Are you afraid of flying?
Are you afraid of flying?
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Discussion

jonna_rex

Original Poster:

1,500 posts

261 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
quotequote all
Boeing 737 seems to be one unlucky plane type. Several 737´s have had problems with cabin oxygen level due to decompression. You probably remember the reasent accident in Greece where all the passengers along with the crew where frozen to death before the crash. Scary isn´t it? But I do think flying is one of the most efficient ways of travelling. Has anything scary happened when you have travelled by plane?










andy mac

73,668 posts

285 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
quotequote all
Nope.. Not at all.. Its crashing that gets me worried...

Prof Beard

6,669 posts

257 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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andy mac said:
Nope.. Not at all.. Its crashing that gets me worried...


Exactly its ceasing to fly or, if you prefer, the ground that kills you

Prof Beard

UKbob

16,277 posts

295 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
quotequote all
jonna_rex said:
Boeing 737 seems to be one unlucky plane type. Several 737´s have had problems with cabin oxygen level due to decompression. You probably remember the reasent accident in Greece where all the passengers along with the crew where frozen to death before the crash. Scary isn´t it? But I do think flying is one of the most efficient ways of travelling. Has anything scary happened when you have travelled by plane?


Me, no. But after sticking my girlfriend on a light aircraft buzz, and the instructor dropping his glasses and telling her to take the controls (for 30 long seconds, whilst he unbuckled himself, doubled over and groped for them on the floor) she freaked out. Not being a part of the video games generation, she really did panic, had no idea how to control the plane, but was forced to, and vowed never to fly again.

(Note: Light aircraft are very fidgety, and this was a 2 seater jabiru microlight on a windy day, she did very well, and on a scare-scale of 1-10 for her, it was a 10 for her )

Planes are supposed to be the most safe form of transport, safer than busses, bikes, cars etc... I woudnt be too worried.

edited because I cant spell scare

>> Edited by UKbob on Thursday 25th August 01:04

jonna_rex

Original Poster:

1,500 posts

261 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
quotequote all
What I most enjoy about flying is that it´s fast. It´s probably the only form of public transport I tolerate. Nothing can beat driving a car though

UKbob

16,277 posts

295 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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jonna_rex said:
What I most enjoy about flying is that it´s fast. It´s probably the only form of public transport I tolerate. Nothing can beat driving a car though
Have you ever had the yoke in your hands, and an hour to kill? Id vote in favour of flying (but only because this is an aautomotive forum, and I like to wind people up )

paulhol

482 posts

271 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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no, although aproaching orlando international on the tail end of a hurricane wasnt the most pleasureable experience ive ever had


flying actually isnt always the safest form of transport, they just tell you that in the way they interpret the data. supposedly from manchester to london its safer to get a train

andy mac

73,668 posts

285 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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Lifts are safest form of transport!

groucho

12,134 posts

276 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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I used to love flying and have flown right across the globe, literally. I was on a flight once from Auckland to Cairns and we hit some mega turbulence.
This Qantas plane had the TVs in the back of the seats with the plane's info displayed such as route passed and altitude. Within a matter of minutes we had flown from 37,000 feet to 17,000 feet.
I always judge by the look on the attendants faces as to how serious it is and they lokd like they were shng themselves.
I really don't know what was going on then but the crew told us that there were journos at the airport and could we please not say much.
Since then I fung hate flying with a passion.

Eric Mc

125,675 posts

295 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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I can't think of any other 737 incident caused by sudden loss of pressure.

The 737 is the most successful airliner ever built. Over 5,000 have now been made which is way ahead of any nearest rival. I would say there are about 3,000 737s currently flying.
When you have so many of one type in service, it is going to be statistically certain that that type will suffer more accidents.
In fact, only two days ago, another 737 came down. This accident happened to an older Boeing 737-200 owned by the Peruvian airline TANS. It appears that the plane got into difficulty in extreme weather conditions and the pilot tried to make an emergency wheels up landing on a road. Over 40 were killed but 50 survived.

And before anyone says anything, the Douglas DC-3 was built in enormous numbers in World War 2 (close to 13,000) but, even though it was designed as an airliner, the vast bulk of DC-3s were manufactured as military transports. Of course, once the war ended, thousands of surplus military DC-3s were sold into the commercial market.
As a pure airliner, the 737 is the most successful, only about 100 737s were built as military transports or trainers.

D_Mike

5,301 posts

270 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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I was on a plane that was hit lightining once..


and another in an extremely dodgy cross-wind in a storm landing at heathrow... I saw the wingtip quite close to the ground... As we taxied to the stand after landing the pilot said "Well, I don't know about you but for a moment there I didn't think we were going to make it"

As someone who's spent a lot of time as child on planes I love flying

silversun

4,373 posts

256 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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No, I love flying.

jasandjules

72,602 posts

259 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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Had fun once on the way back from Hols when the Airport landing lights failed. Pilot said he would try and make it, but if push came to shove, he would last minute abort, and not to worry about it..
We cruise in, he still can't see the runway, we abort, cue emergency power and a hard bank round.. And screaming passengers ! Despite the fact he warned us what he may need to do...

But I do enjoy flying, though sometimes I do feel the odd urge to leap out of the plane...

titiany

2,122 posts

262 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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Flying's fine.

Taking off and landing is disturbing though.

I always think that humans 'weren't built to go this high' when I fly. It disturbs me.

Eric Mc

125,675 posts

295 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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Humans weren't built to do about 90% of the things we do.

dave_s13

14,028 posts

299 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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D_Mike said:
....As we taxied to the stand after landing the pilot said "Well, I don't know about you but for a moment there I didn't think we were going to make it".....


Now that IS worrying!

Flew to Thailand last month and commented to the misses about how the flight had been so smooth (only 2 hours to go), we then hit some bastard turbulence all the way into BKK! Looking out the window the wings looked like they were flapping us along. Most unpleasant.

I seem to dislike flying a little more each time I do it.

Smart roadster

769 posts

256 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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No, I love flying. Having the seat colapse on short final on only my third or fourth solo was quite interesting.

Einion Yrth

19,575 posts

274 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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I have no fear of flying, and it's the only way of covering large distances quickly enough. I do tend to get sinus problems caused by inadequate pressurisation though, and that can hurt like a very hurty thing.

titiany

2,122 posts

262 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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Eric Mc said:
Humans weren't built to do about 90% of the things we do.




true!

Marquis_Rex

7,377 posts

269 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
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Flying doesn't scare me too much, however when I play X-plane-8, spyders always seem to pop out to play- which can be quite creepy