View Full Version : Fear of Flying
winterinmoscow
20-08-2005, 13:05
I'm really looking forward to my holiday in a few weeks, but I am really scared of the flights there and back. I don't know exactly what it is that makes me so scared of it. I've had a few bad experiences but nothing major.
I believe the stats like it's safer to be up there than on the road, but I'm still scared.
Anybody else scared of it? Any tips? I'm teetotal, so getting drunk doesn't help!
sleeping pills? if u dozz off as soon as u get on the plane, u don't have time to be scared.
dylanredefined
20-08-2005, 15:41
Ahh but if your sedated lessens the chances of getting out if something goes wrong :D .Used to think it was exciting now just dull .You could try visulation
exercises or some of those rescue remedies which might help with anxities .
Ahh but if your sedated lessens the chances of getting out if something goes wrong :D .
that's really helpful! :rolleyes:
I'm really looking forward to my holiday in a few weeks, but I am really scared of the flights there and back. I don't know exactly what it is that makes me so scared of it. I've had a few bad experiences but nothing major.
I believe the stats like it's safer to be up there than on the road, but I'm still scared.
Anybody else scared of it? Any tips? I'm teetotal, so getting drunk doesn't help!
are you scared off the whole flight, or just the take off and landing, i hate the take off and used to hate the landing, but know i like it somehow, the landing, as irrationally i think as we're slowing down it won't be as bad if we crash, for take off i just keep repeating a song in my head that's pretty punchy and it seems to take away some of the anxiety, although now i'm in the situation that i think if i don't do this something bad will happen :rolleyes:
The only concern I have is loss of control, if I was driving the plane, no worries ;) .
What about this site?
http://www.guidetopsychology.com/airfacts.htm
Many strange sounds that occur during the course of a flight can be disturbing if you do not know what causes them. The following are a few sounds you might try to recognize:
•Just after take-off the landing gear will be retracted, causing a thumping sound.
•You might also hear a whirring sound as a motor retracts the flaps and spoilers. (These are made to stick out of the back of the wings in order to add extra lift on take-off and to help slow the airplane on descent.)
•You might hear the engines throttle back when leveling off for cruise.
•You might hear whirring sounds as flaps and spoilers are extended for descent and landing.
•Finally, before landing, you will hear thumping as the landing gear comes down.
winterinmoscow
20-08-2005, 17:38
I'm scared of the whole flight, although I do seem to grip the arms of the seat far more during take off and landing.
It helps if someone talks to me, but I'm still scared!
I've tried reading, reciting song lyrics, praying (for really bad situations), and the like, butI'm still petrified.
Those sound effects are well useful though HAL9000. Thanks
just try to focus on how good a time you'll have at the other end, probably not much help though, but sometimes helps me too
mrs21 is terrified of flying, hasn;t flown in about 5 years. limits our holidays to within reach of eurostar really
the last time she flew was to spain, she got through that with some valium, when that's not available, g&t got her through
Most of my youth was as an expatriate, so lots of flying. I started getting terrified of it when I was about 18, I don't even know why myself, because it's an incredibly safe way of getting about statistically - the logical part of my brain knows it, but it's no help. I'm more bothered by the take-off than the landing.
My solution was to get tipsy before boarding and carry on drinking on the plane.
Valium works quite well too.
I won't let my fear stop me travelling though.
dylanredefined
20-08-2005, 19:18
If youre rich virgin do a fear of flying course .heathrow on August 28
costs £234 including a 45 minute flight .
www.flyingwithoutfear.info
As suggested earlier
Try some relaxation techniques to help calm you down.
perhaps:-
Find out more about what happens during take off and landing so its not a surprise
If you have questions, perhaps try submiting questions to this site, and if you're lucky, you might get an answer from a pilot ;)
http://pprune.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=61
(SLF is what pilots call passengers, self loading freight)
I'm NOT a pilot, but from the few times I've flown, the sequence is something like this:-
*"Doors to automatic", doors are set so that as soon as they open, a slide pops out.
*On the runway or taxing out, slats and flaps (http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery;jsessionid=1c2i69dqbw7q6?method=4&dsname=Wikipedia+Images&dekey=Wing.slat.600pix.jpg&gwp=8&sbid=lc03b&linktext=%3Cimg%20src%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fcontent.answers.com%2Fmain%2Fcontent%2Fwp%2Fen%2Fthumb%2Fd%2Fd1%2F250px-Wing.slat.600pix.jpg%22%20alt%3D%22The%20position%20of%20the%20leading%20edge%20slats%20on%20an%20airliner%20(Airbus%20A310).%20In%20this%20picture%2C%20the%20slats%20are%20extended.%22%20height%3D%22337%22%20width%3D%22250%22%3E) are deployed, makes the wing bigger and gives it more lift (whining/whirring noise)
*On the runway, engines wind up to full power and away you go. ;)
*In the air, first the landing gear is retracted (which might cause a thud) and a short while later the slats and flaps are pulled in (more whining/whirring noise). When these are pulled in, the aircraft might drop a little bit. Then the plane turns left or right to get into the correct air corridor.
When the plane lands, it has to reverse the take off sequence. Main difference, when the plane lands, the engine thrust is reversed to slow the plane down (a lot of noise) and if you have a window seat over the wing. you can see the air brakes (http://kazza.kazza.id.au/mt-archives/images2004/tt-wings3.jpg).
Enjoy your holiday.
(If you board the plane using steps and you hear a lot of noise, thats the apu whirring away. The APU or Auxiliary Power Unit is an extra engine placed inside the aircraft's tail, its used when the aircraft is parked to drive the lights and air conditioning systems. In the air, APU is not needed and the engines provide the electrical power.)
I've flown quite a bit, though less in the last couple of years...
I used to have a stiff drink and a spliff (if the circumstances permitted it) before the flight, then crank up the walkman to some Cocteau Twins tracks on takeoff, always did the trick, seemed to enjoy the takeoff more...
As far as long flights, I wait for the food, have 2 little bottles of red wine, then a Xanax or preferably Valium, sleep the rest of the flight...but this is also linked to the extreme boredom of 12 hour flights...
My pet hate with flying is the slow banking before landing...some pilots really need to work on that one :mad:
passenger
21-08-2005, 10:39
i would`nt get on a plane after watching air crash investigations on
Nat Geo :(
vBulletin® v3.7.4, Copyright ©2000-2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.