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This spring my wife and I will be flying to Bermuda for our twenty anniversary.We haven’t been on a plane since before 9/11.I’ve always been the nervous/anxious type. I’ve been thinking on what should I be looking for that would be considered suspious behavior.I would really hate to tackle someone who was just heading for the restroom.
Re: what to do on the plane?
If you see anyone trying to light themselves on fire, that’s a strong indicator something is amiss.
Re: what to do on the plane?
AviatorDave, yeah I’ll sure be looking out for that, plus I hate smokers..ha ha
Re: what to do on the plane?
I think its ‘normal’ to feel nervous about flying as when you think about it – really its quite an unnatural situation: give up control, travel at high speed supported only by ‘wind’ up in the air, be cooped up in close proximity to complete strangers in a thin aluminum tube filled with flammable jet fuel – not to mention all the stress beforehand of getting to the airport, checking in, security checks etc.
On the other hand – I’d say kick back, relax & enjoy the ride knowing that anyone traveling on a respected carrier in the developed World these days is on the cusp of the experience of the entire history of aviation, so things have never been safer.
I used to actually be a nervous flier but now I quite enjoy the experience & view from on high, especially the chance to sit back, think & read…
I fly a fair bit every year due to work, mostly long haul..For people who are anxious fliers there are actually types of courses and counselling around to address these issues. Apprently the root of much anxiety comes down to the loss of personal control over the situation people (correctly) feel during airplane travel.
Here’s some great tips:http://www.airlinetraveladvice.com/fear.shtml
Another thing to note is the pilots want to get there safe too.
The chance of another 9/11 scenario is very remote IMO when you consider the planning, personnel, training, organization it took – all while security services and the general public were not on the lookout for such a plot. I think there is little chance to pull something like this off again especially since the surprise factor is gone – AQ would know that too, hence the less elaborate, lower tech approach post 9/11.
As for a Christmas style incident – the fact is as well, the chances are so low you’d ever be caught in such a scenario. So far both AQ airplane b*mb attacks failed. If one succeeded there’d be nothing you could do about it anyway.
The most realistic possible onboard unpleasant human-caused events besides the food IMO would be disruptive passenger, stress-induced psychosis, smoking & passenger illness scenarios all of which airline attendants are trained to deal with.
When I fly I make it a habit to take a glance around the lounge & during boarding at the other passengers to see if there’s anyone who looks like they might be a troublemaker (eg: if they drink) or otherwise sets off the ‘spidey sense’ looking out of place, like a jerk, unusual, nervous etc.
Then I remain open to the incredibly hugely remote possibility of perhaps providing assistance or performing a 35,000 foot KO should someone flip out, get aggressive or do something which looks like the staff has trouble managing.
But pretty much I chill out, enjoy the ride, read, watch films, sleep, stare out the window if I can etc.
Enjoy the trip & have a great time in Bermuda!
Congrats on the 20th anniversary..
Don’t worry!
Re: what to do on the plane?
quote cmetalman:AviatorDave, yeah I’ll sure be looking out for that, plus I hate smokers..ha haI remember the days when people could smoke on planes, that was nasty..
Fwiw I witnessed a Euro air crew deal with some guys who kept going to the bathroom to sneak a smoke, they were finally issued a written statement & verbal warning the police would deal with them on the ground should they do it again… solved the problem.
Re: what to do on the plane?
Couple of Krav Maga clips on a plane.
http://www.youtube.com/user/itaygil#p/u/27/flbbP8R6aTI
Re: what to do on the plane?
Nice clips..
One of the crazier airline incidents in recent times was this armed robbery of a fully boarded plane:
Re: what to do on the plane?
Seriously, it’s okay to be ever vigilant, but try to relax. At any given moment there are between 5,000 and 10,000 airplanes under ATC control in US airspace. I just looked, and right now, there are nearly 6,000 aircraft flying in US airspace. There are nearly 40,000 flights per day. So since Christmas, there may have been 400,000 flights in US airspace, and there was a problem on 2 of them.
It doesn’t hurt to be aware of what’s going on around you, but the odds of something happening are nearly zero. Just relax, and enjoy your flight. I don’t fly on commercial flights more than 2 or 3 times a year, but I’ve never seen anything remotely concerning even since 9/11.
Re: what to do on the plane?
Thanks for the congrats and advice. The funny thing is that I have no problem with heights, I occasionally hang on a swing scaffolding forty to fifty stories up with no problems, just hate as mentioned the feeling of not being in control. gets embarrasing for a fifty year old man.
Re: what to do on the plane?
one thing that is much overlooked is wearing flame retardent/resistant clothing. dont ever wear anything with polyester in it blended or not. sorry to all you people who own leisure suits. wipe off that lip balm/ lip stick. and wear boots that will cover your ankles. carry leather gloves as well.
you dont have to be a nut about this safety aspect. but there are alternatives than to the shorts and flip flops or wearing clothing that will flash flame.
have a great trip.
Re: what to do on the plane?
quote Coda Vex:Couple of Krav Maga clips on a plane.http://www.youtube.com/user/itaygil#p/u/27/flbbP8R6aTI
Agree, these are great clips. I’m not one to “what if” senarios to death. But, I’m wondering at what point a passenger would make the decision to attempt a gun disarm on a plane. The chance of the gun going off and firing a projectile through the aircraft structure could be devastating at altitrude, causing rapid decompression. I guess if you knew everyone on the plane was ging to die anyway — what the hey – go fot it. Any thoughts on this?
Re: what to do on the plane?
our airplane a LearJet 45 can maintain cabin pressure with a pax window being blown out. a bullet hole will not depressurize an aircraft as there are larger leaks in the typical airframe.
Re: what to do on the plane?
quote paul:our airplane a LearJet 45 can maintain cabin pressure with a pax window being blown out. a bullet hole will not depressurize an aircraft as there are larger leaks in the typical airframe.Mythbusters did an episode on that. The worked their way up from handguns to shotguns, and none of them caused anything more that a hole and a loud noise. Next was blowing a window completely out. It sucked their dummy’s arm out, but the plane stayed together.
Finally they used explosives. Yep, that did the trick. It blew the top half away down to the flight deck, and pulled rows of seats from further up the plane towards the hole.
And for a real world example – there was a commercial flight back in July, a Boeing 737-300, that developed a 1′ x 2′ hole in the top of the fuselage right before the rudder. It lost cabin pressure, likely pretty quickly. But it landed safely. Really loud, really scary, but not deadly.
Re: what to do on the plane?
Another myth is the deranged passenger / BG opening the door at cruising altitude – impossible due to door design & difference in air pressure..
Losing cabin pressure is not a necessarily huge problem in itself (more what’s caused it is the issue) – the remedy is to descend to a lower altitude.
Some extreme decompression events on passenger jets & the plane still flew…. (don’t forget warplanes shot to bits in battle & still making it).. :
On April 28, 1988 Aloha Airlines Flight 243 was a scheduled Boeing 737-297Hilo and Honolulu in Hawaii. The aircraft suffered extensive damage after an explosive decompression in flight, but was able to land safely at Kahului Airport on Maui. .. The safe landing of the aircraft with such a major loss of integrity was unprecedented and remains unsurpassed.
and
United Airlines Flight 811 experienced a cargo door failure in flight on Friday, February 24, 1989, after its last stopover at Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii
Re: what to do on the plane?
quote Chocolate Soldier:Another myth is the deranged passenger / BG opening the door at cruising altitude – impossible due to door design & difference in air pressure..Losing cabin pressure is not a necessarily huge problem in itself (more what’s caused it is the issue) – the remedy is to descend to a lower altitude.
Correct. Most of the doors open to the inside. And even if they didn’t, if they hinged to the outside, the hinges are on the leading edge, so opening them pushes against the slipstream. I’ve had a door on a Piper Arrow come unlatched in flight. It could yaw the plane like a rudder, but was impossible to open enough to even try to slam it closed. So it stayed that way until we landed. No way you could even budge it on a jet going 500 mph.
As long as the pilots are still conscious, it’s not too big of a deal. But it didn’t work out so good for Payne Stewart’s plane. A decompression that quick at altitude leaves a few seconds of consciousness, then the sub-zero temps would hit quick. Dropping below 10,000 feet quickly becomes very important.
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