There is a good book called "flying without fear" by captain Keith Godfrey, it's very well written in question and answer format but very much in laymans terms, quite cheap on Amazon books.
I think the key point to realise is that planes are designed to glide. If all engines fail - as mega rare as it is, even a light aircraft has a glide ratio of something like 10:1, meaning it travels 10 units forward for every 1 unit of height lost vertically. The basic point Im trying to make is that planes don't just drop out of the sky, they glide and with such huge glide ratios and great altitude capabilities, finding a convenient airport to land on isn't too difficult, and more often than not many 'emergencies' or difficulties can be resolved with the simple fact that pilots have time to fix problems, not to mention the resourses they have to solve difficulties such as engineers on the ground who can transmit to the pilots, often a flight engineer on board as well as experienced ATC personel. Another point is that pilots are trained so well that the response to a general emergency like an engine failure is almost conditioned within themselves meaning they will react and handle emergency situations calmly and efficiently.
Another point to make is that air travel is THE safest form of travel, even though you wouldnt think so flying so high and leaving the ground, you rarely hear of plane crashes, in fact if we were to hear about every car crash there would be no room to broadcast anything else on TV or on the radio! Another point to make is that your not the only one with the fear, so many people actually fear flying as silly as it may appear, but thats part of the definition of fear- its irrational.
Planes are checked every time they land by engineers, and by the pilots themselves as they perform a routine walk around of the aircraft. Not only this, but with the technology we now have, aircraft are so complex they are fitted with thousands of sensors and computers making the pilots job a lot easier and the whole journey 110% more safe than it was 50 years ago. In order to overcome your fear of flying you need to pin point exactly what it is you find scary- the fear of a crash? The height? Pilot's error? You may not know but 90% of the flight you sit on is actually controlled by autopilot- a highly accurate and somewhat flawless little invention when it comes to making errors.
Overall, flying is safe, its also the norm nowadays- we all have to accept that technology has advanced faster than we have adapted to it meaning things that seem crazy such as leaving the ground, really arn't so crazy afterall. Next time you sit on a plane put your faith not only in the pilots but in the plane itself. Maybe learning the basics of how a plane flies will put you at ease. In simple terms as long as you have enough airflow over the wings you will not fall out the sky, the pilots will always have good control and the plane will get off the ground! Airflow doesnt just stop, even if the engines do the plane will adapt the natural glide position meaning airflow will always continue to keep the plane "afloat"!
Morbz
Oh and to add to that, planes can fly on one engine using differential aileron, pilots spend most of their time training for emergencies and the majority of pilots fly the whole of their lives not encountering an major problems. Aeroplanes- just because they are leaving the ground are basically versions of cars, but more advanced cars running on computers to avoid other road traffic and can pull over if there are problems- ie can land at alternative airports and can even glide HUGE distances under full control. Aeroplanes dont break into bits, nor to pilots scream like girls if problems occur, a lot of pilot training focusses on cockpit management and the pyschology and thought processes that are involved in emergency situations.
Any of that help at all!? Seriously, enjoy the views and dont be suprised you are in the air, its normal, we live in a very advanced world!
morbz wrote: planes can fly on one engine using differential aileron
planes can fly on one engine using differential aileron
differential aileron has nothing to do with an aircraft's abililty to fly on 1 engine, differential aileron is used to reduce adverse yaw and on airliners roll spoilers are used rather than differential aileron.
My mistake mcgoo! What I should have said is that if one engine fails then it will yaw in the direction of the failed engine and the general point to make is that pilots can use rudder control to balance the plane out and compensate for the yaw the dead engine is causing. Furthermore should the aircraft then sideslip Aileron can be used to enable the airflow to become paralell with the planes nose. In summary a plane can fly with failed engines, even though it may not be able to climb or even stay in level attitude, there is still an adequate amount of control and power for pilots to land the plane.
For info: British Airways are involved in a "Fear of Flying" course, may be of interest to you. I've heard very good comments from passengers who have attended.
: http://www.aviatours.co.uk/
Enjoy!
Morbz wrote:My mistake mcgoo! What I should have said is that if one engine fails then it will yaw in the direction of the failed engine and the general point to make is that pilots can use rudder control to balance the plane out and compensate for the yaw the dead engine is causing. Furthermore should the aircraft then sideslip Aileron can be used to enable the airflow to become paralell with the planes nose. In summary a plane can fly with failed engines, even though it may not be able to climb or even stay in level attitude, there is still an adequate amount of control and power for pilots to land the plane.
Like you say the point is a plane can still fly. Just out of interest because I havent started my Multi training yet, what is the rough procedure? I always thought it was the above but I must be wrong when I talk about rudder etc :o)
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