Fear of Flying - *GULP*

[John and Camie 39]

Okay, I've got to get used to flying to England from SoCal, but ... I have a fear of flying unlike that which the world has ever seen. I mean, I JUST got used to flying to Orlando for business (that's a little under 5 hours). Please tell me I'm not alone (LOL), and/or offer some tips to help me get through it. I don't want to avoid going to England ... I'm set to go collect my honey and fly to POE with him when the time comes. And I speak to my future mother-in-law on the phone all the time, and have fallen head over heels in love with her, so she's due for some big hugs!

Thanks in advance, guys!!

Edited April 1, 2009 by John and Camie

[minimule 3]

my baby camed to see me earler this month and he had to flight for the first time ever, and he was scared as hell

plus he didn t get lucky, because his plane ride was actually bumpy...but the way back was smooth.

u can go to ur doctor and get a medecine that wll help you relax/sleep the entire way if u think ur gonna be 2 stressed out.

if not, i suggest, listening to music or watching a movie, anything to get ur mind off the plane itself.

i guess im weird, i love flying lol

good luck

[NickD 202]

Okay, I've got to get used to flying to England from SoCal, but ... I have a fear of flying unlike that which the world has ever seen. I mean, I JUST got used to flying to Orlando for business (that's a little under 5 hours). Please tell me I'm not alone (LOL), and/or offer some tips to help me get through it. I don't want to avoid going to England ... I'm set to go collect my honey and fly to POE with him when the time comes. And I speak to my future mother-in-law on the phone all the time, and have fallen head over heels in love with her, so she's due for some big hugs!

Thanks in advance, guys!!

Are you afraid of flying or afraid of dying? Statistics are in your favor as the most safest way of traveling, always super big news when any plane crashes where 45,000 are killed on our highways each year and over a million are injured, some very seriously like loss of limbs, but lucky to find that on page 13 of your local newspaper.

I always feel very comfortable when flying a small plane with me at the controls and a very long glide ratio, but can't convince of my wife of that thinking these flying rocks are safer, and is a question of putting your faith in the hands of literally hundreds of people. It takes a very long time for a pilot to become the pilot in command. My most tense moments is during take off and reaching at least 3,000 feet, that is when the most accidents occur and really stupid that when an airport is built out in the boondocks that shortly after, thousands of buildings are put up right next to it. And when they do, complain about the pollution and the noise.

Tend to study the passengers, if any 9/11 stuff is pulled, know I could break at least a couple of necks, sure in the hell wouldn't just sit there. Was happy Air Canada took an extra hour to have their wings decided before takeoff during an icy rain, would have asked to get off if they didn't. On those long flights, my watch seems to tick at a much slower speed being cramped in those tiny seats for over eight hours.

Feel better traveling with my wife, if we go, we will go together, hate it when she travels alone. Think it's funny when they tell you to put the back of the seat in the upright position, only moves forward about two inches. Have to remember to bring a pen to fill out those ridiculous custom forms, but that gives you something to do.

What concerns me the most is politics, sure didn't like that guy that Bush put in charge of the FAA, was a very strict agency before him, also wish I was not an engineer that is aware of the thousands of things that can go wrong, but rely on statistics, still the safest way to travel.

[PB&JAM 1]

Okay, I've got to get used to flying to England from SoCal, but ... I have a fear of flying unlike that which the world has ever seen. I mean, I JUST got used to flying to Orlando for business (that's a little under 5 hours). Please tell me I'm not alone (LOL), and/or offer some tips to help me get through it. I don't want to avoid going to England ... I'm set to go collect my honey and fly to POE with him when the time comes. And I speak to my future mother-in-law on the phone all the time, and have fallen head over heels in love with her, so she's due for some big hugs!

Thanks in advance, guys!!

you arent alone! i think everyone gets jitters flying. long haul flights have huge safe planes that are made for long flights. (i feel safer on long flights than shorter ones!) I have been on quite a few long flights (10 hrs +). To England and back a couple times, to Israel and back. Honestly, once you are on board and well into the flight you totally forget about it.

Just think, you are doing this to be with the man you love! Just picture running into his arms in England and how wonderful it will be! its so exciting! i get nervous before flights sure, but you cannot let fears stop you from living! Dont let fear stop u from being in your man's arms! I would just think about looking into my guy's eyes and i'm ready to do anything to get there!

I just got back from England a couple weeks ago n it was just about the best couple weeks of my life! Soooooo worth the long flight n any jitters seem silly to me now! If you have a ticket you dont want to use, i'll take it off your hands gladly! teehee.

I learned some things about fear...the best thing to do for it is to face it head on! I was scared of heights, so i went bungee jumping and skydiving haha. Face those fears...dont let them control you. Dont even worry about the flight, just think of how AMAZING it will be to be with your man! and meet your future in-laws! you can do! Be brave!

[sara..... 371]

i dont know if anyone that is really afraid of flying ever gets past it, i have traveled around the world with my mom most of my life i HATE to fly, i get physically ill as soon as the flight is booked, so i try to sleep the complete trip, of course that dont work but it helps..........

doctors can give u something to help u relax, i tried that once but felt awful when it wore off had a headache from it

just pray and try to remember there are hardly any accidents on planes these days good luck and enjoy ur being with ur s/o again

sara

[amberdima 6]

i've always been paranoid of flying; however, in the past two years i flew from philly-phoenix alone and from jfk-paris with my best friend. the more you do it, the less fear should surface. do you drink? i need 4 drinks...then i can relax and take a nap. if not, try half a xanax.

and yes- thinking of how awesome it will be when you get where you're going and see who you're looking forward to is helpful, but can also increase anxiety.

don't let it hold you back. go for it! safe travels to you!

[Welshcookie 17]

I also have a flying phobia.....when I have to fly I go spend some time with Capt Tom on this forum http://www.fearofflying.com/message.htm I find lots reassuring stuff on here

Edited April 1, 2009 by Welshcookie

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

You're definitely not alone.

BA Baracus was so scared of flying that the rest of the A-Team had to slip him sleeping pills and bundle him on board!

[Heracles 417]

Luckily they don't screen Air Crash Investigations here on the NatGeo channel. Used to love that show in Aus. I believe it was Canadian.

For Example: 20 cents worth of sticky tape took down a 30 million dollar jet.

But statistically flying is one of the safest forms or transportation. Especially when compared to the US roads. Excluding third world countries, probably some of the most moronic driving I have even seen. On the shittest roads in the world might I add. So in comparison, flying is a walk in the park. I actually love flying overseas.

Edited April 1, 2009 by Constellation

[Nagishkaw 510]

I'm skird, too. I only flew twice in my life and I pray I never have to do it again.

[chri'stina 190]

You are not alone. And look at you, already flying to Orlando all the time!! That is a huge accomplishment for someone who is afraid of flying.

I guess my fear is not as high as some others who posted. I don't take medications or drink anything to fly hehe. I do pray in my head though and I think of scenarios and tell myself "what's the worst that can happen? death?" and I am ok with death. It's the dying part that freaks me out - the falling out of the sky while still alive. But I remind myself how rare it actually is to happen.

When the flight is smooth, I am fine now. We recently went to India. We flew about 3 hours from here in Tampa to Newark, then from Newark it was a 14 hour nonstop flight to Mumbai, India. Talk about a long flight!! I was fine on the flight until we hit bumpy turbulence. It really gave me a lot of anxiety but a lot of people on the plane were just sleeping. This was a huge plane, and an overnight flight. So I hide my anxiety inside mostly, pretending I'm fine hehe, and pray, and realize I am probably not going to die. I went to India in 2003 also, very long traveling time. Before that, I hadn't flown since my family moved to Florida from NY in 1984!!! So I was way more nervous before that trip, and the long flights helped me get over some of my fears. But some always surface a little. At least on the international flights, you can watch movies at your own little screen and I love the giant planes so much more than the domestic planes. Watch a movie you like to distract you.

After this recent trip, I looked up info about turbulence. Learning about it more can help me with the fear part of it. I just imagine the plane's wings getting flipped over and then falling out of the sky, lol. But after reading more about turbulence, I feel better about it. I won't feel totally fine with it, but I think better than last time. I always run statistics in my mind too. So for me, what helps me get through flights is #1 prayer and realizing I am actually ok with death, #2 thinking of the statistics of flying, and #3 looking around at all the passengers who seem to not even notice when there is turbulence.

The people who act completely normal about it do annoy me a little though, like geez aren't you brave!! It's just my jealousy for their ability to feel normal in that situation.

[almaty 19]

damn,. i thought this was a discussion thread on Erica Jong's book

[Chocolot 0]

I am such a bad traveller and it isnt just flying, I need to take a medication to keep my stomach contents safe and luckily for me it also helps me sleep.

I refused to fly for years and years and now I just accept that to get somewhere flying is going to be the most efficient and quickest way of getting there. I dont think I am scared, not of actually flying but I certainly dont like being ill. Its embarassing but the crew are generally very nice about it.

So my suggestion would be to find out what medication is available to you that will help. Maybe its for anxiety rather than the one I need, but I am sure there is something.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

damn,. i thought this was a discussion thread on Erica Jong's book

[Ladylethal 12]

I used to love flying, always got excited when the family went by plane and not by car, as a kid it was an adventure and loved it, plus back in the 80s flying in Brasil had this fanciness to it. Everyone at the airport went well dressed and it just felt rich to fly.

Then as a teenager it became bothersome, the long flights bored the heck out of me, the lay overs where I had to sit hours waiting for my connecting flight, carrying bags around, I actually enjoyed traveling by car better I could wear flip flops and bring whatever I wanted to eat, spread out in the back seat, listen to music and sing out loud with my family or friends, we could stop and stretch whenever we felt like, etc. I had some good cross country trips that way as a teen, 3 days to reach our destination, but having fun on the way, even if I arrived tired as heck.

Now as an adult, I feel more frail, and although I'm not scared of flying, it's not as easy as it used to be, I actually feel relief when I land, although I might not even realize I was even a little tense before, it remains super boring, specially going from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the Amazon in Brasil to visit my family, it's basically 24 hours of airplanes and airports and it's just so tiresome. Last trip I believe I had 3 connections, meaning 4 different flights, all lasting 3+ hours, the longest over 7, and layovers of up to 5 hours. Because of these bad flights, and for feeling more frail myself, I don't look forward to flying anymore, but still am a really cool, calm, good passenger.