Hey,

A question, was Clark's discomfort in flying in an airplane ever mentioned in the original series. If so, which episode?

Or is it just a concept begun and popularized by us FOLCs?

Just wondering so as to judge if an alternate universe with some twist of professions of our favorite characters would seem logical.. (just saying)

I don't recall it ever being on the show, Anks, no.

When I introduced this element into into one of my own fanfic - it was one of my nfic vignette romps, but can't remember the title - it just seemed natural to me that someone who could fly so easiliy under his own steam would hate the confining elements of flying by plane. I never thought Clark was afraid of flying by plane. Just that it would be restrictive and boring for him.

I don't remember at the point of writing that one having read anything else with this element, but I'm certain there must have been something out there somewhere by that point, fanfic already being well established when I wrote my first LNC story. So I've no idea who came up with it originally.

LabRat

I can't remember a specific time when it was mentioned in the series. IIRC, Clark flew (by plane) to California for that interview with the killer on death row (Lex Files, S4), and he never mentioned anything about problems with the flight.

I believe the dislike of flying grew out of the Never on Sunday episode in S3, when we learned that Clark is claustrophobic. Since Dean Cain also mentioned that he doesn't like flying (but I believe his is a fear-of-heights issue), some of the FoLCs may have applied his dislike to the character he played. However, Clark would be claustrophobic in any universe that had him arriving on earth as an infant in a tiny spacecraft.

Speaking as a claustrophobe, I don't get tense and nervous in elevators (plenty of room to move around and stretch out) or planes (same reasoning). What triggers mine is tight, dark places where I could reasonably (okay, unreasonably from an outsider's perspective ) get stuck. If I felt claustrophic on a plane, sitting in the cockpit where I had an almost unlimited view would quickly eliminate that feeling for me.

I back you up with the claustrophobia sydrom, Sheila!

I don't remember any mention of Clark's plane phobia in the tv serie but, maybe Clark's fear of planes and flying (non supersonic) has to do with the fact that the only time he was stuck in a flying device, it was under specific circumstances.

I mean, he was a baby, sent away from his biological parents before his native planet exploded. And since his shuttle kind of crashed on earth...unconsciously, this memory might play a triggering role?

If it was mentioned at all, it would probably be either in Green Green Glow of Home, or Strange Visitor. I haven't seen the episodes in a long long time, though. (finds transcript of GGGoH) Not there.. can't find one for Strange Visitor yet, though.

I don't remember it being mentioned in the series but I do find it a plausible feeling for Clark. His claustrophobia would be for a prolonged confinement and you can get out of an elevator relatively quickly but plane flights lasts quite a bit longer. Also take into consideration if there was a problem with the plane that needed his special abilities to keep it from crashing, He would wind up giving himself away. So I can easily imagine the whole idea of flying inside a plane being a problem for Clark plus it would just feel so unnatural for someone who could fly under their own power. Also it seems so cute in the stories I've read his reaction to being in a plane.

I suppose the length of time of confinement might have something to do with it, kmar, but I know that it only takes a few seconds to set mine off. Elevators and airplanes (even flying for 12 hours from Colorado to London) don't do it, but hanging upside down over the back of the washer in the small space between the appliance and the wall (I was retrieving a fallen sock) is guaranteed to trigger claustrophobia in about three seconds.