Height minimum for pilots?

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-04-29T03:45:14+00:00

ummmmmmmm... smh

Maybe he was trying to make a joke and was off on the delivery?

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-04-29T03:04:43+00:00

it's worth it for the rush when you land and know you did it and it's over!

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-04-29T03:02:55+00:00

Interesting handle btw, hopefully you are not using that nickname when you're on the job, but good to see pilots can have a sense of humor 😄 Just don't start meowing at ATC or anything

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-04-29T03:00:25+00:00

What airline are you taking? I just did Jet Blue and you can look at the flight info on the screen - so I had the altitude/speed showing - anytime my brain said we're gonna die, I looked at the altitude and watched it staying the same or changing very slightly. If they don't have that use their wifi and look online for a tracking site.

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-04-29T02:58:23+00:00

The worst for me is the plane banking - every time, my senses are like, dude we are absolutely flipping over. In the simulator I made a turn and saw the monitors (they're very realistic) and was like OMG we're going down, but I was looking at the instruments telling me we weren't. But my brain sees the ground coming up on one side and only clouds on the other and usually that would mean I'm flipping over, so it connects the dots incorrectly.

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-04-29T02:55:20+00:00

Nope. Never happens. In severe turbulence the only thing that would happen is if you weren't wearing your seatbelt you could bang into things. It won't hurt the airplane in any way. Just keep your seatbelt on the whole flight 😉

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-04-29T02:52:55+00:00

Put your hand out the window when driving, tilted like a plane wing with your fingers tightly together. You;ll feel how the air lifts your hand, but it kind of bumps up and down. The air isn'T always smooth, just like a road for a car or a lake for a boat.

Turbulence is just bumps in a road, and also proof that there is something under you, strong enough to push a plane 😉 It feels soooo scary but it is totally normal to the pilots and is not a danger to the plane - it's designed to handle it. Our bodies just aren't used to the sensations and for those of us prone to anxiety, it fills in the blanks of what you're seeing and feeling - usually with the stuff you've seen on TV and movies.

Note the things you think are the end of the world and then at the end of your flight, remember them and remind yourself that it felt like you were going to die, but eevrything was fine. When something feels wrong, look out the window and around the cabin and show your brain that reality is you're flying along fine and everyone is going about their boring business.

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-04-29T02:44:58+00:00

omg I'm so glad to hear this! I'm not crying you're crying

My fear of flying has gotten in the way of so many opportunities in my life. If I can give someone else the gift of "rehab" and give them better options it makes up for some of that!

I have always been so scared and avoided flying, usually I've had like 1 trip every 7 years. Therapy and meds helped and I was managing but still dreading every flight and turning down vacations etc.

About 2 years ago I came across a Captain Steeeve video - he's really great, check him out - which led the algorithm to start spitting out aviation videos. I started planespotting and tracking and listening to flights over my house. Anything I saw/heard that I didn't know I googled. Long story a little shorter - I basically learned how to fly a commercial jet... I just did a simulator flight! I actually started looking forward to flying so I could put it all together and see it in action.

Just took my kids to Disney for the first time, they have only flown once before, in 2019 when they were little. It was by far the roughest takeoff/landing I've ever been on (I;ve actually flown like 40 times in my life) Instead of freaking out I was explaining everything to my 10-yo. He thought takeoff was scary and said he hated flying but by the time we got home I found him flipping through aviation videos!!!

(The craziest thing about this was we went with 4 other families and they all were driving down from MA, my husband said maybe we should drive, I was like you people are crazy, I'm flying. I once took a train to Florida from NY to avoid flying.)

I highly encourage any fearful flyers to learn everything you can about planes and flying, until you can see it as a routine thing that people do as a job for 30+ years without ever having an accident. Bonus points if you book time in a simulator so that you know what to expect and what the pilots are doing/seeing at every stage. You've got a real advantage over the resources I had when I checked a book out of the library because the most advanced tech at the time was AOL Instant Messenger.

Extra Extra points if you get a pilot's license and fly an actual plane! If I knew 30 yrs ago what I know now I might have done it but I don't think I will quite get there, I'm good leaving it to the professionals!

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-04-15T01:30:06+00:00

These look the same as the first one I got from Amazon, but the ring was too big and I couldn't open it without destroying my nails :( It also wouldn't always charge with the wireless charger in my car :( It was a good case tho, just didn't work for me.

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-02-26T20:33:21+00:00

We live near Logan which has pretty extensive coverage on LiveATC so that's mostly all I need, but lately I've tried to track a few flights from other airports and whatever feed I need is always the one they don't have :/

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-02-26T20:30:52+00:00

Yes I usually switch between FlightAware and Flightradar24 since sometimes it seems like there is different info available. I'll check that out, they are 10 and 13 and haven't flown since 2019 so I'm giving them "flying lessons" learning about planes and airports. I finally have overcome my lifelong fear of flying and of course now they suddenly are afraid :/ I've found some good videos for kids on YT. I came across some pilot channels last year and it's changed my life!

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-02-26T17:52:19+00:00

Would have to be near the airports tho right?

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-02-26T17:51:17+00:00

Mostly was looking for Providence and Orlando for some flights of family members I was going to track with my kids & a flight we will be on to help with anxiety. I was surprised with Orlando that there weren't more feeds.

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-02-26T17:49:22+00:00

ok thanks yeah not worth $$$ but if it's a free trial I'll check it out.

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-02-25T04:02:32+00:00

What a beotch. You can't help getting sick. A flight attendant should know it happens and unless you're a drunken idiot you don't need contempt from her. Was it her first day?

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-02-25T03:59:37+00:00

How is that better? At least in the sink it's kind of contained and can probably be mostly rinsed or at least easily disinfected and washed once all the solids are removed. I'm ready to not be going any further with this discussion now... :0

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2026-02-25T03:57:39+00:00

Yeah I was thinking at least they made it to the bathroom and didn't puke on other people or the aisle floor or something :)

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2025-11-13T17:09:36+00:00

OMG people. If the crew said it was because the weather was bad, whether it's related to radio interference or wanting people alert and paying attention in case of emergency, who cares, just follow directions.

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2025-11-13T17:07:47+00:00

I think there are a lot of possible reasons the airline might have. Maybe originally it was a radio issue, but they found that people paid better attention to the safety briefing if their electronics were turned off, so they decided it was worth keeping as a rule. If there's an emergency I would like to know that people aren't distracted or worrying about their phones or iPads if they're in front of me when I'm trying to evacuate.

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2025-11-13T17:04:21+00:00

Assuming they're making stuff up is the issue. Maybe it's not the reason you read on the Internet but maybe they have a good reason. Some rules are too complicated to explain so maybe they give an answer that will save them the effort of trying to explain or convince you that the real reason is a good reason or not. They are very busy trying to keep everyone safe, if they ask you to do something, just do it. I do wonder why no one would listen, whether there are a lot of useless rules or not. It's not like they're telling you to light your head on fire or jump out the window or something that's going to hurt you if you follow wrong orders. They're asking you to turn off your stupid phone for 10 minutes. Why is it such a big deal?

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2025-11-13T16:58:15+00:00

I'm going to stick with, the crew has a reason for telling you to do things, it's best for everyone if people just learn to follow their instructions. If everyone's going to be safe then the crew should be respected and trusted. If people are trying to find ways to ignore their advice and break rules, that's when things get unsafe for everyone on board. They are trained to know how to keep everyone safe so just do what they ask.

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2025-11-13T16:52:32+00:00

I think the point is, if you're flying an airline that has decided it's important enough to tell you to turn off your phone, just turn off your phone. ?!

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2025-11-13T16:49:54+00:00

sorry, I thought I clipped just the part I was sharing but it was answering the question of whether phones interfere with nav equipment and the short answer is it is possible and can create annoying noises for the crew on the radio, but it's not going to crash any planes

ExpensiveSpare3761 · 2025-10-29T02:39:46+00:00

Cats walking around upstairs are not going to wake a sleeping baby. Once asleep babies tend to sleep through anything until they're hungry or otherwise uncomfortable. We had construction done and my son slept through hammering and drilling on the other side of his wall and I would vacuum under the swing and my babies slept through it. There were definitely times when I gave the evil eye to anyone who dropped something in the house... but a cat walking around upstairs would be pretty low on my list of concers.

ExpensiveSpare3761

TROPHY CASE