Explaining Aircraft "Bumps and Glitches" To Nervous Passengers

If you are a "nervous Nellie" while flying anywhere in the world, you're not alone. I know of three people who are deathly afraid to fly aboard a commercial airliner, one of which is a family member.

The worst flight I ever took was one in a Boeing 737 from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in 1976. It seemed like the plane bounced around like a spaceship in the old Flash Gordon serials. That experience hasn't dissuaded me from flying. But, there are those who have major problems with air travel.

Fortunately, Condé Nast Traveler has posted "The Nervous Fliers Guide To Mid-Air Bumps and Glitches" that provides the "What happens" and "What it means" of various things that make airline passengers jumpy.

It begins with:

The adage that "knowledge is power" applies for nervous fliers, and a little explanation often goes a long way to loosen that grip on the armrests. 

Chances are, you've heard the statistics that flaunt the safety of air travel in relation to, well, all other forms of travel. Despite the reassurance that you're more likely to win the lottery or be struck by lightning than end up in an aircraft accident, you still can't brush off all nervousness when it's time to board and news headlines of tech glitches and turbulence don't help the cause. Here, we explain a few bumps that may cause flying anxiety.

To read more, go here.