Afraid of Heights

[special K]

Sorry if this has been posted before, but i was just curious if anyone else is afraid of heights but not afraid to fly. For some reason i just feel comfortable when im flying. Is this normal? Although ill admit I always feel a little anxious before takeoff, but it passes as soon as we're in the air. Your opinions are appreciated, thanks.

[Witch]

Oh I am so with you on this one girlfriend.

 

If I'm more than eight or so feet above the ground, like on the roof, I get a little vertigo. In the helo-door off-it's a different matter. Maybe it's because I'm sitting down?

 

I believe it is normal to have that kind of condition. Other people can climb the face of El Capitan, and have severe panic attacks on commercial planes. Go figure?

 

It's normal.

 

Later

[TomPPL]

I come from a climbing background (industrial rope access, climbing oil rigs!) and most people I have met have some form of fear of heights. I think it's a natural feeling pre-programmed into all of us, you only get problems when it becomes a panic creating issue. It all boils down to the individuals state of mind, actual fear has a habit of running wild if left to its own devices. I think part of the reason we feel more comfortable in our ships is because we've got more things than the height to concern ourselves with. Airspeed, direction, cyclic, gauges, navigation, radio etc etc, these may help our minds relax to the reason we are high up in the air.

[cl600pilot]

Add me to the list.... I have 5,000 hours in airplanes and a few rides in a helicopter - doesn't bother me at all when I'm flying but put me on a 6 foot ladder and it's all over!

[Copterpilot213]

I heard somewhere that 80% of pilots are afraid of heights. I haven't seen any data to support this but from what I've seen so far it seems feasible! lol Add me to the list, I don't like heights... especially standing on the edge of a tall cliff (unless I'm cliff diving, I like that!). Pretty strange, but maybe it's that we feel we are in control of the height issue when flying.

[Copterpilot213]

From the PPRUNE forum archives (http://www.pprune.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-35912.html):

 

deepbuffet

"Couldn't agree more. As RAF I'm not bothered about inverted spinning at 18000ft, but the wife changes the lightbulbs at home. Asked a mate (psychologist), and got an answer that makes sense to me. He reckons that people who are afraid of heights are not actually afraid of being high up, but are afraid of falling. In an aircraft, you're sitting in' and are probably well fastened to, a chair. Your brain knows that you won't fall out, so you ain't scared."

[gr8shandini]

I'd say it's pretty common. I have a mild fear of heights, but never even equated flying with "being high," so to speak. I think it's because the risk of falling out of an aircraft is virtually zero compared to that of falling off a ladder or ledge. I've even walked out on an open ramp in flight while wearing a gunner's belt. However, if I were unrestrained, I'd probably freak the hell out.

[DAWg134]

I'd have to agree with the RAF psych on this. I don't consider myself "afraid of heights". Climbed trees to the highest branches as a kid, no problems working on a reasonably pitched rooftop, regularly use my 24' extension ladder to nearly it's full height, can stand at the edge of the rim of the Grand Canyon with a 2,000 ft drop, etc. But there was this one time...

 

I had to climb a 60' vertical ladder atached to the side of a storage tank. You know the type, the ones with a cylindrical cage surrounding the ladder to keep you from falling "away" from the ladder. Well, about half way up, I made the mistake of stopping to look around and experienced what could only be described as a panic attack when I realized that if one of my leather-soled shoes slipped on these rounded rungs, then I would surely plummet straight down through the middle of the cage. I didn't think there was a chance in hell that I could arrest my fall by grabbing another rung on the way down, even though Hollywood does it all the time.

 

The way I got past it was to concentrate on the task at hand and consciously ensure that both of my hand were securely wrapped around a rung before a foot ever left a rung. It turned out to be not a particularly ungainly gait as I found it took less than a second to advance a hand to the next rung an establish a death grip. I can't deny that stepping back onto the ladder to come down occured with more than a little bit of trepidation, but I merely maintained focus as I had on the way up and everything was OK.

 

I have never since had either the "opportunity" or desire to do that again, so I'm not quite certain if I would still react the same.