I have been reinforcing my decision to never again fly in an airplane.

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  • Sigblaster

    Soon...
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    Apr 2, 2008
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    Indy
    The first time I flew I was about 7 or 8 years old, so around 1971 or or so. It was a fun and exciting experience. My mom made me dress well. Everyone was dressed well and were happy and friendly. Pilot invited me to the cockpit and gave me plastic pilot wings.

    I joined the Army in 1984, spent 22 years in, so I got to fly in a lot of commercial airlines besides the fixed and rotary wing military aircraft. Over time, I got to see the deterioration in the commercial air experience. Greyhound of the skies indeed. It became like a gun show. Poorly dressed, unbathed, unfriendly people.

    Then, after 9/11, TSA decided to add to the distatefullnes of the experience. I flew one time after 9/11, out of necessity, and I vowed to never fly again.

    Well, what I have been doing to reinforce that decision is bingeing the TV show "Air Disasters" Holy f, their reenactments are wild. You can quote me statistics about how it it safer than some other forms of travel. I don't care. Sure, I may die in a car accident, but it wont be plunging to the planet from several thousand feet, inverted, at 400 miles an hour, with minutes to consider how I'm about to become splattered across the landscape and indistinguishable from the remains of the other poor souls on the plane with me.

    I can't imagine any scenario where I ever get on an aircraft again.
     

    blain

    Sharpshooter
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    2   0   0
    Dec 27, 2016
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    Evansville
    If you don't fly, there's almost a 0% chance of being killed in an aircraft disaster.

    Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
    2020 deaths from motor vehicle accidents...
    Illinois = 1,194 total deaths,
    Illinois = 631 (53%) single vehicle accident deaths
    Illinois = 563 (47%) multiple vehicle accident deaths

    Indiana = 897 total deaths,
    Indiana = 455 (51%) single vehicle accident deaths
    Indiana = 422 (49%) multiple vehicle accident deaths

    Kentucky = 780 total deaths,
    Kentucky = 436 (56%) single vehicle accident deaths
    Kentucky = 344 (44%) multiple vehicle accident deaths
     

    Pepi

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    Nov 7, 2010
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    Hartford City 47348
    In 1998 from Iowa to Minneapolis in a 'puddle jumper' during an ice storm. I can't forget all the people praying on that tin can :nailbite: Dumb basards should have never left the ground in those conditions
     

    blain

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    2   0   0
    Dec 27, 2016
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    Evansville
    I have no problems flying. I don't bother letting TV shows, movies or anything else dissuade me. I don't fly often, but when I need to go somewhere quickly, or that is a large distance, I have no issues getting on a plane.
    Have you ever considered simply "identifying" as being at that destination?
    I hear it's all the rage these days. I guess it's sort of like the transporter in Star Trek (the original, of course).
     

    jerrob

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    Mar 1, 2013
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    Cumberland Plateau
    I flew quite often in the Army as well, early 80's so lots of Eastern, Delta and Southwest IIRC, never had a negative experience other than luggage lost/delayed.

    Flew periodically between late 90's and 2015, and plenty of layovers, cancelled flights, lost luggage and an overall bad enough experience to consider not flying anymore.

    I swore off flying when the last 4 to 5 times I became very sick with flu or bronchitis like symptoms within 48 hours. Factor in all the other crap that goes on these days and I'll take my chances in car everytime.
     

    rob63

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    May 9, 2013
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    I still fly, and fairly regularly as well.

    That said, I am definitely amazed at some of the findings of the investigations on that show. I took flying lessons about 30 years ago and still have a better understanding of basic flying principals than some of the airline captains portrayed in that show. I am often left dumbfounded that somebody like that was ever allowed into a cockpit.
     

    DragonGunner

    Grandmaster
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    1   0   0
    Mar 14, 2010
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    N. Central IN
    Flying stopped for me when you had to wear a mask to board a plane. It was just the stupidity of it. Use to fly my own powered parachute and held a BFI so I like flying. Just no place I have to go if I have to wear a mask. Use to enjoy visiting family and a vacation in FL but doubtful I'll use a plane anymore. Looks like most accidents these days are smaller planes and pilots making bad decisions.
     

    bobzilla

    Mod in training (in my own mind)
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    2   0   0
    Nov 1, 2010
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    Brownswhitanon.
    i am never ever flying ever again. Except in a few weeks when we fly to the big island. Letting scare tv determine what I do in my life? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA oh, wait. People are serious?
     

    chipbennett

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
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    0   0   0
    Oct 18, 2014
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    Avon
    Huh.

    I couldn't do my job without air travel.

    "Don't distract me with statistics" = "I gave in to appeal-to-emotion logical fallacy."
     

    Leadeye

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    Jan 19, 2009
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    .
    I've never liked the experience of flying commercial, but I still think it's a safe way to travel, just unpleasant. With a pilots license and an instrument rating I flew myself many places in years past, but GA has gotten too expensive and now I don't cringe at seeing a white card in the mailbox anymore.
     

    nucular

    Expert
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    10   0   0
    Dec 17, 2012
    1,159
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    Brownsburg
    I still fly quite a bit for work but I agree with you. It is a miserable experience. Its better with pre-check because the lines and shorter and you don't have to strip down for the TSA agents but the whole experience still sucks.

    The only time I ever refused to fly was when they were requiring vaccinations.
     

    ditcherman

    Grandmaster
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    22   0   0
    Dec 18, 2018
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    In the country, hopefully.
    I think we need to be careful with the hollywood thing.

    A real eye opener for me was when my oldest's girlfriend brought a PETA dvd to our house, leaving it for us to watch at our convenience. I am a 5th generation farmer and a 3rd generation hog farmer (they're now gone).

    Anyway, finally popped it in to watch and it started out with the wanton waste of whales, elephants, lions tigers and bears and whatever else that I knew nothing about, and the whole time I was mildly like, well that seems really horrible.

    Then they got to the farrowing barn. What I knew about. They were so full of crap, but if you weren't a hog farmer you wouldn't have noticed a thing.

    Their story was so well woven, so well told, that you couldn't help to believe it if you didn't have direct knowledge otherwise. I came away absolutely positively disbelieving anything and everything those people had and ever would say. Very obviously a biased agenda.

    So maybe it's just a show. Or maybe someone with Amtrak stocks wanted to make a show...
    Or green energy motivations, or just simple 'shut the world down' desires. It's the world we live in and have for some time.
     
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