Fear of Flying or Vertigo

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I personally dont have any problems with heights, vertigo or flying, but its interesting just how many of our members have these fears.... Ive taken more parachute jumps than I can count (as my log book has gone missing) and I never had any fear except those first couple night jumps...

The problems I face are on takeoff and landing.... And I have to agree with the guys, its all about control...

Ive had 3 REALLY close calls while flying and every time I have to go into the air, I feel that since Ive had the proverbial 3rd strike while flying, Im in the air on borrowed time....

As I said above, Im fine while in the air, its getting up and coming down that get the ol anxiety (sweaty hands/bile in throat) pumping... Ive narrowed it down to a couple things:

First off, as Chris said, I question the abilities of the guys who do the pre-flights on the commercial birds... Ive known a few ground personnel in my time and never thought of them as "highly trained" individuals...

Secondly, my faith in the man/woman sittin in the pilots seat.... Was this clown drinking in the pilots lounge??? Did he take a handful of amphetimines to keep awake cause he just flew across the Atlantic and now has to fly my ass down to the Caribbean???

Its about control and leaving my life in the hands of some meatball Ive never met before... Trust in someone I dont know is very hard for me to come to terms with...

Also, and as a few others up above have stated, Ive ruptured both of my ear drums in the past, my left ear twice, and I believe that this also contributes somewhat to my queasiness during turbulence and hard banking maneouvers...
 
Glad you made it Gee!!

I agree with Chris and Dan and add one more. I think survivability in a Cessna is greater than in a 747. Tends to make everything more enjoyable for me.
 
Finally chiming in on this.

When I was finally "seriously" working on my pilot's license I would get extremely airsick if I was not manipulating the controls. So bad I thought I would have to give up flying. A trip to my doctor revealed that I had some inner ear damage and my doc said it should eventually go away. Several weeks and many barf bags later it did.

These days no worries. Aerobatics on a full stomach don't help and I try to avoid flying commuter airlines. Aside from that I have no fear of flying, although a few of my students did give me some second thoughts!
 
I have no fear of flying, but, I'd rather sit in a helicopter than an ordinary airplane. The heli is safer IMO, esp. if an engine cuts out.
 
I am scared when asked to fly in a light civil aircraft , I guess to much time in the tower watching some of these guys perform
 

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