About 20 plane crashes this year , weren't there ?

[SofaKingdom]

Oh and I cannot get on a plane without being medicated due to a severe fear of heights, it's only because the girly can get a supply of cyclizine, lorazepam and valium for me I can get on a plane.

Just seen the news on what happened to the Polish president. Am sure stories like that don't help you with the above

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8612825.stm

[VectraMan]

Oh and I cannot get on a plane without being medicated due to a severe fear of heights, it's only because the girly can get a supply of cyclizine, lorazepam and valium for me I can get on a plane.

Are you BA Baracus?

I don't like flying very much, but it's more because of the claustraphobia aspect. I don't like crowded trains or coaches much for the same reason, but at least you know that if you scream bloody murder, pull the emergency cord, whatever, they can ultimately let you out. They really can't let you out of a 747 half way across the Atlantic.

If I could just afford a private jet, I'd probably be fine.

Maybe there's an argument for loading people onto planes unconscious, naked, and in special pods. It'd mean you could load a lot more people on each flight, reduce the terrorist threat, and you could possibly even build parachutes into the pods so they could be jettisoned in the event of catastrophe.

[doodab]

Maybe there's an argument for loading people onto planes unconscious, naked, and in special pods. It'd mean you could load a lot more people on each flight, reduce the terrorist threat, and you could possibly even build parachutes into the pods so they could be jettisoned in the event of catastrophe.

Wouldn't this cause problems serving the inflight meals?

[minestrone]

My fear of heights plays a big part in my life sadly, I am not a naturaly scared person and go sailing where I am hanging off a boat pelting it along and never dwell on the risks. Well we did sail back from Dublin to Largs a few years ago in a force 9 and that was serious brown pant time but there was a real risk involved and I could rationally think "this is really dodgy and I am not comfortable but it should be OK".

Heights however and I am in deep trouble, I suffer from batophobia as well and when I lived in Sydney it took me 2 weeks before I was able to walk into the business district, I just cannot relax in New York with the buildings around me. St Peters in Rome scared the life out of me when I walked in.

The engineer in me says flying should be ok but the irrational takes over and I did study the soux city crash at uni where the defect in the rotor was less than a grain of salt. I then look at the engines and think "which Bobs have maintained this thing".

I have the medication down to a good level now where I am pretty much knocked out but still can walk in a sasquatch stylee. I cannot really remember flying at all in the last 10 years even though I have been round the world on a few occasions.

[minestrone]

Maybe there's an argument for loading people onto planes unconscious, naked, and in special pods. It'd mean you could load a lot more people on each flight, reduce the terrorist threat, and you could possibly even build parachutes into the pods so they could be jettisoned in the event of catastrophe.

If we were in a situation where we had never flown but were as techologically advanced as we are just now what we would be given as a solution would be a million miles away from what we have just now.

[Drewster]

If we were in a situation where we had never flown but were as techologically advanced as we are just now what we would be given as a solution would be a million miles away from what we have just now.

Minestrone - as you are phobic you are really not the best person to argue a rational case against flying - cos well your phobia is by definition irrational so no logical argument will ever convince you. So your arguments "against" can only be somewhat biased as you "believe" that they prove your point.

a bit like a "true believer" can't comprehend logical arguments against the existance of God etc.

Not a critisism... merely an observation

[minestrone]

Minestrone - as you are phobic you are really not the best person to argue a rational case against flying - cos well your phobia is by definition irrational so no logical argument will ever convince you. So your arguments "against" can only be somewhat biased as you "believe" that they prove your point.

a bit like a "true believer" can't comprehend logical arguments against the existance of God etc.

Not a critisism... merely an observation

Completely, i'm not arguing against flying, I know it's safe, it is my fear of heights that stops me getting on a plane.

What happens is that my fear of heights and my engineering degree get together when I get near a plane. I know the factor of safety is less in plane manufacture but at the end of the day it still is a factor of safety.

[Drewster]

Completely, i'm not arguing against flying, I know it's safe, it is my fear of heights that stops me getting on a plane.

What happens is that my fear of heights and my engineering degree get together when I get near a plane. I know the factor of safety is less in plane manufacture but at the end of the day it still is a factor of safety.

Can't you just convince yourself its only a very noisy Nat Express Coach....

My Mrs went on one of those "Fear of Flying" Courses... it actually worked for her... lots of "Calm thoughts" etc but it included a quick whizz round the Airport (Gatwick I think) to show her/them how it all worked and even a short flight....

She flew on hols the following week with no problems....

To be fair she only ever "disliked" flying rather than really bad....
and the following year she listened to the CD agian for a couple of weeks before we flew again...... cos she had "lost her nerve"....

I guess you've tried that already? (the courses rather than just the CD)

[stek]

Four pre-flight Stellas usually helps me.......

[d000hg]

If cars were allowed the freedom of space that planes were allowed then the car would be a safer means of transport.

You can try driving your car through fields and over the top of roundabouts, but I don't think it will last long.