Concern over flying?

[splashmountain31]

These boards are great not only for trip planning but moral support.

We can't wait to go, although, my twins are REALLY showing their age this morning. I'm no fan of bribery, but boy am I tempted to use the "if you don't stop this, you aren't going to visit Pooh card."

Thanks all...

 

[LynnTH]

I got the following from fearless-flight.com under statistics. Chances of airplane crashes are so very rare compared to how many people actually fly every day. Thought this was interesting.


Probability of being killed in an airplane accident vs. other causes of deathYour chances of being involved in an aircraft accident are about 1 in 11 million. On the other hand, your chances of being killed in an automobile accident are 1 in 5000. Statistically, you are at far greater risk driving to the airport than getting on an airplane. However, the perception is that you have more control over your fate when you are in your car than as a passenger. Experience shows otherwise considering that over 50,000 people are killed on the highways every year.

Negative biasMedia coverage would suggest that such events happen daily. Studies have shown one would have to fly once a day every day for over 15,000 years in order to statistically be involved in an aircraft accident! Yet stories of aircraft accidents are between 150 to 200 times more likely to receive front-page coverage than other more common causes of death. Consequently, fearful flyers develop a negative bias toward flying. That is, they will bias their perception to notice those events and experiences that support their fears. Those fears become validated by the continual bombardment of information related to airline safety following an accident. Who can forget the horrifying coverage of the airplanes flying into the World Trade Center on 9/11 replayed over and over until the major networks agreed it served no purpose to replay the events?

The TruthAirplane disasters and plane crash statistics make for more dramatic, "eye-catching" newsprint. Not nearly enough information is printed on aircraft safety and because disasters seem to be more newsworthy to the public, the media is naturally attracted to the financially acceptable print and naturally it is LARGE PRINT in these cases.

 

[4fireworks]

I've always taken Xanax before flying. What is this Ativan everyone is talking about? I take the lowest dose of Xananx but am thinking of asking for a higher dose before this trip as I always take double what I'm supposed to anyway! Is Ativan better?

It's about the same thing- it has somewhat of the same effect. If xanax works for you stick with it
Happy Flying

 

[HeatherPage]

Thanks so much for all the great information here I still won't fly but now I'm afraid to drive too

 

[cstraub]

Thanks so much for all the great information here I still won't fly but now I'm afraid to drive too

 

[annie1995]

Thanks so much for all the great information here I still won't fly but now I'm afraid to drive too

I'm with you about the driving part now!! I am going to suck it up though and fly. The thought of 24 hours in the car with two fighting boys and their dad is more than I can handle!

16 Days 19 hours until we get to POP!!!!
Just trying to pass the time now

 

[Mulan'sMom]

I'm marginally nervous about flying - but here's what I do: if at all possible, I buy and eat a hot dog at the airport. A friend once told me that if you eat an airport hot dog, nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day. He's been right so far!

My brother advocates squeezing your butt cheeks together during take-off and landing. It makes you feel like you're doing your bit to keep the plane aloft.

 

[annie1995]

I'm marginally nervous about flying - but here's what I do: if at all possible, I buy and eat a hot dog at the airport. A friend once told me that if you eat an airport hot dog, nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day. He's been right so far!

My brother advocates squeezing your butt cheeks together during take-off and landing. It makes you feel like you're doing your bit to keep the plane aloft.

I like your brothers way of thinking!!

 

[Nancyg56]

I like your brothers way of thinking!!

Love your brothers plan!!!

 

[afrazier]

I get very nervous flying and will be flying w/ hubby and 2 kids to WDW on Sept. 14. This is our boys' first flight and I am not going to show one ounce of anxiety on that flight even if it kills me. I do not want my boys to grow up afraid of everything and want them to enjoy all that life has to offer.

The truth is, that flying nowadays is absolutely the safest way to travel. There have been so many improvements in technology that large commercial aircraft very seldom ever go down. (This is what I tell myself mentally every time I fly now, it really helps)....Plus, about a year ago, a well known radio host here in Atlanta (consumer expert Clark Howard) who flys several times per month, gave out info that for statistically you would have to fly every day for so many years (I forget the exact number but it was a lot longer than a person would live) for you to ever be involved in a plane crash. The odds are that great that it will never happen to you. If you look at the recent crashes, none of them were normal occurences...the closest being pilot error on the one that ran out of runway....all those folks survived by the way. The others were either old planes run by foreign airlines where maintenance could be the issue and the one in Venezuela had something amiss in those circumstances.

Hope this helps, I will comfort myself with these thoughts here in a couple of weeks when I fly Southwest. Focus on the great time you will have with your family when you touch down in Orlando. Life is too short to worry about things out of your control.

 

[annie1995]

I get very nervous flying and will be flying w/ hubby and 2 kids to WDW on Sept. 14. This is our boys' first flight and I am not going to show one ounce of anxiety on that flight even if it kills me. I do not want my boys to grow up afraid of everything and want them to enjoy all that life has to offer.


I could not agree more! We are leaving on the 16th. DH is the only one who has flown. My two boys and myself are new at this! They are really excited right now, they point out every plane they see in the sky and ask mom, do you think we will be up that high? So, I will suck it up and and bite my lip and think of the huge reward that flying will bring. Getting there 21 hours faster! Safe flight to everyone! Come back and post after, to let people know how it went!

13 days until we leave for POP!

 

[mimimischief]

i love to trael but hate to fly..go figure. i have be flying at least 3 times a year..with much anxiety..but its the best way to get there...we leave in three days.. send me some pixie dust

 

[kennasmommy]

The fear just kicked in for me today. All of a sudden I started to think of the what if's. The fear of controlling my 2 year old in flight is outwieghing the fear of a crash. LOL.

 

[KristiKelly]

i love to trael but hate to fly..go figure. i have be flying at least 3 times a year..with much anxiety..but its the best way to get there...we leave in three days.. send me some pixie dust

Sending pixie dust your way. We just flew for the first time since 1999 and with all 3 kids (one being 3 month old). Everything went really well. DH & I did get a little chuckle on the flight home. We were on a small American Eagle plane. YOu know how when you get to your gate you see the family with all the kids and you think to yourself, please don't let them be seated near me. We were that family. When we arrived at our gate (Gate 13 by the way ) there was a couple who was probably in their mid to late 50's. He was reading his newspaper and looked up (head still down) over his glasses. You could read his mind - *oh great, please don't let them be seated near us.* I must say that our kids were perfect on the flight. DD3 month old, only cried once during landing and only for about a minute.

 

[mimimischief]

we fly in the am.. anxiety is high..but manageable..thank you for the pixie dust...

 

[annie1995]

we fly in the am.. anxiety is high..but manageable..thank you for the pixie dust...

I flew for the first time on September 16. I was really nervous, but ended up loving it. I think I will always be nervous for take off's and landings, but I would not travel any other way now. Beats driving for 22 hours! Have a wonderful trip! I wish I were you right now . I miss the world. Anyway lots of pixie dust for a safe flight and great vacation!