Originally Posted by
FreshWater
The key point on page one of the FAA letter. There have been ZERO fatalities in the US of commercial airlines over the last 8+ years. Compared that to the number of fatalities in cars.
Some nervous flyers intellectually understand flying on commercial airlines (ALL airlines) is safer than getting out of bed in the morning. It is. But something is deeper.
Can you pinpoint your concern? Is it, “I don’t understand how airplanes stay aloft? I would think they would fall out of the sky.” There are good You Tube Videos and Google information about this.
Is your concern about all those switches, buttons, gauges, screens, and other things in the cockpit? How do the pilots know what to look at or what to flip or push? A YouTube tour around the cockpit can be helpful. Know every commercial pilot has hundreds of hours of training, then they spend time ‘booklearning’, classroom training, simulator, and check rides in aircraft. Your pilots (especially the person in the left seat, the Captain) have thousands of hours of successful, safe flying experience.
It is like going to a surgeon to have your appendix removed. The doctor explains they have been doing surgery for years and hundreds of operations like yours. It is routine for them.
Is there a friend you can confide in who feels comfortable with flying and take an airplane trip with them? I realize you may be concerned with admitting this to your girlfriend. I understand. Remember, even though she thinks you are Superman, it is okay to show you have a human chink in that armour. It may even be a chance for her to excercise her motherly instinct of caring for someone she loves.
Most major cities have places where a group can go through their fears and get a chance to go sit in a plane on the ground, and have a pilot talk to you and answer questions. Find out you are not the only person that has fears is comforting.
One of the cheapest things to do is have a good friend who flies and talk with him. He doesn’t have to be a psychologist, just a sound, comforting friend.
Finally, know the media and protestors are best at creating Histeria and playing on peoples’ Fears And Emotions. This sells news advertising. My classic protest sign said, “The World will End Today, Film at 11.”
Hope this helps you.