Nervous about flying???

Originally posted by ZekeMD
I'm interviewing in St. Louis next week and will be flying out of Syracuse. I've already bought my ticket, but for some reason I'm really nervous about flying. I'm not sure why this is, I've flown plenty of times when I was younger. This will be the first interview I've flown to however. Any reassuring thoughts???

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Beware of people sitting next to you with nail clippers.

Originally posted by ZekeMD
I'm interviewing in St. Louis next week and will be flying out of Syracuse. I've already bought my ticket, but for some reason I'm really nervous about flying. I'm not sure why this is, I've flown plenty of times when I was younger. This will be the first interview I've flown to however. Any reassuring thoughts???

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I fly several times each year. And every time I am very nervous. I really hate flying. The trick is not to think about it until you are actually on the plane. It's not that difficult to do. Once you are on the plane -- oh well, it's only a few hours.
I am sure you know the statistics that flying is the safest form of travel. One other thing that I found reassuring is that turbulance is no big deal (although it doesn't feel that way). No plane ever crashed because of turbulance alone.
Well, good luck.
PS. Think about it -- overwhelming majority of pilots get to collect their retirement check. And they fly every day or so for over 20 years.

Originally posted by ZekeMD
Thanks Jack@#!$

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Do you like small planes? Nothing beats small planes. Where you feel each little gust of wind, thermal and you go bouncy bouncy everywhere. The best is when you stall your plane. Bring the nose up and cut down on the power.. then wham! Better than any rollercoaster, especially when you specifically let your sealt belt and harness hang a little loose, you're just off your seat.

Or when you're in a glider and getting towed up and your slipping and slidding in the propwash. Fun stuff.

Why don't you like flying?

flying is safer than driving. and more fun. just bring plenty of food to munch away any worries, and bring some music to listen to. and a word of advice: pee before you board. for some reason, fears are always heightened when you have to pee.

.. ever been to Hong Kong?

Flying into THAT airport is insane. Pilots have to take a unique approach to it.. and I swear, upon landing it looked like we'd slide straight into the ocean.

Or how about turbulence? One time there was enough turbulence to knock down lighting fixtures on the airplane. Another time I had to use the bathroom, and got up and then BAM! I almost got thrown around. Make sure you get a window seat next to the wing and watch how flexible they are

Air pockets are particularly interesting.. where planes will plummet hundreds of feet almost instantaneously. You hear occasional stories about flight attendants getting plastered to the ceiling..

It always reassures me when I see really old flight attendants.

Zeke, I am your girl. I even have a prescription to take before I fly. Crying, shaking, near-refusal to get on a plane, that is me.

However, I've recently moved to Raleigh-Durham and I've had to fly a lot to go home to Syracuse (incidentally) for holidays, interview, visit friends, etc. I think that living so close to RDU airport has REALLY helped me because I think of all the flights coming and going from there every day, and nothing has happened since I moved here in July (and I would definitely know if it did!)

Another thing that has helped me is getting to the airport early and watching flights take off. Keep in mind that there are like 20 flights taking off from Boston every MINUTE of every DAY, and that's just BOSTON! Imagine all the flights every day, and so very rarely do you hear anything.

The worst part for me has always been taking off... but lately I just say my prayers and REFUSE to think about anything bad happening. I know it sounds nuts, but think about ANYTHING else, or how FUN it is to take off like a bird, or how much fun you'll have when you get to your destination.

Finally-- if all else fails-- look into Diazepam. It'll knock you right out. I speak from experience, but I have actually been able to wean myself off and I'm proud to say that I'm a medication-free fly-er now! Take it from this girl, who stayed up at night worrying about her flight to Madrid for studying abroad one YEAR in advance!!!

I personally never understood people's fear of flying. I had a patient tell me that she was worried about flying, and I told her to go see a therapist, but was later told that I probably should have just gotten her some diazepam too. I don't know, my thought is that even if you are scared, it's not like you can screw up while you are doing it. You just have to sit on the plane and the pilot and plane's computer does all the work. It's safer then driving.

Zeke,

I've been on a plane or two since the start of this admissions cycle and I'll be on one next week.

When I was a kid, I was petrified of flying. I flew maybe twice before med school interviews. I guess after a few trips, I've just sort of been desensitized and find that air travel is just like any other form of transportation... a pain in the ass but a good opportunity to catch some Zzzzs nonetheless.

One of the things that I will do to calm my nerves if I am feeling the least bit aprehensive about flying, is I will watch the flight attendants before take off. They are SO USED to flying because they fly every day - to the point where they just take it for granted that they're thousands of feet off the ground. As the plane is traveling at over a hundred miles an hour on the runway, they'll be like, yawning or looking at their watches Flying for them is as routine as sitting through lectures is for you. WHY? Cuz it's very safe and you can do it every day for the rest of your life without anticipating a crash. It's big, world news when a plane goes down because they usually land safely. One in a katrillion experience any sort of problem. It's no wonder the pilots are usually really chill. Contrast this with the statistics on automobile accidents... and yet you've probably dozed off in a car before, or perhaps you have driven without a safety belt. Planes are much, MUCH safer and if you get a bit of turbulence, it may make your stomach feel a lil' funny, but it means nothing!

Good luck. Think about the interview!

At any given instant there are more than 10,000 planes in the air.

Stop worrying, we've all got too much to worry about as it is !

What do the statistics say about flying? It is really only safer because there are vastly fewer planes flying? It could be statistically misleading.

If you really want to relax, have the time and money, take a train.

Why don't u try to just sleep when u get on the plane? My dad has a similar fear of flying, and that's what he does to keep himself sane.

Ever seen "final destination?"

What happened to the good old stiff drink before boarding? You are calm and relaxed and totally sailing right through the statistically worst aspect of flying - take off!! Most of the air disasters occur within the first two minutes of flying (exc. being 9/11).

I usually have two strong drinks before take-off, relax during take-off and breathe easier after the first five minutes pass by! (As a mechanical engineer, I have no faith in modern day quality assurance systems...thus the anxiety )

I'm with you T-rex. In some airports you can get a double for an extra buck or two. Explain your plight to the bartender and I'm sure he'll pour for a few extra seconds.

hey im flying from dulles (DC) to heathrow (london) in a bit. Anyone know how long the flight is? Also has anyone been to europe and traveled from country to country. My friends and I plan to go from england to amsterdam, to france, to switzerland, and then spain maybe. Is train the best way to go? Can I book those train tickets now? IF yes, do you know where?

I too am scared of flying. YOu know what I do? I nearly have a heartache every time the plane hits some turbulance and then we land. IT's weird how I never was afraid of planes when I was younger. Also, to all the people that love mentioning statistics and how it's the safest form of travel and ****, I have this to say to you: The bottom line is that when I am in a plane I am not in control. OBviously if I am driving I could just be blindsided by some idiot who doesn't stop at a red light or whatever but at least I am in some control. I am a very good driver (yes I'm cocky when it comes to driving) and I am very defensive and look out for things and have avoided many accidents because of that. In a plane it's different and you are not in control. I think my fear is less about dying and more about lack of control.
yes i know that thumbs up makes no sense

Originally posted by TTSD


Make sure you get a window seat next to the wing and watch how flexible they are

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I notice this EVERY TIME I fly. Scares the crap outta me!!!

Find a psychic to predict when you're gonna die. If it's not this year, then you'll be fine

Indeed it's the lack of sense of control (and sometimes fear of dying) that causes so many jitters about flying. Like some of the other message posters, I was never worried about flying when I was little, but I've become more anxious about it the last few years. Could it be just part of growing up? I mean, the more you know about the world around you, the more you discover what's bad and unfortunate in this world, and the more worries you get. I used to take aviation safety for granted, but not so much anymore. I flew recently on a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Miami, and in the middle of the flight, we hit this extremely bad turbulence at 35,000 feet (the worst I've ever experienced). To sum it short, the turbulence felt literally like a roller-coaster ride, as if the plane was spinning out of control. Apparently there was some severe weather pattern over Houston, Texas, and we passengers were not given any warnings beforehand. We landed safely in Miami, and as someone said, turbulence itself wouldn't bring a plane down.

I read somewhere that flexible wings minimize turbulence problems because they change shape to accommodate excess wind. Speaking of window seats, I'm one of those people who just loves this kind of seats. I like to stare out the window and view the scenery down below. For instance, on most flights inbound to Los Angeles from the East Coast, the plane flies over Las Vegas. I take out the binoculars at say, 37,000 feet in the air, and could identify the buildings that I see in the city, including Luxor, MGM, Mirage, Bellagio, etc... That's the one thing I really enjoy about flying. I would do things like these to keep my mind away from fears of flying. Besides watching the outside scenery, you could try listening to music, watch videos, talk to other people, or as someone said, just sleep. I took Dramamine to help me fall asleep.

Originally posted by SarahGM
The worst part for me has always been taking off...

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Don't you know that 46% of all plane crashes occur during landing and taxi-ing?

Originally posted by Nvr Ending Jrny
hey im flying from dulles (DC) to heathrow (london) in a bit. Anyone know how long the flight is? Also has anyone been to europe and traveled from country to country. My friends and I plan to go from england to amsterdam, to france, to switzerland, and then spain maybe. Is train the best way to go? Can I book those train tickets now? IF yes, do you know where?

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DC to LHR should be about 7-8 hours. England is on it's own rail system, so you can either take Eurostar to Paris or fly Ryanair/Easyjet to Amsterdam. Once you're on the continent, rail is definitely the way to go. You can get week-long passes for a fair deal, but I think you have to do this before you go. Ask a travel agent.

Originally posted by ckent
I personally never understood people's fear of flying. I had a patient tell me that she was worried about flying, and I told her to go see a therapist, but was later told that I probably should have just gotten her some diazepam too. I don't know, my thought is that even if you are scared, it's not like you can screw up while you are doing it. You just have to sit on the plane and the pilot and plane's computer does all the work. It's safer then driving.

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Yes, but the thing that scared me was plummeting to my death. At least many times in car crashes its over in a second. On planes you actually have to plummet, telling yourself "I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die...."

Sorry, ZekeMD!

Originally posted by T-Rex
What happened to the good old stiff drink before boarding? You are calm and relaxed and totally sailing right through the statistically worst aspect of flying - take off!! Most of the air disasters occur within the first two minutes of flying (exc. being 9/11).

I usually have two strong drinks before take-off, relax during take-off and breathe easier after the first five minutes pass by! (As a mechanical engineer, I have no faith in modern day quality assurance systems...thus the anxiety )

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Note: I tried this, and it only made me nervous AND plane-sick!

The most dangerous part of your flight is going to be your drive to the airport. Don't worry...I've got almost 8000 hours of flight time in B727's and DC9's, and I've only thought I was going to die once or twice! Just kidding....in all of my flight time, I've never had to "check my shorts" when I landed.

To the OP - I don't like flying much anymore either. What helps me is to check out the pilots and other crew. They all seem like fairly "reasonable" people, and it assures me that if they have chosen to do this every day in ALL kinds of weather conditions, then it must be ok. It just helps to keep me calm and keep my fears in perspective.

Also, if you can fly with a young child, you get to re-experience the "thrill" of takeoff and other aspects of flying. You get to remember how exciting it is and how it is to have no fear whatsoever (b/c they have no idea of their own mortality). Just a thought .

Good luck

LOL, I'm a pilot with over 10,000 hours of flight experience, in Air Force fighters, transports, and commercial transports (type rated in DC-9's, DC-10's, Learjets, Cessna Citations, Lockheed Hercules). I have an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) rating (single and multi-engine) and a Flight Instructor certificate, I also was an FAA designated Check Airman (I gave check rides the FAA couldn't). I fly (myself) about 400 or so hours a year (search and rescue, King Air ferrying an a Citation Jet), and have more than 1-million miles on airlines. In short, I'm an "experienced air traveller), and I HATE letting someone else fly me.

Its all about giving up control. I trust myself more than the two people sitting up front (after all, I am a FIGHTER PILOT and the only other profession that approaches in arrogance is a surgeon). I also resent the crap that goes on at the airport - I don't believe that the security dog and pony show is useful in protecting me or anyone else, and the attitude of the airlines (management, agents) just PISSES ME OFF - when they lie to me about why the flight is late, etc..

It's like today. We had to give each other injections and check blood pressure and what not. It was more of a psychological thing ("Oh cripes, I'm going to get a shot by someone who's never held a needle with a legal substance in it before!!!"). But it went over really smoothly (I only needed to inject twice before I still got it wrong!!) and for the most part, people did okay.

Just remember that everyone probably gets a little queasy flying but the more you fly, the easier it gets. I used to fly several times a week a few years ago and by then I never even gave it a thought.

Also, I read in a reputable journal like my fourth grade Weekly Reader somewhere that merry-go-rounds were more dangerous than commercial planes. Go figure.

I am an anxious flyer and dread flights months before take-off. Not sure why I became this way as I loved flying until a few years ago. I always try to imagine the destination and how happy I'll be when I get there--calms me down a bit. I am very envious of friends who sit beside me snoring or laughing their way on long haul flights. I exist in one state throughout the duration of flight---very rigid and irritable. Recently, I've considered trying some prescription meds and don't find much fault with the idea since I only fly once-twice/yr.


I trust pilots but not the quality control jokers w.orange vests getting paid sh** to make sure plane is bolted together etc before every flight.

You're absolutely right about the dog and pony show at the airport. It is nothing more than window dressing for the traveling public...makes the politician look like they're doing something to make travel safer when in actuality they are just giving a very false sense of security to the average flyer.

So flighterdoc I'm guessing you are ret USAF...you seem too articulate to be an ex marine and since you didn't mention anything about carrier landings in the dead of night with 20 foot swells I'd guess you aren't a naval aviator.

By the way, I'm typed on the B727 (gotta couple thousand hours of left seat time in the old 3 holer), EMB120, B1900. I've got a couple thousand hours flying the DC9 for Northwest....until I'd decided that the airline life just isn't for me anymore. I flight instructed for a few years CFI, CFII, MEI...never went the DE route though....kind of thought it would be fun but decided I really just wanted to keep my dealings with the friendly FAA to a bare minimum.

....and danced the skies on laughter silvered wings.

Wait, you two did all this flying for the military, and THEN decided to go to medical school?

Does anybody else find all this flying make them nervous about radiation?

Zeke, when it's your time to go man, it's just your time to go. We could all die at any moment. A huge asteroid 3X the size of the earth can put an end to us all. No control there. And don't you realize how much trust you place on the drivers who are cruising in the opposite direction as you in the other lane? You are literally 20 inches from death there. Again, you have no control. The only advice I can give to you is to chill out and relax. The man upstairs ultimately decides when it's time for us to leave.

hey Nvr Ending Jrny,
saving money on travel within europe is always a bit tricky. you can easily buy rail passes in the states before you leave from raileurope or some other online site, but whether you'll actually save money is questionable. to figure out whether you really need a railpass, you should get a better idea of how much traveling you plan on doing. of the countries you mentioned, i've been to spain, france, switzerland, and the u.k. within the last year. used rail passes only in switzerland and the u.k. personally, i really liked the swisspass - it's good not only for the trains, but also on the boats, buses, and subways. and you can't not take a cruise around one of switzerland's many beautiful lakes pretty affordable too - look into the group (three or more people, i believe) student (26 and under?) rates. just got back from the u.k. - not really sure whether our britrail pass was really worth it. it's good only on travel on trains, and trains in the u.k. are privatized - makes for some unreliable and uncentralized travel. something i learned the hard way (despite lots of research prior to our trip) - roundtrip tickets are only like a pound more than a single way ticket. and if you go off-peak, you can save quite a bit of money. again, you might look into the off-peak, student, group rate (maybe england-only?). with the pass though, you do get to use heathrow express, the superfast way to get from heathrow to paddington station in london. britrail, i believe, doesn't participate in the europass thingamagig though. if there a lot of you and you guys need to travel some on the underground (tube), you can look into getting either all day passes (4.3 pounds, i believe) or the 10-ticket carnet, which can be used by as many of you as needed. you can always get prices from raileurope.com for city-to-city trips, so you might want to price things out first before you decide on a pass. if you're going to be travelling extensively in switzerland, i believe it's cheaper to get a swisspass in the u.s. than in switzerland (if you can even get it there). google switzerland and trains and you should be able to pull up their national train site. trains in spain were generally good - reliable and affordable. but then again, spain is usually considered one of the more affordable european countries to visit, so that shouldnt be a big surprise. if you need more info, feel free to pm me. hope you have an enjoyable trip!

p.s. if you need to book hotels, www.tripadvisor.com is an amazing site. reviews, prices, everything. if you're flexible, priceline.com is also good for hotels - you can select area of city, hotel class and then name a price.

Originally posted by 727CAPT
You're absolutely right about the dog and pony show at the airport. It is nothing more than window dressing for the traveling public...makes the politician look like they're doing something to make travel safer when in actuality they are just giving a very false sense of security to the average flyer.

So flighterdoc I'm guessing you are ret USAF...you seem too articulate to be an ex marine and since you didn't mention anything about carrier landings in the dead of night with 20 foot swells I'd guess you aren't a naval aviator.

By the way, I'm typed on the B727 (gotta couple thousand hours of left seat time in the old 3 holer), EMB120, B1900. I've got a couple thousand hours flying the DC9 for Northwest....until I'd decided that the airline life just isn't for me anymore. I flight instructed for a few years CFI, CFII, MEI...never went the DE route though....kind of thought it would be fun but decided I really just wanted to keep my dealings with the friendly FAA to a bare minimum.

....and danced the skies on laughter silvered wings.

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Yep, I'm a zoomie 8 yeas active, 14 years Air Guard (C130's)

I decided early on that aiming myself at the blunt end of a boat while strapped to an aircraft carrying weapons of mass destruction was....dumb?

But, I was a Wild Weasel pilot, so I'm not completely sane

And, I had to deal with the FAA too much. I was also a FAA DER when I worked at Douglas Aircraft, and became an examiner so I could give type ratings in Hercs. I asked for one from the local FSDO, and had to give some fed-ette a checkout in the herc first.....sort of.

_________
Joined the tumbling mirth, and done a HUNDRED things these kids have never dreamed of

Originally posted by Newquagmire
Wait, you two did all this flying for the military, and THEN decided to go to medical school?

Does anybody else find all this flying make them nervous about radiation?

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I've had (at least) three careers - an AF pilot, an engineer, and in the IT field. All because I wimped out in Org Chem, 30 years ago (I graduated from college at 18). The only thing I've ever chickened out on, and it's time to fix it. So, I'm off to medical school (or die trying).

And no, I'm not at all worried about the radiation from flying. The radiation from being around a special weapon.... Nah, no problem. Seriously, my total (additional) dose is perhaps what, 1 or 2 rads (centigrays, whatever?)

Originally posted by Biffer

I trust pilots but not the quality control jokers w.orange vests getting paid sh** to make sure plane is bolted together etc before every flight.

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LOL, they get paid pretty well, actually. Although a car mechanic at a BMW dealership on average makes more per hour. And the pilot on your feeder airline might be making $29K/year for his/her efforts. It's only the very experienced crews on the big airlines that make a lot of money.

If you want to worry, worry about the illegal aliens, felons, convicted drug dealers, and others who work on the ramps though. They DONT GET SCREENED before they get near the airplanes, they don't get background checks before they're hired, and have almost completely unrestricted access to the airplane.

i have been on at least 20 flights in the past year and never get nervous. only once was the turbulence so bad that i was seriously giving the barf bag a serious consideration (i could feel my mouth salivating in preparation for a hurl), but once the wheels touched the ground i was back to normal. that flight sucked, i felt like the pilot had let his 10 year old kid fly the plane or something. but other than that, they've all been nice and boring.

your ears might pop though, so take some gum to chew on which might help. yawning also relieves that pressure build-up. also take something to read and bring some headphones in case there's a movie!

Originally posted by flighterdoc
I've had (at least) three careers - an AF pilot, an engineer, and in the IT field. All because I wimped out in Org Chem, 30 years ago (I graduated from college at 18). The only thing I've ever chickened out on, and it's time to fix it. So, I'm off to medical school (or die trying).

And no, I'm not at all worried about the radiation from flying. The radiation from being around a special weapon.... Nah, no problem. Seriously, my total (additional) dose is perhaps what, 1 or 2 rads (centigrays, whatever?)

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All I can really say is good luck dude, I wish I had some of your experiences. Also, I meant the additional radiation from flying like 6 miles up everyday, not weapons.

For some reason, I never worry about take-off as much as I worry about landing. Landing freaks me out. Even if there's bad turbulence, it doesn't bother me as much as a routine landing situation. Go figure.

Originally posted by Newquagmire
All I can really say is good luck dude, I wish I had some of your experiences. Also, I meant the additional radiation from flying like 6 miles up everyday, not weapons.

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Thanks, but I was a fighter pilot, we rarely flew above 500 feet above ground on tactical missions.

When I was flying C130's, we spent a fair amount of time down low too.

The most fun you can have with your children present!

Originally posted by ATPase
For some reason, I never worry about take-off as much as I worry about landing. Landing freaks me out. Even if there's bad turbulence, it doesn't bother me as much as a routine landing situation. Go figure.

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The first rule of aviation: Landing is the only phase of flight that is non-negotiable. One way or the other, you will land.

Originally posted by flighterdoc
Thanks, but I was a fighter pilot, we rarely flew above 500 feet above ground on tactical missions.

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So you must have perfect eyesight and be keen on detail. I've always wanted to get wings. Have you considered becoming an astronaut (not to sound stupid or anything)?

While flighterdoc was down in the weeds having more fun than any mortal should, going waay waay to fast for my comfort , I spent a long time above 35,000 feet. We really never thought about radiation until ALPA (Airline Pilots Association) started soliciting studies on the dangers of ionizing radiation to flight crews (not only from external but internal sources as well.) Most domestic flight crews don't have to worry too much, but the international widebody crews definitely think about it. The B747-400 usually flight plans for a final altitude of above 40000 ft, after step climbs, of course.

From FAA AC No: 120-52

At an altitude of 35,000 feet, for example, the dose equivalent rate from cosmic rays is about 6 microsieverts (0.6 millirem) per hour (O'Brien 1978, as revised) while at 41,000 feet the dose equivalent rate at polar latitudes is about 12 microsieverts (1.2 millirem) per hour (O'Brien 1978, as revised).

Think about a 10 hour transpacific flight: crews really start building up some exposure.

The estimated annual dose equivalents to air carrier crewmembers from galactic radiation range from 0.2 to 9.1 millisieverts (20 to 910 millirem). The recommended annual limit for occupational radiation exposure of an adult is 50 millisieverts (5 rem) (EPA 1987).
Since the level of radiation exposure doubles with each 6,000 foot increase in altitude, the radiation exposures received by crewmembers flying now at altitudes at or near 40,000 feet are substantially higher than those received on equipment used in the 1960s and 70s. (Health Physics Society)
According to Dr. Martha A. Simpson, D.O. the average run of the mill chest x-ray will give you about 8 millirems.

For the average passenger, it shouldn't even cross their minds, but it does tend to creep up into the noggins in a few of the more informed and concerned flight crewmembers who are flying 900 hours a year for 20 or 30 years (both pilots and flight attendants.)

....wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence.

I really dislike flying. I've flown many times, including to Europe and Australia, but I get so nervous everytime I have to fly. I can't really explain why, it just seems unnatural or something. Every time the plane tilts or turns my heart jumps up into my throat and my stomach turns over. However, take off is kind of fun when you're pressed back into your seat.

Anyway, I have this up coming flight, so I was searching the internet for something to help me deal with my nervousness and I found this web page that an American Airline pilot made. I found it to be really helpful, especially the part about how the various parts of the plane work (the rudder, flaps, autopilot, etc.). So for any other SDN people who are nervous flyers, I thought I would revive this thread.

edit: so the website is: www.fearofflyinghelp.com

tacrum43 said:

I really dislike flying. I've flown many times, including to Europe and Australia, but I get so nervous everytime I have to fly. I can't really explain why, it just seems unnatural or something. Every time the plane tilts or turns my heart jumps up into my throat and my stomach turns over. However, take off is kind of fun when you're pressed back into your seat.

Anyway, I have this up coming flight, so I was searching the internet for something to help me deal with my nervousness and I found this web page that an American Airline pilot made. I found it to be really helpful, especially the part about how the various parts of the plane work (the rudder, flaps, autopilot, etc.). So for any other SDN people who are nervous flyers, I thought I would revive this thread.

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just make sure you don't get on an MD80, always choose Boeing equipment.

derf said:

just make sure you don't get on an MD80, always choose Boeing equipment.

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Yeah, I've flown on those before. Twice recently in fact (from San Francisco to LA and back). Actually, they had more room and I found the flight more much comfortable than on a 737 or 767. But that was on an MD Super 80, is there a difference between the two?. What's supposedly wrong with the MD80 again? Besides wasn't it a Boeing 737 that had that problem with its rudder?

I'm going to be flying on a canadair "regional jet" twice, a 757 and an Airbus A320. I like 747s the best though. If you're gonna fly, you might as well do it right.