Does anyone else have a fear of flying and having to take a flight soon? if so how are you planning to cope?

Question

i've had a hypnotherapy session and been listening to hypnotherapy cds but still scared!

Answer 1

I am opting for 4 double vodkas and some valium. Abracadabra! You wake up and your there. haha.

Answer 2

just do it!!

my dad has a severe fear of flying..but he just went for it and he got over it!

just think what can go wrong..you are very safe these days!!

Answer 3

I just flight to spain 15 days ago and got back 3 days ago ,  I was afraid as well and it was fine.

what i would do " sit somewhere about back " ( in case the plane crash or something you have more chance to survive ) bit on safe side. and sit away from window. and listen mp3 or something and try to sleep , it will go fast. and think of something nice not anything about plane.

Good luck  

Answer 4

I have just been  on a trip around the world, so had a few flights to take. I took Kalms tablets. They help with stressful situations and flying can be stressful. I also put lavender on a tissue and sniff it, it is calming. I use this when it gets bumpy.

http://www.boots.com/shop/product_detail...

Another thing you can take is Bach flower remedies. I use Rock Rose. You add a couple of drops to a bottle of water.

I hope this helps.

Answer 5

Lolly above is right. Some valium will calm you down. I wanna assure you that flying is very safe. The aircraft (aeroplane) is a machine with fixed wings and jet engines. I enjoyed my last flight from Detroit to Amsterdam (the newer Airbus 330 are fast and quiet ! It is eight (8) hours flying time from Detroit to Amsterdam. Go for it. And enjoy your flight !

Answer 6

Yes I've done it dozens of times but I still get petrified everytime. I have a flight to Canada in 5 hours from now (I'm in South America) and I'm up on Answers instead of sleeping because I'm so nervous. No matter how much Nyquil or Tylenol PM I take I can never get to sleep and I feel like I'm gonna have an anxiety attack each time. I got 3 flights today, oh god. Please shoot me.

Answer 7

I just came back from Europe two weeks ago and the flight took 40 hours one way! The best way to cope is to tell yourself, that the most accidents occur during start off and landing. Flying high in the air (which is most of your trip) is the safest part of your journey so r e l a x. Besides, when you dont sleep for almsot a day, I doubt you would worry about the plane crashing. The one thing on your mind is, "Leave me alone, I want sleep!". Read a book or sleep, oh and aeroplane food is always delicious lol. Eacc time I boarded the plane I looked forward to the food haha.  

Answer 8

o h**l tell me about it!

i live in new zealand but am from the uk which is my first problem .2nd being i travel up n down alot to see Friends who live in the south island

Yesterday i flew don and back in one day and to be honest nearly didn't get on the flight.i cry,im sick,i sweat, i shake

but its all in my head.

Ona trip back from the uk once i woke a guy up coz i was so scared  and had to talk to someone to feel at ease.He told me to tell myself its just the wind on the wings! For 18 hours i sat saying its just the wind on the wings..and you know its actually true coz thats all its is

for yesterdays flight i did the same again but also took some 'New Era' Kali.Phos

its potassium phoshate tablets and it worked wonders .i was ok - well not to bad! good luck

i realy realy know how you feel x    

Answer 9

I love to travel, but hate to fly! Actually, it's just the take-off that freaks me out. Anyway, I've flown several times and just gritted my teeth through the whole thing, but that's really not good for your nerves. Also, you have to worry your whole vacation about the return flight!

I was on a flight to NYC, totally freaking out about taking off. The guy sitting beside me asked if I was okay, and it turns out he was a psychologist and said he could help me out. Now, this sounds really ridiculous, but just try it! Whenever you feel like you're about to freak out or throw up or whatever, start to clench and unclench your toes. First one foot, then the other. Slowly, not fast. Concentrate on that, only on that. After a few minutes I've found it calms me down. The dude said it gives your brain something to think about other than being so scared. Not sure about all that, but it works for me. Anyway, it's worth a shot, right?

Answer 10

I think the best thing to do is to understand what is happening - then you'll know there's nothing to be afraid of!

I'm a pilot by trade - so trust me, I meet people all the time who are scared of flying. They range from people who are first time flyers to couples where one is scared and the other fine to people who've flown for years and still never quite got over the fear...when I talk to them a bit, I find the big concern is not understanding.

They don't know what happens, why things feel this or that way, and they need reassurance about the things that seem odd. Also, they quite often need myths to be burst - TV and movies are hopeless for spreading nasty ideas about flying that are simply impossible!

Some common ideas... :-)

Most people tell me they are scared of crashing - that's the big one. If we take that though and look at the stats, some rather cunning analysts a year or two ago figured out that on average, you would have to fly 10 hours a DAY, for about 12 million years until you would be guaranteed to be involved in a crash.

So in other words, they are so few, the odds are literally one in billions!

Not to mention, most crashes happen on landing, when the plane is slow, close to the ground and people survive - very, very few plunge from the sky. In fact, virtually none. Most people survive the actual crash, then those who suffer are the ones who don't know what to do after - so the best thing you can do is pay attention to the safety brief - and bear it in mind. It'll put your mind at rest because if something went wrong, you'll know what to do...trust me. :-)

People often worry about us as pilots. They're scared we'll get sick or forget what we're doing. Not going to happen!

To fly for an airline, a pilot needs literally years of flying experience...and then once s/he's in, they need years more to become a captain and be in charge. This is why you see most airline pilots are in their 30s - 50s!

I'm only in my 20s and still working away at the hours I need to be an airline pilot. Even when I get the flying experience, I need to be accepted - and the airlines only take the best on board.

Once they're taken in, you have medical screens annually. Don't pass it? Then you stop flying - it's simple. So we know the pilots are fit and healthy!

Then there are tests every few months. From what I've heard, the tests are tough and they make sure the pilots can handle EVERYthing possible - and they do it all by the book and properly. Again - no pass, no fly.

So the two or more fellas flying your plane will be fit, experienced, well trained and capable... :-) you're in good hands! It's not like being a bus driver...

Now - onto the plane, for a few facts and mythbustings.

For a start, fuel. A lot of people are scared stiff about running out - but it just doesn't happen. The flight is planned bit by bit and when the fuel needed is worked out, an extra 10% is added, then more and more added to cover any event (like a delay) - and finally, an extra reserve added...just in case.

Doors - people think they can open in flight...WRONG. The pressure of the air inside the plane actually holds the door into its frame - and it is physically impossible to open!

Engines - jet engines are incredibly reliable - even more so than your car! Plus they are serviced continually, inspected after each flight and even if one or more fails, a plane can keep flying on the remainders. A four engine jet can fly on just one if it needs! It's slow - but i'll keep up there :-)

Wings - you'll see if you look out the window, the wings flex and parts move. This is totally normal. The flexing is just caused by wind - and it stops the wing stressing. It's like if someone grabs your arm and pulls - it'll move, naturally, at the joints - this stops it being hurt! The wing is the same.

As for the moving parts - these are actually brakes ("spoilers") and flaps - which help the wing make more or less lift when it needs. So they move up from the wing or back from it - nothing to be scared of.

The last thing is the actual feelings...

During takeoff, you'll feel pushed back into your seat - even more in the climb. Perfectly natural - it's just the plane accelerating - being such a powerful machine, it makes more of an effect like that than any car!

Turning in the air might feel weird too - because the plane tilts...again, it's totally normal - the plane won't roll over! But as it tilts, the nose can swing around to where it needs to be.

Finally...noise. Unfortunately, the plane's manufacturers can only block out a certain amount of engine noise - the rest is still heard...some people think the engines are exceptionally noisy - they are, but unlike a car, they're moving a few hundred people and there's 2 - 4 of them, not just one...so don't be stressed.

Certainly if you have any more flying concerns, send me an email with your questions - but otherwise I hope I helped!

Think of this...you're in more danger getting to and around the airport than you are in the air... :-) it's just that you're more used to ground travel than air.

Air travel is the safest in the world - for a reason! And everything that happens in the plane is for a reason - so nothing is wrong if they make a change :-)

Enjoy your trip!

Answer 11

I got sick of my fear of flying holding me back from going away, so before going on holiday recently I decided to get some Valium (which I got precribed to me by the doctor).  I don't like taking unnatural medicine unless I really need it, but I would definitely recommend taking Valium if your fear is very strong.  However, you have to be quite careful with it because it can be highly addictive.

Another way of getting over your fear is by learning a bit about the mechanics of the aeroplane.  It really is a safe and clever mode of transport.