Are you afraid of heights?
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Are you afraid of heights?
Just wondering how many pilots out there are afraid of heights; I know I am and I fly commercially.
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shitdisturber
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Flying Low
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No fear of heights...just a morbid fear of falling!
"The ability to ditch an airplane in the Hudson does not qualify a pilot for a pay raise. The ability to get the pilots, with this ability, to work for 30% or 40% pay cuts qualifies those in management for millions in bonuses."
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LastSamurai
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co-joe
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This one time I let this yahoo talk me into going ice climbing. We started out at 5 am. Hiked up a mountain to get to this frozen water fall named Merchisson Falls. Roughly 130m of grade III ice. (great first climb)
Anyway as the day wore on, somewhere between the second and third pitch the sun had started really warming shit up and we heard the CCCCRRRRAAAAAKKK! followed by a KKKAAA-phuking-BOOOOM! as a refrigerator size chunk of ice busted off, went sailing past the leader, and exploded on the ledge of the belay station halfway between the secon two climbers (one of whom was me).
At that moment I was not just a little bit "afraid" of heights. Terror would come closer to describing it. Then to make it worse we used a thing called an abalakov hook to thread our rope through a small hole in the ice and rappel down 55m at a time (didn't want to leave any screws behind eh). Being 25m from the station and another 30 or so from the next one did nothing to calm my nerves.
Once in a while at 250 I look out the window and fear creeps in, other days I feel like if I had a chute on I'd be leading the charge out the door. So I guess the answer is: sometimes.
Anyway as the day wore on, somewhere between the second and third pitch the sun had started really warming shit up and we heard the CCCCRRRRAAAAAKKK! followed by a KKKAAA-phuking-BOOOOM! as a refrigerator size chunk of ice busted off, went sailing past the leader, and exploded on the ledge of the belay station halfway between the secon two climbers (one of whom was me).
At that moment I was not just a little bit "afraid" of heights. Terror would come closer to describing it. Then to make it worse we used a thing called an abalakov hook to thread our rope through a small hole in the ice and rappel down 55m at a time (didn't want to leave any screws behind eh). Being 25m from the station and another 30 or so from the next one did nothing to calm my nerves.
Once in a while at 250 I look out the window and fear creeps in, other days I feel like if I had a chute on I'd be leading the charge out the door. So I guess the answer is: sometimes.
I thought i was the only pilot afriad of heights, how many of you get airsick when your in the back of a small plane, or atleast used to? I was in a SGS-2-33 glider one day, this one had a bit of a bubble canopy on it, and i desided to look straight down. scared the hell out of me. i think its a fear of falling more than heights
They did some research on this very subject about 4 years ago in the US among the aviation community and the results were interesting. Apparently 97% of pilots stated that they were afraid of heights and some would not even consider climbing a ladder onto their roof.
It was also noted that this concern or problem had arisen eons ago and the aircraft manufacturers solved the problem in an interesting way for pilots AND passengers......they reduced the size of the pilots and passengers windows in proportion to the size of the aircraft. That would appear to be true when one looks at an airliner like the 747 that spends it's life at 30,000' - 35,000'.
Heights are not a problem for me personally and what fear I might have on ladders is in direct proportion to the quality of the ladder.........ditto for the aircraft.
It was also noted that this concern or problem had arisen eons ago and the aircraft manufacturers solved the problem in an interesting way for pilots AND passengers......they reduced the size of the pilots and passengers windows in proportion to the size of the aircraft. That would appear to be true when one looks at an airliner like the 747 that spends it's life at 30,000' - 35,000'.
Heights are not a problem for me personally and what fear I might have on ladders is in direct proportion to the quality of the ladder.........ditto for the aircraft.
Only the first 40 feet or so, then my mind probably decides it doesn't really matter any more, no use in sweating it.
Aviation- the hardest way possible to make an easy living!
"You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can't bomb it into peace!" Michael Franti- Spearhead
"Trust everyone, but cut the cards". My Grandma.
"You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can't bomb it into peace!" Michael Franti- Spearhead
"Trust everyone, but cut the cards". My Grandma.
not at all...but water... 
In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield...W. Buffett
Donald ------THAT sir, is the domain of my esteemed AME or 2nd Officer-in-training. After having had said fall eons ago (into a snow bank), I have since become what is commonly known in the industry as "a candy ass" in that regard. That fall can also be made from a higher height if one's Twin Otter is wearing "tundra tires". 
That fall can also be made from a higher height if one's Twin Otter is wearing "tundra tires". Falling on TOtters...Ah, that takes me back. A chap I used to fly with slipped whilst trying to get into the right front seat...on medium floatation gear....and landed on that unforgiving steel thinggy step thing! Like he was landing on a horse....anybody wanna see pics?? Thought not.
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Foo Fighter
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Panama Jack
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So much, in fact, that I didn´t enjoy my seaplane training. You know, climbing up onto the top of the wing to check all four fuel tank caps, etc, while it´s lightly drizzling rain. I am a tall guy, and was paralysed by the fear of falling off a rain soaked wing, and into the cold water or something stupid like that. As a result, my seaplane career was pretty limited-- 17 hours total time.
Donald´s description makes me weak in the knees-- better to taxi the plane to the deicing bay and watch them spray pink and green fluid while you sip on a cup of coffee.
Donald´s description makes me weak in the knees-- better to taxi the plane to the deicing bay and watch them spray pink and green fluid while you sip on a cup of coffee.
Last edited by Panama Jack on Thu Oct 07, 2004 6:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it.”
-President Ronald Reagan
-President Ronald Reagan
I hate heights!!!! I will fly any aircraft with a canopy or closed cockpit. However, a Pitts or an Extra 500 or any other open machine vintage or not; Forgeddaboudit!!!! Something about not being enclosed on all sides. No parachuting or hangliding either.... 4000 hours and counting and still phobic!
My wife is afraid of heights and I sometimes say I am but in reality, I am afraid of falling because I am not afraid of heights and I often wondered why. When I worked on construction, our shop had a huge overhead crane and heaters in a very high ceiling. if the heaters went out, I used to climb up the doors and girders to get to the heaters to relight them and many of my co-workers would'nt even watch. Shakey ladders scared the hell out of me. I read somewhere that if people can see what connects then with terra firma, the terra is there. In an airplane, you cannot see what holds you up so height is not a factor. I had a wierd senation once when I was just skimming the tops of clouds and came to the end of the clouds which dropped away almost to the ground. I then had a strange sensation of extreme height, as if you were driving off a cliff. My wife can barely stand on a footstool because of a fear of heights but actually enjoys flying. But I notice she usually doesn't look out the window.
The average pilot, despite the somewhat swaggering exterior, is very much capable of such feelings as love, affection, intimacy and caring.
These feelings just don't involve anyone else.
These feelings just don't involve anyone else.
