Flying tips!

[Disney fan]

If you could give one tip to a fearful flyer what would it be????

I will start the ball rolling with



1. Read Captain Ray's book

[cassidywithwings]

I concur with number 1. I would say to get a good night's sleep. The worst flights I have been on was when I was overtired and therefore unable to cope with my fear. Sleep = good. :)

Kelly

[WillFlyToDisney2]

MEET THE PILOT! They are your best source of comfort. It really helps me to know who is "driving the bus". :)

Kelley

[Jeff California]

Bring distractions. CD's, dvd's, people mag:read , beer :cheers

[momtotot]

The last few times I have flown, I found that flying early in the morning worked well. Less turbulence. Don't have all day to worry about the flight.....just wake up and go to the airport. Flights don't seem to be as backed up from delays.
Sue

[MadScientist]

Let's try this again.

First, familiarize yourself with all the sounds and sensations you will experience on the plane during flight. Ray's book is a very good source but don't stop there. There are others that can be helpful and even some audio tapes will help. I'm not much for the relaxations tapes. Usually, the person's voice on the tap[e who is trying to relax me only ticks me off. :D Relaxation techniques will leave your mind when you get anxious enough.

ALWAYS arrive at the airport early. I would rather sit at the gate for an hour or two than be rushed and barely make my flight. IN the latter case, the anxiety is ALREADY present even before you get on the plane.

When in flight, live in the "here and now". Tell yourself "Right now, I am doing fine and the plane is doing fine. Neither I nor any other human can control the future". Do NOT anticipate problems which don't exist. So you just started in some light turbulence. That doesn't mean that ant any moment you will be hurled to the ceiling and the plane will go out of control. A lot of times, after we've had a really bad experience, we are hyper-vigilant to even the slightest upsets. We hit an area of light turbulence and think that we're going to go through that same awful experience again. Again, DO NOT anticipate problems that don't exist. If you hear a strange noise, ask youself: "Are we still flying?" If you are, then the noise was normal. If you have to, ask the person nest to you if a certain movement or sound is normal. Most people will know.

When in flight, allow your body to become a part of the plane. Move WITH the plane and not against it. As the plane banks, lean into the bank and don't lean the opposite direction. Trust me, you won't tip it over. If the plane starts to rock and roll, let your head and body rock with it. Go limp! Believe it or not, this will help A LOT with the anxiety.

Lastly, I agree that early morning and late night flights are the better ones during the summer and spring months during t-storm season. I try to avoid mid late afternoon flights.

I'll post more when I think of them.

MasSci

New Orleans Saints Fan Here!

This post originally showed it was edited by Mark. He did not add or delete anything from my post. I was juyst having problems posting. Thanks Mark!

[Stefjam]

Meeting the Captain has been comforting to me each time I've done it. I also bring lots of trashy magainzes (People, EW, Us) and I also keep an in-flight journal. It helps to write down what's going on around me and what I'm feeling at a particular point during the flight and it also helps to pass the time! If it's a long flight I definitely watch the movie (if there is one!) and if it's a shorter flight I listen to my iPod. I really enjoy flying on Jet Blue because of the Direct TV and I wish they flew everywhere!

I wish I could say I fly drug-free, but at this point in the game I do take a small amount of Xanax the night before and also about 1/2 hour before boarding. If it's a long flight I may take one about halfway through, but it depends on the circumstances.

At this point I have no plans to fly until next year sometime, which is ok by me! We live in a definite flight path of planes arriving at either Oakland or SFO and at night I watch them fly above my house all night long and I love wondering where they are traveling to and from. But most of the time I'm glad I'm not on one of them! But I know that day will come soon enough and when it does I'm ready.

Stef

[WillFlyToDisney2]

YES - the IPOD is a wonderful thing. Used mine for the first time on the trip to Cali. LOVED IT!!! No more changing CDs for me. :)

Kelley

[beaugest]

Yes to all of the above. I think it's also important to make sure you eat well . If we are anxious the tendency is to eat comfort foods(in my case anything chocolate) or not to eat at all. Not helpful.
Come on this board till the last possible minute to get support from people.
Figure out if you reduce your anxiety better by focusing on it and talking about it or distracting yourself from it. If you do better focusing on it talk to whoever will listen to you about the anxiety.
If you do better distracting yourself,bring a "bag of tricks" along.
Remember how you start talking to yourself once the anxiety starts is crucial. You can redirect yourself and talk yourself out of an attack(with practice).

[xiknal]

Just got in from a roundtrip to the east coast and I thought about this thread at 37,000'.

To the list of excellent suggestions given by others, I would add:

Put some effort into making flying as familiar and as ordinary as you can!

How?

The best way, if you aren't grounded, is do it often! Fly for practice, fly for fun, fly to pull a surprise visit on a relative you like or one you don't. Fly because it's good for you, like eating kohlrabi and parsnips. :x Fly because you know that systematic exposure to the feared stimulus results in desensitization and disconfirmation. Fly for the sense of accomplishment it gives you, even when your "normal" friends are saying whaa :scratch ?

just DO it!

If you cannot fly that often, then go to the airport just to hang out. Bask in the normalcy of travelers arriving and departing, planes taking off and landing, screens filled with flight numbers and gates and times and destinations. Watch the baggage carousels going round and round and the people crowding in to watch this free entertainment (sure beats the dryer at the laundromat). Soak up the noise and the bustle and all the people in security-check lines carrying their shoes who still act as if they expect to get to their destinations alive. Seriously! Even though you can't get out to the gates anymore without a ticket, there's a real emotional benefit in doing this regularly! When you start getting bored with it, you'll know you are making progress.

Participating in a forum like this restores a sense of familiarity about flying. Knowledge is power, as Ray has said...and it also grants a welcome familiarity.

Finally...in my experience of having been on both sides of the wall, the sense of accomplishment in reclaiming our right to be comfortable up there never goes away. We will never forget to *appreciate* it, even when it has become familiar. Flying may not ever become truly ordinary; it's too beautiful and too sweet to be ordinary. :woohoo

Barb

[WillFlyToDisney2]

Also realize that the pilots and crew are just as eager to arrive safely at the destination as you are. They have families to get home to as well! :)

Kelley

[Passenger Mark]

Well... if I had to give just one tip, and only one...

That would be easy... Meet the Pilots! Don't be shy about it, all I have met have always been eager to help!

Just get there early so they can meet you on their schedule and not during the rush prior to departure.