if there are others around... fear of getting pushed, I guess. Met a CFI the other day who had the same problem. Seems like it's common with pilots. Maybe it's the fact that we're almost all control freaks...
 
Ladders, roofs, mountain trails, cliffs, airplanes, balconies. They're all fine. I only worry about bad footing, don't want an edge to crumble and send me over; if it's solid, it's not a problem. Went up a mountain in Montana once, so steep that I had to press my chest against the hillside so my daypack wouldn't roll me backwards down the hill . . . Rollercoasters are fun, but I don't bungee jump, don't trust them to not break. Same with skydiving, I don't trust the chute to not roll--what happens if the backup rolls too?
 
No fear of heights here..........


Fear of falling and having my guts plastered all over a Honda Civic with a lowering kit and green neon ground effects? Yes.
 
Heights don't bother me. Used to free rock climb.
I have a tough time with ladders, but I'm fine climbing trees. Just nuts, i guess.
The strangest I ever encountered is the wife of a friend of mine.
She is fine in a low wing plane. Put her in a high wing and she will faint as soon as it gets air borne.
 
Timbeck2 said:
I think what most here are describing isn't a fear of heights, its a fear of edges. Most of us can be comfortable in a tall building but only when you stand next to the window or ledge that they get the heebie jeebies. I know I do. I work in a tower but can't stand to go out on the catwalk. In Korea, the catwalk was made of the see-through steel grate which made it doubly fun.
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When I was living in Springfield, MA area, we used to go on the roof of our office building on the 4th of July to watch the fireworks over the Connecticut River.

The office building was only 4 stories high with a completely flat roof. The access door was pretty much in the middle of the rook, far from any edge. As soon as I would come out the door, my legs would turn to jello.
 
N5922S said:
No problems ever with flying, but that glass-bottom sidewalk over the Grand Canyon ........ AIEEE !! Can't even look at it on TV.
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+1 on "scared of heights but flying is zero problem"

I actually WENT to the skywalk at the Grand Canyon, and paid to do it!

I approached it, and nope, zero percent chance that was happening. Plus a family member wanted to "help" me across it. Advice; if someone is terrified, don't rush towards them, promising to "help" them do the terrifying thing. That cemented me getting far away, and not having time to build up to it.

I think they should sell t-shirts that say "I wussed out at the Grand Canyon Skywalk". I would have totally bought one.
 
When I was a flight instructor, I had a student that was a psychiatrist. Very interesting fellow. I have the same symptoms of feeling uneasy near an edge like others here have described. He told me it wasn't a fear of heights but a fear of falling. And as for feeling fine in a plane, it is because I feel safe because of the trust I have in the plane.
 
Ditto here... 'hate being near the edge of a shear drop. Ladders not so much, just a healthy respect for what can go wrong. Almost 21,000 deaths per year in U.S. at home from falls. Turns out changing the light bulb in the kitchen is a risky move.
 
"an irrational fear of heights" was a line from a commercial years ago. Anyone who has a fear doesn't believe it is irrational. As a kid, the family drove across country. I ducked under the back seat and miseed the Mississippi (both time). On our trip, we stopped at Niagra Falls. I stayed in the car because I would not, could not cross the bridge to the falls. Every time we went down the Cape, crossing the canal, I would either duck or close my eyes.
I've never had any issue flying and (mostly) seem to have outgrown my fear. Then again, my dog's toy is still on the roof where it landed TWO years ago.
I do get a little anxious in the helicopter with the doors off. A hard left to the CFI's side did seem to shake HIM up.
 
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