So worried about flying

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I've never had a fear of flying, but I'm going on holiday to America next month and I'm so worried that something might happen on the plane that will kill us, like an unexpected plane crash, a fire in the plane, or terrorists hijacking the plane. I just cannot stop worrying about it, whilst my family are really excited (who wouldn't be?) I love holidays, and I am excited of the actual holiday, but I am SO worried about flying because I hear of airoplane accidents happening, and they are so scary.

Does anyone know what the chances of something tragic happening on a plane?

The possibility of being killed in a car crash is one in 125.

The possibility of dieing in a fire is one in 40,000.

The odds of dying in an airplane crash are one in 4,600,000.

Take it from someone who has been obsessed with airplanes for years, you have nothing to worry about.

Sounds exciting!

Like SammichEater said, you can pretty much forget about crash worries due to their rarity. Also hijackings are pretty rare. Planes have all sorts of highly qualified professionals working on them so I feel in very safe hands on them. It's on the road in or around cars that I worry, and believe me I am a big worrier, but planes are about as safe as it gets.

It's very rare. Of all the planes I have flown on, neither of them have crash. I have had a few bumpy rides. Sometimes they are scary if it's that bad.

Your biggest concern should be Godzilla turbulence.

Crashes are very uncommon, and the US flights have ridiculous security to prevent terrorist attacks.

Is that for someone who only flies commercial air transport or are you including general aviation accidents? It's reasonable to assume that someone who's scared of flying won't be running around the sky in a single engine spamcan, so their risk might be even less.

Aircraft accidents make the new because they are very rare, whilst road accidents happen every day. And the vast majority of aircraft accidents don't involve commercial air transport flights.

Figures and facts are great, but if you (OP) are anything like me, none of that will have eased your worries. Do you have obsessive thoughts a lot? I do and I always think worst case scenario. It's horrible. I myself haven't been on a place since I was 14 but that is more to do with my fear of being trapped in a small place with a bunch of strangers and holding back the Tourettic urge to yell 'BOMB'. I'll let you know in advance if we are ever due to fly in the same plane so you don't have to suffer from me!

That's one way to queue jump out of a 45 minute hold over Heathrow.

Most of the time traveling in big aircraft is just boring.

People getting killed with motorcycles is waaay more than people killed by airplane crash...

Apparently (or so I have been informed) I would be allowed to jump the queue because of this and get on the plane first. Well the last bit depends on the airline. Frankly I would be quite happy about that but I am not sure if I will ever get on a plane again...

Airlines are pretty good at being nice to their more nervous passengers and Joe90 will have a fantastic flight and a great time in the US.

But when I win the lottery I want one of these:

http://www.s313492006.onlinehome.fr/dyn ... /index.php

Probably as a kit rather than ready to fly - everyone should build their own aeroplane. They don't have the range to cross the North Atlantic but look a lot more fun and I know that at least one has been permitted to fly in the UK. Think I might wear a parachute flying a homebuild though.

Yes. Not to mention the nude scans, and the fact that they keep the photos taken, for some random reason, and they have leaked out on the Internet, before. I'd be far more concerned with the nude scans, once you are to leave the US, as they are obligatory (the alternative is a sexually abusive, "enhanced" patdown). If you want to be safe from the privacy concerns of the nude scans (although still get the harmful rays into your body), you should buy the special underwear, before going there, that allegedly are supposed to keep the rays from showing you fully naked. If they indeed work, the special bra then also protects against the breast cancer risk increase that these scans otherwise cause.

Sorry, I don't mean to make you even more worried. I just find that this is information that is important to spread around.

Indeed. Terrorist incidents - unless you live somewhere like the Gaza Strip, Iraq or Afghanistan - are very rare.