I don''t wanna fly tomorrow!

[luckystar112]

Ugh. Tomorrow I have to get on a plane.

I''ve flown a million times, but for some reason starting around two days before I leave to go somewhere my stomach turns into knots and I start to get little panic attacks and visions of plummeting to the ground at 300mph. Or a mid-air collision. Or a terrorist.

I know I''m just paranoid...but I wish I didn''t hate flying so much!

I''m usually fine once we reach our cruising altitude, as long as we don''t stumble across any turbulance.

I need to make friends with a commercial airline pilot so they can tell me what makes a plane safe.

 

[candctroll]

If it makes you feel any better. My 16 year old step daughter (from my previous marriage) is flying 3,000 miles, by herself Saturday to be here and spend the week with me before the wedding. Then I will put her back on the plane by herself. She was about 10 when she first started flying by herself out here.

 

[luckystar112]

Yeah...it''s weird because I was never afraid of flying until after 9/11, and now I dread the thought of it all year round.

 

[Independent Gal]

Does talking facts to yourself help? If so, why not read up on the internet about how flying works? And remind yourself how much more like other horrible things are then flying. Why worry about an in-air collision when an on-road collision is SO much more likely... I mean, if you choose to worry at all!

When I take off in a plane, I like to concentrate on the funky sensation of it juuuust lifting off the ground... just like that! The engineering is amazingly cool. And it''s kidn of like getting on a ferris wheel or roller coaster. Exciting.

 

[iwannaprettyone]

You are more likely to get into a motorist accident on the way to the airport then you are a plane crash. I know it is scary but thousands of flights go up and down every day of the year and how many do you really see on the news having problems in comparision to car accidents?.

You''ll be fine, focus on how much fun you''ll have on the other end!

 

[Clio]

I know just how you feel. Over the last 10 years, I''ve developed a serious fear of flying. I''d be just as happy never to fly again, but I have to for work. Plus, I''d hate for my vacation options to be constrained by having to be within driving distance.

So, I saw my doctor and got a prescription for Xanax. It doesn''t take all of the fear away, but it definitely gives me the ability to fly without panic attacks. Even if it''s just a placebo effect, I''m glad for it.
You obviously can''t do this in time for your upcoming flight, but you might consider it as an option for the future. I resisted the idea of drugs for a long time, but it has made a very real difference in my quality of life.

Better living through chemistry

 

[iwannaprettyone]

on this same note you can take a couple of benedryl which will knock you out (well not quite) but you will be much more relaxed. Baby benedryl is great for kids and dogs when flying.

 

[Fly Girl]

My husband feels a lot like you do, and he is an aeronautical engineer. For a lot of people, education about how the airplane flies, and what holds the wings on, can be a big help. But, in his case, he already knew all that stuff. When I got my pilot''s license about 7 years ago, he had to suck it up and go flying with me. He didn''t like it at all when I "tipped" the airplane, even though he knew that you cannot turn an airplane in flight without tipping the wings. But, he has gotten much better. We have been up in the small plane on some pretty windy and turbulent days, and he has gotten pretty good about it. In fact, on one commercial flight, there was a lot of turbulence, and people were complaining, and he said it was nothing compared to being in a small plane. He was pretty pleased with himself as to how much he has improved. So, in his case, more exposure has really helped a lot.

I have met several airline pilots (we have some in my flying club) and they are incredibly good pilots. You are in safe hands.

Have a great flight!

 

[sumbride]

The problem with airlines these days is DELAYS, not safety. You will be fine!!! But you will probably also be DELAYED! Just make sure that if you have connections, they aren''t tight. That''s a whole different kind of panic.

You will be fine!

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 8/7/2007 9:00:56 AM
Author: Independent Gal
Does talking facts to yourself help? If so, why not read up on the internet about how flying works? And remind yourself how much more like other horrible things are then flying. Why worry about an in-air collision when an on-road collision is SO much more likely... I mean, if you choose to worry at all!

When I take off in a plane, I like to concentrate on the funky sensation of it juuuust lifting off the ground... just like that! The engineering is amazingly cool. And it''s kidn of like getting on a ferris wheel or roller coaster. Exciting.

IG, are you trying to kill me? lol That''s exactly what I''m afraid of!!! Ugh..I feel like I have spiders crawling all over my body now. lol. I''m always sitting there thinking to myself, "Is this thing going to make it up?" meanwhile we are going higher and higher...and then........


......the wheels retract and I just about have a heart attack thinking is something went wrong with the plane. Happens EVERY time. lol.


I think I would be better if I knew exactly what it is that makes planes safe. I''ve tried looking online before, but I have never been able to find anything. BF has told me in the past that there is pretty much 2 or 3 of everything, so if something mechanical fails, the plane is designed with a back-up that kicks in automatically. I have no idea how true that is. I know that there are sensors and whatnot that will tell you if you are coming to close to another plane. I''ve also heard that the plane is mostly on auto-pilot the whole time, and computers do much of the flying. Not sure how true any of that is, but it does make me feel a little better.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/7/2007 10:44:52 AM
Author: sumbride
The problem with airlines these days is DELAYS, not safety. You will be fine!!! But you will probably also be DELAYED! Just make sure that if you have connections, they aren't tight. That's a whole different kind of panic.

You will be fine!

Sumbride is correct about the delays.

I was traveling for 4 months out of the year and I felt like I couldn't breathe thinking about flying. I talked to a pilot and it helped. Pilots don't want to die either so they are going to do their hardest to keep the plane safe; plus pilots have to meet a strict amount of previous flying and maintain a clean record before they can even be considered for flying commercial planes. Take your ipod and listen to relaxing music or jam out; which ever helps ya. You will be fine. Happy flying and I will be thinking of you today
.

 

[chiefneil]

Terrorists and accidents don''t worry me. What really worries me is the possibility of getting stuck on a runway for 5 hours, which seems to be happening more and more frequently. I just read yet another story about a flight from Europe that landed in the US, and passengers were stuck on the runway for 5 hours! Imagine sitting on the runway after completing a trans-Atlantic flight. And then there was that other story about the plane that was stuck on the runway with no air conditioning and a baby got ill from the heat but they still wouldn''t let people off. You''d think the airlines or pilots could get sued for false imprisonment or something - but then if you make a fuss, homeland security throws you in jail. It''s just seems like you give up all civil rights once you step through the airplane door.

Sorry I''m probably not helping much. But really, air travel is very safe and not something to worry about at all.

 

[sumbride]

Date: 8/7/2007 12:49:32 PM
Author: chiefneil
Terrorists and accidents don't worry me. What really worries me is the possibility of getting stuck on a runway for 5 hours, which seems to be happening more and more frequently. I just read yet another story about a flight from Europe that landed in the US, and passengers were stuck on the runway for 5 hours! Imagine sitting on the runway after completing a trans-Atlantic flight. And then there was that other story about the plane that was stuck on the runway with no air conditioning and a baby got ill from the heat but they still wouldn't let people off. You'd think the airlines or pilots could get sued for false imprisonment or something - but then if you make a fuss, homeland security throws you in jail. It's just seems like you give up all civil rights once you step through the airplane door.

Sorry I'm probably not helping much. But really, air travel is very safe and not something to worry about at all.

Yup. That's kind of what I was implying.

I spent 3 hours sitting on a runway at DFW 2 weeks ago because of thunderstorms. It's only a 3 hour flight from DFW to BWI, but I was on that plane for SIX hours because the delay was before we took off. And they turned off the engine so we didn't have any A/C. No A/C in DALLAS in JULY??? It was unbearable. I was in a really foul mood when I finally got home! Having that happen again would worry me far more than anything else that could happen because it's far more likely.

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 8/7/2007 11:32:21 AM
Author: luckystar112

IG, are you trying to kill me? lol That''s exactly what I''m afraid of!!! Ugh..I feel like I have spiders crawling all over my body now. lol. I''m always sitting there thinking to myself, ''Is this thing going to make it up?'' meanwhile we are going higher and higher...and then........


......the wheels retract and I just about have a heart attack thinking is something went wrong with the plane. Happens EVERY time. lol.


I think I would be better if I knew exactly what it is that makes planes safe. I''ve tried looking online before, but I have never been able to find anything. BF has told me in the past that there is pretty much 2 or 3 of everything, so if something mechanical fails, the plane is designed with a back-up that kicks in automatically. I have no idea how true that is. I know that there are sensors and whatnot that will tell you if you are coming to close to another plane. I''ve also heard that the plane is mostly on auto-pilot the whole time, and computers do much of the flying. Not sure how true any of that is, but it does make me feel a little better.

It''s always the take-offs and landings that get to me.

I also feel the exact same way when taking off - I have to hold someone''s hand or grip the arm-rest tightly. I''m always so paranoid during this part and wonder what lifts that sucker into the air!

During landing, I get so nervous the wheels won''t come down or it won''t be able to stop and roll off the runway.

However, what gets me through all this is thinking that getting in a car accident is much more likely than being in a plane crash. Think of all the thousands of flights that take off and land everyday and out of those thousands of planes, how many crash. Also, you have to live your life. I certainly will not stop flying for the fear my plane will crash. I''m going to Maui for my honeymoon in 3 weeks and I''m flying direct - 10 1/2 hours!!!

BUT, I certainly will NOT let my fears take over my life and stop me from enjoying this beautiful world of ours!

 

[rockzilla]

I''d suggest reading the "Ask the pilot" column on Salon.com Just go to www.salon.com and search for "Ask the pilot"

One of his first columns was about turbulence. He essentially said that, for pilots, flying through turbulence is essentially the equivalent of driving over a gravel road. Certainly not pleasant, but also nothing to be scared about:

http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/feature/2002/06/28/askthepilot1/index.html

 

[luckystar112]

Wow Rockzilla! Thanks for the link!

 

[bee*]

I hate flying also-Im exactly like you in that a couple of days before I go I start to get panicky. Someone once told me before that the pilot wants to land safely as much as everyone else which kind of helped me a bit!

 

[divergrrl]

my friend sent me this....I''m like you.... she also told me that turbulence is like a bumpy road when you drive, no big deal. (she''s a corporate flight attendant on the swanky private jets....spends a lot of time doing international flights)

May 2, 2007

Fly Anxiety



You’d love to visit Beijing. And Bucharest. Oh — and Bahia. Too bad you’re deathly afraid to fly.

Chicken. (Well, you and about 54 million other Americans.) Flying is one of the safest forms of transportation — second only to the elevator and escalator. You’re more likely to get in a car crash, which makes the drive to the airport the most dangerous part of your flight. Of course, that doesn’t ease your dry sweats at check-in. And since vodka and Xanax will get you only so far, it’s time for better coping strategies.

Average Aerophobes
*Opt for the biggest aircraft and a window seat close to the front (you’ll feel less turbulence).

*Tell the flight attendant and the pilot that you’re afraid. They’ll talk you through the weather, the equipment, and address specific concerns. (They’ve done it before.)

*When you do experience turbulence, roll with it. Literally, sway with the movement of the plane. And pretend you’re going over potholes in the sky.

*In-seat strategies: Breathe deeply and listen to calming music to block out minor sounds and annoying neighbors. Try herbal remedies. Use the airsick bag to prevent hyperventilation.

*Avoid caffeine but drink lots of water: Dehydration increases anxiety.

White-Knuckle Flyers
If you’re even more averse, the Achieving Comfortable Flight pack of booklets, tapes, and cards was created by a former pilot and a psychologist to teach you about the machinery (planes have back-up systems for nearly everything), pilot training (as intensive as a doctor), and storms (the FAA requires avoiding them by twenty nautical miles). You’ll also learn positive imagery techniques. Don’t laugh.
Panic Buttoners
Download pilot and therapist Tom Bunn’s Soar podcast for tactics on conquering your fear of losing control. His soothing, paternal voice will have you gliding through check-in, turbulence, and landing. Want more attention? He also does weekly telecoaching and private consultations.
The Last Resort
For the truly terrified, the Fear of Flying Clinic offers training weekends (provided you can get there) with a pilot, flight attendant, airline mechanic, and air traffic controllers, all of whom explain safety, aerodynamics, and weather — much of it inside an airplane. Orientation flights are optional — and seriously helpful.
Now get your head in the clouds.