3 Crazy Myths That Make You Afraid to Fly
Three Common Misconceptions That Add to Your Fear of Flying Air Pockets Most talked about among anxious travellers are 'air pockets', because in their eyes they can't be seen and could occur at any moment so fueling a fear of flying in many.
I have news for you, air pockets are the biggest urban myth out there! The misconception is that if a plane were to fly through one of these undetectable air pockets, it can suddenly fall hundreds of feet through the air.
This simply isn't possible.
There is no place in the sky that is a "pocket" without air.
Let's take this theory back down to earth, have you ever walked down the street and suddenly couldn't breathe or fell to the floor because you walked through an air pocket? Absolutely not, because quite simply air pockets do not exist! Turbulence Another common fear occurs when passengers see flexibility as fragility and that any turbulence could cause untold damage, even breaking the wings off the plane.
In reality, all airplanes are built to endure far more turbulence than you would ever experience on a normal flight, and no amount of turbulence you would fly through can damage the plane at all, much less break the wings.
Turbulence is an uncomfortable irritation than a real threat, and the planes strength is in it's flexibility.
The wings of a modern airliner are designed specifically to be extremely pliable, and do bend and flex with the wind, just like a blade of grass.
Turbulence is a comfort issue, not a safety issue.
What if the Engines Stop Working! Our third common misunderstanding, is that an aeroplane will drop out of the sky if the engines stop working.
If this was true than how do gliders stay in the air for hours at a time? A plane's wing design utilises the airflow over it to create lift allowing it to glide for a very long time, up to 100 miles from cruising level, just like a giant paper airplane! Planes simply don't "fall", in fact, reducing the power on the engines and allowing the plane to partially glide is how the aircraft normally descends and also has an added bonus of helping save fuel.
If you are afraid that your airplane will fall from the sky, you can put that worry behind you, it simply isn't possible.
There are many more myths about flying that can cause unnecessary fear and anxiety flying, we've only begun to touch the surface here.
The more information you have about flight and how planes work, the less you will be afraid.
I have news for you, air pockets are the biggest urban myth out there! The misconception is that if a plane were to fly through one of these undetectable air pockets, it can suddenly fall hundreds of feet through the air.
This simply isn't possible.
There is no place in the sky that is a "pocket" without air.
Let's take this theory back down to earth, have you ever walked down the street and suddenly couldn't breathe or fell to the floor because you walked through an air pocket? Absolutely not, because quite simply air pockets do not exist! Turbulence Another common fear occurs when passengers see flexibility as fragility and that any turbulence could cause untold damage, even breaking the wings off the plane.
In reality, all airplanes are built to endure far more turbulence than you would ever experience on a normal flight, and no amount of turbulence you would fly through can damage the plane at all, much less break the wings.
Turbulence is an uncomfortable irritation than a real threat, and the planes strength is in it's flexibility.
The wings of a modern airliner are designed specifically to be extremely pliable, and do bend and flex with the wind, just like a blade of grass.
Turbulence is a comfort issue, not a safety issue.
What if the Engines Stop Working! Our third common misunderstanding, is that an aeroplane will drop out of the sky if the engines stop working.
If this was true than how do gliders stay in the air for hours at a time? A plane's wing design utilises the airflow over it to create lift allowing it to glide for a very long time, up to 100 miles from cruising level, just like a giant paper airplane! Planes simply don't "fall", in fact, reducing the power on the engines and allowing the plane to partially glide is how the aircraft normally descends and also has an added bonus of helping save fuel.
If you are afraid that your airplane will fall from the sky, you can put that worry behind you, it simply isn't possible.
There are many more myths about flying that can cause unnecessary fear and anxiety flying, we've only begun to touch the surface here.
The more information you have about flight and how planes work, the less you will be afraid.
