Need help, questions to me?

[Pilothelp]

hi, I am an airline pilot and fly fairly large a321 aircraft,
I thought I would join because I believe in helping people with phobias of flying so they can enjoy their holidays
If you have any questions for me a professional pilot then please ask
, below is some advice
If you're traveling any distance at all, flying is your fastest, safest, most convenient, and economical choice for transportation. Worldwide nearly 3 million passengers fly every day. With very low air fares from widely available airline ticket discounts, more and more people are deciding to take to the skies.

Since 9/11 air travel has been a little more stressful, but there have been many improvements to the air transport system. If you are smart about your travel planning, chances are you will have a hassle-free, affordable, and enjoyable experience.



1. Turbulence may feel uncomfortable, but it is normal.
People often misunderstand turbulence. When encountering turbulence, nervous passengers feel the plane is "falling" out of the sky. It is natural for them to only feel the "down" bumps. But for every "down" there is an "up" bump. The "downs" are just more easily noticed. Next time you are driving on a bumpy road, imagine you are a passenger on a plane and how you would consider it to be "bad" turbulence. Now take a look at the road. How big are the bumps on the roadway to create the rough ride? The air is usually very smooth. But sometimes some small ripples can make it feel like "bad" turbulence! 2. The plane is strong, stable, reliable, and well maintained.
The FAA mandates that modern jet aircraft are designed and built with large safety margins. All aircraft and their equipment are built from FAA approved designs and manufactured under FAA approved systems. Coming out of the factory, the planes are thoroughly flight tested before certification by the FAA. Structurally, these aircraft can withstand many times the stresses and forces which can be imposed upon them in flight. Remember, airplanes are MEANT to be in the air. That’s where they’re happiest



any more questions, please post a message in here and I will get back to you

[Pilothelp]

or if it is private send me a pm

[caroline]

Hi and welcome, and thankyou for taking the time to post and for the offer to help people like me who have a phobia of flying.

Pilots are always more than welcome, no better reassurance than that from the horses mouth so to speak!

You say you fly A321 aircraft, sorry but that doesn't mean much to me, having avoided flying for 9 years (and all things flight related) the only planes I know are the boeing 747-400 which is what i flew on last month on my "ungrounding" flight transatlantic to Orlando.

Where do you operate from? do you fly long or short haul? How many years have you been flying commercial?

Sorry for the questions, but it does interest me and kind of helps a fearful flyer to know that people do actually do this day in day out and is perfectly normal!

I've no doubt you'll be having lots of questions fired at you!

Welcome again!

Caroline.

[Aurora]

And since I recently saw an Airbus for the first time in my life, why did the rudder "hang to one side" when it was parked? (as if the plane was turning continuously, while parked)

[Pilothelp]

Hi and welcome, and thankyou for taking the time to post and for the offer to help people like me who have a phobia of flying.


Pilots are always more than welcome, no better reassurance than that from the horses mouth so to speak!

You say you fly A321 aircraft, sorry but that doesn't mean much to me, having avoided flying for 9 years (and all things flight related) the only planes I know are the boeing 747-400 which is what i flew on last month on my "ungrounding" flight transatlantic to Orlando.

Where do you operate from? do you fly long or short haul? How many years have you been flying commercial?

Sorry for the questions, but it does interest me and kind of helps a fearful flyer to know that people do actually do this day in day out and is perfectly normal!

I've no doubt you'll be having lots of questions fired at you!

Welcome again!


Caroline.


hello caroline, I operate the aircraft in the below picture from heathrow airport, united kingdom, I fly medium haul, from 2 to 6 hours. I have been flying for 3 years now
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__efvWc0QhtQ/SVH0eXZIcQI/AAAAAAAAAP4/bk0yqOW1ixE/s400/image.jpg

[Pilothelp]

And since I recently saw an Airbus for the first time in my life, why did the rudder "hang to one side" when it was parked? (as if the plane was turning continuously, while parked)


wind direction actually, we want to be able to reverse without the wind pushing us into another plane to it is set up ready giving the pilot one less thing to worry about

[MathFox]

:welcome:

And I'ld like to introduce you to Falcon (http://www.takingflight.us/forums/member.php?u=29) and (recently retired) Captain Hutch (http://www.takingflight.us/forums/member.php?u=1631), our resident pilots. Feel free to answer some techinical questions, but remember this is a forum for fearful fliers and it is all about practical tips and information for them that will make them fly more comfortable.

[caroline]

Thanks for your answers!

The main anxiety causing thing for me is the take off. I worry about the engines failing on take off, or the back of the plane hitting the ground. When we flew to orlando we were sat very near the back and i was just waiting for it to happen. I know how safe it is etc, but emergencies or "freak" events do happen (thinking of recent stuff, Hudson/the crash near libya/and the most recent one(can't remember the details on this, i was thankfully on holiday at the time)) i think i need to have trust in the pilots and the fact that they do know what they're doing.

It has been suggested to me in the past that i should meet the pilot. There is a letter that member of this forum can download and print to hand to the gate/fa's. Many members have said how much this has helped them, and i do believe that it would help me too. However i didn't ask to meet them when we flew as there was very little time and i suppose i was embarrased.

How would you feel if someone asked to meet you before a flight, would you find it a nuisance or would you be happy to alleviate some of their fears and reassure them? How do you think most pilots would receive a request like this?

I sometimes think that because it is something they do every day and is second nature to them that they couldn't possibly have "any time" for a "crying, jibbering wreck who needs to just get over it"

Caroline.

[Barb-SAN]

Hi Pilothelp, and Welcome!:welcome2:
It's great to have an Airbus pilot on board here now, as sometimes there are questions specific to that plane. We always appreciate pilots who can take time from their busy schedules to help out here reassuring fearful flyers. :D

Would you like us to call you "Pilothelp", or do you have another name we can use? ;)

Would you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background? What led you to become a pilot? Did you start flying small planes (radio-controlled planes? Cessnas?). Did you make models as a kid, did you always know you wanted to be a pilot? Did you fly in the military, or do civilian training? Flying out of Heathrow = a British pilot?

I'm also curious to learn the answer to Caroline's question, and wonder what your response would be to our meet-the-pilot letter, linked here: http://www.takingflight.us/content/TFAirlineLetter.pdf
O.K....enough questions from me already...looking forward to hearing more from you.

[Aurora]

wind direction actually, we want to be able to reverse without the wind pushing us into another plane to it is set up ready giving the pilot one less thing to worry about


But isn't it unlogical to turn WITH the wind then? If you imagine seeing a plane from behind, the rudder were full on to the left, and the wind was blowing towards left. If you were to reverse then you'd be steering even more with the wind then, wouldn't you?

The planes were parked, no lights blinking and clean up in progress inside.

Thanks for the answer, anyways :)

[Pilothelp]

Thanks for your answers!


The main anxiety causing thing for me is the take off. I worry about the engines failing on take off, or the back of the plane hitting the ground. When we flew to orlando we were sat very near the back and i was just waiting for it to happen. I know how safe it is etc, but emergencies or "freak" events do happen (thinking of recent stuff, Hudson/the crash near libya/and the most recent one(can't remember the details on this, i was thankfully on holiday at the time)) i think i need to have trust in the pilots and the fact that they do know what they're doing.

It has been suggested to me in the past that i should meet the pilot. There is a letter that member of this forum can download and print to hand to the gate/fa's. Many members have said how much this has helped them, and i do believe that it would help me too. However i didn't ask to meet them when we flew as there was very little time and i suppose i was embarrased.

How would you feel if someone asked to meet you before a flight, would you find it a nuisance or would you be happy to alleviate some of their fears and reassure them? How do you think most pilots would receive a request like this?

I sometimes think that because it is something they do every day and is second nature to them that they couldn't possibly have "any time" for a "crying, jibbering wreck who needs to just get over it"


Caroline.


with your fear of the engines failing, this is actually a common occurance and had happend to me many times, its not a problem, the plane is designed to fly on one engine and if two go it can easily glide on rudder power for miles
the plane is always 2 meters above the ground when taking off

[Pilothelp]

Hi Pilothelp, and Welcome!:welcome2:
It's great to have an Airbus pilot on board here now, as sometimes there are questions specific to that plane. We always appreciate pilots who can take time from their busy schedules to help out here reassuring fearful flyers. :D

Would you like us to call you "Pilothelp", or do you have another name we can use? ;)

Would you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background? What led you to become a pilot? Did you start flying small planes (radio-controlled planes? Cessnas?). Did you make models as a kid, did you always know you wanted to be a pilot? Did you fly in the military, or do civilian training? Flying out of Heathrow = a British pilot?

I'm also curious to learn the answer to Caroline's question, and wonder what your response would be to our meet-the-pilot letter, linked here: http://www.takingflight.us/content/TFAirlineLetter.pdf
O.K....enough questions from me already...looking forward to hearing more from you.


hello, I use to be dead scared of flying, I was 18/19 and did a fear of flying course in which they build your confidence and send on flights
I got over my fear so much I loved it
I got good maths and physics grades in GCSE AND A level and then went on the study aeronautical engineering at liverpool uni, then I joined the easyjet pilot training program and passed it [which was hard], I left easyjet quickly and moved to airsouthwest and flew dash 8 aircraft [the smallest I have flow, which is at the bottom of this page] and then onto British airways to fly larger medium haul.
ever since I love being up there and find it peacefull and wonderfull, unlike you I am afraid :cry:
http://www.freefoto.com/images/2050/05/2050_05_2---Air-Southwest_web.jpg

[Pilothelp]

But isn't it unlogical to turn WITH the wind then? If you imagine seeing a plane from behind, the rudder were full on to the left, and the wind was blowing towards left. If you were to reverse then you'd be steering even more with the wind then, wouldn't you?

The planes were parked, no lights blinking and clean up in progress inside.

Thanks for the answer, anyways :)

Your have to make us of the elements sometimes as airlines love to save money and wind is important, as I was not there I know nothing of the situation, maybe it was a mistake but I doubt it

[caroline]

hello, I use to be dead scared of flying, I was 18/19 and did a fear of flying course in which they build your confidence and send on flights
I got over my fear so much I loved it
I got good maths and physics grades in GCSE AND A level and then went on the study aeronautical engineering at liverpool uni, then I joined the easyjet pilot training program and passed it [which was hard], I left easyjet quickly and moved to airsouthwest and flew dash 8 aircraft [the smallest I have flow, which is at the bottom of this page] and then onto British airways to fly larger medium haul.
ever since I love being up there and find it peacefull and wonderfull, unlike you I am afraid :cry:

i hope this is a typing error or else theres no hope for anyone else!

[Pilothelp]

i hope this is a typing error or else theres no hope for anyone else!


I dont understand caroline?

[caroline]

i've re-read it again and again and realise you don't actually mean you "are afraid"! lol

Its because you put "unlike you i'm afraid" in your reply to Barb-san. I wrongly assumed you knew she wasn't scared of flying anymore - my mistake!

[Aurora]

Your have to make us of the elements sometimes as airlines love to save money and wind is important, as I was not there I know nothing of the situation, maybe it was a mistake but I doubt it

I asked a guy who flies Airbuses in a British company (no not Falcon :tongue: ) - and he said the reason for the "skew" rudder was that the hydraulics are turned off when the airplanes are parked. Because the hydraulics are off, there is no "pressure" in the system, so the rudder (and ailerons etc) can flap around as much as their hinges allow in the wind. When I saw closer on the pictures I took I could see example the horizontal stabiliser also "hanging" right down. So that is probably the answer, the wind "blew" them to the side. (Not violently, of course. This happens "slowly").

[Pilothelp]

I asked a guy who flies Airbuses in a British company (no not Falcon :tongue: ) - and he said the reason for the "skew" rudder was that the hydraulics are turned off when the airplanes are parked. Because the hydraulics are off, there is no "pressure" in the system, so the rudder (and ailerons etc) can flap around as much as their hinges allow in the wind. When I saw closer on the pictures I took I could see example the horizontal stabiliser also "hanging" right down. So that is probably the answer, the wind "blew" them to the side. (Not violently, of course. This happens "slowly").


I apologise but not what I have heard