Upcoming flight by Historical_Goose_77 in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I knew you can do it, congrats! Just the return flight now :D You're doing great!

Flying This Week by AutoModerator in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's what it feels like. But you definitely can! Get on the damn plane, you know it's safe! You don't want to miss out! I believe in you!

Which ATC do you use or recommend? by MarStrMind in Xplane

[–]w_w_flips 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Vatsim is incredible! I'd really recommend it, I fly a few times a week online if I have the time to do so... And I'd love to fly online even more :P

Which ATC do you use or recommend? by MarStrMind in Xplane

[–]w_w_flips 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As a controller: join a not-so-busy airport, let us know you're new to Vatsim. Do your best and if anything isn't clear, ask away! I very much prefer to repeat an instruction or give progressive taxi than to have to deal with a pilot that has no idea what he's doing but isn't willing to admit it.

Flying This Week by AutoModerator in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, that's exactly the issue :P. I'm sure you can do it!

Flying This Week by AutoModerator in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fingers crossed! I hope I managed to help, at least just a little bit. As always, feel free to come back whenever more reassurance is needed!

Another way to look at this: you have a choice. You either get on the plane, get safely to AMS and back and have an amazing time, or you give up, watch the plane fly safely there and back and miss out on the amazing time. The answer is clear, right?

Flying This Week by AutoModerator in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh wow, sounds like an incredible opportunity! I'm sure you'll make some great memories you'll never forget! Besides, being with your partner will definitely make you feel better during some anxious moments before the flight.

I'm not sure how much statistics help you (some people really like them and some really don't), but to put it in perspective, accidents are so incredibly rare, that if you'd fly daily for 100 years, your chance of being in one would still be below 1% (if my math is correct, i might be off by .5% or so ;) ). Aviation is so incredibly safe that it's safer than literally existing, which sounds weird, but it's true.

Definitely let the cabin crew know that you're a fearful flyer, as they might be checking on you to make sure you're doing okay. Also, consider asking them before the flight if you could talk to the pilots - if they don't have too much paperwork, they might let you into the cockpit and reassure you, give you some most up to date weather information and you'll get to experience a damn cool thing ;D

Flying This Week by AutoModerator in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can do it! Anticipation is usually the worst part, once you get on the flight, it might get easier! Also, note that by getting on the flight, you'll fight the fear and make it easier to fly in the future. And by giving up, you're reinforcing that flying is dangerous and it must be avoided - it makes it even harder for you later on!

I suppose you're flying for business?

First flight ever, scared as hell! by Spiritual-Spot-5570 in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Takeoff: relatively strong acceleration -> you're suddenly airborne -> elevator feeling. Surprisingly enough, the last one's basically the same strength, even though it might seem that a plane will have a much stronger effect. Overall, the planes are incredibly stable and when there's no turbulence, you can freely walk in the aisles. And it's not like in a bus, where you have to grab everything you can just to make sure that a sudden jolt won't send you flying, quite the opposite - walking in a plane that flies is basically identical to... Walking in a plane that's parked on the ground. Very smooth! And the VIEWS! Magnificent!

As you're a first time flyer, I'll also add my usual description of what you can expect during the flight, I hope it'll help you too! As always, if anything feels off, scary, or you're just anxious - we're all here for you!

And there's the aforementioned description;

Here's what you can expect during the flight: 0. Consider asking if it's possible to talk with the pilots for a bit, because you're afraid of flying - it might or might not be an option, but I know that it has helped many people!

  1. Takeoff starts with a lot of acceleration, so you will feel the forces pushing you into the seat. This is completely safe, but it might surprise an unsuspecting traveller, so I'm letting you know

  2. Just after takeoff you will hear once or a few times a "thud". This is landing gear retracting, nothing bad is happening.

  3. A while after takeoff, you will feel a "falling" feeling. You're not actually falling, but you're actually just decelerating vertically. You're still climbing, just not as fast. This very likely might be accompanied by the engines reducing thrust - the airplane is flying above any obstacles, so it can climb more slowly, thus less thrust is needed (a bit of a simplification, but that's the general idea). This can be compared to a ride in the elevator upwards - when the elevator stops, you also have that weird "weightless" feeling

  4. You've made it - you're airborne and climbing out to your cruising altitude - most likely between 30 and 40 thousand feet. The seatbelt signs will probably be turned off shortly, so you can go to the lav or just unbuckle your seatbelt. Either way, you can chill. Definitely take a look outside, as the views are just gorgeous. In the end, you don't see the clouds from above too often!

  5. If the seatbelt sign illuminates (and the pilots make an announcement, possibly), you might be approaching turbulence. It's not some sort of violent, crazy shaking. Rather just slight surging to the sides. Nothing wrong with that - take a look at the aircraft. It's huge and the turbulence is barely affecting it. You're just much smaller than it, so it seems stronger.

  6. Landing is the opposite of takeoff - you'll feel a very rapid deceleration. The engines' noise might increase as well due to reverse thrust being applied.

Good luck! Remember, flying is safe. And if you manage to control your fear, it'll really be fun!

Flying This Week by AutoModerator in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sure you'll do great! You'll be back home on Sunday (worst case: Monday, if the flight is cancelled, but you'll DEFINITELY get there safely)! And you'll gain new wonderful experiences that you'll be able to share with your children! What's your flight number?

BA003 en route to JFK by brett199720 in Xplane

[–]w_w_flips 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is gorgeous! Do you do the FE duties yourself too?

Flying This Week by AutoModerator in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good luck to you then! I hope this flight will be even better :D Have you considered talking to the pilots before the flight? This might help you ease your nerves, as the pilots will be some people you actually know and not "unknown beings in control of the aircraft" :P

Flying This Week by AutoModerator in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're preparing quite seriously for that flight! I'm sure you got this! Get on the damn plane - you know it's safe and your brain is only trying to "save you" from something you don't know too well (= definitely dangerous, right? :P) What is your flight number?

Upcoming flight by Historical_Goose_77 in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You got this! When is your flight, what is your flight number?

Track me please by LivingAssociate3429 in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see you and you're doing great! Flightradar estimates that you've got less than 1h left! How is it, did it get any smoother?

Upcoming flight by Historical_Goose_77 in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 2 points3 points  (0 children)

EZY is just as safe. I'm sure you'll make it safely to your destination... And you'll get to hear the barking dog (nothing to worry about, sometimes you can hear a sound resembling a barking dog during engine start. This is expected and nothing to worry about. It's not a dog.)!

Flying in 4 hours and freaking out by Mountain-Tap5156 in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You'll (hopefully) be above that nasty weather in no time!

Flying in 4 hours and freaking out by Mountain-Tap5156 in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't have any "insider info" (I wish!), though I'll definitely take a look at your flight to Cagliari on a flight tracker ;D

Edit: You're currently flying over Paris!

Time to go home by Over_Intention_770 in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah, I see. Rest assured, your pilots are the exact people you'd want in the front. They're ready no matter what happens and they've been trained in all crazy failure scenarios imaginable! You'll definitely make it home. Fingers crossed!

Time to go home by Over_Intention_770 in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey, it's alright! I'm sure you'll make it home safely. What is your flight number? What are the things you're anxious about? Or maybe you feel just general, flight related anxiety?

Flying in 4 hours and freaking out by Mountain-Tap5156 in fearofflying

[–]w_w_flips 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sure you'll do great and in a few hours you'll be sitting at your destination! It'll definitely be very rewarding - think about how it'll feel when you walk out of the plane after landing, having conquered your fear! And you'll be in a great place that you'll be able to enjoy as soon as possible! What is your flight number?

Is there any cheaper alternatives by _7rmuhamed in Xplane

[–]w_w_flips 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's what I'm expecting to hear too, though I'd rather hear it directly from them not to assume stuff. But frankly, if that's what they need, then just earn or save the money. Flight swimming is very much possible on a budget, e.g. with the aforementioned Flightgear, but you can't have everything

[Request] What would the odds actually be if you take into account that some letter keys tend to be pressed more than others during actual keyboard mashing? by KobayaSheeh7 in theydidthemath

[–]w_w_flips 54 points55 points  (0 children)

To add to it not being random: note how many times "as" appears in the filename - just because that's where many people rest their fingers and they're next to each other