As the revelations have filtered out about Germanwings flight 4U9525, crashed in the southern Alps, I’ve done what so many other travellers have done: imagined the scene inside the plane as it dropped inexorably in altitutude, the mountains looming large in the windows. I’ve thought about the families and friends of the passengers as well as the parents of Andreas Lubitz and what they must be going through.
One thing I haven’t done is worry that the same fate of 4U9525’s passenger and crew could happen to me. It would be easy to do, but I haven’t succumbed to fear of flying … and none of us should.
Why we shouldn’t worry
Partly this is because of the statistics. Despite this horrific incident, we know that flying still remains safer than travelling by car.
Partly this is because, for me, I know the amount of control I have once I’ve settled into my seat is limited. I fly airlines I trust, with good safety records, but once I’m on the plane there’s little I can do. I’ve put myself in the hands of the crew. Thousands of people are doing that right now as you read this.
Partly this is because I know I am going to keep flying. I have to.
A lifelong love of flying
I’ve always loved air travel. I boarded my first flight — on the quirky and charismatic Southwest Airlines in Texas — as a teenager, but for years beforehand I fantasized about the glamour and excitement of jetting off somewhere exotic. When I moved to New York and regularly flew home, I never understood some people’s fear of flying; I could only see the positive.
Even in the days after 9/11, when a friend worried about our upcoming short-hop flight to a conference, I felt calm. What were the chances of something like that happening again inside a month?
Anxieties can creep in
It was only when I got married and had a child that I began to feel a modicum of anxiety before flying. When I flew with my family, I wanted to know we would safely arrive. When I flew alone, I worried about leaving them behind, never seeing each other again.
I still get those feelings for time to time. But it hasn’t dimmed my enthusiasm — from the excitement of walking down the gangway, settling into my seat, drinking one of those miniature bottles of wine, passing a period of enforced leisure with chat and card games, in-flight movies and magazines.
Airlines are responding to the tragedy
Already important actions are coming out of the crash of the Germanwings flight, such as the two-at-all-times rule in the cockpit and the increased attention on the mental health of pilots and crew. We all need to remember that is happening. We also need to remind ourselves about the pleasure of flying and why we do it.
If I really did feel that the uncertainty of knowing the flight crew’s state of mind or the condition of the equipment or the threat of terrorists was too great, I would have to quit booking flights altogether and planning trips that are an essential part of my family life and leisure time. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise.
Remember why we fly
Like so many other people, I can’t imagine a life in which I’m not connected to family and friends, familiar places, far-flung locales and enriching cultures.
Some of my most valuable life experiences have happened halfway across the world. I’ve met friendly strangers with whom I’ve pantomimed conversations and learned about their lives. I’ve tasted food that previously I’d only read about in books. My eyes have been opened about the world and its inhabitants.
Closer to home, my early, long-distance relationship with my now-husband relied on our ability to see each other frequently, going back and forth across the Atlantic before finally deciding to make a life together.
Now, our annual trips back to my home state to visit my parents, cousins, aunts and uncles connects us with my heritage and teaches the kids what America is really like, what it means to be Texan.
It all works because of the modern wonder of flying.
This week my heart goes out to everyone involved in the Germanwings crash, from the victims to the survivors to the rescuers. And within weeks I’ll board another aeroplane run by a trusted carrier and visit someplace with my family that we’ve never been before.
I’m not only glad we have that opportunity. I’m looking forward to it.
Are you more concerned about flying in the wake of the Germanwings crash? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Image: Woman in aeroport by Alexander Chaikin via Shutterstock
This week I’m hooking up with Honest Mum’s Brilliant Blog Posts.
I am a little irrationally nervous, but know that there really is no need to be. I fly loads, in one job at least 4 flights a week, and I still really enjoy it, sitting by the window watching the clouds, or ground go by
I still get excited when we rev up at the end of the runway and I feel that little jump in my stomach. Thanks for commenting.
I had a very near miss returning from our honeymoon when air traffic control had put our plane on a collision course with an aeroplane coming in the other direction. The plane lurched as the pilot took evading action. The story was on the front page of the Daily Mirror…’Four seconds from mid-air horror’ was the headline.
Although my husband isn’t a keen flyer, and this certainly didn’t help, we have continued to fly. I try to think logically and accept we take risks in everything we do in life. We are only here once: I want to make the most of it and seeing other countries is something that I love to do.
Wow, Trish, what a scary and dramatic experience. Thank heavens for the skill of the pilots.
And yes absolutely — travel is about making the most of life. I couldn’t agree with your statement more.
The news did scare me like you and I too thought about everyone involved including his parents and colleagues but I have family flights to Spain over the Easter holidays and there is no way I’ll be cancelling them as we are far too excited. I have since bought flights to Italy over the summer and should an occasion arise I will book more as we love to travel. Like you, i put myself in the hands of the crew and switch off fear because otherwise I wouldn’t leave the UK again and that is not on my agenda. Great thoughts.
I agree, Mari. If I could book more flights, I would too, simply because the experience of travelling is so valuable.
I really needed to read this today, I fly on Saturday and you are so right, these things aren’t common. So devastating, a friend of mine knew the lady who died with her baby. Brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for this fab post x
Honestmum, how devastating for her. It brings the crash into sharp relief. Hope you have a great flight on Saturday and a great holiday! Thanks so much for commenting.
What happened is terrible and I feel very sad for the family and friends of those who died in the crash. But it’s made me no more anxious about flying than I was before – it’s still the safest way to travel. The only thing that deters me from flying is the expense of it, especially during the school holidays.
I hear you, regarding the expense. For many people, that is still the main deterrent to flying regularly.
What happened to the GermanWings flight was tragic but as others have said, you have to view it in context. Any air crash in Europe is extemely rare and this sort of pilot action is apparently all but unknown in the history of aviation. We occasionally get Heathrow’s traffic over us and I simply reflect that each flight, every 90 seconds, is getting to its destination every hour of every day.
Dan, thanks so much for commenting. I often marvel, when I see the aeroplanes overhead, of the thoughts and plans of all the people onboard, and that there are so many of them streaking across the sky at any given time.
I agree completely – it’s a terrible terrible event but thankfully incredibly rare so I wouldn’t let it put me off flying (and booked another trip on Sunday). My only wobble was the thought of taking my daughter on a plane again and putting her at risk – but the benefits she gets from travel are huge. And ‘protecting’ her by stopping would be completely counterproductive.
I don’t fly that often, but love it when I do – it’s still quite a novelty really. Plus of course the anticipation of what lies ahead at the destination. I would still keep flying, as you say, it’s still the safest way to travel and has many positives.
My OH isn’t a keen flyer – mainly because of the hanging around and being stuck indoors while waiting or flying. He always warns and says we should avoid London etc whenever there’s a terrorist threat. But if we didn’t do anything that was a potential risk we’d never do anything – even driving.
I think you definitely need to keep tabs on terror alerts and what’s going on in the world in general with any kind of travel. Sadly, flying isn’t the only mode of transport on which you need to be vigilant these days.
Great post! I must admit that I’m trying not to think about it, as I do fly regularly but I’ve always been a nervous flyer. I’m actually less nervous when flying with the children though, because I’m so busy settling them and trying to keep them entertained during the flight and not screaming (them not me!) that I don’t really have time to think about it. I think I get more stressed by the airport experience, getting there on time, making sure that we have time to buy bottled water for the flight, not losing bags and so on.
Jennifer, I’m forever counting bags and stuffing things into a backpack/pulling them out again. It makes me marvel at those years when I travelled alone and just came onboard with a handbag.