249: Elena's work jet crashed
From What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People. by Scott Johnson & Glassbox Media.
March 20, 2026 · 50 min · Episode 249
About this episode
This episode discusses the fears associated with flying and the measures taken to comfort anxious passengers, culminating in a story about a plane crash.
For a lot of people, flying is a really scary thing. And that fear can come from a few different factors. You’ve heard stories about planes that have crashed (even though it’s rare). You’re gonna be in this metal tube a few miles above the ground. And you’re putting your life in the hands of people you don’t even know. Part of flight attendant training is learning how to handle a passenger who has anxiety about flying. If someone steps on to the plane and tells them, “Hey, I’m pretty nervous about this”, they have ways to deal with it. They need to keep that passenger comfortable, and everyone on the plane safe. One thing a fearful passenger can do is ask to meet the pilot. This might not always be possible, but in many cases the pilot is happy to meet a nervous flier and provide some reassurance. Then, a few minutes later when the plane is taking off, you can think “this feels a little scary, but I met the person who’s flying the plane, and they seemed to know what they’re doing”. But takeoff is just the first part – you still have to get back to earth. What if the plane is landing, and no one – not even the pilot – knows that anything is wrong... Until you hit the ground. Full…
People in this episode
Host: Scott Johnson
Guest: Elena
Topics covered
- flying anxiety
- flight safety
- passenger comfort
- pilot interaction
- plane landing
- crash stories
Keywords
- flying
- anxiety
- flight attendant
- pilot
- plane crash
- safety
- passenger comfort
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Glassbox Media
Books & works: What Was That Like
Places: earth
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