Had To Fly

[Maroc7]

Hi,

I am a really scared flier. However my wife had to go from Sydney to melbourne and wanted me to go.

I had run out of excuses not to fly. The alternative was divorce. At the time divorced seemed a better deal than getting on a flight.

No luck we were booked. So wed at 1pm I got on a Qantas 737 to melbourne. I hated it, a very small narrow plane that reminded me of a coach. Then the take off, very steep, very fast and a very scary turn to the right. Then over Canberra turbulence, bumped around thinking this is it, we are gone.

I was trapped, couldnt get out, consumed with fear. Why the heck didnt I choose divorce ??? Surely anything was better than this.

So we got to Melbourne in what seemed forever, even though it was only 95 minutes. The stay in Melboune was great, but always in the back of my mind was the trip home.

So today I boarded Flight 420 bound from Melbourne to Sydney. But wait, a different plane. A huge plane, an Airbus A300 (???). The pilot tells us when we takeoff we will do a sharp right turn. Fear again, can I get off ???

Well, the takeoff was really smooth and I didnt feel the right hand turn. I spent the whole of the quick flight staring at the little screen tracking the flight. It was great, 39,000 feet and the a slight feeling of going lower and the altitude was like 10,000 feet lower. The landing was so good, I really enjoyed that flight.

So I kept my marriage and this fearful flyer had a great trip. I loved that airbus, it was wide and smooth and the flight went really quick. I dont think at this point I could get on a 737 again, but a bigger plane seemed so much better.

Thanks for reading

 

[Jobu]

Thanks for sharing - that was a fun read, reminded me of my first trip on a 4 seater aeroplane, sitting behind the pilot and watching his every move, trying to work out why he kept flipping switches and turning dials the whole flight.

Glad the marriage is working out

If you ever go overseas, try the Airbus A380 - you won't even feel the landing it's so big...

Cheers,

JOBU

 

[samh004]

I noticed that QF420 was an A330 today too, didn’t realise they flew them on this route. Maybe someone here can explain why they didn’t use a 767 or 737?

And welcome to AFF!

 

[djfuzz]

Welcome Maroc7, hope the experience continues to improve for you. Must say that I'm still a bit jittery, but on occasion end up so tired on the plane that I manage to fall sleep in lieu of worrying about the flight itself.

I noticed that QF420 was an A330 today too, didn’t realise they flew them on this route. Maybe someone here can explain why they didn’t use a 767 or 737?

And welcome to AFF!

420 is frequently a 330 (sometimes internationally configured aircraft that is likely repositioning) - call me crazy, but I usually aim to take 420 when I can for this very reason. So over the aging 767s and the narrow-body 738s.

 

[mannej]

I noticed that QF420 was an A330 today too, didn’t realise they flew them on this route. Maybe someone here can explain why they didn’t use a 767 or 737?

And welcome to AFF!

Repositioning/utilization would come to mine.

As for the OP, it is all part of the fun, each plane has their own different quirks, if you want a steep take-off, try a take-off in a Boeing 717...

That is fun

 

[pauly7]

Repositioning/utilization would come to mine.

As for the OP, it is all part of the fun, each plane has their own different quirks, if you want a steep take-off, try a take-off in a Boeing 717...

That is fun

I LOVE flying the QFLink 717's too

 

[Maroc7]

Thanks for the replies.

Dare I say, I might have had the travel bite me a little.

The cool thing for me is that I now know what to expect and it might not be such a shock. I can say its definately much better to fly to melb than drive.

 

[albatross710]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Maroc7. I found your post a good wake up that people do have genuine fear of flying.

I'd like to chip in with the assumption that many people have a fear of flying. Where the threshold for fear kicks in is different. It could be a continuum,

In your case, it sounds like fear kicks in before you booked the ticket.

For others it is elsewhere along the continuum up to first manned Mars launch.

[B]Buying[/B] ........................................................................................................................................................[B] Mars[/B]
[B]Tickets[/B]........................................................................................................................................................ [B]Launch[/B]
|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

Welcome to AFF.

 

[Maroc7]

In your case, it sounds like fear kicks in before you booked the ticket.

.

100% correct. In fact I was there checking out the Youtube stuff on planes, fear of flying etc just to get some reassurance.

In Sydney, before boarding, I looked out at our plane and my heart sunk. What is that little thing and no wing tips, look at the tiny wing span.

Next to it I saw this 767 (dont know what model) as it was written on the side of the plane. It looked bigger and wider than this tiny 737. So I think next time I might look for a 767.

 

[11sjw]

I LOVE flying the QFLink 717's too

Welcome Maroc7

+1 on the 717s. Except no IFE which can be overcome by velcroing your Ipod touch to the seat in front!

 

[Skoogle]

Dare I say, I might have had the travel bite me a little.

You may well enjoy an F-lounge run the next time a group gets together.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Mrs Pineapple was once very fearful of flying, but she slowly worked her way down from 767s to 737s to smaller stuff and that might be one way to do it. e.g. OK I have done the A330, now lets try the 767. Both widebody aircraft and pretty big.

if you want a steep take-off, try a take-off in a Boeing 717

Never managed to fit one in my itinerary but have bookings CNS-DRW-CNS so will finally get to try7 one out. Really looking forward to that takeoff now

Cheers skip

 

[djm1965]

Or for a REALLY steep take off - fly Virgin Blue from Port Macquarie (PQQ) to Sydney.
The Embrear jet thunders down the runway and climbs very steeply - and generally only takes 38 mins to get to Sydney.. most of the other time is landing on the 3rd runway (which goes on forever) and taxiing.

 

[PineappleSkip]

PNG could offer all sorts of exciting advanced fear of flying courses.

Probably the best known takeoff (and landing) is Fane, with its 450m of rutted runway on a 10 degree slope, you take off downhill!

Some footage here YouTube - PNG Landing - Fane

Unfortunately the ruts got too deep and Fane is now out of service. Anyone got some spare aid money to fix it?

Tapini is still open, longer runway but on the other side of the gorge a higher mountain, meaning you have to execute a 90 degree left hand turn on final approach. PNG's answer to Chek Lap Kok, and no chequerboard!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AxreiHF2uM


Cheers skip

 

[samh004]

Tapini is still open, longer runway but on the other side of the gorge a higher mountain, meaning you have to execute a 90 degree left hand turn on final approach. PNG's answer to Chek Lap Kok, and no chequerboard!

YouTube - Flying PNG - Tapini

You mean Kai Tak?

By the way, congrats on 100 posts!

 

[PineappleSkip]

DOH! Yes, I mean Kai Tak

And thanks, I see 100 posts got me a status upgrade...

 

[Alanslegal]

I still have a fear for flying (esp. turbublence and flying through clouds) even though I have been averaging around 50K BIS miles p.a as a leisure flyer. However recently flew CX888 YVR-JFK which that plane has a live camera right behind the front landing gear so we could see alot of things happening. On approach into JFK it was pretty cloudy/foggy down low and the plane lined up straight, landing gear down, I didn't see the runway and my mind was telling me that pilot had mis-aligned the runway, then before we knew it ..... landing gear back up, full thrust on and up and around we went. That just confirmed what I was thinking!! Anyway pilot announced that there was insufficient clearance and thus the aborted landing - at least that eased my mind.