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one more qantas note...

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idagooch	one more qantas note...	Lead	[-]
Posts: 4 (11/01/08 07:42:17) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None Sorry to bug you guys with these Qantas questions, i'm just taking my honeymoon with Qantas to New Zealand from LA in two weeks, and i really don't want it to ruin what should be a once in a lifetime thing... These incidents which have "plagued the airline" as CNN so delicatley puts it...do these happen to other airlines as well more "frequently" than it seems? Is Qantas being targeted because of the intense media scrutiny that's suddenly heaped on it...the explosion, the wheel doors etc. And is it possible that this is a "good thing" in that it greatly intensifies the watch of Qantas' maintinence, to make sure these problems aren't a "plague", but as one of the maintinence companies have said is more just "bad luck" coupled with "media scrutiny"? So basically am i just being panicky. I'm getting that feeling i usually get the day or two before i fly...now it's two weeks. Heck, am I even no offense talking to the right people, because lets face it, the people who read and write to this aren't browsing cuz it goes so well with a morning cup of coffee. We're all extremely sensitive to issues like this. HELP ME??!!
OneAnt		#1	[-]
Posts: 710 (11/01/08 20:44:47) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	AA has had it's share of media srcutiny this past year for incidents too. Most airlines have them. After all, they're corporations, with investors in mind, that operate on the most minute of profit margins. Sometimes, things happen even with the best intentions. Qantas is no different, aside from facts noted in the other thread you started: they have 1M flights without incident, where the legacy carriers set the bar at 1 incident per 5M flights. Still, those facts don't point to Qantas being unsafe; they merely point out that Qantas has yet to reach that bar. As a fearful flier, which I presume you are since you posted here, it's easy to let the "small stuff" bog you down and bring the pot of fear to a boiling point. Is that level of fear justified with flying in general? No. Is it justified on certain, nationally run carriers in closed-off countries? Possibly. It is justified on Qantas? No. You already have tickets and a honeymoon booked. What's been said about Qantas, in my opinion, isn't enough to cause concern. You'll have a great honeymoon! I've never been, but friends who have said that NZ is an amazing vacation! Last Edited By: OneAnt 11/01/08 20:48:09. Edited 2 times.

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Note from Capt. Tom

I know everyone worries about weather, but pilots really do not worry about it. We simply - instead of worrying about it - completely prepare for it. Before going to the plane, we review the weather at the destination. If it is not 100% sure to be within legal limits when we arrive at the destination, we must specify an alternate airport in our planning documents, and load on plenty of fuel for going to the destination airport, and then if need be, diverting to the alternate airport.

The legal limits are conservative. Even when weather is slightly outside the legal limits, any airline pilot could still land safely. You can rely on the captain never to land when the weather is not legal, and legality limits are reached prior to safety limits.

If you are still anxious, call me and we can talk it over. I'm at 877 332-7359 from 10 AM until 7 PM Eastern time.

For effective help, even if you are flying in a day or two, sign up now at www.fearofflying.com/fasttrack and call me when you finish Clip 9 so I can make sure you are all set.

Using Weather Information

If you enter your ZIP Code or City at the top of the weather presentation, it will give you weather for your area. Or, you can enter your destination ZIP Code or City.

Click on the "LOCAL RADAR" button to see whether or not there are thunder-
storms. Keep in mind, however, that we can either fly above the storms when cruising or fly through gaps between storms. During landing, we cannot fly above them, but fly through gaps, or through the area of the storms where the turbulence is least.

Turbulence, though it may cause anxiety, does not mean anything is wrong. Turbulence does not mean danger. The plane can handle far more turbulence than Mother Nature can dish out.

Though flying in turbulence is safe, it doesn't feel safe. And here is where the SOAR programs come in. We can help you feel as safe when you fly as you actually are.

You can see these programs at www.fearofflying.com/store.

For questions on aviation or the psychology of aerophobia, click here to e-mail Capt. Tom Bunn, MSW, LCSW.

To contact the SOAR business office (media contacts, brochures, replacement tapes, billing, shipping), click here to e-mail Lisa Hauptner, MS.