I am uncomfortable with situations where I have no "out". Which is why, recently, when my hubby decided to get his pilot's license and begged me to go up in the plane with him I was...well... let's call it "less than enthusiastic" (read: terrified). From the moment the plane began to move until it was resting again in it's parking space off of the runway I was experiencing varying stages of anxiety.
Hear me out:
I can drive a car.
In the event the driver of a car I am riding in experiences a malady, I am capable of taking over control of the vehicle and guiding said vehicle to safety along a roadway.
In the event that the vehicle is the one experiencing malady, it is possible for the vehicle to coast completely without engine power, to a stop along the roadway.
This is not possible in a plane. If the pilot experiences malady - we're screwed. I can't fly a plane.
If the plane experiences malady - we're screwed. It can't coast to a stop (have you SEEN our mountains?).
So it's an "all good" or "all bad" situation up there and that alarms me. Mostly during takeoff and landing because that's when it becomes all real 'up-in-your-face' about it.
That being said, once we are flying I do alright. The turbulence is a little more noticeable than in a commercial airliner, but the convenience and views make up for that. Here's some neat shots of our views from the plane:
