Iain Banks on Rough Flights
Iain Banks on Rough Flights
Friday, March 9, 2007 3:41 PM (permalink)
I fly a lot. It used to bother me, but over the years I have managed to shake off all the unreasonable bits of my fear of flying. That doesn't mean I don't have a doozy every now and then. Takeoffs and landings never bother me--it's the clear air turbulence that you are neither climbing out of or descending through, but are stuck with that usually gets me reaching for those little bottles (once, chardonnay; now, Advil).
There is some amount of turbulence on every flight, and maybe 1 in 10 gets pretty rough. Those no longer bother me. But about once every five years, on average, if you fly as much as I do you get one that makes you want to find religion. They say that a Boeing 747's wings are designed to flex to an almost vertical position before they fail; I had one flight where I swear I saw that happen. After such an experience, you can either never get back on a plane again (don't have that option) or decide that if you can fly through that, you can fly through anything (a more sensible response).
Still, someday you may get one of those flights. I just finished reading The Business by Iain Banks, and was struck by this passage, which sums it up exactly:
"The flight was horrific. We got there; we got to Siliguri, but it was pretty damn frightful. One of those flights where you contemplate death and terror so closely that no matter what happens, even if--when--you arrive safely, the you that got on the plane really hasn't survived at all; the you that gets off is different."
Love that.
Possibly Related:
- How To Avoid Rip-Off Walkup Fares
- What a month! Staying sane and avoiding jet lag.
- Flight Aware: All Flights Movie
