Repost- I was on a dating site and I happened upon a pilot, so I thought why not bring up my fear of flying to him and maybe he will make me feel better.

Here is the conversation:

SANDI:I want to fly more than anything in my life right now.

SANDI: Let me explain okay?

PILOT: sure

PILOT: I am listening, or in this case …reading

SANDI: 2 Years ago this time, December 23rd, I went to Thailand for about one month.

SANDI: I always use to fly.

SANDI: but the last trip I took threw me for a loop.

SANDI: I am not afraid of flying or planes, I’m afraid of anxiety attacks on the plane. which I did have while flying back home.

SANDI: This made me want to stay away from planes and flying and since then, my whole world fell apart because my dream is to see the world.

PILOT: just like my sister had

SANDI: really?

SANDI: did she panic in front of everyone?

PILOT: yes, she used to, until I gave her control of the airplane

SANDI: tell me about her fear story please.

PILOT: well, just to give you an example, she used to throw up on the little bus that brings her on the plane.

PILOT: she always walked on the plane like she was going to be electrocuted on the electric chair, like death was certain

PILOT: she had flown every year since she was 3 years old, something like 20 times

PILOT: finally when I had my license, I talk to her about how an airplane flies, explained everything, told her that flying is 20,000 safer then a car ride

PILOT: at this moment in time there are well over 60,000 airplanes I the sky right now even at 1:54 am here

PILOT : Asia Russia Europe, every second on earth, 5,000 to 6,000 are landing and taking off, nothing happens

PILOT: lift is not magic

PILOT: birds do it, just like throwing a baseball or football, everything has lift, as long as it has speed

PILOT: so just remember, you need speed, i.e. why an airplane needs a long runway

PILOT: why the blade of a helicopter turns fast, speed equals lift

PILOT: if an object slows down, then lift decreases, such as a bird about to skim the surface of the water, or an airplane about to land

PILOT: so the pilot controls the speed of the airplane

PILOT: if the engines, fail, no problem, the wings are still there to give it lift

PILOT: just like a bird gliding in wind

PILOT: so, what you have to imagine, is that wind is always moving

PILOT: just like the currents of the ocean, always in motion, think of the propeller, or jet engine like the object to keep the speed of the plane

PILOT: and if the engine slows down, then lift slowly decreases until the plane touches the earth

PILOT : my sister imagined that, then I brought her up in a small Cessna

PILOT: I told her to take control of lift and power to keep speed

PILOT: then I told her to slow it down enough to stall the airplane, which makes it descend, but all airplanes aerodynamically will prevent it self from stalling to much

PILOT: just like a bird never drops from the sky

PILOT: so she tried it for almost two hours

SANDI: wow

PILOT: and turbulence is simply waves, likes the ones surfers use to float

SANDI: keep talking, I understand it.

PILOT: eventual she understood the mechanics and now she is not afraid

PILOT: she is still apprehensive, but much calmer, almost like being in a car

SANDI: yes because she is not in control, she gives control over to the pilot

PILOT: yes, always two, just in case one gets sick

SANDI: why two?

SANDI: do you really need two?

PILOT: yes, by law never less then two

PILOT: but it takes only one person to fly the airplane

PILOT: any airplane

SANDI: true

PILOT: the co-pilot checks and rechecks everything, and that way its two brains to make sure all is well

SANDI: what are they checking?

PILOT : humans make mistakes, and planes still crash just like cars, but there are well over 24 million airplane flights a year without a single problem

PILOT: everything from weather, vitals to airplane, and both keep an eye on everything

SANDI: not sure if you are still typing lol.

PILOT: no I stopped

PILOT: any questions?

SANDI: yes.

SANDI: First I want to thank you for taking the time to explain this to me. I couldn’t have had a better person to talk to about it.

SANDI: I have many questions.

PILOT: go ahead

SANDI: Do you know how happy you are making me right now????

PILOT: I don’t know everything, but I know where to look

SANDI: okay.

PILOT: lol, good

SANDI: Turbulence, what is it and is it dangerous, does it affect the plane in any way?

SANDI: does it crack the plane or damage it?

PILOT: it is not dangerous, it is natural, like today was a very windy day, so naturally a very turbulent day .

PILOT: think of turbulence as just waves over the surface of the water, sometimes you ride it

PILOT: airplanes can take hurricane force winds, but they always avoid hurricanes, do you know why?

SANDI: no?

SANDI : are their hurricanes up in the sky way up?

PILOT: well, or else the flight attendants would spill the coffee over the passengers…honestly…lol

SANDI: lmao

SANDI: is that all?

PILOT: yeah, hurricanes are up

PILOT: but pilots will bring much more fuel and go around them

SANDI: can turbulence flip a plane or make it spin ?

SANDI : break it?

PILOT: yes, but only in very extreme circumstances, just like a ship can keel to one side, but turbulence has never caused a crash, unless it happens as the plane was taking off or landing, but usually airports close when its too dangerous

PILOT: not break it, ever

SANDI: okay.

PILOT: wings are strong, very strong, and like a knife, it cuts through any kind of wind

SANDI: wow!

SANDI: I’m freaking out now. Lol

SANDI: in a good way

SANDI: So tell me PILOT….. What is the difference between your Cessna and a commercial airplane besides size?

PILOT: good

PILOT: just size, lol

PILOT: like a bike and a 18 wheeler

PILOT: both use the road

SANDI: why do they say flying is safer than driving? is it because no traffic up there?

PILOT: you do feel more waves in a Cessna, just because a row boat would feel more turbulence then a large ship

SANDI: true~

SANDI: you explain so well~

SANDI: Am I asking too many questions?

SANDI: boring you?

PILOT: no, because in Canada 35,000,000 people, every year there are 120 million passengers, and of all airplane crashes in Canada, it kills about 15-20 people per year, and the last huge crash that killed 300 people was a Swissair in 1998 near Halifax

SANDI: what happened in Denver on Dec 17th?

SANDI: I was on Swissair from Zurich when I panicked so hard!!!!!!!!

PILOT: those 15-20 usually die in small airplanes, or ultra lights, but there are still statistics

PILOT: in Denver, one of the two engines caught fire, the pilots aborted take off, and due to a snow wet slippery runway, it went into a ditch, everyone walked or limped out

SANDI: I think my fear lies in the way I feel when I am on a plane, turbulence and thoughts of doom. I think my reason for not going back on a plane is because I feel I will embarrass myself again. I was so panicked in Swissair that I took off my seatbelt and ran to the back of the plane and fell on my knees shaking and screaming I wanted to get out of the plane. I welcomed a crash just to stop my panic.

PILOT: let me give you another example why you should not panic on an airplane in turbulence

SANDI: k

PILOT: take a glass with some water in it, and shake the glass a little bit,

PILOT: then when you stop shaking the glass, what happens to the water inside the glass?

SANDI: spins

SANDI: and slows down

PILOT: so, an airplane and its wing does the same thing

SANDI: it won’t break the wing?

PILOT: it flies through some turbulence, and stops, but the fuel that is carried in the wing still moves, thus those little vibration that take a while to dissipate

PILOT: nope, no wing has ever come off

PILOT: unless the plane is shot down

SANDI: lol

SANDI: so when I experience turbulence what should I think?

PILOT: it is hard for a wing, fuel of fuel to stay on the ground, with all that weight, instead of in the air, because in the air, the wind keeps it stress free, just like a ship that never sinks

PILOT: what should you think?

PILOT: like me, surfs up, ride the waves, lol

SANDI: lol

SANDI: wow!

That was insightful to say the least, but I’m still not ready or I would have already purchased a ticket to sun and sand.

I’m back! Will be on and off today.

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