I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

Aviaphobia/Aerophobia : The fear of flying

Some of us have a fear of flying in an aeroplane. Most of the time, people dun show it. Paiseh i guess. Must act brave mah. The fact that you are likely to be involved in a car crash compared to an aeroplane doesn't really help actually. Statistics is nothing.

Actually, this fear is a kind of phobia associated with some kind of anxiety. The “fear” of flying is actually more concerned with what might happen than with what actually is happening.

Perhaps if we understand how things work or accept the nature of something could help in reducing the anxiety.

This kind of 'fear' could develop due to a personal experience, hearing other people's horrific accounts, actually witnessing one or even from the news coverage and movies!

Take a look at the various components which contribute to this fear of flying and i'm sure for those who fear flying could relate to at least one of them:

• Heights


• Enclosed spaces


• Crowded conditions


• Sitting in hot, stale air


• Being required to wait passively


• Not understanding the reasons for all the strange actions, sounds, and sensations occurring around you


• Worrying about the dangers of turbulence


• Being dependent on unknown mechanical things to maintain your safety


• Being dependent on an unknown pilot’s judgment


• Not feeling in “control”


• The possibility of terrorism
  

Familiar?

Have you ever wondered why that soon after a plane takes off and with the plane still pointing up with the engines straining trying to get to altitude when suddenly the engines seems to cut back and you feel like falling back to the ground? The situation is made worsen by hearing the engines get quieter, which can make you believe they have failed!

Rest assured there are answers for such a thing to happen.

Actually the plane is not falling. Yes. Speed and power is reduced but the plane is still climbing up only not as fast as compared to taking off from the runway.

This kind of falling feeling could also be felt for those who uses the elevator in high buildings. Take note of the feeling as the elevator starts to rise. You feel heavy. Then, as the elevator approaches the tenth floor, it has to slow down and stop. As it does, you feel "light-headed" with a falling feeling!

Fellin better already?

But why reduce the power? I'll write about that in the next post.