Fear of Flying

I have a fear of flying in airplanes mostly because of crashing and terrorists. I won't go in them, even in my dreams I will scream when I'm put on a plane =p Does anyone (hopefully someone who had this fear) know how to overcome it? Any stories? I would like to because my dad is overseas... and I can possibly go to Japan this Xmas if I can overcome it (major shopping )

>>sorry if this is in the wrong place... not sure if it would be here or quiet place<<

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Take some music, and fall asleep. Don't even think about it.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

It's also best to not think about the snakes.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Stealth

Take some music, and fall asleep. Don't even think about it.

I agree, but I'm not sure if electronic equipment such as CD players or Ipods will be allowed on planes by then. Maybe you could bring a book with you or a piece of paper and pen and write/doodle. My mom is afraid of flying and she's only flown once, but she's scared half to death of my trip to England next semester because of the terrorists attacks. Statistically, it's much safer to fly by plane than it is to drive a car.

Spoiler:

I'm terrified of spiders. I will handle snakes, speak and perform in front of large crowds, and even looked out the windows of the St. Louis Arc. I'm a little nervous when it comes to heights, but I would rather hold snakes while bungee jumping than have to kill a baby spider.

Last month, I felt something bite me on my arm. I swatted it away and looked down to realize it was a spider. I tried not to freak, but no one would even act like they were interested in finding out if it was poisonous or not--which I know most spiders are not poisonous. I rushed home and talked to one of my little brother's friends about other things in order to ignore the fear and to have someone call 911 in case I passed out. I was a little nauseated, but I survived. I'm not over my fear entirely, but I feel a lot better knowing that I faced it and at least survived.

Point is, life is full or risks and if you want to see your dad and do some major shopping, then go for it. It's probably safer flying to Asia and shopping than it is to hop in your car and drive an hour through traffic to visit a mall you've been to dozens of times. Who knows, maybe your fear will lessen by actually confronting it. Or, at least you'll know that you did something and survived and realize that terrorists are not as powerful as they think.

Besides, they usually do the same thing over and over again with small changes here and there. They know that Britain is allied with America and that Canada...well, they are nearby. Who knows if they even want to mess with Asian countries since they are very close and some very powerful.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Lord Styphon

It's also best to not think about the snakes.

Why did you have to make the same comment I was about to make?

Bright side, though, is that you don't have to worry about that on too many flights.

To be frank though, I'm not all that comfortable with flying, probably has something to do with my dad giving me some less-than-perfect rides in his plane when I was a kid. Still, though, the best way to do it is to simply ignore that you have to fly until you're in the plane itself. At that point it'll just be a matter of waiting. And depending on what airline you're taking they might provide some nice distraction. I believe Singapore Airline was one of the last airline I flew on which made it possible to play SNES or watch movie on a small LCD screen on the back of the seat in front of you. Don't expect that kind of stuff on short flights though, but then the good news is that you won't have to wait as long.

I was speaking idiomatically.

One of my friends recommened the first flight I take be a short one so I can listen to a few songs or watch a movie and it'll be done before I know it and I have that little experience and will know if I can handle one of those 7 hour flights like my dad. But I'm so afraid of hopping on that plane. I think if a certain guy friend of mine was on it I'd feel more comfortable... hell even if my dad was on it I might feel better.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I never really had a fear of flying when I was younger. This past March though, I flew to Vegas and I realized that as I get older, I get a lot more chickenshit about things.

Take off used to be the most exhilarating thing I could imagine. I used to love to stare down at the ground while flying into the air so fast and high. Until I flew to Vegas, wherein I did nothing but clutch the seats VERY TIGHTLY and almost started crying. I have no idea why I got so frightened.

It bothers me as well when I am 30,000 ft above the Earth's surface. I have to STOP myself from thinking about how humans aren't supposed to be that high up, and how if something were to happen in the air way the hell up in the heavens that we're pretty much fucked. We're all going to die.

I have no idea how to overcome it - the only thing I can suggest is bring something that you can be distracted with. Denial is a great medication. ^_^

FELIPE NO

I don't recall much of a fear of flying, I usually focus on the smaller scale things, like how good the chicken and spanish rice will taste, or what inflight movies might be showing (seeing Legend of Bagger Vance twice, both ways, and switching between Spanish, English, and German gets boring very quickly, and will they ever show Pacific Air Flight 121? Gee.)
Perhaps fears that command more attention would be either seeing the engine falling apart and stalling, or some idiot opening the airlock door because they "want to get some fresh air". But the biggest fear is someone barging into my personal get-happy time with a nice magazine in the restroom, with silly me forgetting to lock the door - caught red (or white) handed. Too bad.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Having flown in airplanes quite a few times (several times overseas too, a flight to Korea once took 14 hours bleh), and being scared of heights myself, I have to say that it wasn't easy for me.

While I'm not to the point of refusing to get on a plane, I do feel a lot of anxiety until we're at the flight altitude. I usually just bypass this by thinking about a lot of different things, or the feelings I'm currently going through. For instance, when I first left Korea to go home on leave after being there for 8 months, I kept thinking about how nice it would be to be back in the US. And I joked to myself and others about how I was going to kiss the ground once I got to LAX in Los Angeles. Sure enough, I almost did lol, and thinking about that stuff got me through the scariest part for me, the takeoff. But I have to admit, it was kind of nice seeing myself leave Korea (it was okay for me, but not knowing the language kind of sucked for going out and meeting hot girls lol ).

As you can see, just think about different stuff, and try not to think about the fact that you're flying. If nothing else, just arrive at the airplane tired, and then take a nap ASAP. Before long, you'll forget you're even flying, and it'll feel like a long bus ride or something (so long as you're not constantly looking out the window), and think instead of how cramped it is in the plane, and how you can't wait to get off and stretch hehe.

And since you're going to Japan, hope you don't see Godzilla down there, unless he's fighting another monster . The Japanese military sucks when fighting Godzilla, unless they're helping him fight an alien monster hehe. Just think about anything else, and before long, you'll be back on the ground in your destination.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Planes kind of freak me out. I can never just fall asleeep. I have the most negative thoughts of anything, and I scare myself with them.

I was so scared the time I was in the plane flying to Bolivia, and there was a lightning storm and I could see all the lightning bolts in the clouds lighting up the sky.
I said a prayer and hoped for the best.

Since my dad was in the military, I sometimes go with him and my family in the military planes. I feel safer in those planes for some reason.

But I'm kind of scared of heights...but I LOVE Roller coasters!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I flew alone when I was 13, and I was freaking out. Thankfully, though, I was sitting next to some friendly people, so they just talked to me for almost the entire flight. That stopped my overactive imagination and I remained calm for the flight. If you can, take a nap or read a good book that will take your mind off of the fact that you're flying.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I took my first (admittedly short, from Spain to England) plane flight recently. I hated the first flight, but the second was ok. Well, actually we ended up travelling back on the 11th of August, a day after the terrorist scare. Splendid. -_-

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Honestly, I'd be more worried about snakes on my plane then terrorists. I've flown several times and enjoyed it (other than all the ear popping).

Bring some good tunes and a pack of gum and you'll be fine.

(And statistically, the chances of a plane crashing are less than a car crashing, but you only hear more about the former because of the # of people involved compared to the latter.)

I was speaking idiomatically.

Well you could always do what a few friends do which include the following: take sleeping pills, take Vicadin, get pissy drunk.

This way you'll be doing it, but not quite. At least you'll know subconsciously you went through it (although all of your senses may not have been in tact at the time).

Double Post:
Well you could do what a few of my friends do which include the following: take sleeping pills, take Vicadin, get pissy drunk.

This way you will have had the experience, although all of your faculties wont be quite in tact. Maybe that would help on some subconscious level.

You could do this in addition to taking a short pre-flight as flying to Japan is around 22 hours if I remember correctly.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I used to be fairly frightened of planes when I was 8-13 or so, but now, 3 years later, I just enjoy them. I suppose pretending that I wasn't scared helped me a lot. Good luck to you.

How ya doing, buddy?

LOL terrorists.

My first airplane trip was last year from Portugal to London then Glasgow, it was fun to feel the airplane lift off, look down and see thing getting smaller or the ocean. From London to Glasgow it was kind of fun to see the city lights.
In my way back to Portugal I haven't even looked out of the window, it was just too boring and I slept most of the time. So much for the exitment of flying...

Oh and BTW: terrorists LOL

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Xanax! Go to a psychiatrist and explain your situation; you should be able to get a couple of pills for the flight there and a couple for the flight back. They really knock ya out/make ya calm. That's what I take on flights.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I enjoy flying, but only if I can get a window seat. The difference in your perspecitve of the world can change a lot when you can cruise at 30,000 feet on a clear day, or when you can skim through the rolling hills and valleys of soft white clouds.

If you get bored, you can request a pair of headphones and listen to the flight crew as they jockey for position in the sky and request hand offs to new flight traffic controllers.

Otherwise, flying is pretty boring. I don't see it that risky, either. Human error aside, it takes a lot to bring a plane out of the sky. You can put a bullet hole through a window, and it will still fly. You can peel back 6 feet of the fuselage and it will still fly. You can lose an engine (sometimes even two) and it will still fly. You can lose the primary hydraulic system and it will still fly.

By contrast, I read about fatal car accidents in the local paper every day.

How ya doing, buddy?

Fear of flying?

Completly unfounded. You've got a better chance of dying while driving your car than you do flying in an aeroplane... And I bet that's not going to change your position on driving.

Airplanes arn't flying deathtraps either - they're more-or-less powered gliders, and will glide for miles without engine power, just look at the affectionatly called "Gimli Glider" or the Air Transat A330 (I think it was a 330, but it may have been a 320) that landed in the Azores.

Hell, even in the case of terrorism, look at the DHL airbus that got hit with a fucking missle, and still managed to turn back and land at Baghdad.

Airliners are remarkable pieces of technology - and you couldn't be safer in your own home.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Stealth

Take some music, and fall asleep. Don't even think about it.

Exactly. I'm far more concerned with my luggage being at the airport I'm headed to than any kind of bomb or terrorist.

My general attitude is that if airport security doesn't catch anything, oh well. If I'm really wanting to fly somewhere, I'm going to be flying regardless of something beyond my control. I'm pretty relaxed at airport and flying.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I'm not a big fan of flying either, so my advice is to take as many things to take your mind off of being in the air. I had my DS with me and a book as well for a 4 hour flight recently. Don't sit in the window seat if you can help it, and ask the person sitting there if they wouldn't mind closing it. The worst part is when the plane is taking off; once in the air it really doesn't feel any different than riding in a bus.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Sir VG

(And statistically, the chances of a plane crashing are less than a car crashing, but you only hear more about the former because of the # of people involved compared to the latter.)

Yet far more people die as a result of car crashes. You hear more about the former because it happens to rarely. A big fucking plane falling out of the sky HOLY SHIT! 14 people wrapping their civics around a pole? Saw that last week.

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

I never really had a fear of flying when I was younger. This past March though, I flew to Vegas and I realized that as I get older, I get a lot more chickenshit about things.

Take off used to be the most exhilarating thing I could imagine. I used to love to stare down at the ground while flying into the air so fast and high. Until I flew to Vegas, wherein I did nothing but clutch the seats VERY TIGHTLY and almost started crying. I have no idea why I got so frightened.

It bothers me as well when I am 30,000 ft above the Earth's surface. I have to STOP myself from thinking about how humans aren't supposed to be that high up, and how if something were to happen in the air way the hell up in the heavens that we're pretty much fucked. We're all going to die.

I have no idea how to overcome it - the only thing I can suggest is bring something that you can be distracted with. Denial is a great medication. ^_^

I'm the exact same way. Flew to Disneyworld twice as a kid. Fine. It was the best thing ever and I fought my dad for the window seat, face plastered against the glass. Flew to France on high school. Not a problem, wasnt scared at all. Flew back to Florida last year. Nervous wreck. Couldn't sleep,couldn't really eat, couldn't relax at all. Had my left hand on the seat so tight I thought I was going to snap it and my right hand on my girlfriends hand so hard I think I was hurting her. Then we hit some turbulance. I was convinced I was going to die.

The worst part about it was that I was completely aware of how irrational I was being. I know the statistics of dying in a crash, I know that every other plane flying out of the same airport is hitting the same turbluance, and is not crashing down. I know that the pilot has probably done this before. But you can't help it, and start to freak out.

My mother used to be really bad with flying. The last time she flew she went to the doctor, got some kind of medication, and actually went to talk to a professional. She was fine. Reading a book calmly as her son, the former airplane lover, was making his piece with God.

Next trip I take, I'm going to see a Doctor and get something to calm me down. And maybe some anti-venom.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I know the stats on airplanes being safer than cars... but look at it this way... I could be in a car accident tomorrow and live... I could get in a plane in December and if it crashes I'm as good as dead. Point being you can live in a car accident... NOT an airplane.

Can someone explain the lift off and the landing? Also I heard you chew gum for the ear popping thing... I don't chew gum, so what do I do?

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Chyna~Girl

Can someone explain the lift off and the landing? Also I heard you chew gum for the ear popping thing... I don't chew gum, so what do I do?

You might need to pop your ears. You can do it by pressing your nose shut and gently blowing through your nose until your ears 'pop', like when you go swimming or whatever.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Quote:

Can someone explain the lift off and the landing?

What do you mean by 'explain'?

Take-off is pretty strait-forward. Full trust until the pilot has enough airspeed, and then he pulls back gently on the stick. After gaining a bit of altitude and speed, the gears come up. After that its just a matter of climbing to cruising altitude, setting the autopilot, and then sitting back making sure nothing out of the ordinary is happening.

Landing is more involved. I pilot needs to get an approach vector, get clearance to land, and then starts the descent. You'll feel the plane slowing down and descending. As the aircraft gets slower, the pilot gives 1/4 flaps (flaps increase the lift that the wings generate). Slower still, the landing gear come down and the pilot gives 1/2 flaps. Before landing, the pilot will give full flaps and bring the nose up so that the plane can touch down on the rear wheels first. This whole time the pilot will also be making minor course corrections to line up with the runway. I imagine that while it might seem spectacular to a passenger, its not that hard with modern ILS system. A laser beam is projected out of the runway along a vector representing the perfect approach. All a pilot has to do is line up a horizontal and vertical bar on his instrument panel, keep the correct speed, and touchdown should be perfect. This isn't always the case, since headwinds, tailwinds, and crosswinds can affect the plane's approach. Once down, airbrakes and reverse thrust are used to slown the craft down quickly.

The worst thing you are likely to experience on a flight is wind sheer on landing. Wind sheer is a sudden burst of crosswind that stall a plane (disrupition of lift generated by the wings). For the unwary pilot, this can be a shock and he might end up dropping the craft on the runway like a giant sack of bricks. Wind sheer like that is reported by the tower upon approach, so pilots know what they are flying into.

Jam it back in, in the dark.