While some people love flying, for others it fills them with dread. In the hope of settling the nerves of nervous flyers, plane enthusiast Riyadh Khalaf has explained all the noises that happen during landing
People with aerophobia, those who feel intense anxiety before or during a flight, will know all about the various noises a plane makes from when it takes off until it’s safely on the ground – and it fills them with dread.
Being scared of flying is normal. It’s believed that one in 10 people in the UK have fear of flying, according to Anxiety UK, although some studies suggest the real number is much higher. But in reality, flying is one of the safest forms of long-distance transport. According to AirAdvisor, accidents are extremely rare, and in 2022 there were only five fatal accidents among 32.2 million flights.
But for those who are scared of flying, despite the statistics, there are things you can do keep your mind at ease. Irish broadcaster, author and YouTube personality Riyadh Khalaf thinks one of the keys to feeling more comfortable when flying is understanding what all the noises that happen during the flight mean.
The aviation enthusiast recently shared a video to TikTok where he explained all the various noises, and what they mean, as they happened during a flight. In the caption, he wrote: “Flying and the associated noises shouldn’t have to be so scary. With knowledge comes power so next time you’re on an airplane, watch this and remember how each noise has an important and fascinating function! Happy flying!”
Self-confessed ‘aviation nerd’ Riyadh, explained that you can be “cool and chill” next time you fly, knowing what these sounds are. First, he shared that a “rumbling” sound that can be hard during take-off might sound “quite scary”, but it’s just the sound of the “spoilers, or the air brakes, on the top of the wings, to slow us down”. He added: “When the nose goes down to help us descend, we pick up speed, and we don’t want to pick up speed when we’re coming in to land”.
Next, viewers could hear an alert noise over the plane’s sound system. While nervous flyers might be scared that means something has gone wrong, Riyadh reassured that it just means it’s 10 minutes until landing, and it’s actually a signal to the cabin crew that they need to make an announcement for people to put their seatbelts back on.
During the flight, Riyadh also encountered some “mild turbulance”, which he explained was normal because they were flying over the Wicklow Mountains. He added: “Totally safe. This plane is designed to deal with that. And a lot worse.”
During landing, you’ll also hear the flaps of the wings coming down a few times, which is to “make the wing bigger” and give more “lift”, which helps slow the landing down. He also pointed out the “confusing” sound of the engines powering up, explaining that the plane “steps” its way down, and regularly reaches a “little plateau” where it needs “a little more power because you’ve stopped the descent”.
When the plane is about 20 ft from the runway you’ll hear another noise which signals that they are “pulling the power back to idle”. Then you’ll feel the “touch down of the main gear, touch down of the nose gear,” followed by a “rumble which is a reverse thrust of the engines bringing the wheels into the runway so the brakes can work better”. Then the plane will taxi back to the terminal.
Hundreds of people thanked Riyadh for his helpful explanation, with one person saying: “Tips that helped me overcome my fear of flying”. Another added: “I watched your videos before a flight and it helped me,” while a third said: “I never knew why it felt like we increased speed when landing. From a very scared flyer – massive thank you!”
Do you have a story to share? You can email [email protected]
