Articles – Page 8 – Flying Fear

What to Expect When Flying: Pre-Departure

Welcome to the first in a series of articles detailing what to expect when flying. My aim in this series is to better prepare you for your flight (whether it’s your first flight, or not) by detailing all the events, procedures and noises that you can expect to see or hear. Whereas I will try […]

December 15, 2008
Fear of Flying in Bad Weather: Fog

Driving in thick fog can be extremely hazardous, and of course you must slow down to ensure you remain safe. But, how does fog affect flying. Surely it’s impossible to land an aircraft at 150mph in thick fog? Not at all. Firstly, every aircraft has it’s own visibility

December 13, 2008
Fear of Flying: What is a ‘Go-Around’?

You may have experienced this in the past, or possibly will do in the future. You are on the final approach to your destination, the landing gear is down, and you are looking forward to getting some fresh air. Suddenly, the landing gear is retracted, and you shoot back up into the sky. A flight […]

December 10, 2008
Why Do We Do the Safety Briefing?

A question on many people’s lips when asking about the fear of flying is ‘why do we do the safety briefing if flying is supposedly so safe?’ The answer is this. The whole airline industry works to a ‘just in case’ rule. Everything that we do as a team all boils down to this one […]

December 8, 2008
Fear of Flying: Terrorism

Another popular fear when it comes to flying, is the threat of terrorism. Of course, terrorists have been around for years, and have used aircraft previously. However, the most notable terrorist attack involving planes was 9/11. The reality of this happening in front of the eyes of millions worldwide has seen a whole new type […]

December 6, 2008
How an Aircraft Flies: Control Surfaces

The basic rules of flight state that for an aircraft to fly straight, at a continuous speed, then lift must equal weight, and thrust must equal drag. But, of course, it wouldn’t be much use if an aircraft could only fly straight would it?! So, how does a plane ascend, descend, turn and increase/decrease speed? […]

December 4, 2008
Fear of Flying in Bad Weather: Lightning

Welcome to the first of this series of articles discussing a fear of flying in bad weather. First up, thunderstorms – and more specifically, lightning. For my thoughts on the incident involving Flight AF447, go here. Before I discuss aircraft flying in lightening storms, I want you to watch this 30 second video from YouTube. […]

December 1, 2008
Fear of Flying: What About Engine Failure?

A big fear for many of you appears to be the possibility of engine failure. Admittedly it does sound scary, but there are a few reasons why you do not need to worry about it; Jet engine reliability is outstanding. The engines are built to such a high standard, and with such a degree of […]

November 28, 2008
Help For Fear of Flying: Aerodynamics Explained

Many flying fears stem from a lack of understanding of aerodynamics, and how the aircraft stays in the air. In this article I’m going to explain the basics for you, to help you gain more knowledge on the subject and overcome your fear of flying. It’s a common misconception that the aircraft’s engines keep the […]

November 24, 2008
Fear of Flying With Low-Cost Airlines

Many people I have spoken to during my time as a flight attendant have mentioned a fear of flying with low-cost airlines. When I ask them why, the answer is normally always the same; Low-Cost means poor safety (or maintenance). So, I’m here to blow this myth out of the water, and ensure that flying […]

November 21, 2008