Of Planes, Fear, and Memory by CoreyBlack
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Description
Planes have always conjured up an intense mix of emotions in me: fascination; the romance of travel; fun childhood memories; and an almost pathological fear.
I used to be so afraid to fly that I missed out on an all-expense-paid trip to England in 1995, because I couldn't get on the plane. 10 years later, however, a family emergency in Florida caused me to have to fly. Immediately. Funny how emergencies frequently bring out the best in people. I somehow managed to drum up the courage to actually get on an airplane. I was also 10 years older, more fatalistic, and less impressionable than I'd once been...and off I flew. It scared the crap out of me (particularly when O'Hare Airport kept flashing signs that shreiked: THREAT LEVEL HIGH!) but it was also strangely exhillarating: like taking on the most-feared roller coaster in the amusement park. When I stepped off the plane, my self-confidence was as high as the supposed threat level.
The emergency was resolved in a positive fashion, and I flew back to Chicago. In the 5 years since then, I've had occasion to fly about a half-a-dozen times. I can't say that I enjoy flying, but I'm not afraid to do it anymore.
My maternal grandfather was born in 1906 and came of age with air travel. Planes fascinated him. Nearly 40 years ago, when I was a kid, we would pile into his '66 Pontiac Bonneville and go to the airport and watch the planes take off and land. Ice cream was frequently involved. It was almost as much fun as going to the movies.
Recently, a friend and I were required to pick up her employer from the airport from her boss' return from the East Coast. We had plenty of time to kill, and feeling nostalgic I talked my friend into parking across the street from Midway Airport to watch the planes. Ever the photog, I got out of her car, and started snapping away as the planes zoomed low, across Cicero Avenue to land behind a giant, concrete wall.
This shot, taken on October 4th, 2009, was one of the best.
Comments (9)
danapommet
Congratulations on conquering your fears Corey and bringing us this wheels down, nose up plane. Dana
Richardphotos
my first trip on a plane was exactly how someone described it to me, but I can not sleep on the jet.even 24 hours of traveling time to the Philippines, I was unable to sleep.excellent shot of SouthWest
Chipka
I love this...it reminds me of the flying instructions one of my characters gave to another character in a story I've written and lost. I remember the advice: "tuck your tail, raise your nose and head for flat land." This image reminds me of that advice. I also love the drama here; it has that more-real-than-real quality to it, and the colors are beautifully intense. The cut off quality of this image is very, camera verite (just pretend I spelled that in French and not in English without the appropriate accent marks.) Wonderful work, and I particularly like your narrative as well. Flying never scared me, not even with those wholly manufactured threat level assessments. In fact, the best way to put me to sleep is to put me on a plane without a book to read. No matter how short the flight, I'll snore! Great work. Really top-notch photography.
beachzz
This is just great, Corey. I love your story, and the way you finally conquered your fears. I fly all the time and am still amazed that those damn things even get off the ground. There's a part of me that feels like I have to work really hard to help keep it up. When the wheels hit the ground as we land, I always offer up a little mantra of thanks to the aviation gods. The foto is awesome, I love the way you don't see the whole plane, and the colors just jump off the page!! Oh, Bill will love this!!
bmac62
Your great reveal...right Corey? I have flown 1000's of times without exageration (I have been a flight instructor among other things) and always enjoy it...the only harrowing incident in my mind's eye was landing at Midway in a South West plane exactly as in your photo and wondering if we were going to stop in time after landing without running through a chain link fence onto a neighborhood street just off the runway...and maybe you were parked right there! How's that for a run-on sentence? Super presentation...got me pouring through lots of memories.
auntietk
The only thing I hate about flying is that my legs are really short and my feet don't fully touch the floor. Aside from that, I love taking off and landing, and you can't stop me from taking photographs out the window! LOL! It's a strange mix of excitement and boredom. Unlike Chip, I can't sleep a wink on the plane ... I can't get comfortable enough. This shot is fantastic, and makes me want to come back to see you! (Notice how it's pointing East, ready to fly me to Chicago!)
whaleman
Good going! A lot of people are afraid to fly and can't even admit it. I once had a woman beside me who was very nervous and asked to hold my hand while we took off — she drew blood in about five places. During the flight I discovered why she was scared, which was pain in the ears that happens to many people during landing. I had time during the flight to teach her how to equalize the air pressure in her ears. She was a changed woman when we landed and that was uplifting for me. Hmmm, maybe that's why I'm afraid to hold hands with women, ha ha!
Meisiekind
Oh Corey - I share your fear. I cry with take-off - every time I fly! I have however discovered that with longhaul flights - like the 18hrs from Johannesburg to New York, I fly with a sleeping pill and a double scotch!! I wake up an hour before landing - easy!!! Wonderful image!!!
myrrhluz
I'm afraid of flying still. I get through it OK, and I don't think anyone notices, but a small part of my brain is convinced I won't make it safely to the ground again. I love being in new places, I just don't like the getting there. Excellent narrative! I love the way you introduced your fear of flying, by citing the different feelings you had about it. This made me very interested in why you had these conflicting emotions. You went on to explain it beautifully, as well as how you overcame it. Very interesting reading. Wonderful image! I like the fact that the plane isn't all in the picture. This gives a strong sense of it bursting in on the scene, soon to be gone out the other side. Love the strong sharp color!