Officially called aerophobia, fear of flying is a condition of anxiety triggered by air travel. According to the Australian Aviation website, more than one in three Australians suffer from a fear of flying, ranging from mild nervousness to severe anxiety.
Research by National Geographic found that more than a third (38 per cent) of those surveyed about a fear of flying admitted news stories around aviation disasters are fuelling their fear.
So is it rational to worry? Aviation safety investigator David Gleave debunks some of the most common myths around flying.
1. Turbulence will crash the plane
A bumpy ride on an airplane tends to worry passengers because it feels as though the plane is being blown out of control. But turbulence, Mr Gleave reassures, is nothing to worry about.
“There has been a lot of atmospheric research carried out into the strength of turbulence, going back many decades,” he says. “The safety regulators have specified requirements for the strength of aircraft to be able to encounter all but the strongest thunderstorm turbulence, and the aircraft are thoroughly tested to demonstrate that they can withstand these induced structural loads.”
Even if you fly through a thunderstorm, you’ll still be safe. “When flying through the central core of an active thunderstorm cloud, the aircraft crew use a weather radar in the nose of the aircraft. This detects the thunderstorms ahead and enables the pilot to fly around them,” says Mr Gleave.
“These systems are highly reliable and fail very rarely. Even if there is a failure, the pilot may divert to the nearest suitable airport, and ask for updates from other pilots and air traffic control, to ensure that no encounter takes place.”
Rather than crashing to the ground, the main safety concern with turbulence is that of being injured inside the aircraft if it jolts in the air. “That is why you should always wear your seat belt when you’re at your seat,” says Mr Gleave. “If it becomes turbulent suddenly, find the nearest suitable seat and strap in.”
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2. The wings look as though they might snap
When you have a fear of flying, it’s hard not to anxiously steal a glance outside and notice how flimsy the wings look. But don’t worry, says Mr Gleave – this is a design feature, not a flaw.
“The wings are built to flex in turbulence, just in the same way that they droop as you taxi out and then rise up as you progress along the take-off roll on departure,” he says. “It is quite normal and no cause for alarm.”
3. The plane will get struck by lightning and crash
Getting hit by lightning sounds like a terrifying ordeal, but it’s not as drastic as you might think. “The aircraft is designed to take a lightning strike with minimal effect,” says Mr Gleave. “Much like a bumper on a car, a minor dent can be taken with no effect upon the vehicle’s occupants.”
In fact, statistics show that most commercial aeroplanes get hit by lightning once per year, with minimal damage to the plane’s exterior. “Engineers simply replace the part and it looks good as new,” says Mr Gleave.
4. The engines will fail
Engine failure may be a huge concern if you have a fear of flying. “Hollywood has a lot to answer for with this myth,” says Mr Gleave. “The aircraft you will fly on for your scheduled flight will have at least two engines, and all of the multi-engine aircraft can fly with one engine having failed.
“There is a specific point on the runway where the pilots decide whether to stop or continue to fly in the event of an engine failure. This is all subject to rigorous certification requirements from the safety authorities, and is a major focus of test flights.” Pilots even practise this technique every time they go in the simulator, Mr Gleave reassures.
When the engines hush, it isn’t cause for worry either. “About 25 minutes before landing, the engines go a bit quieter,” says Mr Gleave. “This is because they are running at idle and the plane is gliding for up to 240km to the airport.
“Even if you did have an engine failure, the plane still glides quite happily,” he says.
4. The aircraft looks old and unreliable
Aircraft inspections happen before every flight and there are hundreds of sensors in modern aircraft monitoring the parts continuously. “They may even report back to base automatically when they sense they need attention, well before a problem emerges,” says Mr Gleave.
Aircraft carry multiple systems and they can fly with one computer working. “Usually, planes leave with three working,” says Mr Gleave. “That allows one to fail on the flight away from base and another to fail on the way back before there is any real safety influence.”
Even then, Mr Gleave says, there will still be ways of flying the aircraft safely. “If anything significant fails in flight, then the crew will divert to a suitable airport.”
5. We are all going to die if there is an accident
The crash landing of an airliner into the Hudson River in 2009, in which all 155 passengers and crew escaped alive, was hailed as the ‘miracle of the Hudson River’. So was it actually an unbelievable stroke of good luck? “No, not at all,” says Mr Gleave. “The aircraft was designed to float in the event of a landing in water.
“Usually, in the event of an accident, there will be a jolt,” says Mr Gleave, “so you should get into the brace position with the first impact.” Don’t be alarmed if the engines fall off either – “They are designed to do this to help the aircraft float. The aircraft will then skip along the water and gradually slow down and settle.”
The survival rate, he says, should be 100 per cent.
Read: Airplane mode is a vital part of flying safety
Aircraft sliding off runways or landing short of the runway inside the airport fence is a worry for many people, too. “In this case, the aeroplane should not encounter any significant solid objects,” says Mr Gleave. “The plane should sink no further than six inches into the mud and then you can evacuate. Again, the survival rate should be 100 per cent.
“There are hundreds of engineers around the world working to ensure that you survive an accident. From designing stronger seats and improving the fire proofing, to developing airport safety area standards and training rescue.”
So should you be worried about flying? Not at all, says our aviation expert: “Watch the safety briefing at the start of the flight, and then relax.”
Do you have a fear of flying? How do you conquer the fear? Let us know in the comments section below.
– With PA
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