Need help on techniques for take offs and landing ......

[YankssRule]

OK, Yet another post, this will happen as my flight gets closer, so just bear/bare (whichever one it is :rolling:) with me.

Anyways, I needs suggestions on techniques on how to control my fear while taking off and landing. My fear is so intense that I can barely breath. Don't talk to me, don't look at me, and most of all, don't move !!!! I can not move and the person next to me, geez, don't move either, the plane may go on a kilter !!!!!!!

My fear is so intense, that I can't even describe it, I am for sure, believing that I am going down, and these are my last moments. If I hug that pillow to myself any tighter (which I hear airlines are now getting rid of!!!), I'm going to become that pillow. My brother told me the first minute of take offs and landing are the most crucial, so I clutch the cross, if I can move, pray to God, if I can breath, and count the minute as it goes by. I can't get that part out of my head.

It took me a very long time to stop staying "this is the point of no return" while boarding a flight, now I need to try and conquer the intense fear of take offs and landings that I get.

Any suggestions on techniques would be greatly appreciated. Like I said, it's so intense I can't think !!! :sigh:

Janet

[YankssRule]

Bumping for help.

Janet

[spleisher]

Monica / Mark, I know you and I had talked about some coping techniques. Just another bump til somebody sees it. I'm afraid a'm not the best at this angle. My coping technique was always the bar at the airport. :cheers:


Scott

[WillFlyToDisney]

Janet - I'll leave this one to the experts and Scott. I just wanted to jump in and say that on this board the correct of bear/bare would most likely be BARE! :rotflmao:


:)
Kelley

[JuliaClairesmommy]

Janet, When is your flight? Mine is March 9. I've never flown, so daily I try to imagine in my mind what it'll be like and how I'll react. Will I know how high I am?? People tell me I won't. Can I trust them on this one? And so on. My husband videotaped his flight to San Diego and I plan to watch it again. He taped from the moment he walked on the plane til he got up into the clouds. It makes me so nervous. Everytime I hear planes fly over, I think about it. (One is flying overhead now!) We live near St Louis and SAFB so we hear them all the time!


I like the idea of counting to 200! I may try that. I'll have an infant and toddler to distract me too. I may not get time to count.

Tara

[OnwardandUpward]

Hi Janet


Takeoff- Get the biggest bottle of water you can, and at take-off start guzzling
You say you can hardly breath, but drinking water will distract you and also help with breathing
Look out the window, looking straight ahead in the cabin may lead to disorientation

Landing- Normalise, I will be on the ground in 15 mins, so I start sorting out my stuff, like parking ticket, car keys, resetting my watch

[Lynda]

Janet,


We talked about this in chat yesterday.

Some really good suggestions here. Debbie is right you know, just let the fear get as big as it wants then let it go!!!

The water idea sounds good too.

Lynda

[StPeteMark]

Anyways, I needs suggestions on techniques on how to control my fear while taking off and landing. My fear is so intense...Janet

Don't try to control it...don't try to fight it...be aware of it and challenge it! Let it flow from the earliest of feelings...don't ignore it...don't try to block it. Give yourself permission to let the fear get as big as it get...it will only get so big and then surprisingly it will go away. "OK, fear give me your best shot!" Using you breathing and other tools, it will hit a wall and diminish quickly. This not only works with flying, but in other situations, too. This is not just theory, it's a proven technique....I've been using it for about two years and it has certainly helped me, especially in flying.

I no longer fear the take off...in fact, I look forward to it. Now that I have the knowledge of what the plane does, and the noises it makes, between boarding and cruising altitude, I enjoy the ride! When plane makes that last taxing turn on the runway before it straightens out, I know take off is soon if not immediate (depends if another plane is in front). I love it when the engines go from quiet to roar and I'm always amazed at how fast the plane picks up speed. I always try to guess when the the plane hits about 175mph, the speed when lift occurs and the plane floats off the ground. In minutes, the plane will level off and I'm safely off for my next destination.

Look at Capt. Ray's signature...it really does work; his book is a great educational tool. If you haven't taken Capt. Stacey's on-line help course, do it ASAP...and as often as you want! Take that energy of worrying and put it into constructive use. And it you feel medication will help, don't hesitate to consult with your doctor.

Think positive from this point on and you WILL have an enjoyable flight!!! And then you can put that pillow in the overhead bin!

Also, look at take off and landing videos often...familiarity and repetition are great tools. Start with the one on the this sites home page and others on that website. Make "Holding Pattern" your computer screensaver...at work, I'm flying all day long from my desk.

http://flightlevel350.com/

http://www.download.com/Holding-Pattern-Screensaver/3000-2399_4-10289023.html?tag=lst-0-14

[noflyingfan]

I have written a lot on this board about listing the states. I memorized the names of the 50 states in alphabetical order, and I try to recite them as we take off, before we hit cruise altitude. It's the same idea as counting to 200 -- if you find yourself sidetracked because you're scared, you hvae something you can quickly go back to and get yourself back on task. I suggest you give yourself some challenge -- count to 200, recite the names of the states, crochet a whole row if you like to do that sort of thing -- and try to get it done before the little bell goes off for the flight attendants to get up. If you're a competitive person, it'll be fun, and you can channel your stress that way.

[JuliaClairesmommy]

What's the link to Capt. Stacey's on-line help course?

Thanks for posting the aviation videos. I look forward to checking those out. I also watch my husbands video of when he flew to San Diego--view from the cabin. ;)

Keep the great ideas coming...I enjoy getting ideas too!

Tara

[StPeteMark]

What's the link to Capt. Stacey's on-line help course?...
Tara

It's the fourth banner ad at the bottom of this and most pages.

Also, check out this thread:

http://www.takingflight.us/forums/showthread.php?t=1245

[Juliasmommy1]

About how long does it take to go through the course? Trying to plan around kids. Aviation videos are cool!

[YankssRule]

:grouphug: :hug:
Wow, you guys/gals gave me some awesome tips. I am going to take everyone of them into account. Just by reading this, you all gave me so much confidence, in the fact, that maybe I won't be so tense during take offs and landing. That I can do this, and possibily conquer it someday.
Though I had no plans on taking any meds for this flight, considering it's a short one, about 2 1/2 hrs going, 2 hrs coming back. I don't know if I'm ready for that, so I have decided to take a light dosage of Xanax.

I am looking so forward to my first Disney vacation, my family will be with me, which makes it more fun. I'm trying very hard to focus on that part than the flying part. But, of course, the flying part always creeps in.

Again, these tips are awesome. I'm going to print this out and take it w/ me on the plane, because it gives me soooooo much confidence, that taking it on the plane and rereading it b4 take off will, i'm sure, be a HUGE help !!!!

Thank you all again for all the help. And Scott, thanks for the chat yesterday on the technical aspect, it was extremely enlightening and helpful :sunshine: .

I'm excited about finally going to DISNEY :hyped: :hyped: :hyped: :hyped:

Janet :happyguy:

[StPeteMark]

About how long does it take to go through the course? Trying to plan around kids. Aviation videos are cool!

Buried in the thread link is my review of the course...posted 2/4/05:

http://www.takingflight.us/forums/showthread.php?t=1245

"The 5-Lesson course takes about 1 hour in a quick-reading mode; more if you ponder and/or click on all the extras."

Plan on re-taking it several times...you'll pick up something new each time. :type: