Fear of heights

[av8tor02]

Does anyone know if there is anything out there; ie: hypnosis, books, doctors that allow you to overcome the fear of heights, falling, etc. Or is it something that we just live with? Thanks in advance.

av8t0r

 

[av8tor02]

I know that alot of pilots suffer from the fear of heights....just wondering how some of you might deal with it? Any medical treatment? Thanks in advance.

 

[jumppilot]

Skydive...it desensitizes you to it...seriously, I hate heights, but it got the job done.

 

[AirBill]

Spins. Lots of 'em. After that day during CFI training, I became a different pilot.

I seriously wish the FAA still required them during basic training.

 

[Timebuilder]

I'm sure materials are out there. One treatment might be a form of aversion therapy, where you are gradually brought closer to the level of height where fear becomes apparent, and then develop a comfort with that height, and so on.

I know people who hate climbing a ladder, but have no trouble in an airplane. Perhaps it is because the plane is enclosed, and there is no imminient feeling of falling out of the airplane.

I'm sure you can find something.

 

[Jet_Dreamer]

dont look down.

 

[CFIcare]

You're not afraid of heights. You are afraid of falling. I have no problem skydiving or being up high in an airplane....but lean over the railing on the observation deck of a ship or a bridge or skyscraper...whoa. That fear of "open heights" is really just a fear of falling, which is completely normal and is probebly programmed into your brain along with the "flight or fight" response. I think it's only a big problem if you are toatlly incapacitated by it, or you start hyperventilating and get dizzy to they point where you fall down. Some people actually have that response, and obviously that can be a problem. The anxiety you feel is just your body trying to warn you that the situation is potentially dangerous.

 

[Dash8]

stay away from rooftops, trees, ladders, cliffs, etc lol

i kinda agree with the fear of falling thing, I absolutely hate heights, but i'm fine in the plane, no problems...

 

[Citationkid]

You are afraid of falling.

Are sure you're just not afraid of dying?

 

[DenverDude2002]

You're not afraid of heights. You are afraid of falling. I have no problem skydiving or being up high in an airplane....but lean over the railing on the observation deck of a ship or a bridge or skyscraper...whoa.

I have the same problem. Roller coasters (the tall ones), observation decks, all freak me out. Get me in a plane and its a different story. I have no siiues being at 41,000 ft in a plane. I love the view from planes. Its the whole open air fear of freefall thing that scares me (and I'm way underweight so neg G forces really bother me).

 

[Citationkid]

, but i'm fine in the plane, no problems...

What about open cockpit planes?

 

[Dash8]

never been in one,
and sure as heII would'nt go in one of those flying lawnmower ultralights...

 

[sky37d]

I have the same problem. Put me up on a ladder, I'm hanging on. When i used to fall out of planes, it was no problem. Tall buildings, same thing. Just tall ladders

 

[AxisVDP]

I'm afraid of looking over the edge of tall buildings, etc. I get that butterfly in your stomach kind of feeling. Yet, not afraid of flying in ultra lights or planes. Weird huh?

 

[chperplt]

I went to the top of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas and about freaked when I got on the observation deck.. Scared the sh!t out of me!! Went down one floor to the indoor observation area and they have these windows that jut out at the top and narrow in at the bottom.. Looking down to the ground 1000+ feet below wasn't very fun either..

 

[BankAccount=0$]

The CN tower in Toronto has a glass floor on it's observation deck. It's pretty cool to look 1000+ plus feet down with just glass under your feet. Just for fun I got my friend who is like 350 pounds to start jumping on it while there were other people standing on the glass. I guess some of the people were afraid of something cause they sure scattered once the jumping began.

 

[TonyC]

My palms sweat just thinking about heights. Watching mountain climbers - - sweat. Reading the posts about the view from the stratosphere - - sweat. What do I do about it? Face it head on. I climb ladders, I go to the rail on observation decks - - Eiffel Tower, Six Flags over Texas, wherever - - I put shingles on roofs, I hang Christmas lights, you name it. Still have sweaty palms and tingly legs, but I do it.

How does it differ from flying airplanes? I think the answer is perspective. It occured to me once while I was riding a chair lift at Keystone that as I looked down below me at skiers, the heights didn't seem to bother me. They didn't seem to bother me when I flew or sky-dived, either, but I hadn't really thought about it. I really felt comfortable in the chair until we came up alongside the big ole tall metal pole that held the cables up in the air. Then I saw all the ladder rungs, and saw this huge mass of steel between me and the ground, and all of a suddent my legs hurt and my palms - - you got it - - sweated. In an instant, I could see how far up I was in relation to an object that gave me perspective. As we passed the pole, things became comfortable again. I could look down, even lean over the side of the chair in complete comfort. Concentrate on the trees over to the side and how tall they were and how high I was above them -- sweat, tingling.

SO, I think it's all perspective, and airplanes don't give you that. I've never had the least bit of trouble in airplanes, even the ones I jumped out of.

 

[Dash8]

I went to the top of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas and about freaked when I got on the observation deck.. Scared the sh!t out of me!! Went down one floor to the indoor observation area and they have these windows that jut out at the top and narrow in at the bottom.. Looking down to the ground 1000+ feet below wasn't very fun either..

dude, i'm so with you on that, when i went to the outdoor deck there i couldn't go past the pay phone stanchions that were out there, just outside the door, then that idiotic coaster went over head shaking the heII out of everything, that was my cue to hightail it back inside

and yeah Hugh, i know, meeeooowwww

 

[chperplt]

Dude,

I totally forgot about that &@*@ coaster.. That thing shakes the entire building!!

They've got this new ride now.. You sit on a car attached to a sliding rail. The machine tilts forward and sends you sliding down the rail, which swings out about 30 feet over the side of the building. I wonder how far the puke splatter would be after the 1100 foot drop..

 

[Dash8]

Dude,

I totally forgot about that &@*@ coaster.. That thing shakes the entire building!!

They've got this new ride now.. You sit on a car attached to a sliding rail. The machine tilts forward and sends you sliding down the rail, which swings out about 30 feet over the side of the building. I wonder how far the puke splatter would be after the 1100 foot drop..

ugh, that's completely disgusting...hope my buddy doesn't want to do that if we got out to vegas in april, cause no way i'm goin anywhere near that....

 

[FastCargo]

How about....

...the St Louis Arch (Gateway to the West).


Though it's not that high, the triangular cross section means that at the top, the windows look down, not out. It's really strange to look out those windows and seeing nothing below you!

...or the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado.

The road surface of that bridge isn't concrete, steel, etc. It's WOOD! Admittedly, very thick wood, but still... The planks have approxiatemately 1-2 inch gaps between them, so if you look down while walking, the shutter effect makes it look like you're not walking on anything at all... And of course, dropping your keys could have bad consequences....

Fly safe!

FastCargo

 

[flyifrvfr]

I'm afraid of going out shopping or just being out because I could get shot or killed.I think I will just stay in the car. On the other hand I can get shot or car-jacked while sitting in the car so I better just drive home. On the other hand I could get into a car wreck on my way out or home so I should just stay on the porch. On the other hand I could slip and fall down the porch steps and break my neck or worse I better just stay in the house. On the other hand I could fall down the steps or slip off of the toilet and break my neck I should just stay in bed. I might fall out of bed and break my neck so I should just stand here in the corner of the room. On the other hand my legs might get tired from standing up all the time and I could fall and break my neck. I mean if superman the man of steel falls off a horse and breaks his neck, what hope do the rest of us have.

Live life to it's fullest, you never know when today is your last day nobody promised you tomorrow. Fear is the mind's way of warning you that something is dangerous or unknown, fear lets you know your still alive. Respect it, but don't let it dictate how you live.

 

[ShawnC]

What about open cockpit planes?

I am scared sh*tless by ladders, and observation balcony's, but fine in most aircraft, including Open Cockpit planes (beings strapped in by a hooker harness and a chute helps).

Now my first flight in the cub was an issue it took me a while to get use to having the window open (that sure is a big window, big enough to fall out of, and the seat belt sure is small). But slowly you get use to it, just don't open the door.

 

[avbug]

I don't like heights, never have. When I was eighteen, I was working my first flying job, flying ag (crop dusting). I recall running out of chemical in a field. The owner of the business was flying with me, in another airplane. He had some cleanup passes to do, and told me to climb to 1,000' and wait for him. I recall being terrified of going that high. Don't people pass out at those kind of altitudes??

After skydiving for nearly 20 years now, I can honestly say that the feeling and fear of heights is in no way diminished.

Many moons ago, a bunch of us were stuffed in the freezing loft of a drop zone, gathered around a large wood burning stove, trying to stay warm. We were weathered out, and a little down about not being able to jump. Someone came up with the bright idea of seeing who present had ever had a falling dream. Everyone had. An interesting question, he proposed. We always hear that anyone who hits the ground in their dream will die. Who here has hit the ground in their dream.

About 25 or so of us there; everyone raised their hand. So we took turns telling about our dreams.

Each one was similiar. The jumper hit the ground with a pack malfunction, failed reserve, pilot chute in tow, whatever. In each case, the jumper expressed anger at the parachute rig. Took it off, threw it at the ground. Stomped on it. All except John, the last one to tell his story.

"I was in freefall, hit pull altitude. I had a hard pull, and went for the reserve after two attempts. No luck. I pulled harder, double checked in case I had the harness. No luck. I struggled, I got ground rush. I knew I was going in. Then I thought to myself, wait a minute! This is my dream. So I started flapping my arms, and went back up..."

I don't think it's the fear of falling. As one who has no affinity or love for heights, I've never found the fall to be an issue. It's not; it's like floating in breathable water. The fear of the fear is perhaps an issue, but the fear of the act is not. As a kid who sailed out of a bunkbed more than once and hit the floor during a falling dream, and as an adult who has spent time in Intensive Care following a parachute malfunction...the fall has never been the thing. It's the suddent stop at the end that really sucks.

However, I can't say I understand the concept of the fear of death. I don't think that's it at all. Death is nothing; it's a transition, but so what? If it's fear of death that holds you back, then forget it. Move on. There are much more important things to occupy your mind than death. It's inevitable, you'll never escape this life alive, forget it. It will happen, sooner or later. But fear of dying? Fear of dying is arrogance in the extreme...what makes one think one is so important that dying is even an issue? It's not. You're not. I'm not. Forget death. You'll get there eventually anyway.

As for the Stratosphere...one of these days I'm going to base jump it. Everyone who manages to get over the edge (it's not nearly as easy as it once was) gets arrested. But friends who made it tell me it's worth it. I think I'd probably agree, but don't really want the arrest record just yet. Nor do I want to be arrested in Las Vegas. A much worse fate than death. Later, when the time is right. I know a couple that made it over the edge by taking a baby stroller to the top. There was no baby; just two base rigs under a blanket. They put on the rigs in plain sight and made it over the edge, but got arrested on the ground. Personally, I think the Stratosphere should set aside time each week or month when base jumping is allowed, and then folks wouldn't have to make outlaw jumps.

Where heights begin to bother me are on roller coasters. Carnival rides. Aside from them making me sick, I spend my time wondering who the master with the 3rd grade education was that last put the thing together, and when each weld was last x-rayed. And what cumulative stresses exist in the track rails, seat rails, etc. It's not really the fear of heights, nor the fear of death. Death is painless. It's the fear of surviving a disaster on those rickety deathtraps...fear of pain, or the anticipation of pain. I don't like pain. I seem to host it a lot...but it's not really a welcome guest. Death...so what? Pain? Big deal. Fear of pain, not fear of heights or fear of death.

I'd much rather freefall through blue skies to a black death, than get a root canal. And the dentist chair isn't even all that high off the floor...

 

[TonyC]

Personally, I think the Stratosphere should set aside time each week or month when base jumping is allowed, and then folks wouldn't have to make outlaw jumps.

There must be something we can do about people that have to break the law.


Other than that, interesting post, and interesting perspective. I've only had one root canal, and it wasn't particularly painful - - I'm not sure what all the fuss is about, frankly. Perhaps it's because I tolerate pain rather well, but I honestly don't think it was painful - - just long.

Even so, I think the physiological reaction my body has to the perspective of heights is about more than just pain. Danger maybe? Maybe it's a reaction to consciously acting in defiance of the body's self-preservation reflexes? And perhaps it's possible that everyone has this same experience to some degree or another, and the only reason this discussion is in progress is because it seems - - SEEMS - - ironic that the phenomenon occurs to pilots. The most casual of observers might think that pilots should be immune to the same self-preservation reflexes that other human beings enjoy.

Perhaps it would be more profitable to stop trying to figure out what people are afraid of, and instead examine the question of why flying doesn't seem to trigger this fear.

 

[nosehair]

Pull up, Biff! Pull up!

Flying is about being in control of your fall - that's all. Fear of falling is fear of being out-of-control. Being wrapped around a set of controls, and having that control, is what the whole attraction to flying machines is all about.

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

**CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**, I always thought it was just me who was scared of being next to the edge of cliffs, buildings, ladders, etc. But I have no problem in an aircraft. I think the guy who said, "it's not the fear of heights, it's a fear of falling” hit it on the nail.

 

[av8tor02]

Those last two post's were great. Thanks for sharing your information. Happy Flying!

 

[azdriver]

Man,

this forum gets better and better...

In my dreams I ALWAYS wake up before hitting the ground. Go figure

ciao

 

[DenverDude2002]

Ya I'm glad I'm not the only one whos got a fear if falling, nice to see other pilots have it to.