Flying with fear of heights

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Longjumping-Tour-350@reddit

Do an intro flight, see how you like it. Personally I wouldn’t think a helicopter is the best choice (the one time I was in a Robinson I felt a little nervous even without a fear of heights). Like I said before, book an introduction flight and see how you like it.

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AviatorCrafty@reddit

I get uneasy around some heights, but in a thin fiberglass tube with no engine while instructing a student? No issue

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ananajakq@reddit

I have a fear of heights and I’m a working airline pilot. standing at the edge of a cliff is not the same as being at the controls of an airplane. Altitude is good actually, its energy you can trade if you need it I’m more afraid of being low level and something happening.

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Nivekevin7@reddit

I have a more of fear of falling than fear of heights I think. I will say it feels different when you're at the controls. I don't think about it like if I was standing by an edge of a cliff.

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Kemerd@reddit

Helicopters is a bit tougher than planes for fear of heights I feel like.

And to OP, don’t be discouraged if you feel dizzy on your discovery flight.

I was so nauseous my first delivery flight and first flights, but once I was completely independent on the controls my nausea went away entirely

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GivenToFly@reddit

The falling is fine. It's the sudden stop at the end that'll getcha

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BoseSounddock@reddit

I’d argue the falling usually isn’t fine

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HerrGruyere@reddit

I can’t climb a ladder to put up Christmas lights, but I have no problem flying around.

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Special-Ad1307@reddit

I am afraid of heights. Hate climbing ladders and looking over a 2 story balcony. Flying doesn’t bother me at all. Lots of people feel the same thing.

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hhfugrr3@reddit

I took flying lessons mainly due to my fear of heights. Still scared of them, but am great at compartmentalising fears.

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TheOneEyedPussy@reddit

I don't necessarily have a fear of heights and will happily stand near a cliff edge but close enough to fall and the fear of falling gives me a chill sometimes.

But in the airplane, it doesn't feel like that at all. I'd say it's because immediately in the moment, you're comfortable and secured, in a seat, with a seatbelt, and you never get the feeling of falling, except in turbulence when you might hit a downdraft.

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DifferentIntern6311@reddit

Flying doesn’t feel like standing on the edge of a cliff, it feels more like driving a car that has 3D motion capabilities.

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WholeTomatillo5537@reddit

I'm afraid of heights but in a plane I'm just fine personally

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Double-Reflection838@reddit

It's completely different in an airplane/helicopter. Doesn't seem to bother you.

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Thin-Boysenberry-112@reddit

I have a real fear of heights as well. Then I went flying in a glider (so basically trapped in a tiny tube in the sky) and had no issues whatsoever. I would go get a trial flight yourself, but a fear of heights doesn’t necessarily relate to flying

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toshibathezombie@reddit

I have taught a few people with a fear of heights how to fly - people react differently but MOST of the time, they are fine - it's more of a fear of heights on ladders and ledges etc rather than in a plane.

However I do know of one person with a fear of heights that was doing a long flight in a Cessna... They descended from 9,000ft to 2,000ft because they were scared of flying high.

They did not do the necessary fuel planning to fly at a lower altitude (burn less fuel the higher you go) and landed on fumes... Literally 0 fuel in the tanks and 0 awareness of why. Don't be that person! 😂

My tip would be book a 20 or 30 minute lesson and see how you go. If you can handle that, try a 1 hour lesson and ask to see what it feels like cruising and 5000ft or something.

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kevinossia@reddit

Are you actually sure you have a fear of heights?

You probably don’t. Most people don’t. You’re not afraid of heights; you’re afraid of falling. A fear of heights is illogical; a fear of falling is evolutionary.

When you’re strapped into an aircraft at the controls you won’t feel any fear because you can’t possibly “fall out” of the aircraft. Simply being up high isn’t scary on its own unless you actually have acrophobia.

On the other hand if you were to stand at the edge of a cliff with no guardrails you’d undoubtedly feel anxious and that’s for good reason.

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SATSewerTube@reddit

I am absolutely terrified of heights.

In an airplane no big deal. Looking down from a third, or even second, story window? GTFO

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Unable_Request@reddit

This. Went to Tokyo and could barely stand the trip to the top of the tower. Commercial flying makes me somewhat anxious. Flight training, though, as soon as I turn the thing on, it all goes away. Idk why.

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sennais1@reddit

It's a control of environment thing I guess. I'm the same.

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sennais1@reddit

Same, Tung Chung in HK with a balcony on the 55th floor before flying home and I didn't go near the thing.

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Electrical_Bad2253@reddit

I would say do an intro flight and see how you feel. Being in control is different to being a passenger. I also know multiple people that won’t look over a balcony because they’re afraid, but skydive for fun.

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its_a_joke-@reddit (OP)

That’s a crazyyyy id rather look over the balcony than skydive

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sennais1@reddit

Same boat mate, it's a control thing. That being said you have little control over a career flying helicopters in Australia if you're not ex Army or RAN.

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Kein-Deutsc@reddit

It definitely comes from the feeling of having control of the situation. At the top of a building, the risk feels high. Moving just a few inches beyond a balcony ledge means certain death, no control over how you fall. However in an aircraft and I imagine skydiving, you have all the controll over your situation. You can controll your motion and that is really reassuring.

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ApoTHICCary@reddit

This. A buddy of mine back in college got hammered at his frat’s pre-graduation party, got tazed by one of his heavily intoxicated frat bros, and ended up falling out of the apartment’s 3rd story “balcony”. Broke a number of bones and has had a few back surgeries since. Dude will not step anywhere near railing or any kind of ledge. He went skydiving and had no issue. I asked him about how he’s able to skydive when he is petrified of heights otherwise from the incident and he pretty much said what you did exactly: he’s got time, a parachute, and a plan on how to safely fall. It did not have any effect on his fear outside of that.

Anyways, I found that while I don’t have a fear of heights, I do have an aversion to them. It’s a natural instinct that helps keep us alive. But when flying, both control as well as having so many other tasks I have zero issue with the height. Except for being lower than I’d like for an optimal glideslope in the event of an emergency, which I feel has made me more vigilant as a pilot to always look for emergency landing areas. Where I fly, there’s a LOT of trees and coastline, so sometimes it’s best to take a less direct route with more open fields.

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sennais1@reddit

I'm a pilot and a 3rd generation one. Myself, my Dad and late Grandfather cannot stand on a tall balcony.

It's a control thing I think, maybe call of the void, who knows but I don't associate the two. Being an Aussie you'll be flying R22s etc door off (not for me thanks) if you're lucky to get the decent gigs. Just remember the market in Australia for helicopter pilots is SATURATED with ex military. Unless you want to go chase cattle up north in a clapped out R22 while being told to do everything else the ringers have to do when the chopper isn't needed forget it. My mate who did it a long time ago now flies helicopters on the Great Barrier Reef, to get his first job up north he had to prove he could ride a horse. So there is that.

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DeeKayEm@reddit

I am terrified of heights when attached to the ground in some form (skyscraper/cliff/2m ladder), but flying has never been an issue for me

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plasma0_@reddit

Its a lot different when you are in a fully enclosed plane or helicopter that you control

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Fizzo21@reddit

Heights in airplanes is different

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JBR1961@reddit

Same as many others here. Not comfortable at the edge of a cliff or tall building, or even really on a step ladder. But never felt that way at the controls of a small plane. Can’t really explain it. But then, I was always kind of squeamish about FLYING, to be honest, unless I’m doing it. 😊

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Ok_Method_2790@reddit

i had an immense fear of heights before i started flying but came to the realization, like many others said, it’s different when you’re in control of the plane. plus, flying is a different feeling than the vulnerability of an extension ladder for example. still don’t like ladders of scaffolding that much

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erik325i@reddit

I’ve had students that were afraid of heights. Flying never bothered them.

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Kein-Deutsc@reddit

I have a fear of heights too. Going to cities, being on tall balconies especially in New York freaks me out. But in the seat of an airplane I don’t feel it even a bit. Ive been scared of flying before, when I first started I would get anxious going up to the airport every time. I was pretty young though it’s possible it is easier for tower people. Doing maneuvers like stalls and unusual attitudes always freaked me out. After a while though I got used to flying and now I don’t feel nervous at all.

It’s something that can be adapted to. Once you feel like you can control an airplane, and if you can get used to being relaxed in airplanes it will feel secure, more secure than being in a building even if the aircraft is being shoved around by turbulence

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old_flying_fart@reddit

It's almost never a problem.

"any recommendations"
Pursue your dreams!

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rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

Hey guys this has probably being mentioned a times but I’m currently a fire fighter and have being for about 5 years now and am 21 in AUS and want to get into flying helicopters but am not a fan of heights any recommendations. TIA

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