scorpio28,

The Phrase That Also Comes To Mind Is "No News Is Good News". It Probably Means Everything Is Going To Plan If The Pilot Does Not Have To Speak To You.

Gower

scorpio28 wrote:

can anybody tell me why the pilots don't seem to talk like they used to.

I can't remember the last time I took a flight and there was no / very little word from the flight deck. Coming back from Mombasa last night, we had 2 Captains and a Senior First Officer on the flight deck and had almost a running commentry on the way back with having an extra pilot! They give us very detailed routing information (took about 5 minutes!) and everytime we passed something of interest, such as Kilamanjaro, Mt Kenya, overflying the Sahara, passing Malta and Gozo, Mt Etna, Mont Blanc etc, he let us know! As we entered UK airspace, they gave us accurate routing information (ie we were just passing London, got some great views of London City airport and Heathrow!), weather information, even warning of gales on approach so expect a few bumps. As GowerL7 mentions, it depends on personalities but many are very enthusiastic about making announcements. Workload plays a big part in any announcements; there's more time to make them on longer flights than short ones where workload is denser.

Darren

Having just recently flown to and from Australia,the pilots said very little in fact.
A quick introduction by the captain at the beginning of flight and update 30mins or so before landing and then a announcement by the captain once we had landed thanking us for flying with them and hoping to see us all again very soon.
Year's ago on another flights the captain as I recall would ran through the flight plan,as in explaining the route that we would be taking.
These day's of course we have the ability to see a moving map on the screen in front of us,showing details of where we are,speed,height,time to go before we land,local time etc etc.

hiya, i posted a few months ago about been fearfull of flying since a scary experiance on landing in sharm in january, having previously gotten over been scared of flying and enjoying about 3 holidays abroad since, this experiance has put the frightners on me again :-(
we are due to go to alcudia on 28th june flying with easy jet (normally always go with thompsons) we wern ment to be having a hol abroad this year but have ended up booking and are going woth my fiances mum, her hubby and their grandaughter (fiances neice). i have been goin from looking forward to it to feeling really scared and worried about the flight, even though its only 2 1/2 hours and i keep thinking why did i book it we wernt ment to go this year anyway (i booked it cus we want and deserve a rest! and the temptation proved too much lol, but paying for it now with the worring)

the thought of canceling has crossed my mind, does anyone know if id get any money back? we booked with hayes travel over the phone weve got accomadation with thomas cook and flights with easyjet, this is all new to us as we normally go to thompsons on the high stret. i feel like id be letting the others down, would tell my fiance to still go if he wanted (we booked sepret from his parents) i dont know what to do.

No you wouldn't get your money back as it would be disinclination to travel which isn't cover by travel insurance.

Perhaps you should have a word with your GP as they might be able to give you something for the flight.

luci

linzi_lou,

If you have any specific fears of the flight, for example take off, landing or turbulance, we can talk you through them to put your mind at rest. What was it about the landing in Sharm that caused your fear? Just think of the flight as a fast coach trip, that's all it is really. You'll even be travelling on an Airbus so it's even in the name! It's quite normal to be aprehensive before flying. A lot won't admit it, but even frequent flyers are a little aprehensive before flying. One of the main reasons for a fear of flying is not knowing what to expect, and not being in control of your situation. There's not a lot we can do to put you in control, but we can let you know what to expect which will help you gain some of the control back. As Luci suggests, your doctor may be able to give you something to calm your nerves a little.

Darren

thanks for your replys, we had i think its called a go around on coming into land into sharm, we were coming in nicely then all of a sudden when we werent to far from landing on the tarmac we started going steeply upwards and fast, no one said anything, a few of the passengers were saying oh i think hes missed it and hes going to try again but i was so scared at this moment i actually thought it may have been the end, it was dark outside too and a little turbalance.

when we straightend out after about 10 mins which felt like alot longer! the pilot came on and explained that there was a plane on the runway so he had to abort the landing and he made light of it and said we were having a tour of the bay while we waited! i felt better hearing this we then came into land ok but with a bit of a bump on the tarmac. (it doesnt help as i have problems with my ears on landing, they were once so painful i actually cried, i think my fiance just thinks im a big baby! but it really is agony. i just have ear plugs now and press them into my ears hard and suck on a sweet! and hold my head in my hands bending down or on my fiances lap.

i know this shouldnt really have firghtend me so much as it was just routine and if he hadnt of done that we would have crashed into the plane still on the runway and he probably saved our lives by doing this, showing they know what their doing and have skill etc

but it just has left me scared again, the flight back was horrible for me, the actual flight was fine a little bit of mild turbalance at the start then smooth the majority of the rest of the way but due to the experiance on the way i was petrified, i already had some diazipamleft over from when i was scared to fly before and take them with me just in case, well i had a couple of them but felt they didnt help so i had a few drinks on the plane too, i was so scared and close to tears i felt i had to do something.

i spoke to the flight atendant and said i was scared and of what happend on the way and asked if there was liley to be much turbalance for the journey and they just said we didnt even notice there was any! and to think of it like a car going over speed bumps.

well after 3 or 4 drinks i started to feel a little more at ease (except had to keep getting up go the loo! a bit annoying for the lady next to me but i wasnt too fused after a few! and was just relived to not be feeling so nervous) and had to pull myself together as my fiance said i was starting to scare him! i didnt want him to be scared for his sake and mine, if i saw someone eles worried that might of made me worse! i tried to concentrate on the film but couldnt i didnt even have anything to eat which i normally always do, just felt sick and nervous.

i swore i wouldnt fly again but here i am booked up to go to majorca! think ill go to the doctors and ask if theres something different he could give me, i felt the diazipam worked when i first used it a few years ago but didnt feel it did much this time round, not sure why maybe i didnt give it chance, and then started drinking anyway! (so probably wouldnt have noticed any effects it may have had) ill see what he says. it doesnt help with the recent news of a few incidents either, however an incident like the hudson river i think shows the high skill of pilots and that it doesnt have to be a disaster. thanks

linzi_lou,

Flights Down To Majorca Are Usually Uneventfull, With Not Much Turbulance, IveFlown There Many Times (too many to remember how many!) And only Ever Had Bad Turbulance On One Flight, Where It Was Forecast For Thunder Storms After A Very Hot Day In Spain. This Was A Night Flight.
Seeing As Your Flight Is In The Day, It Should Not Be A Problem For You (Flight EZY6521?).

If You Want Any More Information, Please Just Ask

Gower

PS Alcudia Is Lovely

linzi_lou,

Go-rounds are a routine procedure. I posted lots of information about them on this post. They happen almost on a daily basis at most airports and although they shouldn't happen when everything goes to plan, it's a safety procedure if the runway is unavailable for whatever reason (aicraft not vacated or an animal on it!) or the aproach isn't stable. There are many reasons, but nothing to worry about. As I mentioned previously, it's the not knowing that often gives rise to fears. The flight deck will be busy flying, navigating and communicating with air traffic control to let you know what's happening immediately, but often tell you once they are established in the hold are on the downwind leg of the second approach. I've seen go-arounds the last two times I was at Manchester, the last one being at the weekend when the Greater Mancheter Police spotter plane was late taking off from the runway while an Emirates Boeing 777 was on final approach. It was unsafe for the Emirates to carry out the landing while the GMP plane was still on the runway so a go-around was initiated. No big deal, but scary when you don't know what's happening.

Always remember flying is the safest form of travel and the most dangerous part of any flight is the drive to and from the airport. I know they are only statistics, but it gives you an idea of how safe flying is. The flight crew carry out a walk around before every flight to ensure the aircraft is fully servicable as it's their signature should anything go wrong. Just try and think of sitting on the beach with a cocktail and the flight as a fast bus journey and you'll be fine.

Darren

thanks, and gowerl7 yees my flight is in the morning around 6 am from east mids. ill try my best to relax, ill have to put a brave face on as my fiances 9 yr old nice will be with us so dont want to frighten her. ill let you know how i get on when i get back!

I went on a 'Flying without Fear' course run by Virgin Atlantic which was good. At the end of the day we went on a 50min flight to the Isle of Mann and back. Its good having all of the knowledge about why a plane really is the safest form of transport and can't just fall out of the sky, although I have still enquired about coach prices to go to Malaga instead of flying there!x

Hi everyone!

I am new to this forum and have just read this topic, page for page and found it very helpfull indeed. Me and my boyfriend are off to Rhodes in 12 days (yay!) and we are both uneasy about flying. I have been flying since i can remember as family members used to live abroad so i used to fly regularly too and i used to love it, i would even go as far to say it was one of my favourite things in life. Then when i was 20 i flew with a friend to Amsterdam. I was fine, all the way untill 15 mins after take off where for some reason i was staring out the window looking at the clouds thinking how amazing it all was then next thing i was sweating and experiencing what i can only explain as some form of vertigo? (i felt like there was no ground beneath my feet) i was suddenly aware of how high we were. Ever since then i would say i have had difficulties. I have flown since, and plan on flying again i refuse to become a slave to fear but its never the same experience when i fly. I have flown long distance and short distance. Before my first long distance flight, i got myself so worked up i didnt sleep the night before was at the verge of not even going, took a few sleeping tablets and a few calming tablets and was still a nervous wreck! I notified every uniformed person i saw in the airport that i was scared. When i got to the depature lounge i told the air stewardess's. They were fab! took me on to the plane first, somebody sat with me through take off! i had a tour of the plane once we were airborne and when we landed the captain came out and introduced himself. It was Virgin by the way so Sue? i think it was you that said you were flying with them? You will be fine the planes are absoloutly stunning. They even have a full scale bar with stools and all!
Like i said each flight is different for me sometimes im fine sometimes im awfull. I normally (except for my flight with virgin) dont take anything except for a nice bottle of rescue remedy and ive only ever consumed alcohol once on a flight and that was only 2 drinks. I dont like the thought of taking anything because i am too scared of it having an adverse affect on me in flight and making me worse and i dont drink because i dont want to be 'thant drunk person that caused a scene in take off'. I find that a few drops of recue remedy regularly throughought the flight and what i also do is strike up a conversation with the person next to me although it has to be a stranger to work. i normally find im worst at take off so i just ask loads of questions. (yes, im that annoying passanger that just chats your ear off when all you want to do is sleep ) I am yet to sit next to someone who is also scared of flying, i dont know how that would work.
This time i am a little more nervous. I also am flying with my boyfriend who has got worse throughought the years so we have both booked to go to the doctors to see what help we can get but like i said i dont really want to take anything unless i really have to where as my partner seems to have made up his mind on taking something. I have done a little research and somewhere i read that women fear making a scene and letting their emotions get out of control and i feel with me this is what it boils down to more than anything. But because i feel a bit more nervous im scared that my usual chatterbox rescue remedy combo wont be enough. i dont want to take any calmers as if im okay once were up, i wouldnt mind having a drink to celebrate as i quite enjoyed that last time and dont want to mix the 2?

I also have a few questions for Ross? the easyjet pilot. My flight to amsterdam was with easyjet and even though it was probably nothing to do with the airline i somehow always felt that easyjet had a part to play My flight to Rhodes is with easyjet and im wondering if this is why im a little more nervous as i havent flown with them since. im wondering if you can tell me if you know that is, what the flight to Rhodes is like with easyjet? what kind of plane is it likely to be? Im flying in June, is it likely to br bad weather? Also do you know if they will let a stewardess sit with you if you are really that bad? as corny as it sounds it really helped me on my flight with virgin and its just nice to know.

Im sorry for such the long message but after reading all 15 pages of this topic i just had so much to say!

demi2183,

Welcome onboard
You might want to have a look through our Easyjet topic and What Aircraft? guide for information on the airline. If you post your flight details on the Easyjet thread, we'll let you know the aircraft to expect. Weather is variable and depends on the conditions on the day. Things are settled at the moment though so I'm sure your flights will be smooth and uneventful. Cabin crew are generally busy so it's unlikely they'll be able to sit with you, but I'm sure they'll do everything they can to make you comfortable.

Darren

I don't like travelling in the lifts at work. There is something very worrying about standing in a metal box hundreds of feet up in the air suspended by a piece of wire. Knowing that it is THE safest way to travel doesn't help. What does help is reminding myself that the alternative is to walk up six flights of stairs. Perhaps a useful alternative therapy would be to concentrate on all the good things you have to look forward to on holiday and then remind yourself of the utter misery of the alternative method of transport, travelling by road. If you need convincing that flying in a straight line at 400mph is the right choice, go on Google Earth, get down to a low level and follow the roads all the way from your home to your destination! I bet you give up before you get there. Multiply that boredom by a thousand and you'll be stood at check-in with the rest of us.

hi i wonder if anyone can help me please.im going to turkey in october and really scared.ive flew several times before with not a care in the world,after reading posts on here,about anything changing or happening,all i can think of is since my mum died last year ive been more anxious about things than normal and wonder could this be why im now scared to go.im not scared of crashing or the actual flying but of going in to the sea,and as you know the mind wanders and i imagine scenarios of it filling up and i cant get my child out[now in tears again]even tried to find out how long im flying over the sea.dont really want to cancel and spoil it for everyone else,cant talk to hubby as hes scared anyway,look forward to any responses thankyou so much.

Hi and welcome to HT!

If you look on a map you will see that there is very little flying over water so if that is your main concern you should be OK.

luci

gillymac5,

As Luci Says, There Is Not Much Of The Journey Over Water, So If That Is Your Main Fear Then It Shouldnt Realy Concern You.

There Is A Rough Map Of Your Routings

.

If We Can Be Of Any More Help Just Post Your Question

Gower

In fact never out of gliding distance of land or an airfield.

thankyou for everyones advice i feel a bit better about it,my husband gave me a good talking to telling me there designed to be able to do a controlled landing on water and that if it went under it would come back up,which i dont really buy,i know hes just trying to help.thankyou all for your time