Thinking about flying, however, produces discomfort. Once those wheels left the runway, the concern diminishes to a manageable level if not completely disappears. This wasn't the only letter I'd received from pilots over the years expressing similar feelings. It's easy to say that these pilots decided to give up flying because of a frightening experience. This isn't necessarily true, however.
Many aviators have scary experiences, but the overwhelming majority keep right on flying.
They bounce back because flying's pleasures overshadow its discomforts. On his third dual flight he pulled the carb heat to commence a descent. Coincidentally, at the instant full carb heat was applied, the engine suffered complete catastrophic failure. The engine frothed, snapped and cracked as it disgorged its metallic organs. With a fractured crankcase, pistons shot out and oil oozed onto the windshield like liquid from a wounded beast.