I'm going on Virgin Atlantic 747 next month, need reassurance

[mountainboo]

Okay, now I know what the chances are of engine problems etc and I know that flying is very safe. Is there any chance of one of the engines falling off? Also, my other big worry is these mentalists that keep trying to blow us all up. Just need to know that there is NO possible way of them getting onto the plane or stowing something in the luggage hold? OMG I'm bricking it.

[~max~]

I know where you're coming from, I'm flying this week too and I'm terrified of flying. Curiously, what seems to comfort me is all the near- crash movies I've seen....They always come down safely, even with a wing torn off or a big hole in the side! I know it's stupid, but if it comes to that, I'm telling myself that they will be able to land it anyway....Be brave! I'm gonna take some Bach's rescue remedy or something, I think. Either that or get very very drunk.....lol

[fairkatrina]

The chances of a plane actually crashing are close to one in a billion, so it's highly unlikely anything will go terribly wrong :-)

[pete-duel]

mountainboo the way secrurity is going at the moment
i'd say your pretty safe

[Clanad]

I've been flying as a commercial airline pilot for more years than I'd like to recall. Actually (and I realize this is technical, but should provide a level of comfort) the engines on all jet transports are designed to "fall off" in the event a failure of the high speed rotational parts should severely imbalance the engine. They're mounted on a "pylon" (the thing that sticks out from under the wing and places the lip of the engine in front of the leading edge of the wing). This, in turn, is mounted to the main spar of the wing with a unique shear-pin arrangement. This has all been thoroughly tought out and engineered. By the way, the rotation speed of the high by-pass ratio turbofans is around 12,000 RPM (give or take, depending on engine/aircraft combination) so a catastrophic failure (extremely rare) can produce severe vibrations, in which case, it's better for the engine to leave the aircraft.
Point is, the 747 has been around a long time and has one of the safest redords of any commercial aircraft. Now, if you were asking advice about travel on Aeroflot I'd say take the train... with some reservation!
Enjoy your trip, your crew will...

[lindapinda]

If you think of all the flights all over the world since 9/11,nothing like that,on any scale has happened again. You'll be fine :-)

[Craig007]

You could try swimming to your destination i suppose!

I recommend flying though, it will be quicker.

Oh and if the plane does blow up, you will not know a thing about it.

Have a nice trip! :o)

[jno]

I travelled on Aeroflot once, Clanad... it was just fine (except for my seat falling apart under me). The trolley dollies were not jolly, of course.

[dot.hawkes]

I think i have been on a few 747s, we never had any problems with the technical stuff, just the tvs not working, the personal radio system not working, the seat reclining not working, the call bell not working the over head light not working. The duty free stock running out, the cabin staff being sarcastic and patronising, water dispenser being warm, the WCs being smelly or occupied, the queues for the WC, the food being the wrong meal ordered when vegetarian requested 6 months before, the over head luggage falling gout of compartments, the reserved seats being given away and having to sit in a cramped inner seat, the walkways always full of the trolley just at the point you need to join the queue for the smelly blocked WC. The endless stream of kids walking and running and jumping over your legs when you have paid extra for the legroom, the parents who tut at you for tutting at the 15th kid that has jumped over your legs and banged them. The inflight movie on a screen that is only visible if you crick your neck to one side for the duration, the episodes of old BBC comedies they show that were funny once and are now unwatchable because the cabin staff are standing there for 10 minutes waiting for a colleague to go get change. Being ignored by the cabin staff for the remainder of the flight because you complained about any of the above more than once. The knowledge that if you complain a third time the address system from the head of the cabin crew will advise passengers that any aggression towards the already tired and over worked cabin staff will not be tolerated, (that only happened once when I paid �75 or so each for an upgrade and the ground crew gave the seats to their own staff because they forgot about us standing there waiting for the all clear to board.) I am very intolerant when nervous. (sorry Clanad ;( you are all great really)

You should be ok though.

[Clanad]

Technically, you're right Roaldo... but it's really called drift down... under optimum conditions, the aircraft, any transport aircraft is tested and certificated to perform on one engine but only at certain pressure altitudes, as you've alluded. Pressure altitude takes in to account temperature. Most transport category aircraft could probably maintain about 10,000 feet above mean sea level (MSL) all things being favorable...(not a lot of comfort at La Paz) not fun, but have done it on several occasions in the simulator...

[sddsddean]

I seem to remember that the first 747 was used as a flying test bed. When they had done everything they could think of (after a couple of years) they decided to land it on one engine...with 3 of the 4 hydraulic systems out...and all the tyres punctured. It landed no problem at all.

[Dassie]

I was once on a South African 747-300 from Cape Town to London when the outer starboard engine failed 4 hrs out and we returned quite safely on 3 engines. The Captain said he could have gone on to London but as it was winter in Europe he didn't want to take a chance on the weather causing diversions as 3 engines would use more fuel and he would have less a reserve. Absolutely nothing to worry about !