whimpy flier, flying back tomorrow, high winds in the forecast, please reassure me

[Anonymous]

I loved flying when I was younger but now I do because I have to and the best part of the flight is when the wheels are back on the ground. I am especially not happy when I need to fly on smaller airplanes, like the one I need to take tomorrow to fly back from a smaller place in the Midwest. I started looking at the forecast two days ago and at this point it is clear there will be high winds (40-50mph). winds are going to be there two days, so flying the day after would not improve the situation, and hubby does not want to leave today. I am a wreck with two nights of little sleep. I have been looking at tickets for 25hr trips on grayhound (with three transfers), on amtrack (closest station is two hour +away) or even renting a car and driving back 18 hours. husband thinks I am crazy and that actually the winds will be tail winds and we will do a great trip. are small airplanes going to fly with such high winds? any pilot out there? any hope the flight will be canceled? I want to walk back at this point.

[Anonymous]

take a OTC sleeping pill before you get on.

[Anonymous]

Whimpy is not a word. It is wimpy. No "H".

[Anonymous]

wouldn't do it. those puddle jumpers are so dangerous that I knew a former secretary of transportation who refused to ever fly them

[Anonymous]

I used to have to fly through Denver and it was worse from Denver to CA and CA to Denver. Definitely better on larger planes. Why not book on another airline that has larger planes on the route? Or fly a different route. ie United flies small ones to SC but jetblue flies reg size planes.

another tip-use kayak to check out flights. There's a box to check for type of plane. Also landings and take-offs are better out of dulles than reagan. More airspace and less steep including on turns. Many discount airlines serve smaller markets and use full size planes-spirit, frontier, allegiant.

[Anonymous]

op - you are fine. wind won't hurt you, a bad storm is another story. it just gets bumpy but that's all.

[Anonymous]

10 03 again. I once saw flight attendents crawling up an aisle on a full size plane. I've also been on United regional jets landing at Dulles where it was so smooth it was like pulling an suv into a parking place.

[Anonymous]

If it's really windy, you're not going to want to drive 18 hours either. high winds can be rough when you're in a fairly small car on an open road - you feel the car getting blown around and you're not going to be able to drive 18 hours straight without a break to sleep.

Maybe you could take a small airplane only a short distance to a more major airport and then fly the rest of the way in a normal jet? Or rent a car to drive to the nearest airport that has big planes back to DC? That would be my move. (I'm from KC and have never had a puddle-jumper home from there, for example. i have had them between Philly and DC though.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I loved flying when I was younger but now I do because I have to and the best part of the flight is when the wheels are back on the ground. I am especially not happy when I need to fly on smaller airplanes, like the one I need to take tomorrow to fly back from a smaller place in the Midwest. I started looking at the forecast two days ago and at this point it is clear there will be high winds (40-50mph). winds are going to be there two days, so flying the day after would not improve the situation, and hubby does not want to leave today. I am a wreck with two nights of little sleep. I have been looking at tickets for 25hr trips on grayhound (with three transfers), on amtrack (closest station is two hour +away) or even renting a car and driving back 18 hours. husband thinks I am crazy and that actually the winds will be tail winds and we will do a great trip. are small airplanes going to fly with such high winds? any pilot out there? any hope the flight will be canceled? I want to walk back at this point.

Are you talking about discomfort, or actual safety? Crashes involving small commercial planes are rare. You are still probably a good bit safer than driving. It is only private planes I would be wary of, myself.

But a lot of turbulence can be uncomfortable, so if you want to go by land, go for it. Amtrack is fun, I suggest that. Not the 18 hour drive. I would pick greyhound over that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I loved flying when I was younger but now I do because I have to and the best part of the flight is when the wheels are back on the ground. I am especially not happy when I need to fly on smaller airplanes, like the one I need to take tomorrow to fly back from a smaller place in the Midwest. I started looking at the forecast two days ago and at this point it is clear there will be high winds (40-50mph). winds are going to be there two days, so flying the day after would not improve the situation, and hubby does not want to leave today. I am a wreck with two nights of little sleep. I have been looking at tickets for 25hr trips on grayhound (with three transfers), on amtrack (closest station is two hour +away) or even renting a car and driving back 18 hours. husband thinks I am crazy and that actually the winds will be tail winds and we will do a great trip. are small airplanes going to fly with such high winds? any pilot out there? any hope the flight will be canceled? I want to walk back at this point.

you need to seek therapy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it's really windy, you're not going to want to drive 18 hours either. high winds can be rough when you're in a fairly small car on an open road - you feel the car getting blown around and you're not going to be able to drive 18 hours straight without a break to sleep.

Maybe you could take a small airplane only a short distance to a more major airport and then fly the rest of the way in a normal jet? Or rent a car to drive to the nearest airport that has big planes back to DC? That would be my move. (I'm from KC and have never had a puddle-jumper home from there, for example. i have had them between Philly and DC though.)

bad advice. this is enabling op's anxiety.

[Anonymous]

Best of luck, goner.

[Anonymous]

Mean mean mean! The winds are fine. There is fancy landing equipment at all US airports that tell pilots which direction to land. The winds don't effect the planes much when they're at altitude. And wind has never caused a plane to fall from the sky. Drink wine or have a Xanax to help yourself relax, both now and on the plane. If it's too windy, they'll wait to take off. Honestly, look at flight aware and see all the planes popping around during this admittedly windy week. You can do it!!

[Anonymous]

I had the worst flight ever on a 747 a few weeks ago from Denver to DC. Turbulence was so bad I thought the plane was going to fall out of the sky.

OP, I'd rent a car and drive back.

[Anonymous]

Do not worry OP. Your chances of dying from that plane crashing are much lower than your chances of being killed in a fiery automobile accident on the way to the airport.

Remember: D.C. has the highest rate of automobile crashes in the entire USA (and 2nd worst traffic).