Friday 13 December 2013

FLYING: ALWAYS AN ORDEAL

Last week Friday, I went to Lagos for a friend's wedding. It was by air, partly because it's the fastest means of travel. (As we were all taught in elementary school). And partly because it was a free ticket. Couldn't let it go to waste. Anyway, I needed to pop in and out fast and accomplish some other stuff in between. They also say it's the safest. (Haven't gotten around to totally agreeing with that yet, cause flying scares the living day light out of me). Seriously!!

Something else flying does to me is that, it totally grounds me. It's just amazing to me how a huge metal carrying loads of people and luggage, takes off, is suspended in air at thousands of feet for long hours and lands elsewhere. It definitely defies the law of gravity. (Yea, I know the process of how a plane manages to do all that has been explained many times. It's still amazing to me). Another amazing aspect to it, is when you see the wonders of the works of God all around you. The seas, clouds, rainforest, desert e.t.c. Amazing right? You just have to believe there is a God.


Now to my phobias;

  • I hate small planes. They call it jets here, I don't know what to call it. Unfortunately for me, last week, I travelled in one of those. To and fro. The return journey was worse.
  • I hate the take-off and landing periods. The take-off makes me feel like I'm going to get throw to the back of the plane. The landing jars my teeth and entire body.
  • I absolutely hate being seated at the back seat. I call it the booth. With small planes, even at seat 10, you are already in the booth.
  • I hate those semi-drops it makes especially soon after take-off and just before landing. It makes me feel like my brain dropped to my chest and my heart just had to move lower to my stomach.
  • When the planes are almost empty, I think it's worse. (I don't know how please don't ask).
  • With the small planes, those with visible propellers, you feel very single move the plane makes. On my return journey, I was seated at a window seat, near the wing and propellers. As I looked on. sometimes, it looked like the propeller slowed down. I prayed until we landed and my feet touched the ground.

I had a experience once that made me almost swear off flying. That was back in 2011. I was flying from Abuja to Benin, feeling like a big chic. The flight got delayed by 3 hours (technical issues, they said). The terrifying aspect was just immediately after take-off. Within a few minutes of take-off, we felt the first drop. It was a huge one. Some people in the flight yelled, others gasped. In the very next nanosecond (not exaggerating), a second, even larger drop. This time everyone yelled. I thought we were crashing. I started praying. A 45 minute- 1 hour flight was done in 30 minutes. Surprising the landing was smooth. When we touched down, the whole passengers poured into the aisle and started bowing down and thanking God. obviously, I wasn't alone in thinking we were going to crash. Looking back now, it's funny. *LOL*.

Kudos to the pilots that flew me this last time. It wasn't their fault the plane was small. If you enjoy flying, more grease to your elbows. Maybe someday, I'll do too.

Cheers......



2 comments:

  1. I've learned to let go of things that I don't control and to find the aspects I can enjoy. It's the only way I have found to deal with high speed or planes :)

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    Replies
    1. That's a great way to go about it Sonya, Thanks.

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