Wing Related Fear of Flying
I seem to have a particularly annoying fear of flying in that it changes every time I understand an aspect of air travel.
Initially it was turbulence. I get on the plane I understand turbulence is like waves on the ocean for a boat. It’s built to handle 5x the stress (idk the exact number). All that stuff. Then it was what happens if there’s an engine failure? What if there are 2? Double engine failure has almost never happened and is recoverable and planes can fly with one engine easily. Got it! You get the point it goes on and on. Every time I get over one I obsess on another aspect.
Currently I am obsessed with the idea that the wings are going to fall off. I’ve done research into them (which always helps) but I cannot find any good resources that explains how wings attach to the plane securely and why they never become un attached. I have heard that once they are attached they become one with the structure and effectively inseparable. But I’m a visual learner and cannot seem to find any good videos or explanations of wings being attached/serviced/maintained. What if they aren’t attached properly? What if the bolts vibrate loose? Etc etc.
Any advice or information would be helpful. I also feel it worth mentioning, I know it has basically never happened but the stats side of things has never helped me. I need to understand why it doesn’t happen - not that it’s mega unlikely.
Posted Apr 9, 2025, 8:27 PM UTC