Raimi Barnwell
Appearances
Short Wave
How Does An Airplane Stay In The Air?
And I actually, when I get on a flight, I'm like having to remind myself that the odds of the plane crashing are smaller than the odds of me getting into a car accident. Every time I fly, I'm like, Raimi, this plane is not going to crash. Probably. Probably.
Short Wave
How Does An Airplane Stay In The Air?
Yeah, I would like to understand how the flight stays in the air once it takes off. despite the weight differential between the plane and the air. Okay. How it gets up there. How it gets up there, yeah.
Short Wave
How Does An Airplane Stay In The Air?
I always had a stuffed animal with me in childhood when I would fly. I still have it. It's a beanie baby named Bridget. And one time in the Atlanta airport, I left her on the plane train. And my family missed our flight because I had to have Bridget to get on the plane.
Short Wave
How Does An Airplane Stay In The Air?
And she was overcome with anxiety. I thought that I was going to throw up the entire time. Like, in the airport, I, like, couldn't get my heart rate down. I was freaking out. Like, when I sat down on the flight, I just tried my hardest to fall asleep before it took off.
Short Wave
How Does An Airplane Stay In The Air?
I think the takeoff and in the air are the scariest. For me, the takeoff is like... This doesn't make sense. It's not going to go in the air. It's not going to work. This is so heavy. How is it going to make it every single time? So you're not disconnected at all from how absolutely absurd it is that we fly? Not at all. It's like very hyper present in my mind.
Short Wave
How Does An Airplane Stay In The Air?
Like, it's so helpful to hear you say the plane wants to stay in the air, coupled with the imagery of having my hand out the window. I'm like, oh yeah, it is very hard to make the air not create the waves, not do the thing with my hand.