Questions about flying etc

[Miss Chicken]

You can answer some or all or none of the questions I am about to ask.


Is there anyone here who has a phobia about flying?
Is there anyone who has never flown?
Who here has a pilot's licence?

Have you ever done any of the following

Been in a small plane
Been in a helicopter
Been in a glider
Gone hang gliding
Been up in a hot-air balloon
Been skydiving
Flown an ultralight

if not, are there any of these that you would like to do.?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I have a mild fear of heights. I won't sit in a window seat on an airplane if I can help it. And if I must sit in such a seat, I'll shut the window flap.

 

[trampledamage]

I've been in a small plane - I bought mr trampledamage a flying lesson for Christmas one year (pre-children!) - so I got to go up as a passenger, It was way cool!

Of the others, I'd love to go up in a hot air balloon.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'd love to go up in a hot air balloon.

Oh, God no. I'd definitely be afraid of that. Too easy to fall out!

At least in a plane, there's the...plane...that separates me from the height. Insulates me from the tens-of-thousands-of-feet drop. Not so in a balloon!

 

[Miss Chicken]

I will answer my own question.

It would be easy to say that I dislike flying but what I hate is the process one has to go through to fly. Waiting in lines at airports, being herded into a crowded plane etc.

I am quite sure I would enjoy myself t if I ever had the opportunity to fly in a small plane. Similarly I wouldn't mind going in a glider or in a hot air balloon.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

what I hate is the process one has to go through to fly. Waiting in lines at airports, being herding into a crowded plane etc.

That's why online check-in is such a blessing. I hope that all airlines offer it now. I know the ones I usually fly (Midwest and Continental) do.

 

[John Picard]

You can answer some or all or none of the questions I am about to ask.


Is there anyone here who has a phobia about flying?
Is there anyone who has never flown?
Who here has a pilot's licence?

Have you ever done any of the following

Been in a small plane
Been in a helicopter
Been in a glider
Gone hang gliding
Been up in a hot-air balloon
Been skydiving
Flown an ultralight

if not, are there any of these that you would like to do.?

I just absolutely hate flying. I get itchy nervous upon take-off when the back end of the plane swishes a bit.

I've only flown on commercial air-liners (747 or DC-9). Then, in the early 1990's, I get this *brilliant* idea to pay money and ride in a helicopter at the State Fair. To make it worse, I ride shot gun with the pilot and notice that the floors are clear. Oh, then I get the brilliant idea to go again after dark, once again riding shotgun and marveling over the lighted displays as well as the path we followed in-flight (over and along the Interstate, etc).

Then, I opted to go to Vegas and get married -- in a helicopter. The pilot banked a *hard right* that had it not been for my seatbelt I'd have landed flat against the door, and had the door opened I'd have landed on The Strip like a sack of wet cement.

Oh, and then there was the time I rode a small jet from Oklahoma City to Dallas. Crappy weather, with the plane lurching left, right, down, and rumbling. I thought for certain I was going to blow chunks.

 

[Finn]

I've flown in a small plane (several times, we would pull up so fast the engine would stall so we'd be in free fall for several minutes. It was AWESOME!). I've been in a helicopter, went hanggliding, went bungee jumping of those tower things you see at amusement parks, and what is an ultralight?

 

[Miss Chicken]

An ultralight is one of these.

 

[Kira's Mom]

I don't like flying much. Once I get in the air, I'm okay, but taking off scares me. I haven't needed to fly anywhere for a long time, so I haven't flown in 15 years!

I've flown on small commuter planes (no more than 20 passenger), but never a helicopter.

 

[auntiehill]

I LOVE flying. The only things I don't like are the crowds, the delays, the horror that is airplane food, etc.

I have never been in a hot air balloon, but I have always wanted to. It just looks like so much fun!

 

[WillsBabe]

I've been in a small plane - a 4 seater. My husband flew it as one of these "adventure" gifts that you can buy. I didn't enjoy it in the slightest because the instructor was a frakwit, and because my friend who was with us was monumentally air sick and threw up.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I have a mild fear of heights. I won't sit in a window seat on an airplane if I can help it. And if I must sit in such a seat, I'll shut the window flap.

I am the opposite. I prefer the window seat so that I can look at everything though it is quite boring if there is only sea below and travelling from Hobart to South Australia to visit my sister there is quite a bit of travelling over sea.

 

[auntiehill]

I love looking out the window, too. It just makes the experience a bit more fun.

 

[cultcross]

Until a "history of asthma" (read: one inhaler when I was 10 that I didn't need) excluded me from further consideration, I was involved in becoming an RAF pilot, and as a result flew the Grob Tutor on a number of occasions, in normal flight and some simple aerobatics. One of the most fun experiences of my life, actually. If I can ever afford it, I'm getting private pilot lessons (these days they can cost you only aobut half again what it costs to learn to drive, at least in this country) - the problem and the expense is getting the required supervised flight hours to qualify for your civvie licence.

So to answer your broad question, yes, I love flying!
I have been in planes of all sizes, a helicopter, and a glider. I've never been in an ultralight or gone hang gliding. Never been sky diving/parachuting, can't say I'd particularly want to.
When I first flew the Grob we were given a video about emergency bailout, something like "Your supervising officer will release the canopy, and give the order "Bail, bail, bail", at which you will step out onto the wing of the aircraft and jump towards the rear" I remember sitting there thinking "Yeah, right"

 

[Small White Car]

Honestly, I suggest just getting your own private jet. Flying hardly seems worth the trouble otherwise.

 

[Mr. B]

I don't fly much. It happens infrequently enough to be a little adventure each time. I'm not afraid of flying since its so much safer than driving. The smallest plane I've ever been in is an Embraer 145

 

[iguana_tonante]

I don't do it often (once or twice a year), but it's fun. I get a bit of.. trepidation upon taking off and landing, but it's more exciting than scary, so I enjoy it.

The worst thing about flying is that I suffer from flight headache: causes are complicated and linked to changes in air pressure, but when the plane starts to descend, I get this splitting headache in my frontal sinuses. First time I had that, I got scared like hell, I thought I might be having a stroke. Luckily, it was not the case. A strong pain-killer one hour before landing is useful and usually reduce it to a mild discomfort.

Ah, I never flew in something smaller that 737.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Is there anyone here who has a phobia about flying?

No phobia, but I was in some major turbulence flying back from Las Vegas once and that was pretty scary.

Is there anyone who has never flown?

I've flown, but only a few times.

Who here has a pilot's licence?

Not I.

Have you ever done any of the following

Been in a small plane

Yes, I flew in a small plane over the Grand Canyon in a thunderstorm. Exciting!

Been in a helicopter

Yes, I took one helicopter lesson in the early 80s (it was called a Robinson-22, as I recall). I even got to hover a bit.

Been in a glider

No.

Gone hang gliding

Hell, no.

Been up in a hot-air balloon

I wish. That's something I've always wanted to do, and will someday.

Been skydiving

Double hell, no.

Flown an ultralight

Nope.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

I do have a fear of heights, but i absolutely love flying!