Unreal (Anxiety while flying)
 

On another thread someone mentioned a site that lists fatality rates of different airlines. I checked out the site and noticed a link for those who "fear flying" - clicking on the link I was stunned to read the article of an airline safety expert who made me more fearful than before. He said he is more nervous now than ever flying because he realizes he is not in control of the plane and in his line of work he knows just how much can go wrong (with mechanical and human error).
Is this a cruel hoax? Why would any site direct those who fear flying to an article drumming up the dangers? I kept waiting for the reassurance but never got it.

I fly all the time but feel more anxious now than ever. When I was younger flying was exciting but now i find fear creeping in all the time, i believe because I fear who will care for my family and animals if something were to happen. Does anyone else feel this as well or do most people feel more and more comfortable as they fly more often?
If weather conditions are nice I feel more at ease but if i know I'm flying through storms I tighten up.
This fear often causes me consternation just before and during the trip - then once I return from the trip and the fear is gone I really begin to appreciate and savor the time I had? Crazy?

I don't know how common fear of flying is, but it does seem strange that people who fear flying we directed to that article.

I don't get nervous when I'm flying. The not being in control thing doesn't really bother me. I figure when I'm on the road I am in control of my own car, but have no control over the hundreds of other cars on the road. At least with air travel, the air traffic controllers are overseeing the whole thing.

I feel perfectly safe when flying and am more anxious when driving - much more dangerous where I live. I've been in a few car crashes which were not my fault, never been in a plane crash. It really is a safer mode of travel statistically so I think you just have to try and be objective about it.

Big Daddy,

Have you been in the witness protection program?

I try to keep those thoughts out of my head. To me,its no different than hearing about bad things happening to children, and then obsessing about it and being to over-protective of your own. Thoughts that you have no control of should be dismissed.

Go to Flyertalk.com and post your concerns on that board. Flyertalk has tons of airline employees from long time veteran commercial and general aviation pilots, to mechanics, boeing engineers, FAs, FAA, yadda yadda yadda.

Knowing what could go wrong is very different from knowing what WILL go wrong. When you're in a plane, know that the entire flight crew has gone through rigorous training, and know that the aircraft is regularly inspected and maintained. Know also that air traffic control staff are watching your plane basically from take-off to landing. Do you have those same assurances when you're driving on the freeways?

Many things have to go wrong for a plane to crash. And lessons learned in past accidents make today's planes safer than ever before. The yutz who wrote that article is a moron-- plain and simple.