Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Bummed out from post-9/11 stress

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web

hangar7guy

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 25, 2002
Posts
54
:confused:

This sounds kind of sick, but is there anyone out there besides me who is really, really haunted by 9/11? So much so that you can't even make yourself want to get back into the application/interview process?

I'm just a G/A pilot who wanted to get into the regionals, and I know things are a mess right now as far as hiring goes. But I keep thinking that I should start preparing for when things improve.

Trouble is, I can't even make myself crack a book or dust off the resume and logbooks. I can't even make myself play Ms Flight Sim, much less go out and get the real kind of sim/instrument time that I need. (I'm instructing full time and hating it). I'm even thinking of bagging aviation entirely and doing something else with my life, but I can't stand the thought of that after all I've put into this business.

I keep seeing that image repeated in my mind, over and over, of those 767s slamming into the sides of those two WTC buildings. When I see an airliner going over my house, I cringe -- instead of looking up and feeling hopeful like I used to.

As I said, this is so weird. Has anyone else gone through this, and if so how did you get over it? Do I need a shrink? Or will this eventually fade with time?

Thanks for sharing any thoughts or experiences.

"7"
:confused:
 
Take this at face value.

On September 11th of 2001...a few hours after the crashes I was at company headquarters seeing if I could help (many crews were stuck away from ORD). I took a Greyhound bus to Chicago that day in hopes that I could be flying on the 12th.

Between myself and 7 other guys at the crashpad, we were all chomping at the bit to go flying on the 12th.

You need to evaluate what is important to you. If you are having no fun instructing and having serious doubts about your future in the business, think about other things that interest you.

I think about Sept. 11th often but it doesn't keep me from studying and wanting to fly.

Just my thoughts on a very tough subject.

Steve
 
been there

In the days follwing September 11th, I felt much the same as you're describing. Granted, I'm a private pilot who is trying to get into air traffic control, so I'm not disenchanted with my career aspirations. I still like what I am studying. But following that day, I could not even look at an airplane without feeling cold. I could not personally fly for obvious reasons, but I didn't even want to. I was afraid to see airplanes fly over, and if one went over at night (and it happens all the time, I live in SoCal between SNA and LGB) I had to go inside FAST. Even after the ban was lifted on private flying, I didn't go for another 5 weeks. When I had to get on a 767 to go see my father for Thanksgiving, I was afraid to be in the air for the first time in my life.

For me, who had lived and talked of nothing but aviation for years on end, this was disastrous.

How did I get over it? It took time and patience. One of my friends asked me to go fly, so we did, and I felt a bit better after that. I had to travel for Christmas, and I buried myself in a book and tried not to look out the window or think about it. Slowly it has gotten better. I have not seen a "shrink" or anything for it, it's all been time and thinking. Someone took what I love to do, and they corrupted it- but that can't ruin the rest of my life. I will not allow it to.

Private message me if you ever want to talk about this. You're definitely not alone, and I suspect there are even more people out there who have dealt with this but not spoken of it. Peace.

Stephanie
 
I flew one of the last CAL flights into EWR the night of the 10th. I was looking at the towers while on the 22L approach thinking about when I brought my kids there in August.

The shock and sorrow I felt the next morning seeing my industry hijacked as a terrorist tool, (along with the obvious change in our lives and society forever) has eventually given way to the pure enjoyment of seeing these vermin eliminated from the face of the earth since 911.

If they make us live in fear then ultimately they have won. Don't let them, chase your dreams.
 
I had a show time of 0400 on the 12th in England. We flew our route and did our job, it was hard as none of us had much sleep. I have been around terrorist a lot and I will say what I have said and I know you have heard before. The instant that you let a terroist or his/her action make you not do what ever you were going to do before the incident they have won. In your case the terroist have won and a bullet has not even flown over your head. You havn't seen one drop of blood flow over your hands as your buddy has died in your arms. You havn't seen your sister raped and killed etc. etc. What do you have do be traumatic about. Nothing has changed from the flying point of view, security is a pain and we have these silly little locks on our cocpit doors that are useless. Get your act together and lighten up. Yes the terrorist may hit, it might be in your back yard. You might have a bullet fly over your head or even some shrapnel implant itself in your body. You might hold one of your family members in your arm as they give their last breath with their bottomsides blown away from a bomb. It is not the end of the world, it keeps on going around and around, and for every little bit of suffering you may have in this world there is someone who has suffered a lot more. Go after your dream and live to fly again, it is not that bad, we all joke about it but the reality is you have a greater chance of winning the lotto then getting nailed by a terroist. If you do think of all the money you will make when you write your book, it is a hot topic right now. Enjoy life, it is way too short and you live in Disneyland, the United States of America. That alone is something to be very thankful for. GET IT TOGETHER,RIGHT NOW.
 

Latest resources

Back
Top