i have been on a flying without fear course and flown a fair few times (longest 6 hour flight to new york)?
during these times i felt really on edge and couldnt relax. i keep thinking the plane could just explode randomly, like it seemed to do in the Air France incident. I just keep replaying the scenario in my head. the course didn't help that much and was a lot of money. is it possible for a plane just to explode? i really want to travel to south africa in the summer but am terribly scared!!! any help would be appreciated...thank you so much. :)
Air Travel - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Is it possible for a plane to just explode? No, it isn't. No more so than your car would just explode. There would have to be a reason. The Air France incident, although still under review, appears to have encountered a series of catastrophic failures which may have been exacerbated by a storm it encountered. Have you been able to determine the root cause of your fear? Have you ever been in an aircraft accident? Has anyone you cared for ever experienced one? Was there some sort of trauma in your past that somehow relates to aviation? Having been a flight attendant for over 20 years and never experiencing any sort of major emergency I could extol the safety of airline travel vs. automobile travel but if it doesn't quell your base fears then it would all be for naught. Traveling by air (statistically speaking) is still the safest way to go. Don't let yourself miss out on this wonderful opportunity to travel to South Africa. Have you considered talking with a therapist about your fears. They can help you determine why you feel the way you do. Good luck.
2 :
No, its not possible for a plane to just explode. A good way to get relaxed on a plane is to bring an ipod/psp/ds/ect and use it.
3 :
Airplanes do not explode randomly, any more than refrigerators or washing machines explode randomly. The AF 447 flight almost certainly did not explode, although we'll probably never know for sure. There was no reason for it to explode. Explosions can occur on airplanes just as they can occur on other vehicles. It's very rare but it has happened a few times. Usually it's a fuel tank that explodes (fuel is about the only potentially explosive thing aboard most vehicles). It doesn't happen in aircraft any more often than it happens in cars—do you worry about your car exploding? After all, your car is full of fuel, too, and cars have exploded sometimes.
4 :
Although I have flown many thousands of miles, I will never criticize another for being afraid to fly. After all, flying is not something that human beings do naturally. But, it IS safe. One is at greatest risk traveling on the road, to and from the airport. Planes do not "just explode." Some have been forced down due to exploding bombs, but many, many more people have been killed in bombing attacks on the ground and at sea. I presume that you refer to the crash of Air France Flight 447 on June 1 of this year. I, too, would very much like to know the cause of that plane's demise, as the Airbus A-330 is a magnificent aircraft. On the plus side, I believe that you have made much progress. Unlike many others, you have faced your fears and taken steps to conquer your fears. I am proud of you! Enjoy your trip to South Africa, and be sure to take lots of pictures!
5 :
Planes do not simply explode. The terrible Air France accident was an extremely rare occurence and looks like it could have been the result of a unique set of conditions exacerbated by a really bad storm. Air travel is by far and a long way safer than any other form of travel, including crossing the street. When planes crash they hit the news big time. If the average plane holds 150 people and the media had to report every 150 individual accidents on the roads in similar depth to the coverage an airline crash gets, the road crash news would never end! The airlines and governments invest vast sums of money to make it so. Consider that to buy a Boeing 747 you would need to find between $238 and $267 million! That is a lot of money and you are going to take very good care of your investment. Tens of thousands of commercial flights take off and land every day around the world and statistically the number of accidents is minuscule. Most airlines are very aware that some people have a fear of flying and have developed courses to help you to overcome that fear. Contact the airline you are flying with and ask them about such a course. I believe they are really good and help a lot of people. They do make a charge but not a massive amount. Do not be tempted to get drunk or taking any pills which may make you less than alert before flying as this can result in the airline refusing to carry you in case you pose a safety risk. Try to get a middle seat and take a book or magazine to read while the plane is taking off and landing. Once in the air most airlines have a selection of movies, TV programmes and radio broadcasts available to you. Look around and see how all the other passengers are reacting. 99.9% will appear calm and unruffled by the experience. Tell yourself that this is an experience you will enjoy and that you are looking forward to it. Be aware that on every commercial flight in the world the cabin crew must, by law, show you a safety demonstration or video. This is normal, it in no way means that they are fearful that the plane might not make it. For certain they would not have got on themselves if they had any doubts.
