I have an irrational phobia of flying, I know all the stats about how flying is safest way to travel. I was wondering if someone could explain the why though. I’m hoping that if I can better understand what makes it safe that maybe I won’t be afraid when I fly.
Edit: to everyone who has commented with either personal stories or directly answering the question I just want you to know you all have moved me to tears with your caring. If I could afford it I would award every comment with gold.
Edit2: wow way more comments and upvotes then I ever thought I’d get on Reddit. Thank you everyone. I’m gonna read them all this has actually genuinely helped.
In: 7227
No one in the airline industry is fooling around.
Pilots literally have a “Gripe Sheet” where they list any of the little nuisances experienced during flight. This list is then looked over by the team of people specially skilled to fix airplanes, and then those gripes are either addressed or commented on.
Pilots also have a lot of controls and readings in their planes so that the pilot can respond to any emergency in real time. These are hopefully rarely used, but all pilots know enough about their planes to know what switch to flip if certain events occur.
Speaking of which, a lot of things on the plane have a backup system. And if the backup is used, that can sometimes be considered an emergency, even though the backup can safely do the job of the main system. Because the backup system being used due to the primary failing means the primary system has failed.
Pilots also tend to have copilots and even have a second set of pilots for long flights. This makes it so that a pilot who is falling asleep can be quickly replaced.
The routes of planes are pre-planned and managed so that they don’t come NEAR hazards, including other planes. Once you’re up in the air, you are pretty much away from literally everything.
Planes also fly fast enough and work such that if something DID happen, like a bird gets caught in an engine, the plane can safely land using just its current momentum and strategic positioning of wing flaps and dropping the landing gear. Hell, one pilot landed a plane WITHOUT the landing gear. (Not reccomended)
On top of all that? Planes are designed and tested such that they can be completely evacuated in 90 seconds. This is not optional, and not taken lightly. There’s literally a test for any new planes where they load them with passengers and evacuate using ONLY the emergency lights.
In the rare event of a crash, airplanes are also one of the few modes of travel that have professionals on the scene to manage the post-crash aftermath. Which is another reason why the job of a passenger is ONLY “get to safety”. Flight attendants will provide instructions to the passengers to get them to a secure location. Then someone will be very upset that their plane is not checking in or arriving, and the plane’s pre-scheduled route will be used to start looking for it.
But if you thought those were the only precautions, THINK AGAIN!
Airplanes have hazard protocols for hazards coming from INSIDE THE PLANE. If a hazard occurs, you simply alert a flight attendant, who’s primary job is actually managing the cabin (They only serve snacks and drinks because it’s convenient for them to do so). The flight attendant will manage it in a way that prevents either panic or harm. Probably by taking it to the bathroom. Which can be vented separately from the cabin if Bad Gases are generated.
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So in short – you don’t need to be scared, because some very capable people are paid to act on paranoia for you.
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