Scared to Fly - Need Some Suggestions

[bytheblood]

I am taking my younger sister to WDW in December. This is her very first time to go further than 100 or so miles from home and her very first time to fly.

She is scared to death. I understand because I used to be, but now enjoy flying. She is so apprehensive about flying that she is unable to think about how much fun she will have when we get there.

I suggested some crossword puzzles or something for the plane but that does not interest her. I thought about taking my portable DVD player, but it is not a cheap one, so I do not want to have to worry about it being taken from my room (too big for safe) and nobody wants to be responsible for all of the GameBoys.

So, does anybody have any suggestions for helping to keep her occupied while we are in the air, aside from a tranquilizer dart?

 

[Mousema]

How about a cheap CD player? Music might soothe her.

 

[EpcotGuy]

have her talk to her dr, and s/he can prescribe a couple of doses of xanax or valium to be used on the plane. I have also heard that tequila works quite well...

 

[fla4fun]

What exactly is she afraid of? Is it not being in control? Is it heights?

I hadn't flown for over 25 years, and I was really nervous. But I had a once in a lifetime chance for a trip to London and I knew I'd have to fly to get there. What helped for me was a website called fromthecockpit, run by a female pilot. There's a section on fearful flyers, and a lot of explanations of sounds and sensations you encounter on a flight, so that I knew when I heard a certain sound or felt something unusual, what it was. I was so thankful I'd found that website because I flew out the day after Hurricane Wilma came through and the turbulence was horrible. I ended up enjoying my flights a lot because I was more informed about what was going on.

 

[bytheblood]

She is afraid of not being in control and quite frankly, dying. It is the unknown that gets her most of all I believe.

I suggested something to calm her nerves, but she wants to be alert when we touch down in Florida. I might suggest that to her again.

 

[tiki23]

What helped for me was a website called fromthecockpit, run by a female pilot. There's a section on fearful flyers, and a lot of explanations of sounds and sensations you encounter on a flight, so that I knew when I heard a certain sound or felt something unusual, what it was. I was so thankful I'd found that website because I flew out the day after Hurricane Wilma came through and the turbulence was horrible. I ended up enjoying my flights a lot because I was more informed about what was going on.

I think fla4fun has a great idea. If your sis can understand more about what goes on during a flight, she might be less fearful.

You might also want to take your Disney guidebooks or Disney trivia books so she can concentrate on what will happen when you get there.

Good luck!

 

[Yzerbear19]

I was afraid of flying for so long, but actually enjoy it now. My first flight was from Detroit to Chicago. I was glad that I had my sister with me because she was able to reassure me that all the noises were "normal." Music really helps. Earplanes are also really good because they help with the pressure in your ears and with reducing the noise. On the trip to Orlando both ways my sister and I fell asleep for part of the flight. Though knowing that all the noises I heard where "normal" things really helped to put me at ease. My sister likes to work on Suduko (sp?) puzzles or crosswords. I've never been able to read, though I've brought books. I think for Orlando when I wasn't sleeping I worked on the crossword from the TV Guide we had brougth from home.

 

[huskies90]

She is afraid of not being in control and quite frankly, dying.

First of all, fear of flying is very common, and yes the more you fly the more your fear will subside. Two things I can suggest that probably won't help (I know because my wife is terrified of flying and they don't work for her) is to look at statistics. It is much much safer statistcally to fly to Orlando than to drive. You don't have control of the drunk idiot on I-95 either so you really can't say it is a control thing. You have a much better chance dying in your car. The second thing you can try is explain how fear of flying takes away from all the fun things you could be doing. I think back at all the business trips I took around the country / world even before we had kids and how my wife refused to to come along and see the world because of her fear. She missed out on life. Two nights ago, my daughters and I were watching the Princess Diaries on the Disney channel and I heard this quote:

"Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all."

And I immediately thought of my wife and the things she misses out on. Oh, by the way she has an extreme fear of roller coasters as well.

After those two suggestions, you can try some of the other things people here have suggested. I never recommend drugs but I know people who swear by them. If none of those things work, you probably are just best off driving...We are flying in two weeks to Orlando and my wife can't even get excited about our trip because every time we talk about the fun were going to have, she thinks about the flight and gets depressed. It just takes away the excitement for everyone else. So, keep that in mind. It may be better to just drive.

 

[Detailor]

I don't believe that fearfulness is something that someone can just be talked out of. And I'd be a little suspicious of how well distracting your sister during the flight might work, if she's afraid and anxious she probably wouldn't be able to keep her mind on an DVD movie anyway.
I think that the suggestion for her to go see her doctor is a reasonable one, but she's the only one who knows how she feels about temporarily taking medication that might help.
fla4fun's idea also sounds like it might help. I'd suggest that you offer both of those ideas to your sister.

Dick Taylor

 

[DemoBri1]

I had a similar phobia, and I'm still a bit leery at times, but I took the free online course at http://www.fearofflyinghelp.com and that really helped me out a lot. It is put together by a veteran commercial jet captain, and he takes through the entire flight from take-off to landing. The nice thing about this course was that he actually supplies and video and sound that explains what you are hearing and seeing during a flight.

I encourage you to check it out and go through it with your sister. It may be of some help to have her see and hear what she will experience ahead of time, then it won't be that much of a shock when she hears it on the actual flight.

Brian

 

[goofy4tink]

I fly a fair amount and still do not truly enjoy it. My dd was absolutely terrified when she started flying at the age of 4, now she's almost 14 and she is still a bit of a nervous flyer. But, we did go to the fear of flying site. When you have someone explain how the plane really does 'want' to be in the air, and how hard it is to bring a plane down, or that the wings are supposed to move up and down, that they have much more movement available than you'll ever see..that kind of thing...you will find that flying is more enjoyable.
I never suggest that someone take any meds or a few drinks before flying. If, God forbid, there is some kind of an 'event' while in the air, you want to be alert. Even if you hit turbulance, you want to have your wits about you.

I tell people to just watch the flight attendants. If they are going about their business, then you're fine. However, if they suddenly plop themselves down in their seats, belt up and look ashen, then perhaps you have a problem!! But I've yet to have any FA's plop themselves down.

Flying is incredibly safe...much safer than being in a car.Yeah, I know it seems so much more dangerous up there in the stratosphere, but it really is okay to fly. Can you imagine that anyone would choose to make a living doing that every day for hours on end if it weren't safe??

So...get some good magazines, whatever your sister is into. They tend to be easier to read than a book if you're nervous in the air. Let her see the sites that tell her about the sounds and movements that will happen...that helped me a lot. I now look forward to the feeling of weightlessness that comes about 25 secs after take-off. Once she's been in the air for about 20 mins she should be fine. You do tend to forget where you are after a bit.

 

[fla4fun]

Another thing to keep in mind with getting medication is that if there IS an emergency, your sister needs to be alert enough to follow directions and evacuate the plane. That's the main reason I would never suggest medication for someone who's afraid to fly.

I'm one of those people who figures when it's your time to go, you'll go, whether you're sitting on a plane or in your living room. My fear came more from not knowing what was going on, and whether it was good or bad. Knowledge was a big help for me. I don't LOVE to fly, but I know I CAN fly - and that makes all the difference.