On 2006-05-28, Chris W wrote:
The majority of the population doesn't like flying - it's just the way
it is.

Just because most of your acquaintances are irrational pansies, doesn't
mean that 99% of those on the planet are.

Most people ARE irrational, though. Pilots probably the most. I think
it's hardly rational for me to fly a single engine plane over the North
Irish Sea to, say, Bristol when I can do it for quarter of the cost and
in half the time on the commerical airlines. For most pilots, it's an
emotional decision (the love of flying) to fly light planes - certainly
not a rational one! The vast majority of people on this planet do not
have that emotional love of flying, and I still submit the majority of
people find flying something that generates anxiety - because we are not
creatures of the air. Prove me wrong.

care about aviation. If they don't like flying the airlines it is
probably due to all the crap you have to go through just to get to the
plane

The thing is that's not true here. Where I live, I can check in for my flight
half an hour before it leaves, there is a simple X-ray/metal detector
that's been standard for decades, and often no ID check apart from
seeing the credit card that was used to book the flight online. Flying
is VASTLY more convenient to get anywhere off this small island than any
other kind of method of travel. For example, going to Bristol, you check
in half an hour before the flight goes, then get on a flight that lasts
a little more than an hour. The other method is to go on the boat - a 4
hour ferry trip followed by another 4 hours on the train (and it's more
expensive than flying). Yet a small but significant minority would
choose the ferry on the roughest weather the North Irish Sea can throw
at them over an airline flight on a calm day. (Note I said MINORITY
here, but it's significant enough to be noticed).

As for the rest - yes, they do find flying something that makes them
anxious. I was on a B747 flying out of Houston, and we hit some of the
normal Houston afternoon thermals - the kind of thing you fly a glider
in, nothing serious - but they do cause sharp jolts and make the
airliner's wings flex. Half the plane's passengers squeaked on one of the
bigger bumps. As far as I can tell, that's pretty normal.

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