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Show HN: I made a flight simulator, except you're just a passenger

446 points · 205 comments · rkotcher

  1. lejeanvaljean · · focus · HN ↗
    You know what? I had fear of flying. I did a training with a pilot in a simulator, but it was in the cockpit. I don't have fear of flying in a simulator or in the cockpit. I have fear of flying as a passenger, I'm sit in a chair. That's what I would have liked during my training. I told that to Air France and they did not understand but this might seriously be useful.
    1. password54321 · · focus · HN ↗
      I don't think you can completely eliminate this as people naturally don't like giving up their agency which is usually going to produce at least a low level of anxiety.
      1. recursivecaveat · · focus · HN ↗
        Agency and information in a way. I actually feel safer in a tiny 4 seater plane than a jet, even though objectively that's probably backwards. Being able to look at all the parts of the plane, how the movements derive from the pilot's actions, actually see out the front, it is more reassuring. More similar to being a passenger in someone's car. It probably doesn't hurt that it is easier for my mind to imagine a Cessna gliding gently to earth than a passenger jet.
        1. amelius · · focus · HN ↗
          I like the idea of someone losing hundreds of millions of dollars if my plane goes down.
        2. pjerem · · focus · HN ↗
          I’m not at ease in an airplane. I rarely fly but i actually like it, but I’m really anxious.

          What helps me is always taking a seat near the wings. First that’s where the plane moves the less. And moreover, it’s pretty reassuring watching them supporting the plane in their great stability, they always move way slower than the cabin.

          1. gatio · · focus · HN ↗
            Plus you can alert the crew if something's off before take off (eg. loose/missing screws/panels). A forner colleague of mine did that, and got to see the entire maintenance crew come out for an impromptu RCA and incident response.
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