re: Flying in Twin Engine Cessna

You fear what you don’t understand. My experience in aviation is that a person is a nervous wreck until they begin to understand how to control and aircraft. Control make you comfortable. Exposure helps. Maybe you should take flying lessons or focus on what’s going on inside the plane.

quote:

---

You fear what you don’t understand. My experience in aviation is that a person is a nervous wreck until they begin to understand how to control and aircraft.

---

This is it in a nutshell. The 441, Piper Cubs, and 747s all obey the same Four Forces of Flight.

That said, turboprops, despite being **EXTREMELY** reliable, are notorious for being loud, especially if it still has 3-bladed props instead of 4. I'd venture to say that much of your apprehension comes from the cabin noise. I highly recommend investing a few dollars in in-the-ear foam earplugs. It will bring the noise level way down and you can surprisingly still carry on normal conversations with fellow passengers.

At some level, you may be associating noise with trouble.

quote:

---

The only time I have been anxious in a small plane was an older Cessna 182 that was taking 4 of us up for a skydive.

---

I have read stories of skydiving planes that crashed and everyone dies and I wonder just how in the hell did not at least one person be able to use their chute ?

quote:

---

Luckily the alarm was caused by him forgetting

---

This is a huge problem for most average Joes that have a pilot’s license. They don’t fly often enough to stay sharp, and are often not disciplined enough and forget stuff that could potentially be dangerous.

quote:

---

My brother is a retired Air Force fighter pilot. His specialty is spin and recovery and he trains fighter pilots now. I trust him implicitly. That doesn't mean I don't crap myself just a little bit when we we're up in his single engine Cessna when the wind just makes the world drop out from under you for a second or two.

---

He could be Chuck Yeager but if he’s incapacitated it’s now the You Show.

If there ain’t at least two folks onboard who can proficiently operate a plane, I ain’t getting on it.

My mother, aunt, and both of my grandparents were all private pilots. The Cessna 441 is a great plane and has more reliable turboprop engines instead of a piston engines. My main concerns would be the following:

1. How often does the owner fly and train? He can likely afford the money for good recurrent training, but does he take the time to do it.

2. How well maintained is the plane? If it's a turboprop used for business, it's likely better maintained than many general aviation planes.

3. What's the weather situation? Many pilots have come to a bad end with their passengers due to get-home-itis in bad weather.

I wouldn't have any anxiety about flying if it was good weather and I trusted the pilot to maintain both his flying skills and the aircraft.

The last Cessna I flew on was a Citation V 560 to upstate New York. It was a blast. Very smooth and we never spilled any drinks.

I’m sure you’ll be fine. I’ve also flown in a 182 over False River and had a lot of fun. Very different animal though.

Really no reason to be worried. You will barely feel anything if things go badly.

quote:

---

I have read stories of skydiving planes that crashed and everyone dies and I wonder just how in the hell did not at least one person be able to use their chute ?

---

Because its usually on takeoff, and the plane hasn't achieved enough altitude for the parachute to have time to open.

I've been in a Cessna 182 that threw a piston rod at about 4k feet. It was a jump plane and before the pilot could even turn around to tell us to get out, we had already jumped. Luckily, he was able to make it back to the airport. However, the pilot wears a parachute also because the door of the aircraft is going to be opened in flight.

I don't have anxiety, even after we lost an engine on climb out at Nashville in a 421C Golden Eagle. It took a little to pry my arse off the seat after we got stopped, but flying is fun.

Was just in a 58P Baron two weeks ago. My buddy saw I was sleeping an nosed over enough to put me out of my seat. Nothing beats private aviation. Now if you are asking if I prefer a Global Express over a 58P no doubt I do, but the small ones are real flying.