Am I Crazy NOT to be a Nervous Flyer?
 

I'm a million miler with two airlines. I've certainly got a million more spread across various regional and country (flag) carriers, many in Africa and former-Soviet Union.

I haven't had a nervous moment in thirty years.

So I'm sitting on my flight yesterday morning. My seatback won't stay in upright position. (Anyone got a Knee Defender?) The wi-fi doesn't work, the in-flight entertainment is intermittent. The power plug at my seat (and several others nearby) is dead. That's the infrastructure of my 777. So why am I not worried, 36,000 feet over the Pacific?

Because statistically speaking, you're still being transported by one of the safest forms of transportation we have on an aircraft that has only had 5 (possibly 6) hull losses over millions of miles flying. Regardless of how well the IFE or Wi-Fi works, your aircraft has been maintained and held to rigid standards by the FAA (assuming you're flying a US-based carrier) and by an airline who knows that an accident would cost millions in equipment and future revenue.

To summarize, you're not a nervous flyer because you're rational :D

That being said, sorry you're on such a crappy plane.

Hmmm. So we don't think lousy IFE and/or wi-fi will bring a plane down? You're not factoring in the potential for passenger revolt on the trans-oceanic flights. ;-)




(Just to be clear, my original post was intended to be tongue-in-cheek. I'm pretty sure Big4Flyer got that.)

No, you fit the norm. I'm only a nervous flier if I have to fly some shady airline. Sorry you have to fly UA though. That just sucks.

Now wait a sec. I didn't say anything about United in my post... ;)

I've only done maybe 200k butt in seat miles total, so I'm a rookie compared to you guys. But yes, I have zero nervousness when it comes to flying. Even in heavy, drinks spilling all over turbulence. I figure 99.99% I'm gonna be safe, and if I really was part of the 0.01% well, I could just have easily been 0.01% of people getting hit by a bus on the sidewalk kind of thing.

Exactly--passengers rioting and breaking something important!

I am a control freak, like to be in control of my form of transportation. Hate to ride in a car with someone else driving. Horses? Not a chance. REALLY hate to ride on the back of a motorcycle. Even on a bus I am nervous as hell. Not at all on an airplane for some reason.

Probably because I have no idea how to operate that type of vehicle.

My advice: become a pilot, aircraft owner, fuel distributor and mechanic. Otherwise you need to learn that not much is under your control while in the air other than choice of carrier. Horses are sentient beings and have a sense of self preservation that machines do not have. I would much rather be teetering on a cliff while riding a horse than in a chunk of metal that just lost power.

I'm with you there. I'm a horrible passenger in the car especially if it's over a long distance.

I asked my pilot friend once if he had any really bad "scares". He said all the time!

I find it hard to believe you haven't had a single thought such as "what was that" in 30 years.

I've been scared lots of time. The most just after 9/11 when the plane went pitch black. The pilot announced "assistance required in the forward cabin". Flight attendants raced food/drink carts to the rear of the plane then ran up to the front. First and business passengers were escorted to empty seats in economy. No announcements were made for 10 minutes. 10 minutes in the dark after a "assistance required" announcement is excruciatingly long. Finally half the lights came back on with the captain making an annoucement. He said "folks, everything is fine now. We had a fire on board but everything is ok and we'll continue on to Sydney". I thought "what the.." when we are only an hour out of Honolulu. Why aren't we turning back when we are 9 hours to Sydney. Obviously made it.

Things are not in control and you just roll with it - nothing wrong with that!

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
The wisdom to know the difference,
And an FA that can keep a glass topped up.

And even then, once you're in the air, better wait till you land before switching carriers ;)

Made my day :D