Scared to fly.......

consider the alternative. take a greyhound to st.louis and back. when you get home realise you could have made the trip in a hour on a plane. it may not seem so bad. it's like pulling off a bandadge; do it fast and get it over with.

 

I'll concur with the others here and say that the best thing you can do is to learn how aircraft operate and read into the details of how meticulously they are assembled and maintained. Better than any Ferrari we could ever imagine! In college, I did a brief internship with Rolls Royce Aircraft Engines in Indianapolis and it was extremely fascinating and very impressive to see these mechanical wonders in action. Basically, jet engines are like giant turbochargers (ok, just a hair more complex) but think of how often turbos ever fail.....hardly ever. Simplicity is key here.

Go to Barnes & Noble and pick up some magazines about commercial aircraft (yes, they do have those believe it or not!) and you'll become that much more informed and comfortable. There are guys out there who are enthusiastic about large jets just the same as we all are about Ferraris.

My parents had me on planes at a very young age and I never had any problems with flying since. I will admit that we were once on a flight to Miami that hit the most awful weather the pilots said they ever encountered (the plane dropped something like 7,000 feet, lickity-split) and there were some rather terrified people on board (including myself and my folks) but we made it through just fine.

I generally fly to Europe at least twice a year, those flights seem to always be smooth because you're up so high but I know domestic trips can sometimes feel a bit bumpy due to the lower flight altitude. Going against what others here say, get yourself some sort of a mild sedative, take it 1/2 hour before flight and you'll be just fine. But I will agree, do not drink any booze. I don't eat either. Of course on the Europe jaunts once you've been up there for 6 hours you tend to get hungry and even airline food looks appealing But on a short trip, I agree that you'll feel more comfortable in-flight if you are on an empty stomach.

Finally, I never sit by the window. On the large, widebody jets used for the overseas jaunts, I always take an aisle seat in the middle section. It does do something to keep your internal equilibrium in check as I understand. Aside from that, I like to be able to stretch out in the aisle and I could care less what's going on outside that window. Most likely, if you live in the midwest and are going to Chicago, you'll be on something smaller (DC-9 or 727?) but just grin and bear it and think of the fun things you'll do once you're in Chicago.

P.S.--If you have a laptop, take it with you. It always is the best thing IMHO to keep your mind busy...The movies usually suck. I have to fly to Hartford, Connecticut next week to go pick up my new Jaguar XJR, and the flight is one of those Comair puddle-jumper deals, which are my least favorite to fly on but I know that thoughts of blasting across the New York Thruway on the ride home will override any worries about being inside that thing

Cheers,
Aaron
'82 GTSi

 

The only reason I say otherwise is because, if there is ever an emergency, you don't want to be the lethargic obstacle in everyone's way. Xanax used to knock me on my ass, and there were certain times I don't think I could have gotten up if I had to. Booze the same way. I still cannot understand why airports and airlines feel they need to sell alcohol to passengers in this day and age.

RMX

 

This i doubt it very much !

But it's true that the more you fly, the more you get used to it.

Simply imagine you would need to fly today. Ok, watch the news tomorrow, no plane flying that route crashed. Do it all over until you fly, it should help you relax a bit.

I had that as well years ago, and had on top of that to travel 12 hours after the infamous Egyptair Crash to NYC-(in a Swissair MD11 of course) Was quite weird. Of course nothing happened, except a crazy guy the fbi had to take out because he lost control during the flight.-

 

Man up. Don't want the gf to think you're a wuss This is what got me on my first roller coaster, and now I'm a roller coaster nut.

-R

 

Are You a man or a mouse? just get on with it..............

 

Hey come one... you can't say that, most fears are stupid, but we can't help them..this has nothing to do with being a man or not.

Only idiots are afraid of nothing.

 

I won't say a word.....

Ok, well maybe....... Here is my 3 yr old son loving every minute on a summer vacation to the south!

Sit back, relax and enjoy the flight!
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Probably doesn't help this thread, but your odds of surviving a car accident are pretty good.

Excellent advice. I fly a lot, still hate it, but some good tunes on an iPod really does help. Much more so than booze.

 

This fear is, like most, irrational, but telling someone the odds, or suggesting that they distract themselves, won't work. That is why I suggested a day flight, plenty of space, eg, first class in a big jet if possible, and some advance notice to the flight crew via special services. Nothing to 'man up' about-

 

I flew from NY to Paris with TWA, Flight 800 actually, 2 weeks before it blew up over the Atlantic. I was in Paris at the time and saw it on TV, very surprising. We still flew back on the TWA 747 to get back home, no problems. I actually still have some Arabic Pepsi can I got on the flight going to Paris.

 

You're right that fear of flying is completely irrational. It's because of that that I believe there's not a rational way to overcome it, like you suggested. It really just needs to be faced head on and conquered. Yes my comment was crude (and mostly sarcastic...) but experience suggests that accepting the situation and simply dealing with it is ultimately what has to happen. This might include only flying in 1st class during sunlight hours on a big plane, but the bottom line is that regardless of all of that, he still needs to walk down the jetway and step onto the plane. Not to imply that the OP is a spineless twerp, but the only thing that'll get him to make that last step is a backbone. I'm sure that he will in fact make that step, enjoy his vacation, make the return flight, and reply in this thread something along the lines of "I have no idea what I was so worried about..." just as most people tend to say after overcoming some irrational fear. I just hope that he doesn't get struck by lightning while on vacation, statistically a much more probable occurance

-R

 

I don't think Capone was afraid of flying.

 

I was scared about flying down to Florida and to be ohnest I puked my guts out on the way down but I get motion sickness quite easy. What helped me on the way back is they gave me a full can of pepsi and I just sipped on it slowly and a good mag will take your time of things.

 

I can't believe how many people's first response it to take some kind of a pill. That doesn't fix anything and likely affects other things. It's the easy way out, it doesn't solve anything, you're no better, you've not overcome anything; rather just become more dependent.

How about this: Suck it up and be a man.

Be brave. Get on the plane, and think about the fact that you are going to die sooner or later and you don't know the day, and ultimately you don't have control over it, whether you fly or not.

Be brave. You'll feel stronger when you get off the plane. It may take several flights or even years to shake the fear, but you'll be better for it, even after just one flight.

Have a good trip.

 

Yes but if there were as many planes as cars, there would be a lot more plane crashes. There's only thousands of planes fyling in skies daily while there are around 50 million cars driving daily in the US.

Anyways, take a xanax or klonpine or valium. Or just bring a dvd player and throw on a good flick, maybe have one screwdriver or something to take the edge off (it could help or make things worse but it usually helps me chill).

I used to love flying until I was about 17 then started having some anxiety issues and kinda bugged myself out on this one flight. I got extremely paranoid and totally thought the plane was going down. hah, it's funny when I think back on it now, since it was just bad turbulence combined with my extreme paranoia and anxiety. Anyways, I hated flying for a few years after that flight but still flew anyways. I would be a nervous wreck on flights but I had to fly to get places. Then I got over when I broke up with this girl the day before I had to fly. I was on a 6 hour flight and didn't even care if it crashed because I was so down over the girl. After that flight, my fear of flying ended.

 

I fly quite a bit and still get a bit uneasy sometimes. The only time I was truly terrified was when me, my wife, our 2 year old son and 6 month old daughter were flying back from the Caymans. I came back from the can and saw them all sitting there and imagined something happening to the plane and I almost freaked. It was truly terrifying. I knew I could ride that b*tch into the ground like a man, but the thought of my wife seeing her kids die was a gut buster. Then I remembered how bad of a driver she really is and I realized they were in much better hands with the pilot.

I always try to say hi to the pilot as I am getting on. Can't explain why, but it makes me feel 10x better.

 

Ha! Small world it must be. I was faced with almost the same situation with my g/f back in college. We went to London, England on a study abroad program and she was there two weeks before I arrived. Well, the night BEFORE I was due to depart, she calls me, drunk as a skunk, saying she made out with some guy at the bar that night when they were all out partying. Needless to say, I was a little pissed, but when I boarded that plane the next day I almost didn't give two $hits whether or not it might crash I was so angry...

 

Do Sudoku puzzles. Before you know it you're on the ground.

 

I love to fly.
But, Just in case you need a laugh:
After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.

Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (marked with a "P") and the solutions recorded (marked with an"S") by maintenance engineers. By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident.

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.

P: Auto pilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.

P: IFF ino perative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny.(I love this one!)
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.

And the best one for last..................

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.

 

I fly small planes on occassion... Nothing like being in a 2-4 seater Cessna about 5000 feet up in the air when your pilot simulates an engine stall and you go down to just a few hundred feet -- quick -- That'll get you over just about any fear of flying... Back before 9/11 I'd had the opportunity to sit in the jump seat of a 747 (heavy) landing at a major airport (in Europe), too, and that's a whole different kind of amazing.

But rollercoasters?!??! NO F*CKING WAY. I bought the "don't be a wuss" B*LLSH*T once back when I was a kid and agreed to get on Space Mountain at Disney World in FL. Oh sure, I liked it so much I got right back on it. Only after the second time, I collapsed and stopped breathing. I went to the ER *TWICE* in the same night. I threw up somewhere between 15 and 20 times (and I had nothing left after about the 4th time, so you can imagine how painful this was). I was in bed for a week. Some of the most intense pain of my life. Call it an irrational fear or whatever, I get nauseous just looking at a rollercoaster. NO THANK YOU.

Doing rollercoasters *does not* make one a man... Neither does flying.

That said, I agree with those who point out that there is far less to fear from flying (at least as a matter of stats) than from driving, and I wish you luck getting over your fears.

Cheers,
J.

 

I'm in the same boat as the thread starter. I'm amazed by how many of you guys are nervous about flying. I'm 29 and have never flown, but my fiance wants to go somewhere other than near home for our honeymoon so I guess i'll have to do it.

 

Honeymoon?!?! Dude, the last thing you should be thinking about is the flight
Focus on what happens at the destination.

 

I have a pilots license and I am terrified of flying commercial. Must be a loss of control thing and claustrophobia, also I am very afraid of heights (however I did manage to jump with a parachute once.) I try to avoid flying as much as possible and take the train as much as I can.

When I have to fly, I drink as much alcohol as I can take and stay upright.

Soooo..... you are not alone.