Ever have a nightmare about flying?

Jim K

Jim K

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I never have until last night. I do have pleasant flying dreams from time to time, but this was the first bad one.

It was quite vivid...I was on final and didn't get three greens. Troubleshot a bit and decided to go around. Somehow I botched the go around and did the classic stall spin. The image of the plane inverted just before impact is seared into my brain. Of course the point of impact was when I woke up with a gasp. What rattled me was how real it felt. It was MY plane. I could see the rocks and dirt on the ground.

Motivation to be careful with go arounds I guess, although as mentioned in a thread a few months ago, cherokees are very well mannered even when you cram the power in. That was really the only unrealistic part of the dream.
 
Yes, I’ve had a few. It’s no different from my other bad dreams about cars, houses, school, work, people, etc, except I never had em before I became a pilot. Hot room, spicy food, too much sleep. Stay vigilant.
 
I have in the past, but not in years.
It wasn't my plane, or even a small plane though.
They began after a truly horrible commercial flight.
 
About a month ago I dreamed that I was a volunteer flying a MiG-29 Fulcrum for the Ukrainian Air Force and got hit by a SAM. The explosion woke me up and I was soaked in sweat. It was real!!
 
Stan Cooper said:
About a month ago I dreamed that I was a volunteer flying a MiG-29 for the Ukrainian Air Force and got hit by a SAM. The explosion woke me up and I was soaked in sweat. It was real!!
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Well, with an avatar like you’ve got, you’re gonna have fighter pilot dreams! ;)
 
The only flying “nightmares” I have had have been weird logistical issues - eg somehow left the plane stranded in the Bahamas (not sure how I got back) or realizing I’m supposed to be at an event in 3 hours 2000 miles away and I haven’t even packed yet.
 
I used to have “stuck low” dreams…flying down a path through the forest with overarching trees, flying across South Dakota with the few trees there were sticking up into the clouds, stuff like that. Quite calming, actually.
 
Used to have occasional nightmares of a small kid running toward my spinning prop and fumbling with the mixture/ignition to shut down the engine - that was pretty hard core. Fortunately I haven't had that one in quite some time.

Lately if I have an aviation related dream, it's that I decided to do some contract corporate work and on the day of the trip I struggle to remember all the things I have to do to get the airplane ready before the owner/passengers arrive.
 
I had a nightmare where the cost of owning and operating an airplane became more than just about anyone could afford.

...And then I woke up. Man, it was sooo real!
 
Pulling the curtain for ejection and the seat didn’t fire. Woke up as the plane hit the water.

Long time ago but I still remember it.

Cheers
 
As a student pilot learning about airspaces, I once dreamt that I fell asleep in the cockpit and woke up over Manhattan at night. "Ohh... I'm in trouble."

A few years ago, I dreamt of attempting a takeoff from a runway way too short with a building at the far end. The logical part of my brain knew I couldn't do it, but I tried the takeoff anyway for some reason, and crashed smack into the building, which then collapsed, burying me in rubble. That was terrifying. Woke up shaking.
 
I had a nightmare recently that I failed my medical. Not only failed, but they ended up shredding my certificate on the spot!

Gives me shivers just thinking about it.
 
My nightmares aren’t quite so dramatic. Usually something like I’m taxiing out when I realize I’ve forgotten my headset and it’s on the dining table back home. Or I’m approaching my destination and can’t find the CTAF.
 
Numerous, but only one that I can think of that I was crew. Most have been a ground observer to a crash.
 
I haven't. You may be watching too many "air disaster" episodes?
 
I've had two recurring flying dreams over the years.

1) I'm in a C-152 stuck on high voltage wires between two mountains out west somewhere. I'm like a thousand feet off the ground hanging from the wires.

2) I'm in an airplane and am trying to take off from the road in front of my (now deceased) parents' house. The road is plenty long, but I cannot find an "opening" that is long enough that I can clear the *next* set of overhead wires.

3) Yeah, I said two, but just remembered a third. In the third dream, certainly not a nightmare, I live in an area where there are multiple private grass fields (not strips) where people keep their airplanes. The places are kind of like communes in that anyone is free to come and go, and there is lots of space for everyone. Somehow, you can live there too, but the dream doesn't include specifics around that.
 
Jim K said:
I never have until last night. I do have pleasant flying dreams from time to time, but this was the first bad one.

It was quite vivid...I was on final and didn't get three greens. Troubleshot a bit and decided to go around. Somehow I botched the go around and did the classic stall spin. The image of the plane inverted just before impact is seared into my brain. Of course the point of impact was when I woke up with a gasp. What rattled me was how real it felt. It was MY plane. I could see the rocks and dirt on the ground.

Motivation to be careful with go arounds I guess, although as mentioned in a thread a few months ago, cherokees are very well mannered even when you cram the power in. That was really the only unrealistic part of the dream.
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Pretty sure I have, but don’t remember any details. If I have one tonight, I’m blaming you. Or maybe give you credit.
 
Just before my private check ride I had one where I flew into IMC only it was a complete blackout, IE: vision just went black, so not even any instruments. Had it twice. Just flying around and then all of a sudden I see clouds coming and then everything goes black. Ironically never had it when training for instrument ticket. That's the only one I've ever had.
 
Whitney said:
Jackk was joking about the government in the future making people report their dreams.

So I jokingly quoted his post, and said page # 931.
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Ah! Good one. And you did do it as reply to his post so it was there to see and I didn’t get it. I’m probably going to have a nightmare tonight about that
 
Even though I'm a full time CFI that experiences a lot of real life strange flight situations I never dream about them.

I have had a reoccurring nightmare about hitting power lines though. I stay clear of those suckers!
 
Whitney said:
You want a high wing so bad that even your laundry basket plane is a high wing.
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I can't post the link due to the profanity filter but search reddit for kids are stupid. or don't, because kids are pretty stupid.
 
Never about flying. But I do have dreams I'm late for school. It's only been 15 years so that should go away soon.

When I'm really sleep deprived I have the most vivid terrible dreams. Like wake you up sweating. Only to fall asleep and it happen again and again throughout the night.
 
Racerx said:
Never about flying. But I do have dreams I'm late for school. It's only been 15 years so that should go away soon.
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I had dreams about college that lasted for 20 years afterwards. They were so vivid, I'd wake up sweating. The dream was that I went to a Calculus final and the location and/or time had moved. So I was running from building to building searching for where it moved. I never found it.
 
Racerx said:
Never about flying. But I do have dreams I'm late for school. It's only been 15 years so that should go away soon…..
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I do have this recurring nightmare where I am one class short of graduating college. I don’t know why it freaks me out so much but it’s always some variation of me thinking I’m a college grad, then I find out I never took some class and have to go back and take it. I hate it.
 
eman1200 said:
I do have this recurring nightmare where I am one class short of graduating college. I don’t know why it freaks me out so much but it’s always some variation of me thinking I’m a college grad, then I find out I never took some class and have to go back and take it. I hate it.
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It must have been on why high wings are best.
 
Whitney said:
You want a high wing so bad that even your laundry basket plane is a high wing.
Click to expand...
That’s a mid
eman1200 said:
I can't post the link due to the profanity filter but search reddit for kids are stupid. or don't, because kids are pretty stupid.
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It just ain’t gonna be the same the next time my wife says “you’re just a big kid.” I always thought that was a term of endearment.
 
eman1200 said:
I do have this recurring nightmare where I am one class short of graduating college. I don’t know why it freaks me out so much but it’s always some variation of me thinking I’m a college grad, then I find out I never took some class and have to go back and take it. I hate it.
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I used to have that exact dream. Probably because I hated school so much and I had to pass organic chemistry (second attempt) to graduate. Ended up with a "c". Haven't had that one in a couple years.

Normally I'm super excited the night before a long trip, but between all the failures and this dream I find myself nervous for a flight for the first time since my last checkride.

The alternator failure Saturday ruined all the confidence I had built up in the plane over the last couple weeks. I have this feeling of dread that this thing is going to ruin another trip. That's surely what triggered the dream.
 
My nightmare, which I experience only occasionally, is flying into wires. Either tower guy wires or power line wires. I once had a challenge in clearing power line wires in a mountain pass in Colorado (C-150), and I guess that bothers me now more than it did then. Ahh, to be young and indestructible again.
 
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