Ask Captain Lim ~ All about Aviation

Dear Captain Lim,

Thanks so much for your website. I'm trying to overcome my fear of flying and I do firmly believe that I can conquer at least most of it with information. Traveling with two small children is at best an ordeal, at worst it can be hair-raising and horrific.

We seem to always fly in the early morning from Tucson where we have to go up a set of stairs across the cement and then up more stairs into a tiny airplane... buckle them in, but I have to pick who sits alone because there are only two seats together, then listen to the plane shudder and shift and strain... then we land in Phoenix, wait an hour or two and then go to Las Vegas... always turbulent. And then from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara...

My question is, in your honest opinion, how much should I be worried because all we ever fly are tiny planes to get between here and there, and always in the early, early morning or late, late night...

Am I putting us at greater risk? Would we be better flying on a larger plane from Tucson to LA then driving?

It's hard for me to tell if I just feel unsafe on the smaller planes because with every shudder and bump I'm bracing for how to take care of my little people when there's only one of me.... or if it*s hard because I can feel every bump and shudder whereas on a bigger plane it*s just a pleasant sleepy hum of engines and cushier seats.

Ok maybe I just need someone to tell me that everything will be all right even though I personally feel unsafe. I have done the math of the risk between driving 14 hours with small children, threats from traffic, other drivers, pit stops, bad food, good food, expenses, germs and yuck spread around from strangers.

I guess I just need to know if there's a safer way to travel or if I'm doing ok.  I do try to fly American West instead of Northwest because the propeller planes are a little too hard for me to relax on with the visual of the propeller so out in front there.

Sorry to ramble, I know you're busy.

Thanks, maybe I just feel a little better writing this out.

Sincerely,

Megan, Haley & Katelyn Tredway

Hi Megan, Haley & Katelyn,

Yes, flying on bigger jet planes is generally more comfortable than smaller ones, especially on tiny propeller aircraft. See also this previous FAQ "Does smaller planes wobble more in turbulence". To a certain extent, smaller planes tend to jostle more by turbulence but that doesn't mean they are unsafe; it is more a question of discomfort rather than one of safety.

Flying as a form of transportation is generally much safer than long distance driving. I have written a lot about this under Air Safety.

Of course, I cannot gaurantee any particular form of travel can be absolutely safe. However, I believe, travel by rail is generally safer than air travel if you think that flying on tiny planes would put you all at a greater risk. In my opinion, it would be better to fly on a larger plane from Tucson to LA than driving all the way there.

Happy and safe flying always!