I Don't Like to Fly Anyway

[goodnigh]

So I started house sitting for a couple taking a two week cruise

on the Mediterranean. They were scheduled to depart about the

the same time as the crash. They very likely saw the crash. I would

have been one of the passengers you read about trying to open the

emergency exit. I want Off this plane. Two days later they are on

their way to Rome.

I would prefer to drive.

mike

 

[caspianwendell]

I have never flown. I would crawl before I fly anywhere

 

[Don65Stang]

I don't mind the flying part...it's all the other stuff that irritates me into not wanting to fly like: airport parking, the line at the ticket counter, the line at the security check point, the security check point, the wait at the gate, overpriced airport food, the line on the ramp to get onto the plane, the line on the plane to get to your seat, overhead storage bin space being utilized by others for baggage that should have been checked, the small seats, no cup holders, the line to get off the plane, the line that surrounds the baggage pick up, the line at the rental car pick up, the line to get out of the rental car pick up area, etc, and so on.

If it's 800 miles or less, I'm driving...comfortable seats, less expensive, several cup holders, my own radio and cb (for bear reports and brake check avoidance), full control of bathroom/stretch breaks and unlimited food opportuinies. For me it's not just about the destination, it's also about the trip.

 

[MechEng]

I don't mind flying, I've been on planes countless times. What does start to get to me though are these international flights, I've been to Australia and France, soon to add China, each flight for longer than 12 hours. I'm 6'4" and that's a long time to be sardined into a little seat. Otherwise I take a certain pleasure in flying

 

[69 Rustang]

I don't mind the flying part...it's all the other stuff that irritates me into not wanting to fly like: airport parking, the line at the ticket counter, the line at the security check point, the security check point, the wait at the gate, overpriced airport food, the line on the ramp to get onto the plane, the line on the plane to get to your seat, overhead storage bin space being utilized by others for baggage that should have been checked, the small seats, no cup holders, the line to get off the plane, the line that surrounds the baggage pick up, the line at the rental car pick up, the line to get out of the rental car pick up area, etc, and so on.

Don, you sum it up well. I travel (by air) almost every week, and it pretty much sucks for all the reasons you list above.

 

[goodnigh]

Now we find the pilot had less than fifty hours in that type of plane

and had never landed at SFO which is considered a "special" airport.

The survival rate says something about the 777 and responders.

mike

 

[Jim and Jutta]

I don't mind the flying part...it's all the other stuff that irritates me into not wanting to fly like: airport parking, the line at the ticket counter, the line at the security check point, the security check point, the wait at the gate, overpriced airport food, the line on the ramp to get onto the plane, the line on the plane to get to your seat, overhead storage bin space being utilized by others for baggage that should have been checked, the small seats, no cup holders, the line to get off the plane, the line that surrounds the baggage pick up, the line at the rental car pick up, the line to get out of the rental car pick up area, etc, and so on.

I travel (by air) almost every week, and it pretty much sucks for all the reasons you list above.

Agree Don, you summed it up very well, but what you described is if everything goes perfect! Two big ones for me, bags not showing at destination or missing a connecting flight through no fault of your own and having to wait in line at customer service for them to reroute you, which may mean an overnight stay at an airport hotel wrecking your schedule at your destination. My job requires me to fly(thanks to company budget cuts far less than I use to fly, which is a good thing) plus we fly to Germany once a year to visit family and friends.

Jim

 

[luxstang]

I have to fly, otherwise I can't get across that huge ocean if I want to visit my cars country of origin.

I don't mind flying but I hate the crammed space on the plane and that sumbitch who shoves his seat back into my face as soon as the plane leaves the ground and leaves it there until the end of the journey.

Then they put us through immigration where you spend up to two hours in line before they let you into the USA.

Consider yourselves lucky that you can skip that.

 

[Jim and Jutta]

...Then they put us through immigration where you spend up to two hours in line before they let you into the USA.

Consider yourselves lucky that you can skip that.

It's not that quick for U.S. citizens coming back into the United States either. Flying back from Germany through Seattle there have been times where the non citizens "lines" were processed quicker than the "single" U.S. citizens' line. Last time we flew back from Germany with German friends, they had their luggage and were waiting for us by the time we got through the U.S. citizens' line. In fact it's quicker for me to go through German immigrations in Germany than U.S. immigrations when I return.

Jim

 

[Talontwo]

I have flown Most of my life, (7000 hours in C-130s, 150 hours in An 26s and 250 hours in a Do 328 as a loadmaster)

The one thing to remember is the industry has improved so much over the last 40 years...Jets are so much less problems than reciprocating engines with less moving parts...now they are improving the airframes and mileage. The aircraft today can fly themselves, tell you if there are any objects around your plane...tell you when you are exceeding the parameters of safe flight and warn you of wind shears and weather problems...

Some in the industry say that because of the automation many of the "lesser" able pilots make it through to the big leagues, when they should have been removed in flight training (I am a believer of most of this philosophy) but the end item is a more capable aircraft (and MAYBE a less capable crew).

At any given time there are over 6000 aircraft flying over the US...40 or 50 years ago we would be having news stories daily...today it is 3-4 a year...(Lets not count Africa and Russia as the "backhander" is the main source of business in the CAA (their FAA)) but all in all it is a lot safer.

The biggest thing to remember is that Civilian airlines cannot and will not fly aircraft for training..it is way too cost prohibitive, so all there emergency training and proficiency flights are done in a simulator...the military trains most of the time they fly so their experience is in the air, not in a simulator so I would take a military pilot any day (trust me I have ridden in the plane many times for 5 hours of takeoff and landings "that one wasn't quite right...just one more loadmaster!")

Besides where else can you do 350 miles an hour!

Unfortunately when there is a problem with an aircraft it is National news.

 

[Don65Stang]

I don't mind the flying part...it's all the other stuff that irritates me into not wanting to fly like: airport parking, the line at the ticket counter, the line at the security check point, the security check point, the wait at the gate, overpriced airport food, the line on the ramp to get onto the plane, the line on the plane to get to your seat, overhead storage bin space being utilized by others for baggage that should have been checked, the small seats, no cup holders, the line to get off the plane, the line that surrounds the baggage pick up, the line at the rental car pick up, the line to get out of the rental car pick up area, etc, and so on.

I travel (by air) almost every week, and it pretty much sucks for all the reasons you list above.

Agree Don, you summed it up very well, but what you described is if everything goes perfect! Two big ones for me, bags not showing at destination or missing a connecting flight through no fault of your own and having to wait in line at customer service for them to reroute you, which may mean an overnight stay at an airport hotel wrecking your schedule at your destination.

Jim

Ha, you're right! Let me add to the list Delta Red Jackets, Airline provided hotels, plane issues, plane security checks for a new plane since the last one was broken, broken! That alone scares the crap out of me since it happens so often! plane food, lack of plane food, safety O2 mask & seatbelt demonstration, unintelligible pilot announcements, sitting on the taxiway for 3 or more hours, plane A/C while at the gate of on the taxiway, and... I'm sure there are other things I'm forgetting.

Yes, I'm glad to drive every time I can.

 

[midlife]

Don't forget weather issues, that can cancel or delay a flight, upsetting your ability to catch the next leg. I can't tell you how many times I've started a trip and had to go home because of weather or mechanical delays that make the trip in one day impossible.

I much prefer to drive, even if it takes me two full days to get there.

 

[Don65Stang]

Oh yeah...the weather!

 

[droptop73]

I fly for work quite a bit and have adopted the attitude of I'll get there when I get there. You don't deal with any less pushy and rude people by driving. The upside is not going through security... yet, with the dep't of homeland security going around with no accountability doing what they please, anything is possible.

Awhile back we had to transfer planes because the maintenance guys couldn't fix the bathroom... Kinda made me wonder who works on the navigation!

 

[Wolverine]

My first flight was 1981. I was 23. Stewardesses were not yet flight attendants. Seats had leg room...and so did the stewardesses.

Of course, in 1981 a cross country trip was $1200. Now it is about $600.

But none of that matters if the pilot can't put the plane on the runway.

 

[73StangCoupe]

I'm with you on hating to fly. I guess I hit my limit. Spent 25 years in the Corps flying in all types of helicopters, fixed wing aircraft and also doing the Okinawa round trip 10 times over the years... I'm done with flying unless it's an absolute necessity.

 

[73vertproject]

I think my first flight was in 1968 on TWA, and the next year, my second flight was on PanAm. I also remember flying Frontier Airlines in the early '70s in Montana. Flying has changed much since then, what with newer airplanes (I don't recall either of my first two flights being on jets, but on the more "dependable" turboprops).

After that, 1,000 flights while in the military.

My, how times have changed.

 

[OLE PONY]

I'm with Don on driving if we can get there within a days drive. My wife and I are taking a cruise this fall out of Port Canaveral, about 850 mile drive. We are going to drive because of the hassle of flying. The baggage surcharge's are a pain in the rear too. Our flight to Spain last year just about killed me being shoe horned into the seat for the overnight flight. I'm 6'4 and 240 (260 at the time of the flight) pounds and was miserable!