? for all those afraid to fly....

[singitalto]

I have flown many times. I am very nervious to do it. I get through it but I usually on the verge of tears the whole time.

How do you get over the fear to fly? I'd appreciate any tips since I am going to Kansas City next month to a convention with the pastors wife from church and it won't look so good if I suck down drinks along the way to getme through it. (I don't normally drink)

Any ideas????

By the way - I'd love to get over it so we could fly to WDW in Sept- it would sure beat driving 20 hours.

 

[simonmunro]

I'm so sorry for you and I know how you feel. My ears plug up most times when I fly. It's a problem because I almost go crazy it's such an awful, wierd feeling. So, in a plane either my ears have plugged and I'm yawning frantically feeling my blood pressure go up or I'm in a panic that it's about to happen. They don't hurt, they just plug so I don't think the earplanes would help? Anyway, I'm not much help but understand about being on the verge of tears in the sky!
I want to meet my sister or mom in WDW for a "girls only" vacation but how am I going to get there? I don't want to drive alone, the train is expensive and takes longer. I've asked and asked but nobody has a review on a bus trip??? Anyway, sorry so long but I posted because I thought maybe if money isn't an object (it is with me) you could talk her into a train trip and site "scenic experience" for your excuse? Tell her it's your dream and if you feel like I feel in a plane you won't be telling a lie!

 

[cindala]

Boy, do I hear you!!! I was never the bravest of flyers to begin with, but now I don't know how I'll handle our next flight! I think what I will do is ask my Dr. for a mild sedative to relax all of us.

 

[BuzzMe]

Xanax is my lifesaver! You might also take a look at www.fearofflyinghelp.com , a site created by an American Airlines pilot. Good luck!

 

[msdis]

Boy do I know how you feel. I hated flying before Sept. 11th and now I/we hate the thought even more. And then that AA plane right after, in Queen's, just to remind us all again of just plain ole plane crashes, just in case we were discounting the terrorists thing. WOW! Sorry, not trying to make you feel worse here. We had flown down Sept. 5th and were at WDW on the 11th. We were lucky enough to have a rental car, something we never usually do, and drove back home on the 12th, 25+1/2 hours straight. THAT experience now ranks right up there with the fear of flying. It was a horrible drive home with LOTS of accidents. People were driving crazy and traffic was horrible. I swear everyone in the country was driving to go home from somewhere and I don't think I am far off from that assumption since ALL planes were still grounded at that point. We are going in May and we have yet to figure out how we are going to get there. I would like to try the driving thing again with a WHOLE lot less stress and a LOT more planning but DH keeps going back to the wasting extra days by driving so we will probably get back on a plane. And yes, if you keep thinking about the statistics of driving vs. flying, you are still safer in a plane than a car, but somehow I know it doesn't make us feel any better.

I personally like the smaller planes or the real large planes. The 727 and 737 planes bother me the most. Something about how they fly and the reaction with terbulance. Also, I try to get routes that are actually less time flying overall. Also, try to get seats in the middle of the plane, giving less motion with terbulance. I also set 1/2 hour goals esp. on the 2+1/2 - 3 hour legs. I try to look at itinirary stuff to make sure all my ducks are in a row with transfers/rental car, resort ressies, try to think about the plan for the first day. Then they serve and I watch that whole process, then watch the clean up process. A window is a must as I watch what we fly over, esp. the beginning and end of a leg. This whole diversion process usually eats up a 3 hour leg and if you "keep changing the scenary" so to speak, is passes more quickly. Reading ANYTHING for any length of time for someone sitting on pins and needles just doesn't work. Good luck !

 

[denisenh]

I also went through a fear of flying episode a few years ago. There was no reason for me to feel that way but I became very afraid to fly. Well, that ended when, due to an emergency I had to get on a plane and as i remember it it took and entire day of flying to get from PVD to Corpus Christi Tx. I had other things on my mind besides fear so that helped but really i just refused to think about the fact that i was on a plane, I pretended that I was on a bus. I looked at the magazines and used the quiet time to think.
I have flown many times since then, no problem, its just another mode of transportation.
Sometimes it helps just not to think about it, just do it.

 

[seashoreCM]

Are you afraid to fly because of things that always happen (long line at airport, sore ears due to pressure changes) or are you afraid of flying because of things that almost never happen but might (plane crashes)?

If it is the latter, all I suggest is buy a ticket, go to the airport and step aboard. You could even practice flying in advance with one of those low low weekend internet fares and go to some useless city, so if you chicken out, you don't waste the entire Disney vacation for your kids.

Unfortunately for things that always happen, you will have to rely on time tested aids such as ear plugs (for sore ears). If you think you are afraid of heights, just don't look out the plane window. As far as lines at the airport go, if people who really don't have to fly (sorry I am contradicting my previous paragraph) drive or don't go, then there will be smoother sailing at the airports for those who really need to fly.

More Disney tips:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

9/65 Disneyland
3/75 (World Inn* off I4 near DD)
4/85 (Kon-Tiki* on 192)
'80s Disneyland once or twice
7/94 POR
9/97 ASMu
11/98 ASMu
12/98 (Knights Inn on 192)
9/99 ASMo
12/00 ASSp
9/01 ASSp
11/01 ASSp
*no longer exists

National Guard people should be providing extra pairs of hands and eyes to inspect baggage, not standing around like Disney Toy Story characters.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I'm not really afraid of flying, but I was really afraid of airsickness after I got sick on one trip. Well, wouldn't you know, next trip I had to fly alone. Boy, was I nervous! But they put a little child flying unaccompanied next to me and this kid was so calm during the whole trip, I told myself that if she can be OK, no way this middle-aged lady is going to embarass herself by getting sick. That cured me!

 

[TKelly123]

I hate flying too but I just do it. I pray during takeoff and landing. I remind myself that it is more dangerous to drive on the freeway then to fly in a plane. I listen to music....ANything to keep my mind occupied.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I also am scared to fly. I have gone to WDW 8 times in the last six years, and each time I either drove or took the AutoTrain, which definately strains my budget. Unfortunately, I have lost two people I knew well in plane crashes - my cousin's husband died in a small plane crash in New Jersey, and my neighbor died in the infamous Lockerby Scotland plane crash. And to make matters worse, my parents flew out of Newark three days before 9/11 and were stranded in North Dakota! On top of all that, the last time I flew I got horribly sick (those little bags are too small!) and was misrable. But I may have to face this issue soon, since one of my best friends is moving to Las Vegas, and it is just about impossible to get there from the East Coast without flying.

So I may have to get over my fears ..... but I think I will have a very difficult time flying again.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~swill70/hugsmall3.gif">

 

[Ted and Holly]

Call your doctor and ask him/her to call in a prescription of Xanax for you. It is a lifesaver. I have always been afraid to fly, and our last trip, I took Xanax about an hour before my flight. It was a LIFESAVER!!!!!! My mind still worried a little bit, but my body did not react with faster heartrate, sweating, etc. I did not feel drugged, or that I could not function in an emergency. It made me slightly drowsy, but that may have been because I was relaxed and tired. It also made me smiley and a little tiny bit giggly because I felt sooo goood!

Try it, you will have the best flight of your life!

Holly

 

[nanalisa]

We are flying to WDW on Wednesday. I don't get sick or have ear pain and Sept 11 isn't really my problem because deep down I feel that flying is now safer than ever, but I'm just afraid of a crash. DH, granddaughter and myself are going. My DH loves to fly and DGD is only 4 and doesn't realize what could happen. I know darn good and well that our plane will get there and back, but I can't help these waves of panic. It's hard to look forward to the trip. I had an anxiety attack on a plane a few years ago and I don't want to repeat that. Everybody flies, my mother, my siblings, my friends. I work at a University where the students and faculty fly all over the world for missions trips and they don't think a thing about it. It really makes me mad because I'm not afraid of anything - even the TOT and there are so many places I want to go. I took Xanax the last time and it helped but I was thinking this time I might take Adivan (if I can get my doctor to prescibe it)and I can't drink because I have diabetes It's only a 2 hour flight from Indianapolis. I do what DSMIS does, only I use 15 min increments. I don't try to read because I keep reading the same paragraph over and over! I usually get the headphones and listen to what ever they have on the screen. We couldn't get 3 seats together so DH will be with the baby.
Last summer we drove to WDW. On the way back while I was driving around Nashville, I fell asleep. Thankfully there was no one in the 4 lanes that I was drifting through. Surely flying is safer than that.

 

[LunarLady]

I'm so sorry to hear of your fear. I have a sister who's a "nervous flyer" and a BIL who wouldn't get on a plane AT ALL until a business trip last year and he psyched himself up for it by drinking a Kalua (sp?) at the airport before take-off. He came back and said it wasn't bad, but he's not doing it again unless business requires him to do it. This kinda kills my planning to take them to WDW because I absolutely LOVE to fly!

I'll fly in anything: a turbo-prop, a jet, a 17 person seater, heck, even an 8 person seater! I'll fly in a bi-plane if I could find one. I just LOVE being airborne!

But I do have a problem with losing my hearing when we get above a certain level. Pain used to be a huge problem until I discovered Earplanes, then I didn't have the pain, but still had the hearing loss while we cruised above 20K. This could explain the "plugged" feeling you get when you fly. I get "plugged", then the higher we go the less I hear until I'm living in a world of just sight and no sound. (Heaven for me if there's a crying baby on board or loud toddlers)

The good news is that my hearing always comes back when we return to earth, so I know it's not a permanent hearing loss.

I hope this will help you if "sore ears" is the major reason you don't want to fly. Otherwise, everyone else's suggestions are terrific. (Esp the Zanax. My sister takes that when she needs to fly)

 

[singitalto]

I just want to thank you all for your responces. I am going to get Xanax for the trip. I think it will really help. I will try all the tips people suggested too!!! Thanks!

 

[nanalisa]

Thanks BuzzMe, I checked out www.fearofflyinghelp.com and it was great. I found out a lot of things I didn't know that will get me through the flight!

 

[LucyStorm]

I did a search at my local library and found some neat books on fear of flying, one was written by a pilot and by a psychologist together. When my husband and I can't sit together, it always helped me to sit with the kids because then I "had" to be strong for them. Most times it is really about a lack of control or fear of heights, so you have to work on what you can control on the flight--your reaction to it. Some great advice in some of those books.