Fear of flying

The Jammy dodger

I'm flying to America next week and really stressed out about it. I've never been afraid of flying before but suddenly I'm dreading a 7 hour flight over the icebergs this time around. I was never afraid last time. I've been taken these panic attacks recently and I keep thinking ''what if I am going to take a panic attack on the plane and they all freak out and think I'm a terrorist'' :eek::o

Anyone else here have a fear of flying? I remember my first ever flight EVER. I was terrified. Especially more terrified half ways through the flight when reading my Bob Dylan book to be notified that the engines on the right wing had failed. :eek:

Probably nothing compared to some of your stories.

TeddyTedson

I HATE flying too:(
I have reoccurring dreams about crashing:mad:
I doubt I'll ever get in a plane again to be honest.



Actually it's flying over water that I hate to be specific about it.

some random drunk

I was afraid of flying as a kid. One of the things that helped me get over it was being told that statistically you're more likely to be killed in a car crash on the way to the airport than on the actual flight.
Once you arrive safely at the airport you'll be grand OP.

Pilotdude5

I like flying.

The Jammy dodger

TeddyTedson wrote: »

I HATE flying too:(
I have reoccurring dreams about crashing:mad:
I doubt I'll ever get in a plane again to be honest.

Worst thing for me was that I was only 19 at the time and all alone. Nobody around me to say goodbye to in the event of a crash. The last face I would have seen would have been Bob Dylans ( I was reading his book ) face and his book, which is milked and overrated anyway. ''What a way to go'' I thought.

Vicar in a tutu

You should probably take the bus

ft9

Flying is lethal. Imagine if anything happens, the simplest of things like a loose bolt in the engine while your up there. A burst pipe, anything, and your sleeping with the fishies.

Jaysus I'd hate to be getting on a plane.

Mr Benevolent

I love flying. I'm not a pilot but I've landed aircraft and done various other bits and pieces. I've never been frightened but I can understand why some would be - there's nothing obvious about how aircraft fly or how pilots have to fly them, and a lot of people consider flying almost voodoo. It's one of the most amazing innovations we have ever created.

Flying is lethal. Imagine if anything happens, the simplest of things like a loose bolt in the engine while your up there. A burst pipe, anything, and your sleeping with the fishies.

Eh? That's a bit ignorant. If an engine fails there's another one or three. Happens a fair bit with no drama.

mr.jingle

some random drunk wrote: »

I was afraid of flying as a kid. One of the things that helped me get over it was being told that statistically you're more likely to be killed in a car crash on the way to the airport than on the actual flight.
Once you arrive safely at the airport you'll be grand OP.

Were you the hot ginger girl from Dumb and Dumber?

Kylo Ren

OP I was the exact same as you a few years ago. This online tutorial helped me out a lot and now I can get on any plane without any hassle.

This online tutorial helped me out a lot and now I can get on any plane without any hassle.

dirtyghettokid

i am not really scared of flying, but i have had a panic attack on a plane before, which is not nice!
over the atlantic (a trip i've done over 50 times in my life so far) the way the plane arcs, is so that it's never too far from an emergency landing place. i hate flying over the ocean, but once we are over newfoundland, i calm down a bit.

bring something to keep you occupied. i kept family guy episodes on my ipod, and you can also get rescue remedy.. a tincture kind thing to drop on your tongue to calm the nerves.

keith16

mr.jingle wrote: »

Were you the hot ginger girl from Dumb and Dumber?

Mary Samsonite?

The Jammy dodger

some random drunk wrote: »

I was afraid of flying as a kid. One of the things that helped me get over it was being told that statistically you're more likely to be killed in a car crash on the way to the airport than on the actual flight.
Once you arrive safely at the airport you'll be grand OP.

I know but its something about meeting the In-laws thats adding to the stress. I don't know what it is. If it was to somewhere like spain I probably wouldn't be bothered, but 7 hour flight and having to deal with the jet lag probably wont help with the panic. we'll just have to wait and see.

Fr_Dougal

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

I'm flying to America next week and really stressed out about it. I've never been afraid of flying before but suddenly I'm dreading a 7 hour flight over the icebergs this time around. I was never afraid last time. I've been taken these panic attacks recently and I keep thinking ''what if I am going to take a panic attack on the plane and they all freak out and think I'm a terrorist'' :eek::o

Anyone else here have a fear of flying? I remember my first ever flight EVER. I was terrified. Especially more terrified half ways through the flight when reading my Bob Dylan book to be notified that the engines on the right wing had failed. :eek:

Probably nothing compared to some of your stories.

Hope your arms don't get tired.

keith16

Keno 92 wrote: »

OP I was the exact same as you a few years ago. This online tutorial helped me out a lot and now I can get on any plane without any hassle.

This online tutorial helped me out a lot and now I can get on any plane without any hassle.

OH MY GOD, A GIANT PLANE CRASH! Come on everyone, gather round. Don't be shy, gather round.

Kylo Ren

keith16 wrote: »

OH MY GOD, A GIANT PLANE CRASH! Come on everyone, gather round. Don't be shy, gather round.

I hate you Keith.

mattjack

Relax , don't stress yourself out.Ask yourself how many people do you think have ever seen a plane crash ?








I have

The One Who Knocks

Yeah I have a fear of flying too..sort of,,,

I fear the sensations you get while on a flight, not the flight itself.
I'm not afraid of the plane crashing, or of turbulence (I actually like turbulence)

You know the floating/sinking feelings? dread them. :eek:

I also fear change in pressure, or anything that causes ear popping, as I usually end up getting vertigo if my ears pop....

how ironic, a fear of getting vertigo

___________________________________

Anyway I have a few coping strategies,

You can get special earphones that regulate air pressure in your ear, they help a tonne! Also, Listening to music, (if allowed) can really help

I like to close my eyes and just try to sleep, or at least lose awareness of my surroundings... sometimes I even pretend I'm flying the plane (yes I have control issues) that helps too

I like turbulence because it helps me to get my balance, it lets me know that the plane is moving forward, and not falling/rising...just pretend your on a bumpy road or something

Goodluck with your flight!

1ZRed

I used to want to be a pilot when I was younger and was mad about planes. When I was 5 or 6 I went on a plane for the very first time and had the worst turbulence I've still ever remembered. After that I swore off them and became really afraid.

We used to go on holiday abroad every year so this was the bit I dreaded a lot. But then a few years ago on a fight home from Crete, we had crazy bad turbulence again but I'd the head phones on and was distracted enough. Turns out that's what snapped me out of it because I realised that this isn't as fragile as you'd like to think and worst comes to worst, it's not going to happen, but it won't be so straight down to death, just like that and end in the worst case scenario.


Now after that, I love flying again. Especially on the runway when it speeds up to take off. Yeah, I'm still a big kid about

Vicar in a tutu

When its your time, its your time:)

Where To

Being human, I can't fly to save my life. Like this guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGnuMxFnc1k

Better off leaving it to the planes imo.

The Jammy dodger

Jamez735 wrote: »

Yeah I have a fear of flying too..sort of,,,

I fear the sensations you get while on a flight, not the flight itself.
I'm not afraid of the plane crashing, or of turbulence (I actually like turbulence)

You know the floating/sinking feelings? dread them. :eek:

I also fear change in pressure, or anything that causes ear popping, as I usually end up getting vertigo if my ears pop....

how ironic, a fear of getting vertigo

___________________________________

Anyway I have a few coping strategies,

You can get special earphones that regulate air pressure in your ear, they help a tonne! Also, Listening to music, (if allowed) can really help

I like to close my eyes and just try to sleep, or at least lose awareness of my surroundings... sometimes I even pretend I'm flying the plane (yes I have control issues) that helps too

I like turbulence because it helps me to get my balance, it lets me know that the plane is moving forward, and not falling/rising...just pretend your on a bumpy road or something

Goodluck with your flight!

Yeah vertigo is something I got when the Missus was in hospital with the baby. Up and down that elevator, late nights and no sleep or proper meals. I ended up with vertigo and panic. rotten is vertigo.

danslevent

Get some Valium off your doctor for flying B-)

The Jammy dodger

I think I'll ask him for some anxicalm. they tend to work.

B.A._Baracus

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

Probably nothing compared to some of your stories.

You've got no idea, sucker.

Lapin

Sit at the back of the plane OP.

If it crashes into a mountain or one of those icebergs you mentioned, you'll be the last one to snuff it.

The Jammy dodger

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

You've got no idea, sucker.

ok

pastorbarrett

Funny thing about people phobic about flying (and I'm one of them!) is that they rarely give pause for thought for others (family, friends etc) going off on flights. No begging or pleading with them not to go off on their respective flights, no imagined worst-case-scenario-wings-falling-off-the-plane incidents in store for them. Of course they'll come back unscathed! Pretty revealing really...

On a more practical note however, I found some books written on the subject really helpful. There's one written by a pilot (can't remember name) whereby systematically tackles most phobics concerns in lay man terms. Knowledge is power. Good luck with it OP.

billybudd

you will be fine, only times you have to fear is taking of and landing, once your in the air it is rare for a plane to crash.

B.A._Baracus

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

ok

*waits for poster to get the joke* :P

The Jammy dodger

Lapin wrote: »

Sit at the back of the plane OP.

If it crashes into a mountain or one of those icebergs you mentioned, you'll be the last one to snuff it.

I've heard these theories before that the safest place to sit in a plane in the event of a crash in just before the wing.

I think nowhere is safe to sit on a plane.

BlaasForRafa

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

I'm flying to America next week and really stressed out about it. I've never been afraid of flying before but suddenly I'm dreading a 7 hour flight over the icebergs this time around. I was never afraid last time. I've been taken these panic attacks recently and I keep thinking ''what if I am going to take a panic attack on the plane and they all freak out and think I'm a terrorist'' :eek::o

Anyone else here have a fear of flying? I remember my first ever flight EVER. I was terrified. Especially more terrified half ways through the flight when reading my Bob Dylan book to be notified that the engines on the right wing had failed. :eek:

Probably nothing compared to some of your stories.

Hi Jammy, I was in quite a similar situation in 2009, I had booked a holiday in New York. I hadn't flown for a few years and the anxiety about flying had built up inside me, nothing specific and not due to any event that I could nail down but in the last couple of weeks leading up to the flight I would feel sick to the stomach and almost frozen in fear of flying.

So I went to the doctor and he prescribed Xanax, told me to take one before takeoff and I'd be fine. So I took one and had a horrible flight, the xanax did nothing for the fear and made me feel worse if anything. But anyway, the flight went without a hitch, a little bit of turbulence, nothing major but I still felt crap.

I had a great holiday and before the flight home I decided to give the Xanax a miss,instead, just before the plane took off I put on my ipod and put on my favourite band on full volume. That took the edge off the fear and I was actually able to enjoy the take-off and the flight was fine. So thats a ritual I've done with every flight since and am even starting to enjoy the sensation of flying.

One other thing I did just after coming back from that holiday is to watch every single episode of Mayday/Air Crash Investigation. I know it sounds counter-intuitive but watching those helped to confirm just how rare accidents are and even when they do happen, there is a lot that pilots can do to bring the planes to safety.

1ZRed

Lapin wrote: »

Sit at the back of the plane OP.

If it crashes into a mountain or one of those icebergs you mentioned, you'll be the last one to snuff it.

Middle part of the plane where the wings are joined is the strongest and safest place to be in a crash, and you have a higher chance of survival.

3ndahalfof6

I have had a few scares, hurricane Gloria, going to NY we hit the end of the storm 25 minutes of the plane all over the place,(I grabbed the armrest, there was a nun sitting beside me, her arm was there before mine, by the time we landed her wrist looked like her pinkie)

then on the same trip flying over to Boston one of the engines went on fire, another time coming back from Italy we landed in England , I was expecting a jet plane to Dublin, they walked us to a 12 seater I think it was, the weather was crazy, I could see the pilot, the plane was all over the place, 3 attempts to land,

needless to say I have missed out on many holidays, but recently I have tipped over to Ireland via plane, while ****ting myself I dropped 4 Valium, it did the trick, I was told I would be out of it but once we landed I walked of the plane the same as the rest of the passengers, I guess my stress levels must of been threw the ceiling,

don't use drink to help, your doctor should be able to give you something, seen as it is such a long flight and you might not feel comfortable taking up to 6 Valium for the whole duration of the flight, a good sleeping pill might be the ticket, NO DRINK.

cloud493

I think the worst flight I ever had was during the really bad snow in 2009. We were sitting on the runway for 5 hours :eek:

keith16

Keno 92 wrote: »

I hate you Keith.

I mean er.....the gif erm....ALSO helped me overcome my fear of flying. I am now a pilot solely because of the gif, everyone who is nervous of flying, click on Keno's link.

BlaasForRafa

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

I know but its something about meeting the In-laws thats adding to the stress. I don't know what it is. If it was to somewhere like spain I probably wouldn't be bothered, but 7 hour flight and having to deal with the jet lag probably wont help with the panic. we'll just have to wait and see.

You don't get jet lag going to America, you get it when you come back so don't worry about that.

The Jammy dodger

I'll take some Nytol but with a 1 1/2 year old boy and wife I doubt I'll get much sleep haha. I am terrible at sleeping on public transport. In fact never in my life have I ever fallen asleep on a bus, train or plane or even in a car.

So thats that I guess. I did have one flight one time that was terrible from the get go. I was flying from Inverness to Dublin with Aer Arann. The plane was ancient. About 20 seats on it. I sat on the seat and this guy sat next to me and she ( the hostess ) said to him ''excuse me sir could you sit over there instead?'' he replied ''whats wrong with sitting here'' she said ''its fine to sit there but we need you to sit over here because need to balance out the plane''.

some random drunk

mr.jingle wrote: »

Were you the hot ginger girl from Dumb and Dumber?

You're going to have to explain this, I've never seen the movie.

3ndahalfof6

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

You don't get jet lag going to America, you get it when you come back so don't worry about that.

but your fooked if the jet gets jet lag.

shopaholic01

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

*waits for poster to get the joke* :P

Do you pity the fools?:D

not yet

billybudd wrote: »

you will be fine, only times you have to fear is taking of and landing, once your in the air it is rare for a plane to crash.

Air france brazil to paris.......scary stuff

The Jammy dodger

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

You don't get jet lag going to America, you get it when you come back so don't worry about that.

Well I've figured that when I go I get there at 11am their time. so my body will need sleep for the night at 6pm then I guess I'll be doing fine. Last time I went I couldn't sleep so maybe thats why I was thinking I had jet lag last time.

EoghanIRL

I've flown a lot but this one time I was flying to Charlotte and one of the movies was air crash investigation . Wtf like

TeddyTedson

I'd feel a lot better if I was actually flying it.

not yet

1ZRed wrote: »

Middle part of the plane where the wings are joined is the strongest and safest place to be in a crash, and you have a higher chance of survival.

How does that work if you crash into the sea.

Roisy7

Op was the exact same as you for years, started when I was about 13- I think it came out of 9/11 which occurred around that time too...

I still dislike taking off intensely, that period of adjustment and ear popping for the first ten mins make my stomach lurch... I love landing and the rush the plane makes when it touches down tho...

I went oz a few years back and after 3 long haul and 3 short haul flights in a fortnightI got over the fear- like another poster said the turbulence made me calmer... Strange we had zero turbulence from Perth to London but the flight from London to Shannon was really bumpy- I started laughing to myself thinking how bloody typical for the plane to crash on the shortest leg!

Most crashes involve small aircraft like those poor men in Offaly. I really think flying is the only way to get over it- and the only difference between the flight to America, apart from the length, is you'll get a fine choice of movies :P

Roisy7

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

Well I've figured that when I go I get there at 11am their time. so my body will need sleep for the night at 6pm then I guess I'll be doing fine. Last time I went I couldn't sleep so maybe thats why I was thinking I had jet lag last time.

Don't go to sleep at 6pm you'll feck up your sleep pattern. Hang on til nine or ten if you can

not yet

Hate flying, spend the whole flight with sweaty palms and humming mindless sh1t to myself with my eyes closed, really hate when the seatbelt sign comes on. All the stuff about loose rivits and bolts go through my head, funny enough it's a tiny bit less scary knowing I'm over land. hope this helps.

Hippies!

You'll be fine Op, they've air marshals nowadays so if you panic and people think you're a terrorist they'll probably shoot you. I don't know why you're so worried about flying over icebergs though considering the temperature outside the plane for most of your journey will be -100C but of course you're in a pressurized container which they heat for you as long as it isn't Ryanair so everything will be fine and dandy just like the 1000's of other planes that will be hurting along at 600 miles an hour over the Atlantic that day narrowly avoiding each other thanks to some guy in a tower somewhere looking at dots on a screen, one thing that guy can't see though are the millions of birds that could blow out an engine at any second on a flight. That would kinda suck.

BlaasForRafa

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

Well I've figured that when I go I get there at 11am their time. so my body will need sleep for the night at 6pm then I guess I'll be doing fine. Last time I went I couldn't sleep so maybe thats why I was thinking I had jet lag last time.

Yeah, any time I've arrived in the states its been around 1 or 2 pm. My tip to you would be don't go to sleep till at least 10pm anyway, that way your body will adapt to the time difference. if you go to sleep in the afternoon then your body will be confused. Keep yourself busy during the afternoon and go out in the evening so as to tire yourself out, thats what i've found works for me anyway.