After over 20 years of Building, Flying, and Crashing Planes I still cant get a grip on the fact that MOST of the people I meet at the field that fly once in a while are TERRIFIED to fly.

Guys around here have nice scale stuff, cheap 40 sized stuff and everything in between but they are SCARED?

What other hobby does anyone know of where it threatens its participants into submission by just the mere thought of DOING IT? Lunacy! I can see being leery about something expensive or took a long time to build, but we have people that will not fly if someone else is even watching them. Kind of like the people that cant pee while someone else is looking.

Sorry, I had to vent but I certainly dont get it. You can get quality static models made in 1/52nd scale and never bust em up unless the fishing line breaks and they fall from the ceiling (OH GOD I SHUDDER TO THINK THATS EVEN POSSIBLE!)



There should be a special sticker for those people so we can identify them right away so as not to waste time talking about flying - because they refuse to fly. Maybe they should consider bowling or something where there is no threat of breaking their equipment.

If flying isn't giving you sweaty palms and a lump in your throat every once in a while you are either Chuck Yeager or you might need to try something a bit different to get the blood pumping, turbines maybe. You might just be a teeny bit jaded....

Afraid to fly may be overstating it. I still get anxious on the first flight of the day or the first flight with a new plane. There is a pilot at my field who has about ten warbirds and a large scale B25. That B25 comes to the field often but flys very little.

For me, I can afford to lose the not dreadfully expensive planes that I fly but it would still be a pain in the......heart.....
I'm currently building a Vickers Wellington bomber from plans and I assure you I'll be scared poopless to maiden it once it's done.


Some kids take care of their toys and some don't

Shiet.. No way dude I still shake like a dog crappin a peach seed!!!!

It doesnt stop me from tryin though, that was my point.

AHHHHHHHH! It's the guys who bring a plane, leave it on the starting stand, and sit and talk all day while looking guiltily over their shoulders once in a awhile. You are talking about the guys who won't fly because of a bit of wind, any crosswind at all, the angle of the sun, too many spectators, or too many planes in the air.

I should've read your post in greater detail......

ahhhh I see youve been to our field lately! Exactly. One further is the know it alls that do that as well.

I fit into the category of not flying if there are more than one other plane in the air. Reason? Most will fly the "circuit" (clockwise or counterclockwise) but it seems that there is always the person that will be "Mr. Invincible" while you are flying and go the wrong way, and start doing all kinds of stunts, and expect you to be on the lookout for his plane. I just like to fly circuits, as most people who hold private licenses just like to fly to relax. I don't want to be concerned about someone who is going to be all over the sky while I am flying as I have enough to worry about with my own plane.

That's why I drive 60 miles to a flying field that has 45 members and they fly one or two at a time instead of driving 10 miles to a much closer field where I can be flying with anywhere from 2 to 5 planes in the sky at a given time.

Yogoblue,
I dont know what club you fly at in Bishop Tex but here at North Dallas we do have a few people who are lets say tentative.

I think most of the afraid to fly guys dont show up on Saturday morning because thats like showing up at the NHRA Nationals with a wheel barrow and lawmower motor. The big Iron puts the scare into most people the $$$ and the noise and the size spells "Danger Will Robinson" to these guys.

But here is one for ya, how bout the people scared to fly but do fly in the middle of three 85cc screaming warbirds down the runway
and everyone keeps an eye on each other and everyone flys with a spotter and nobody gets into a fight afterwards.

Like the little kid falling down the side of what looks like a moutain, screaming bloody murder all the way down, hitting bottom, laying there for a moment then getting up and laughing LETS DO IT AGAIN. !!

If you aint tough by the end of the summer flying season after all the 3D hucking, Warbird bell ringing, fun flys, combat, pattern, and
just general sport flying. Your not human.

We got some wall flowers in our club but they still come out to fly and when they get in the air they are pretty solid flyers.


jds

Cap,
Its friday and youre already getting me stirred up to get to the field.

The point of the posting was less who and why dont fly, but rather what hobby is there out there that scares its participants so badly but keeps them coming back to watch.

I also dont mean ones that are life threatening like Drag Racing, Assortment of Ariel feats, and crack.

To me, to not participate is not an option. I would rather stay home in the AC and watch TV then go out to the field for a jaw jack session. I guess for some the chance to speak and be heard and to seem involved is the high point of their day. Or maybe they all just need to get out of the house..


Fix,

Again I am referring to those that dont fly. If youre not at a club that knows to hold a pattern and segregate 3ding to one end or certain flights then I understand.


Lead Bowler!

Also,
Why does no one come over to watch me garden? Oh.. I get it they are looking for the crash..


Wait I think I got it. . They are seeking a crash, but THEY dont want to crash, but to fly is to crash unless you dont fly.

Or

Could it be to be simply entertained!!

HUH !

You dont fly because you might crash, but you want to see a crash but not you own, so you stand by waiting to see a crash while avoiding to fly because you dont want crash.

Oh I get it.

jds

Well, from my experience it's mind over matter. I'm a self taught pilot, airplane and heli. I have flown dozens of different aircraft. High wing, shoulder wing, low wing, tri-gear, tail gragger, fixed pitch heli, non-fixed CPP, turbine heli,you name it and have had sweaty hands for most of the maiden flights.

Call me a liar if it makes you feel good but, I have had 1 crash in my 22 years of flying rc because I forgot to plug in the aileron servos and learned a huge lesson, never takeoff without a proper pre-flight.

My older brother buys super nice and expensive rc planes and always turned to me for the 1st flight because he gets choked up and sick to the stomach. He broke 20 props on a Tower Trainer .60 before he could make consecutive landings without splitting wood.My younger brother learned much faster, never breakinga single prop, well maybe he broke 1, LOL.

My next maiden will be with the Cessna 410twin engine, 2 .46's nitro. I believe hebought it from nitro planes, or nitro models, I forgot. Couldn't fly it a fewmonths ago because the airport is privately ownedand said their insurance didn't cover us.

I will also be doing the maiden on aturbine powered (JetCat), AgTractor (crop duster) that my older brother is havingcustom built by I hope an unknown source. It is said to haveroughly 130 inch wingspan and I forgot what Jet Cat turbine. I would assume it will weigh between 30 and 50 pounds.Should cost between 6 and9K. As far as we know it will be the 1st and only turbine powered rc Ag Tractor in the world, don't quote me on it. Jet Cat said they are really excited about the plane and wanted us to do the maidenat their place. Being I'mthe PIC (Pilot in Command) I decided to do the maiden with my brother only ina disclosed location. If all goes well, I lookforward to going to I believe Dallas, Texas to shake hands with the Jet Catexecutives andhopefully put on a good flight performance for their hard work. This will be my 1st attempt at a turbine and I plan on flying the plane as hard as Ican, positive and negative g's.


Bottom line is, it's mind over matter; nothing more. As long as you do your homework, the nervousness will still be present, but in the end you willhave the last laugh.

Alligator wrestling? Sheer rock wall climbing? Underwater shark photography? Cave diving? Posting on theAMAforum?

most of the time it is because of a phobia wherther it is a fear offlying itself or a fear of confined spaces or heights or even been toclose to other people it causes a reaction in people who can break outin sweats vomit and some even cant stand or walk from paralisation.
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Probably not afraid of flying as much as afraid of crashing.

The Maiden for a new plane that Ive built not too plans (SPAD) will make me sweat. Im allways nervous flying a balsa plane as they dont bounce.....I have a new big war bird ready to fly and Shiet scared to fly it at the moment...Building a giant scale bird for the 5cly radial..Will have to have guts to fly that..Only human..

Its because Im afraid of losing big money in a crash is the reason why I fly $30 toys [&o]

I never crash, but have some terrible landings, where I have to get out the Hefty bag. I am not the best pilot in the world, but I'll put her in the wind and see what happens. Just last sunday I ripped the tail off my DC-3 when it stalled on takeoff. My decathlon has more patches than a homemade quilt. Just Do It!!!

About your statement

Me,myself, feel some times strangely when people on the flight line look at me..

Especially back when i was learning to fly with my trainer..

Nowadays,

and when time comes to maiden an airplane,

i choose to go to the field during days that NOONE will be there!

I guess many others here do the same...

id be worried about smashing something that cost so much and had so much effort put into it.. i can see what ya mean about people watching you... id go find a quiet field in the middle of no where on a gentle day with no wind lol.. when it comes to my cars i just go mental and more often that not it puts a dint in my wallet still... much respect to you guys that go flying with people around and wind.. iv only tried helicopters and didnt crash but was worried about hitting other stuff lol

You mean like this?......