Not exactly afraid of flying..but afraid. pelase help?

Question

Hi there!

I have a trip coming up in a couple of months. But I'm kind of afraid of flying. But KIND OF I mean some certain things scare me... like take off/landing, when there is turbulence, and when flying over bodies of water. I know the flight to where I am going is like 2 hours or so.. so it's not that long. I know this is kind of stupid.. but I had a fear of flying since the 9/11 attack.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEAAAASE help me get over these fears!

thank you so much!

-n

Answer 1

All normal fears for beginners. Have no fear here are the facts.

Air travel is the safest mode of transport. When you compare the stats for number of people per miles traveled with actual injury, air travel is far ahead. The reason people fear air travel is the news media. When a crash happens it makes news and is splashed on the TV and papers yet over 50,000

people a year die in auto crashes in USA and we accept this as a normal part of life. Unless its a major pileup that closes the interstate it barely makes news much less headlines. Landing in turbulance is the tricky part but pilots are well trained to do this and always get applause from passengers when this has to happen. Most pilots will seek an alternate airport when they judge it to much risk. Unfortunately public pressure through the system to meet schedules and deadlines have an impact and sometimes lead to pilots making a bad decision. Crashes rarely occur due to mechanical failure alone. Its usually a series of events combined with pilot error. Off field landings on water are usually safer than land and all commercial airlines are equipt with survival equipment for this. Try to sit close to an egress point. You will become more comfortable the more you understand aviation.

Answer 2

c**k pits are secure..no hijacking

when the cockpit doors open every crew member is around the door.....no hijacking.

Likeliness of crashing is .005 to100000000

you have a better chance of dieing in a car accident

you have a better chance of getting struck by lighting.

pretend its a roller coaster.

pretend you in a car and turbulence is bumps in the road.

you will be fine.

Thousands of flights each day..........all make it

The security at airports in unreal.

Answer 3

air is a fluid like water and the aircraft swims through it like a fish...the problem is you cant see it...while youre wondering how 500 tons of plane is going to get up into the air!...the captain would be very surprised if it didnt go up...cos he knows when he/she reaches take off speed and tilts the nose and wings up...you are "sucked up"...into the sky and once you get used to the various noises associated with under carriage and hydraulic noises you will find it ok!...the aircraft is designed and tested to extreme ability to deal with turbulance which is unstable air rather like white horses out to sea...and we all know that ships everyday have to put up with worse conditions at sea than there are upstairs...fear of flying is usually caused by lack of control...and not by crashing etc...this is why company directors on board cause problems with the cabin staff?...because they are used to control and cannot control the flight environment...its safer upstairs with the professionals than driving along the road down here with the idiots...enjoy youre flight...

Answer 4

There are approx. 16000 to 20000 airplanes ( flights)that takeoff and land safely in the united states everyday. How many cars and trucks have an accident everyday? This alone should make you feel very safe in an aircraft.

Answer 5

Only you can do that.

Answer 6

I was thoroughly terrified before my first airplane ride, so I took the scholarship approach.  I got out every book I could find about airplanes and flying, especially the ones that explain passenger airliners: why they fly, how they're built, how a pilot is trained, how a flight is conducted, what the air-traffic control people do, and all the rest.  The more you learn about the process, the more empowered you are.  Learn about causes of turbulence, and why they drop the landing gear long before they land (it slows the plane down) and what all that stuff out on the wings does.  Learn about the dozen or so radios the aircraft has.  If you have your ticket already, you can find out what sort of airliner you'll be flying on and look it up on the Web to learn all about it.  

One more thing:

You might also bear in mind that there have been no airplane hijackings since 9/11/01 and there will indeed be no more.  Passengers will tolerate no nonsense whatsoever: they  can and will neutralize anyone who makes trouble.

Answer 7

danger lingers every where. it lingers during the airflight too. it's true.

but, it should not make you feel like paranoids; even after the 9/11!

Life goes on.

Make a decision not to fear. Only you yourself can do it.

I am living in a place where safety is not guaranteed; even during the flights. But should I entertain my fear and let it overcome me? No way.

So, enjoy your flight! Dont let the fear intimidate you.

Bon voyage!

Answer 8

just don't think about

Answer 9

The airplanes are designed to fly in a wide variety of conditions that exceed anything you are likely to encounter in flight during your life; even if you're a professional pilot.

The pilots are trained to fly in a wide variety of conditions that exceed anything you are likely to encounter in flight during your life; even if you're a professional pilot.

Most flights experience mild turbulence that is no where near what the airplane is designed to handle and no where near what the pilots have experienced in a simulator.  The airplane is designed and the pilots are trained to fly at the extremes of the flight envelope.  Your ride will be right in the middle; far away from the edges.

Answer 10

You have very little to fear, other than your flight getting canceled or not arriving on time!  The new rules require the pilots to fly with the cockpit doors closed and locked, and new technology in x-ray machine equipment makes for really secure planes.  I just hope your flight arrives on time for you, which is the biggest problem with flights today!