First Time Flying, Little Nervous.

[BobTheCow]

Originally posted by Chojin Man
I'm not sure which carrier you are flying on, but some will not allow you on the plane if you appear to be drunk.

Just pretend to be the pilot.

[ntn4502]

Originally posted by Chojin Man
I'm not sure which carrier you are flying on, but some will not allow you on the plane if you appear to be drunk.

actually, thats standard regulations for liablity reasons

(remember the drunk guy that died on the plane when a bunch of passagers jumped the guy because they thought he was a terrorist for banging on the cockpit doors, his family is sueing the airline now )

but I've never saw an airline turn down a drunk guy...

[wyn1370]

Originally posted by ntn4502
but I've never saw an airline turn down a drunk guy...

me either (personal experience)

[Chojin Man]

Originally posted by BobTheCow63
Just pretend to be the pilot.

lol

I've never seen anyone get turned down either. You would probably have to be pretty trashed for them to do so. None the less something to think about.

[Sparq]

Originally posted by slateman
Ignore the taste of the food. Thats normal.

Actually the food wasn't too bad when I flew...one way had a meal with was mediocre but edible...the return flight was late night....mmmm ham and cheese sandwich :)

[Sir_Brass]

jonesie, you have nothing to worry about. Flying is awesome. The only hassles are in security, but they're nothing to worry about as long as you read up on the regulations before you pack.

But once in the air, you're fine. Unless something extremely rare or bad happens, then there's no way you're falling out of the sky. The laws of physics (which can't be broken ) will keep the plane up, and everything will be fine.

Btw, you're talking to someone who knows alot of professional pilot majors, and flys quite regularly. Trust me, there's nothing to worry about it. Just drink WATER! When the flight stewards and stewardesses come around with drinks, make sure that if you MUST have a soda or coffee or something else, that you've already had LOTS of water. the refiltered air on an airplane is dry dry DRY! If you do NOT keep yourself continuously hydrated before you leave the airport and while you're in the air, then it's going to be tough to get you rehydrated. So make sure you have a bottle of water to drink when you're at your gate.

[Latchkey]

Nothing at all to worry about, been on many flights. First flight was when I was around six months old, havn't had any problems yet.

Flying is even safer than driving/riding in a car, so unless you are scared to death of being in a car going down the road, you really shouldn't worry or have any problems.

[Restola]

The only things that should be alarming are:

-The pure power of the engines! Its really a remarkable feeling when your 300,000lbs airplane accelerates, but it can be unnerving. Its a pure unstoppable force pushing your seat forward that just makes my jaw drop every time I feel it.

-The steepness at climbout. You are actually climbing very shallow, but often if you look down the cabin you'll feel as if you are quite steep (30+ degrees). Look out the windows to ease the feeling.

-The gear is loud. It sounds like a grinding. Its normal. Same goes for flap/slat extension. It can sound like something is wrong. Nothing is wrong.

-You'll feel bounciness virtually every time your airplane enters a cloud (because of the very definition of what a cloud represents in the sky), its normal, be ready for it. It will likely be enough that you wouldn't want to pick up a glass filled to the top with water, or make you sick reading, but nothing that will cause any real problems. The pilots do what they can to avoid clouds, but during decent and climbout not much you can do.

-Any weird sensations will pass if you close your eyes. Some suggest slowly rocking your head back and forth (putting your ears on your shoulders, side to side only). Avoid fast up/down head movements if you feel sick (it screws with your ears, especially if the plane is bouncing at all). All planes turn in a way that you only feel a force straight down into your seat, but who knows what the pilots are doing with the rudder :)

-Landing can be rough. Just be prepared for a small bounce (equiv of driving over a lttle rough road). If the pilots are landing is when it can be the worst :). Also the thrust reversers are the opposite of the takeoff force. You slow down quite quickly (considering the mass of the aircraft). But nothing more than a quicker-than-normal stop in your car. Also you will never see the runway (and likely the airport either) until just before touchdown. It can be unnerving to see the ground so close (and so fast) with no idea where you are heading. Over water its worse.

-Lastly with landing if there is a crosswind (a particularly strong one) the plane WILL touchdown one wing lower than the other (for example left main gear first). This is normal. Because this is uncoordinated you will also feel like you are being pushed that way slightly. Also totally 100% normal. My sister mentioned once that she thought it was so steep the wing would hit the ground (it wont).

But most of all be prepared to enjoy the takeoff/climbout and decent/landing. The rest of the time you are basicly sitting in a space the size of a honda civic passenger seat, that part aint so great. Hopefully your flight is early or late. Not much compares to watching a sunset/sunrise on TOP of the clouds...its amazing.

[Restola]

Originally posted by Chojin Man
I'm not sure which carrier you are flying on, but some will not allow you on the plane if you appear to be drunk.

Its the law:

Federal Aviation Regulations 91.17(b)
Except in an emergency, no pilot of a civil aircraft may allow a person who appears to be intoxicated or who demonstrates by manner or physical indications that the individual is under the influence of drugs (except a medical patient under proper care) to be carried in that aircraft

[ntn4502]

Had to read the FAR's all day today, errrrr fun

[Restola]

Originally posted by ntn4502
Had to read the FAR's all day today, errrrr fun

heh get used to it :)

[rkjunior303]

Originally posted by Restola
Hopefully your flight is early or late. Not much compares to watching a sunset/sunrise on TOP of the clouds...its amazing.

Amen to that. I have some amazing pictures out of the airplane from my flight from Boston to Madrid.. AMAZING sunsets (sunrise? hah)

[cphilip]

It's not the flying you have to worry about...

It's that sudden stop.

And remember... in a jet airplane the landing is nothing short of a controlled crash. There is not enough lift without speed in those things. They basically throttle and stall it in.

Feel better?

[Dryden]

Originally posted by No Limitz Paintball
Flying is even safer than driving/riding in a car, so unless you are scared to death of being in a car going down the road, you really shouldn't worry or have any problems.

Yes, but cars don't fall 30,000 feet out of the sky, crash at 200+ mph, or smack into the sides of mountains.

My worst experience was on a 50-seat Embraer Regional Jet (nearly every airline has a fleet of these, most notably Delta's ComAir out of Cincinnati) during a landing two years ago. Everything felt normal throughout our descent. Looking out the window, I could see we were at about 200 feet when the pilot abruptly throttled the engines full-out, doing a bone jarring touch-and-go. As we took off again at a rediculously steep angle, the pilot announced over the PA, "Sorry about that folks, but we're going to try and circle around the runway and land when there aren't actually any planes on it."

[argnot]

Relax I flew two weeks after 911 and it was not that bad. If some terrorist gives you issues jack him in the neck with your dinner fork. Then you will be a paintball hero.