Afraid to fly....

[Blackrose]

Anyone else have this problem? We will be flying in from Oregon, this is a long plane flight, and I do not like to fly. It has nothing to do with crashing and everything to do with the sudden stoppage when it hits the ground! I figure if I can find more like me, and possibly more that are flying further than I, it will make me feel better!

 

[halld6479]

me too, here is how scared I can get we went to memphis to graceland and elvis's plane was setting there tied down and motor was setting next to it, we started walking thru it and a bunch of kids were ahead of us and started running and jumping my husband said I turn the prettiest green he had seen as I was climbing over these kids swearing the plane was moving. but dad had quad bypass last year and he lives in fl. I couldn;t get on the plane to go be with him, BUT after this summer driving down and staying at SSR I announced proudly to my family this place could make me get on a plane to come back down to stay here I love this place, so I am actually starting to plan a trip in 2007 as a magical gathering and we(hubby & me) will fly down. I always tell people I will go when the good lord calls me but I will be darn if I want to be on a plane when it is someone else call lol

 

[iluvflorida8]

You are safer in a plane than your own car.

 

[OKW Lover]

I don't know if this will help, but statistically you are in greater danger driving to/from the airport than when you are flying.

 

[Blackrose]

I know that is what everyone says, but I bet the people who went down in some of those planes said the same thing. I think it is being so high in the sky that knowing that if there was even a small mishap, life could be over. I would say that if the plane flew at like 100 feet I would feel way more secure. Its the whole 33000 feet up that is freaky. Oh and the getting there. Take offs are the worst. 0-203498230498 in like 5 seconds ack! Then the weightlessness as you take off!

 

[OKW Lover]

I know that is what everyone says, but I bet the people who went down in some of those planes said the same thing.

I'm sure many of the thousands that die on the road every year say the same thing too.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

I know that is what everyone says, but I bet the people who went down in some of those planes said the same thing. I think it is being so high in the sky that knowing that if there was even a small mishap, life could be over. I would say that if the plane flew at like 100 feet I would feel way more secure. Its the whole 33000 feet up that is freaky. Oh and the getting there. Take offs are the worst. 0-203498230498 in like 5 seconds ack! Then the weightlessness as you take off!

I read something written by a pilot about this. At that height, you have a LONG way before you hit anything to make adjustments. On the road, you have what, like 3 feet between you and the car coming at you on the other side of the yellow line at 65 mph???

I am also afraid to fly (well not afraid to fly, it is the sudden stop that gets me too). I take my 1/2 of an Ativan, buckle up, and hang on. I have tried fear of flying classes, which did help somewhat, but I have OCD, so I will never completely get over it. I focus on the reward....Disney!!!

And as my mom so helpfully told me, "If it is your time to go, you will go. If you don't get on the plane, it will probably land on you."

She is a gem.

 

[luvchip]

Blackrose-
I too am so afraid of flying!! I will be flying for the first time in 9 years next month when we head to Florida. My husband and I have turned down a trip to Australia and Hawaii because I have too afraid to get on a plane. The last few times I flew I started having panic attacks so that has been why I haven't gotten on a plane in 9 years. I decided when we were planning this trip that I need to try and get back in a plane. We will have our children and I am hoping that this will calm some of my fears. I take xanax for my panic attakcs (which I haven't had a bad one in about 2 years), so my dr. is having me take .50 mg 1/2 hour before I get on the plane. I also have learned that a small fan blowing in my face helps along with a cold cloth to put on the back of my neck. I am so hoping that all of this works because I really would like to be able to go places that involve getting on a plane. So remember you are not the only fearful flyer out there!!! Good thoughts to you!!

 

[zookeeper]

I went through this last year before our Disney trip and I'm starting to get nervous already for our trip in 1 month. I HATE flying! The part that's the worst for me is the turbulance. Before our flight last year I came acrossa great website...fearofflying.com I think was the address. It's a website set up by a real pilot and he explains every aspect of a flight and then talks you through a simulated flight including sounds that you will hear and what they are. It was such a good thing for me because it helped me understand what was happening on the flight and I could talk myself through it. I'll probably try and find the website again before our August trip. Good luck to you.


edited to add: I just checked and fearofflying.com is the website. They offer a free video course like I described above. It's worth taking a look at.

 

[boBQuincy]

Get a flight simulator for your computer and learn what a plane does. This goes a long way towards easing the fears of when the plane does some move you don't understand, or when it makes a noise you are not familiar with.

This pretty much cured my fear of flying, hope it helps with yours.

 

[Gramgwen]

I have the same fears and did not fly for 8 years until last July when my entire family went to Disney World. I kept saying to myself "in three hours I could be in Orlando or in Columbus, Ohio". It is just such a long drive and you never know what you will encounter on the road. So now I take something from the doctor to calm me and still maybe (if it is not too early) have a glass of wine on the plane. Before you know it I am there. I flew three times last year and and will be flying to Orlando again this October. I also try making it into an adventure and that gets the excitement going and the nerves calm a bit. I will probably never be a "frequent" flyer but I am making progress. Just keep thinking of the reward!

 

[Blackrose]

This is good to hear! Thank you all!

 

[pixistix]

I read through the fearofflying.com web site and course and it helps a lot! I'm ok once I'm in the air and I don't mind landings either but I get motion sickness so takeoff is difficult for me. There's the fear factor also. I think too much so I imagine all the things that can go wrong. But that website really explains thoroughly every aspect of flying. I just read through it last week (our trip is in 2 weeks) and I will go back and review before we leave!

 

[zookeeper]

I was just saying that I need to go back to fearofflying.com and do a refresher course before we leave on Aug. 26th. I'm already nervous for the flight, but I have to try really hard not to show it because I'll be by myself with 3 kids.