Fear of flying

CC268 said:
That takes some balls. Looks fun but not sure it’s something I’d do.
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Nah, lots of women fly hang gliders. :rolleyes:

When I first got to LMFP, I wouldn't even stand on that ramp. On my mountain solo day, which was nine weeks later, I felt great about running off the launch. I had done four aerotow tandems with an instructor, and something like 50 training hill flights solo. That's less than two hours of air time, so it's pretty reasonable to be nervous on mountain solo day.
 
FormerHangie said:
Nah, lots of women fly hang gliders. :rolleyes:

When I first got to LMFP, I wouldn't even stand on that ramp. On my mountain solo day, which was nine weeks later, I felt great about running off the launch. I had done four aerotow tandems with an instructor, and something like 50 training hill flights solo. That's less than two hours of air time, so it's pretty reasonable to be nervous on mountain solo day.
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Idk man seems mightyyyyy risky.
 
FormerHangie said:
Nah, lots of women fly hang gliders. :rolleyes:

When I first got to LMFP, I wouldn't even stand on that ramp. On my mountain solo day, which was nine weeks later, I felt great about running off the launch. I had done four aerotow tandems with an instructor, and something like 50 training hill flights solo. That's less than two hours of air time, so it's pretty reasonable to be nervous on mountain solo day.
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I did strictly ground training, so I went from the big hill (~120ft tall) to the mountain (~1300ft tall). Yeah, it was a leap of faith so to speak...
 
Unit74 said:
Brand, model.... Sorry for not being specific.
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Let’s say you have a general fear of heights but are ok flying. Now...
Take any plane that you feel comfortable in.
Remove the door.
Remove or don’t wear the seatbelt.
Do you still have that same comfortable feeling or does your fear of heights return?
Throw in a steep turn towards the missing door side.
How about now?

I had no particular make and model in mind.
I was just making a point that the fact you are flying doesn’t in and of itself take away the fear of heights or of falling. It’s the equipment coupled with your faith in the pilot’s abilities whether it be you or someone else. Diminishing either (in my example, the equipment) will likely make your feet of heights return.

Same thing applies to skydiving, or rappelling from helicopters. Two things that I have done. If you trust your equipment and training, you really shouldn’t have much if any fear.

But that is of course just my opinion. Don’t fear it.
 
:rolleyes:


SkyDog58 said:
Let’s say you have a general fear of heights but are ok flying. Now...
Take any plane that you feel comfortable in.
Remove the door.
Remove or don’t wear the seatbelt.
Do you still have that same comfortable feeling or does your fear of heights return?
Throw in a steep turn towards the missing door side.
How about now?

I had no particular make and model in mind.
I was just making a point that the fact you are flying doesn’t in and of itself take away the fear of heights or of falling. It’s the equipment coupled with your faith in the pilot’s abilities whether it be you or someone else. Diminishing either (in my example, the equipment) will likely make your feet of heights return.

Same thing applies to skydiving, or rappelling from helicopters. Two things that I have done. If you trust your equipment and training, you really shouldn’t have much if any fear.

But that is of course just my opinion. Don’t fear it.
Click to expand...
 
SkyDog58 said:
Let’s say you have a general fear of heights but are ok flying. Now...
Take any plane that you feel comfortable in.
Remove the door.
Remove or don’t wear the seatbelt.
Do you still have that same comfortable feeling or does your fear of heights return?
Throw in a steep turn towards the missing door side.
How about now?

I had no particular make and model in mind.
I was just making a point that the fact you are flying doesn’t in and of itself take away the fear of heights or of falling. It’s the equipment coupled with your faith in the pilot’s abilities whether it be you or someone else. Diminishing either (in my example, the equipment) will likely make your feet of heights return.

Same thing applies to skydiving, or rappelling from helicopters. Two things that I have done. If you trust your equipment and training, you really shouldn’t have much if any fear.

But that is of course just my opinion. Don’t fear it.
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Now go fly a Breezey.
 
Bill Jennings said:
I did strictly ground training, so I went from the big hill (~120ft tall) to the mountain (~1300ft tall). Yeah, it was a leap of faith so to speak...
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So you probably had about 20 minutes of air time before your mountain solo. I can see why you were nervous. Having done the aerotow tandems, I'd already done four approaches from altitude, your mountain solo was your first.
 
James O’neill said:
I’m interested in getting my private pilots license.. but, I’m not really comfortable being up in the air. You might ask, why would someone who doesn’t like to fly want to get their license? I’m not sure I have an answer for that other than, because it’s just something I want to do, and possibly overcome, in time.
I don’t freak out when I’m up in the air, it’s just that thought of “what if?”, what if I were to crash, was it worth it?
Advice?
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Some people find that being in control calms their fears. I don't like being a passenger when someone else is doing stalls or whatever because I'm not in control. Even though I know that they know what they are doing, I still feel butterflies. I guess I'd never make a good CFI. But me doing it myself? No problems at all.

Take a discovery flight - you might be allowed to take off, and you will be allowed to fly. Maybe you won't have any problems at all.

As far as the "what if" questions that seem to nag you: those are exactly the kind of things your CFI will be asking you during lessons. You'll have to learn how to plan for an emergency and how to control yourself and your airplane in an emergency. All of that reinforces the feeling and requirement of you being in control of the situation and not the other way around.

There's definitely an intimidation factor at the beginning, but after a while you won't feel so lost and will probably enjoy it. Don't ever tell yourself NOT to get those "what if" questions, though, that's complacency and can kill you.
 
SkyDog58 said:
I’m more than willing to do that...

with a seat belt.
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I think we need to insert the word "irrational" in here somewhere. If you could comfortably fly in a Cub but not a Breezy equipped with seat belts and shoulder harnesses, then your irrational fear of falling is making itself known, there's no real risk difference between the two. We all have a rational fear of falling, it helps keep us alive. Right now, I'm sitting on the fifth floor of an office building, next to a window. I have no fear of falling as I'd have to break through the window in order to fall, and I'm not going to do that. But, if I were standing on the edge of the roof of this building , I'd know I had to be careful not to slip or I would fall to my death. Sometimes that rational fear of falling sneaks into situations where it doesn't belong, such as flying in an airliner. Sometimes it takes some time and effort to make the rational brain take over.
 
Google Operant Conditioning. Get some lessons: But maybe don't continue to do battle with your sub-conscious if the fear persists after, say, a dozen lessons or so? Constant voluntary exposure to a real (or perceived) threat builds up, like radiation exposure.

Watch the end of Twelve O'Clock High - Gregory Peck physically unable to enter the airplane - his psyche saying "enough is enough" was a real thing - seen it in military aviation, though usually less dramatic.
 
Hi.
Most of the people, that I've encountered, are afraid of the unknown, which in this case may be flying.
NO human, that I know, is totally comfortable flying. Only birds are.
If you are comfortable driving in the mountains, with steep drop on either side, you will likely do fine with some taring, and having control of the situation. Get an introductory flight with a CFI that will take the time explain to you how an airplane flies and to take control and see how you feel. Keep trying, it's not that difficult.


James O’neill said:
I’m interested in getting my private pilots license.. but, I’m not really comfortable being up in the air. You might ask, why would someone who doesn’t like to fly want to get their license? I’m not sure I have an answer for that other than, because it’s just something I want to do, and possibly overcome, in time.
I don’t freak out when I’m up in the air, it’s just that thought of “what if?”, what if I were to crash, was it worth it?
Advice?
Click to expand...
 
Sundancer said:
Google Operant Conditioning. Get some lessons: But maybe don't continue to do battle with your sub-conscious if the fear persists after, say, a dozen lessons or so? Constant voluntary exposure to a real (or perceived) threat builds up, like radiation exposure.

Watch the end of Twelve O'Clock High - Gregory Peck physically unable to enter the airplane - his psyche saying "enough is enough" was a real thing - seen it in military aviation, though usually less dramatic.
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Not really.... ask me how I know it
 
I think I mirror cowman's take on it; I'm a bit nervous every time I fly. I don't know if it's good or bad, but it is what it is and I just try to use it to some advantage if there is any to be had there. One interesting thing is that I also ride motorcycles, and while that too is typically considered a risky hobby, I generally don't have the same feeling when riding that I have when I fly.
 
Two things:

Being on a 10 foot ladder scares me to death. I actually shake when I have to do it to change a light bulb. <-- Lisa just laughs at me

Flying a plane that some guy built in his garage, and taking it to 9,500 feet doesn't phase me at all.
 
Sundancer said:
Google Operant Conditioning. Get some lessons: But maybe don't continue to do battle with your sub-conscious if the fear persists after, say, a dozen lessons or so? Constant voluntary exposure to a real (or perceived) threat builds up, like radiation exposure.
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Because you say it builds like radiation exposure and later you mention cumulative effects of stress I take this to mean the fear only gets worse. But there is "exposure therapy" where you gradually accustom yourself to the fearful situation until the phobia goes away. Which way does it work in real life? My husband hides fake cockroaches around the house trying to "condition" away my fear of roaches. It is very effective at making me not afraid of fake plastic roaches.
 
Sundancer said:
Which not really? Cumulative effects of stress? Or that operant conditioning can sometimes work?
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giving up after some lessons, the more you face your "irrational/perceived" fear, you get accustomed to it. you have much more brain cells available to process whats going on. this differs from person to person, but I will tell you, if I had given up after a dozen lesson, I wont be a pilot today. for the OP, he needs to find out the root cause of his fear.. what is it? the fan stops? stall? spin? noise? depending on what it is, OP can come up with an action plan and work on it. if he wants to.

there is a book by Brian Germain http://www.transcendingfear.com/ , available on amazon, OP might benefit from it
 
WannFly said:
giving up after some lessons, the more you face your "irrational/perceived" fear, you get accustomed to it. you have much more brain cells available to process whats going on. this differs from person to person, but I will tell you, if I had given up after a dozen lesson, I wont be a pilot today. for the OP, he needs to find out the root cause of his fear.. what is it? the fan stops? stall? spin? noise? depending on what it is, OP can come up with an action plan and work on it. if he wants to.

there is a book by Brian Germain http://www.transcendingfear.com/ , available on amazon, OP might benefit from it
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OK, twenty lessons then, or some other number, after which it's clear enough that mastering the fear of the activity is not worth the considerable effort to do so. Or, maybe it is. Or buy a boat, and sail intead.
 
Rushie said:
Because you say it builds like radiation exposure and later you mention cumulative effects of stress I take this to mean the fear only gets worse. But there is "exposure therapy" where you gradually accustom yourself to the fearful situation until the phobia goes away. Which way does it work in real life? My husband hides fake cockroaches around the house trying to "condition" away my fear of roaches. It is very effective at making me not afraid of fake plastic roaches.
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I think it works both ways - you can train/condition yourself to overcome some fears. But not all - or at least not without extensive effort. Some rational fears, like raining down out of the sky in bloody chunks, are gonna be tough to overcome, as in Gregory Peck's B-17 pilot character. He kept at it, and it caught up with him.

I think I was trying to say, if the OP stuck with it a while, but it didn't get better with exposure, after some reasonable number of lessons, maybe flying isn't fir him.
 
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