Pilots with a fear of heights

ryanmickG said:
So I have a pretty extreme fear of heights.

For example, when I went to Golden Gate I was terrified and had to stand 2 feet from the guard rail even though the rail is 5 feet high. The only time I went up a ski lift (summer time) I had to walk 2 hours down because I was scared as hell the whole way up.

Flying has no affect on me whatsoever though.

Does anyone else have this irrational fear? My friends and family can't wrap their heads around the fact that I am a acrophobic pilot.
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I'm an acrophobic acrophilic acrofox!

It's simple, really: I'm afraid of heights if I have no wings. It's common sense. But with wings, no fear.

-Fox
 
I'm terrified of heights. Cliffs, ladders, balconies, even standing on a chair to change a light bulb freak me out. Yet I love aerobatics and skydiving.

Here's a crazy idea I still don't understand about myself--when sitting in the back of a Caravan or Twin Otter when skydiving, I freaking HATE having the seat by the open door at 1000 AGL after takeoff. Climbing higher helps, but never calms me down entirely until the door is closed again.

Then, on jump run at 13,000 feet, my heart rate and breathing noticeably change and I have to focus on staying calm as everyone does their final checks and prepares to go out.

As soon as I climb out the door, hanging on the side of the plane with one hand and a couple toes, facing into a 90 mph wind? No problem whatsoever. It's so calm I might as well be sitting in my living room. Letting go and flying my body in freefall is even more peaceful.

Fears make no sense.
 
I have a fear of heights as well. Even when flying I have a slight fear.....I just do it anyway. Believe me, there were flights in the Goshawk where you were upside down, hanging in your straps at 20K looking straight down. I bet the fighter guys are higher than that by wide a margin. I never overcame it, I just dealt with it.
 
jrh said:
I'm terrified of heights. Cliffs, ladders, balconies, even standing on a chair to change a light bulb freak me out. Yet I love aerobatics and skydiving.

Here's a crazy idea I still don't understand about myself--when sitting in the back of a Caravan or Twin Otter when skydiving, I freaking HATE having the seat by the open door at 1000 AGL after takeoff. Climbing higher helps, but never calms me down entirely until the door is closed again.

Then, on jump run at 13,000 feet, my heart rate and breathing noticeably change and I have to focus on staying calm as everyone does their final checks and prepares to go out.

As soon as I climb out the door, hanging on the side of the plane with one hand and a couple toes, facing into a 90 mph wind? No problem whatsoever. It's so calm I might as well be sitting in my living room. Letting go and flying my body in freefall is even more peaceful.

Fears make no sense.
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I'm guessing that the survivability of jumping from 1,000' AGL is nil, no?

Heights, and roller coasters. I like neither. I love flying and I love aerobatics. But oh man. Ladders are terrifying.
 
I'm not good with heights at all, but aircraft for some reason don't bother me......I once heard a theory about it and it made sense......but I can't for the life of me remember it. I once knew an EMS helo pilot that was SO so terrified of heights.....he would break into a cold sweat in the hospital roof helipad....lookin down 5 floors to the street.....but once he was in the helo he was good to go haha.
Anyone near Chicago wanna try somethin REALLY scary??? Go to the observation deck of the Willis (sears) Tower.....they have these small glass rooms that are suspended outside of the building....so when you step into one, your on a glass floor lookin down 100ish stories, and surrounded by glass. Personally I made it to the edge but could NOT step out lol




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The thrill would be worth it. Go up there, touch the top, and your sack would grow three sizes that day, just like the heart of the grinch!

Two of my buddies climbed one that was just over 1000 ft. In highschool. Only one had the sack to climb the open ladder of the last 100 ft. They did it at night too, crazy bastards!
 
JordanD said:
Yeah. My first thought after putting on a parachute and getting in the decathlon was that the parachute is pretty much pointless, you're probably not wiggling out of that thing.

I've had a 150 door pop open while I was leaning on it in cruise. That was a good substitute for morning coffee.
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I was riding along with when a Baron door popped open at the top at 7,000 ft
we continued for 20 very cold minutes.

I think folks are comfortable doing what their acustomed to- I danced across restraunt appliances
changing fusible links over deep fatfryers, griddles, etc during the lunch run.

Las Vegas roller coaster on a skyscraper? Never slowed down,...
 
Autothrust Blue said:
I'm guessing that the survivability of jumping from 1,000' AGL is nil, no?
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You'd be fine if you stayed calm and went straight to the reserve parachute. Reserve parachutes open extremely quickly and reliably. 1000 feet AGL = about ten seconds of freefall before reaching the ground. In other words, plenty of time in an emergency. Ten seconds doesn't sound like much, but try closing your eyes and calmly counting to ten....it's a long time when all you need to do is look down and pull a handle.

That's why I say my fears aren't rational. The purpose of the entire plane ride is to get out of the plane, yet some moments on the way up are still really heart pounding while others are downright relaxing. It makes no sense to me.
 
jrh said:
You'd be fine if you stayed calm and went straight to the reserve parachute. Reserve parachutes open extremely quickly and reliably. 1000 feet AGL = about ten seconds of freefall before reaching the ground. In other words, plenty of time in an emergency. Ten seconds doesn't sound like much, but try closing your eyes and calmly counting to ten....it's a long time when all you need to do is look down and pull a handle.
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Ah, got it. I know jack about skydive operations beyond "don't ever buy an ex-jump airplane" and lots of takeoffs and landings.
 
I'm with the rest of the group. I hate heights, but it doesn't bother me in the plane. Funny though, when I took a Skyhawk up to 11,000 ft a few years back, I actually remember looking out and getting a bit of vertigo and getting the cold sweat, just like when I'm on a ladder, or near a balcony edge. I remembered saying to myself "Jeez this is really high, I should go back down a few thousand feet", realizing afterwards how dumb a thought that was. For some reason my brain says that I'm safe if I fall from 5,000', but I'd def be injured if I fell from 10,000. :rolleyes:
 
I wouldn't say I have a fear of heights because I love glass elevators and standing at the edge of the cliff, but I do get butterflies often, especially if there is no barrier or enclosure. It seems to happen when I imagine falling with only one more step.


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I used to be afraid of heights. Then I started working on tall ships and I was expected to climb aloft and work.

First i got over it. Then I grew to love it. I could wax romantic about sitting in the rig on a comfortable tropical night and watching the milky way unfold but I wont.

Because it makes aviation seem like a huge mistake.
 
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