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Drama In The Air - Flying Fears

edited April 2010 in Not Sports Related
Although I am pretty much terrified of air travel, it probably wasnt the best idea considering i have two hols booked up within the next 8 months to watch the reconstruction of flight baa09 which was diverted to Jakarta in 1982 amidst the volcanic ash cloud. however having watched the documentry im quite surprised that i feel more confident about air travel for the following reasons

1. the documentry showed how many different drills and back up plans are in place for air incidents
2. the incident had never affected an aircraft yet despite this the skill of the pilots and the professionalism of the crew managed to maintain a fairly calm atmosphere and regain control
3. even without engines all is not lost and landings are still possible if landing areas are within range of the planes lowering trajectory


q. has anyone here been involved in an incident whilst in the air and did the crew deal with the situation well?
q. does anyone else have a particular problem with flying that you have found a way to deal with?
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Comments

  • Re. 3. Dont matter how much fuel you've got if the engines are lost.
  • q. has anyone here been involved in an incident whilst in the air and did the crew deal with the situation well?
    ..........

    Engine failure just after take-off from Frankfurt a few years ago (flying BA), the pilot dealt with it by adopting a nonchalant tone and we returned to the airport after circling around for 30 minutes or so while we ditched the fuel. As we were flying from Germany you might have expected BA to have had a German speaker on the crew - they didn't, instead they asked a German speaking passenger to convey in German the emergency message/news that we were returning to the airfield.

    As we landed and taxied up the runway we were accompanied by a fleet of ambulances and fire engines racing alongside. It wasn't all that dramatic, but I did wonder if that was going to be "it". The ex-wife of a friend of mine was a BA Stewardess and she told me in moments of crisis their job is to keep everyone calm - if the plane is going to crash there is nothing that the they/the passengers can do and the pilot doesn't need screaming/panicking passengers.
  • Two people I used to work with were on this plane air crash. They were the only britain's on board, and if you watch the video at the top right of page, you can see one of their passports in amongst the rummage.

    They were on a connecting flight having flown to Nigeria with British Airways. Connecting flight was run by some small Nigerian airline who don't have the resources to service their planes as well as other airlines. Apparently this is not the first plane they've lost.

    Anyway - hope thats reassured you choice!
  • [cite]Posted By: charltonkeston[/cite]Re. 3. Dont matter how much fuel you've got if the engines are lost.

    but is it not possible to still make a landing without engines? because in the documentry they were trying to cruise without engines back to Jakarta before they regained control
  • edited April 2010
    [cite]Posted By: PeakieRocket[/cite]Two people I used to work with were on this planeair crash. They were the only britain's on board, and if you watch the video at the top right of page, you can see one of their passports in amongst the rummage.

    They were on a connecting flight having flown to Nigeria with British Airways. Connecting flight was run by some small Nigerian airline who don't have the resources to service their planes as well as other airlines. Apparently this is not the first plane they've lost.

    Anyway - hope thats reassured you choice!

    i wouldnt say its reassured me but i think i will be avoiding 2 bob airlines as there seems to be a lot of these incidents with 3rd world airline companies. how can they be allowed to fly an airline without having been checked out for funding to ensure the planes are maintained, that is pretty much manslaughter surely
  • Hate flying, yet I sky plus Air Crash Investigation.

    Only drama I have had is on a flybe flight from Belfast to Gatwick the pilot couldnt shut the luggage compartment so we had to land in Birmingham. I was on the first train to London.
  • personally i hate the take off and the anticipation of it, i wouldnt say i enjoy landing because i dont enjoy any aspect of the experience but landing is better because in my eyes the nighmare is over but i normally find when talking to people who feel the same way as muself are ok with the landing and people who love flying love the take off and hate the landing. its always the other way round
  • edited April 2010
    Two of my family died in this, the worst day of my life
  • edited April 2010
    i remember this, jeez im genuinely sorry mate if i stirred up bad memories by posting this
  • [cite]Posted By: choice[/cite]i remember this, jeez im genuinely sorry mate if i stirred up bad memories by posting this

    No problem Choice, these things always happen to someone else until they don't. 8 years ago but it dont seem that long.
    Certainly puts only making the play offs in prospective.
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  • edited April 2010
    Never admit to BDL you are nervous about a flight, the week before you fly he bombards you with Airport style disaster movies..... I seem to be over my fear nowadays, but the first take off in a jumbo was terrifying, I gripped the seat and went white as a sheet, I was so bad the nurse flying to Bahrain who was sat next to me held my sweaty hand. Having since been up in a 4 seater with a nutter called Norman (BDL Will vouch for this) a flight in a commercial airliner holds no fears now.
  • Just remembered a scary flight recently, 3 attempts at take off from City Airport, first two i was ok with 3rd one had me convinced I was doomed, deeply disturbing, it was so bad I held the ex wife's hand....
  • Flying back from Vegas 5 years ago we were routed over the midwest due to bad weather. Wind changed direction and we flew straight through some fierce thunder storms. Only time I have been on a flight when staff have been confined to their seats. Turbulence was terrifying. Twice the plane dropped after a particularly bad jolt. Twice I very nearly crapped myself.

    Take off in the pouring rain was very scary as well. Think it was Tallinn. Bucketing down and you could feel (i am sure) the plane sliding!

    AFKA is a cracking flyer......remember getting oiled before a flight to Pestwick a few years back, the plane had to be de-iced before we could go. AFKA was not a happy bunny.
  • [cite]Posted By: choice[/cite]3. even without engines all is not lost and landings are still possible if landing areas are within range of the planes lowering trajectory
    True...
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  • [cite]Posted By: charltonkeston[/cite]Re. 3. Dont matter how much fuel you've got if the engines are lost.

    absolutely not true I am happy to say

    a very famous incident proved this in Canada a few years ago

    The Gimli Glider




    unless you are referring to engines falling off a plane, in which case :-(
  • Had to abort a landing coming in to Orlando in a torrential rainstorm - pretty scary but also quite common apparently

    Was flying home from a meeting in Sweden about 5 years ago and 4 Muslims all got up together clutching their Koran and walked to the front of the plane. I honestly thought my time was up but it turns out they were just praying! I didn't know whether to jug them or beat the shit out of them. I must stress there were many people panicking but the Ryanair staff just ignored it all.

    Oh - and I knew several people who died in WTC :-(


    But I do still love flying as it usually means it's holiday time!!
  • is it true that no passenger planes that have left the UK have crashed and caused fatalities?
  • [cite]Posted By: I-SAW-POUSO-PLAY[/cite]is it true that no passenger planes that have left the UK have crashed and caused fatalities?

    No
  • so how true is it that a lot of incidents are caused by human negligence. are the majority down to failure by engineers to maintain planes properly and is this more common in poorer countries? should these people be allowed to operate an air liner if they are not servicing them properly or employing the staff to maintain them.
  • [cite]Posted By: Clem_Snide[/cite]
    AFKA is a cracking flyer......remember getting oiled before a flight to Pestwick a few years back, the plane had to be de-iced before we could go. AFKA was not a happy bunny.

    Its taken me 24hrs to sum up the courage to open this thread !

    Not a great flyer at all is an understatement, but if you give in to these things.......

    Was flying on my own when i was 17 out to meet the rest of my family. Long delay, then takeoff was aborted on the runway. Had to get out and wait a few more hours while the problem was fixed. Not particularly relaxed on the next take off !

    As for that Prestwick flight, i can remember walking from the bar into the glass-fronted departure lounge and seeing all the snow coming down. Didn't help that Buddy Holly was playing in the background !
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  • Was on a flight to Faliraki that got struck by lightening and had to emergency land in Paris.

    Was absolutely bricking it when smoke started pouring into the cabin. We was stuck in Paris for about 5 hours with free beer whilst they repaired the plane.

    The free beer was probably the only way I was going to get back on the plane
  • [cite]Posted By: Plaaayer[/cite]The free beer was probably the only way I was going to get back on the plane

    i wouldnt have
  • Flight back from Thessaloniki was stuck on the runway for an hour as the electric storm going on around us was 'too wild to take off in', though it didn't stop him taking off in the end before it had finished. Flying through lightening is not great.

    The delay meant we were pushed for time to make the opening game of the season against Swansea. Had to get our pick up to drop us at the Valley on the promise we go and pick our cases up in the evening.
  • We convinced my old female boss that our colleague Ben was a terrible passenger. They had to go on a trip to Milan and as the plane started to taxi she grabbed his hand and tried to cuddle him. He freaked out and asked what the hell she was doing

    I wish I'd been there
  • On a connecting flight in the US from Newark to Pittsburgh, i got the job of sitting next to the Emergency exit and had to sit through safety instructions and read a booklet before take-off. Talk about responsibility!...i wanted a kip.

    Always watch Final Destination before flying....it will calm your nerves..i promise.
  • About 1984 I had 2 abortive landings at Gatwick during a storm.
    We had a quiet flight back from Spain until we got halfway through France, then the biggest storm, turbulance all the way, hostess's straped in. We approched Gatwick with no lights in the cockpit, thunder and lightning going off. As we came in to land the planes wings started moving from side to side nearly touching the ground so the pilot aborted the landing, when they abort the plane goes nearly vertical, stuff rolling down the isles, people screaming, he came in to land again and the same thing. While we were circling for attempt 3 the pilot told us that if we cant land this time we will go to Manchester, third time in he landed it. And yes everyone cheered. I have never been so frightened in all my life!!! I didn't fly for about 7 years after that, I was Dennis Bergcamp!!!
    Enjoy your holiday.
  • Nature of my job means I have a couple of flights each fortnight or so ... although I've just completed my 7th flight in the last 14 days, which is a little unusual. I've been doing this for about 20 years and the only plane 'failure' I have experienced was when the plane's tyres burst on landing at HK. Certainly I've been through many storms and been on planes that have suddenly lost significant altitude which can be very scary. But the reason for posting is to point out to you that the cliche is true in the main ... air travel is safer than most forms of transport. The problem is that when something happens it will obviously affect a lot of people.

    Enjoy your holidays.
  • The reason they ask you to adopt the crash position for a dodgy landing is not because it is safer, but to stop your teeth getting smashed. They can then identify you easier from dental records..
  • [cite]Posted By: MrOneLung[/cite]The reason they ask you to adopt the crash position for a dodgy landing is not because it is safer, but to stop your teeth getting smashed. They can then identify you easier from dental records..

    haha next you'll be saying they have us wear seat belts so that when we crash, its easier to identify the body as we'll still be sitting in our seat. They can then just match us up to the aisle number.
  • edited April 2010
    [cite]Posted By: MrOneLung[/cite]The reason they ask you to adopt the crash position for a dodgy landing is not because it is safer, but to stop your teeth getting smashed. They can then identify you easier from dental records..

    are you reading this nicholas?

    "you can stick your ****ing stag do, stick your ****ing stag do, stick your ****ing stag do up your a*** SIDEWAYS!!!"
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