How do you get passengers over the fear of flying?

I recently got my PPL and find that most people are scared sh*tless to
go up. One friend came along and was just blown away and had a ton
of fun. Just about everyone else is "oh my god, I am so scared
of airplanes." This weekend I was going to go with my CFI to celebrate
my passing my checkride in a brand new SR-20 and people are still
shaking in their boots scared to hell and simply will not go.

Is this me or is it just the general public?

Any ideas? I hope this doesn't sound stupid but just my impression the
since passing my checkride.

Gerald

"Gerald Sylvester" wrote in message
news

Is this me or is it just the general public?

Any ideas? I hope this doesn't sound stupid but just my impression
the since passing my checkride.

Some people just have an innate fear of getting in a small tin can with
wobbly wings - especially with a newly minted pilot at the controls.

In my experience, the only thing you can do is be yourself and don't expect
others to change. Don't push it and try not to belittle them for their
"irrational" fears. Some people may eventually decide to try it after
regularly hearing how excited you are about it and seeing that you actually
come home after every flight. Others will never do so.

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/TknoFlyer
http://www.pocketgear.com/products_s...veloperid=4415
____________________

"Gerald Sylvester" wrote in message
news
I recently got my PPL and find that most people are scared sh*tless to
go up. One friend came along and was just blown away and had a ton
of fun. Just about everyone else is "oh my god, I am so scared
of airplanes." This weekend I was going to go with my CFI to celebrate
my passing my checkride in a brand new SR-20 and people are still
shaking in their boots scared to hell and simply will not go.

Is this me or is it just the general public?

Any ideas? I hope this doesn't sound stupid but just my impression the
since passing my checkride.

It's important to realize that your fearful friends may be right.
Recreational flying is more dangerous than any activity that most Americans
engage in (unless we count dietary and exercise habits as an "activity").
According to AOPA's Air Safety Foundation's 2002 Nall Report
(http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/02nall.pdf), personal (non-business)
GA flying has an average rate of one fatality per 56,000 hours of flying.
At that rate, among people who do 100 hours per year of personal flying,
about 1 in 20 are killed within 25 years. To put that in perspective, for
40-year-olds with a life expectancy of 80 years, 6.3 hours of life are lost
for every hour flown. For 10-year-olds with the same life expectancy, 11
hours of life are lost for every hour flown.

Is it worth it? That's a personal decision; it depends in part on how
important flying is to someone. If it's very important, then taking the
risk might make sense. If it's not very important, then it might not make
much sense.

--Gary

Gerald,

Congratulations on passing your flight test and getting your
certificate.

You'll find that a huge percentage of people think little airplanes
are death traps for many reasons. While general aviation's lousy
accident record certainly contributes to it, some folks are frightened
of heights, some of surrendering control to someone else in a
situation where they cannot do anything about what is going on and
some don't trust the pilot. How are you perceived by those people?
What kind of driver are you? Are you known for speeding, weaving in
and out of traffic, hard acceleration, heavy braking and no regard for
your passengers? If so, very few people will get in an airplane with
you. If you are known as one who avoids risks then you may find it
easier to get your friends to fly with you.

There are some good articles on how to give a first ride to people.
By and large the rules are keep it short, do it early in the morning
or in the evening when the air is smooth, describe what you are doing
and keep it smooth with shallow banks and very conservative
maneuvering...no stalls or steep turns. A passenger you scare may be
the voter who casts the deciding vote to close your airport. Take
barf bags, put them in reach and mention factually, and briefly, that
if they feel uncomfortable to use the bag. If a passenger expresses a
feeling of discomfort, terminate the flight. Interestingly enough,
those who have done the research have found that if the flight is
ended prior to the passenger throwing up, his or her tolerance will
increase and the passenger will do better on the next flight. If the
passenger actually throws up, the tolerance decreases and it happens
faster on the next flight.

You'll also find that your circle of friends will change as you tend
to associate with those who like the idea of flying.

All the best,
Rick

Gerald Sylvester wrote in message link.net...
I recently got my PPL and find that most people are scared sh*tless to
go up. One friend came along and was just blown away and had a ton
of fun. Just about everyone else is "oh my god, I am so scared
of airplanes." This weekend I was going to go with my CFI to celebrate
my passing my checkride in a brand new SR-20 and people are still
shaking in their boots scared to hell and simply will not go.

Is this me or is it just the general public?

Any ideas? I hope this doesn't sound stupid but just my impression the
since passing my checkride.

Gerald

"Gerald Sylvester" wrote in message
news
I recently got my PPL and find that most people are scared sh*tless to
go up. One friend came along and was just blown away and had a ton
of fun. Just about everyone else is "oh my god, I am so scared
of airplanes." This weekend I was going to go with my CFI to celebrate
my passing my checkride in a brand new SR-20 and people are still
shaking in their boots scared to hell and simply will not go.

Is this me or is it just the general public?

Any ideas? I hope this doesn't sound stupid but just my impression the
since passing my checkride.

Gerald


Scared of airplanes or scared of you?

A lot of people put airline pilots on a pedestal, up there with doctors and
the like. It's not possible for you, a lowly -insert occupation here- to
know how to competently operate something as complex as an airplane.
Especially with other people in it. Not to mention that you are more likely
to survive a crash in an airliner than in a little tin can.

This sound harsh, but many people actually think this way. To go up in a
small airplane would mean changing things they believed as true their whole
lives. Not an easy thing to do. Oh well, it's their loss. Going up with
one person and having them spread the word can be better than you doing it
yourself.

I've been flying for 28 years. Each time I get into my airplane, I
expect to survive the trip. The general public gets their information
from TV and movies. They have a different expectation. I've given up
changing their minds. Enjoy flying. Enjoy taking up the rare
individuals who still know that TV and movies are not reality.
--
Gene Seibel
Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.


Gerald Sylvester wrote in message link.net...
I recently got my PPL and find that most people are scared sh*tless to
go up. One friend came along and was just blown away and had a ton
of fun. Just about everyone else is "oh my god, I am so scared
of airplanes." This weekend I was going to go with my CFI to celebrate
my passing my checkride in a brand new SR-20 and people are still
shaking in their boots scared to hell and simply will not go.

Is this me or is it just the general public?

Any ideas? I hope this doesn't sound stupid but just my impression the
since passing my checkride.

Gerald

I have run into quiet a few of these folks, my brother included. When I did
finally get the chance with my brother I took him through the preflight and
tried to relate it to his car. Believe it or not most folks do a preflight
on their car before every drive. They just don't know it. Once you point it
out to folks that they look at the tires on the walk up and how dirty the
windows are they get the point.

In side I relate the gauges to a car once again. The difference is that just
like in a car you need to know how fast you are going, in an airplane you
need to know how high you are going too. As an added benefit I have a timer
that tells me how fast I will get to my height (VSI).

I tell them I get to talk on my CB radio(s). Oh yea I have a hi-tech compass
that points to where I am going.

I talked my brother through each phase of the flight telling him what I was
doing before I did it. I explained to pass the checkride that a steep turn
and turns around a point were necessary and went to demonstrate. Although at
about 25-30 degree bank I had exceeded his fun meter so we balanced out and
flew around.

The worse part for him was the wind shift in flight. When I got back I
needed to slip for the crosswind which really un-nerved him. Cleaned it up,
did a go around and departed the area and talked him through what I had to
do.

Needless to say we got back and now he is driving me nuts about going up
again.

Fred
"Gerald Sylvester" wrote in message
news
I recently got my PPL and find that most people are scared sh*tless to
go up. One friend came along and was just blown away and had a ton
of fun. Just about everyone else is "oh my god, I am so scared
of airplanes." This weekend I was going to go with my CFI to celebrate
my passing my checkride in a brand new SR-20 and people are still
shaking in their boots scared to hell and simply will not go.

Is this me or is it just the general public?

Any ideas? I hope this doesn't sound stupid but just my impression the
since passing my checkride.

Gerald

"Gerald Sylvester" wrote in message
news | I recently got my PPL and find that most people are scared sh*tless to
| go up. One friend came along and was just blown away and had a ton
| of fun. Just about everyone else is "oh my god, I am so scared
| of airplanes."

That is just about typical. The way to deal with this, of course, is to kill
your friends. That way they cannot spread the fear of airplanes to others.
It is the merciful thing to do.

Or you could take up those few friends who are willing and let them talk up
the experience to the cowards.

"Gary Drescher" wrote in message
news:WSaNb.49062$sv6.126431@attbi_s52...
| "Gerald Sylvester" wrote in message
| news | I recently got my PPL and find that most people are scared sh*tless to
| go up. One friend came along and was just blown away and had a ton
| of fun. Just about everyone else is "oh my god, I am so scared
| of airplanes." This weekend I was going to go with my CFI to celebrate
| my passing my checkride in a brand new SR-20 and people are still
| shaking in their boots scared to hell and simply will not go.
|
| Is this me or is it just the general public?
|
| Any ideas? I hope this doesn't sound stupid but just my impression the
| since passing my checkride.
|
| It's important to realize that your fearful friends may be right.
| Recreational flying is more dangerous than any activity that most
Americans
| engage in (unless we count dietary and exercise habits as an "activity").

There are also smoking, logging, and water skiing, too name a few other
activities that are more dangerous than flying. Motorcycle riding is pretty
dangerous, too.

You can make your recreational flying far less dangerous than the norm if
you just avoid some activities, such as low level maneuvering.

Have you considered that they are not necessarily afraid of flying, but of
flying a private plane with someone who they are not familiar with, or not
totally comfortable with?

As a non pilot - I would NOT get into a private (cessna type, mooney type)
plane with ANYONE I currently know. At least when I fly commercial, I know
that they have at least had some kind of professional training (I hope)!

I know the chances are VERY small for an incident, even in private flight.

Just my non-pilot perspective Gerald. Perhaps your friends are trying to be
diplomatic?


"Gerald Sylvester" wrote in message
news
I recently got my PPL and find that most people are scared sh*tless to
go up. One friend came along and was just blown away and had a ton
of fun. Just about everyone else is "oh my god, I am so scared
of airplanes." This weekend I was going to go with my CFI to celebrate
my passing my checkride in a brand new SR-20 and people are still
shaking in their boots scared to hell and simply will not go.

Is this me or is it just the general public?

Any ideas? I hope this doesn't sound stupid but just my impression the
since passing my checkride.

Gerald