First Flight Since 1989.

[BAH]

I am taking a flight from Denver to Dallas on July 18th and coming home on July 21st. I haven't flown since 1989 when I had a severe panic attack on a flight from Denver to San Diego.

What I would like to do is take a short flight to see how I do before the flight to Dallas. I know the Dallas flight is only 2 hours or so but is it possible to fly from DIA to Colorado Springs? I need to see how I do before I take that flight.

Any suggestions would be of help. Or is there another short flight I could take.

Brad

[WillFlyToDisney]

Hi Brad :welcome2:

A short flight is a good idea but I am not sure what flights are available between DEN and Colorado Springs. Leslie may be able to help you out more on that one.

I grounded myself for about a dozen years after a very scary flight. With the help of the people on this board, a little bit of Xanax and cramming my head with all of the aviation knowledge I could get my hands on (Capt Ray's book is the BEST I found) I did fly again and now fly ALOT - as much as 100K miles a year!

Feel free to post any questions or concerns here. We have been where you are and are here to help. I would also encourage you to check out the sticky posts at the top of this forum for some great info and read thru some of the trip reports and testimonials on the main site page.

:) You can do it!
Kelley

[LeslieDEN]

Aw, Brad, I saw your question on the other board a few weeks ago, and I'll repeat my response here. The flight from Denver to Colorado Springs is typically very bumpy, and not recommended for a practice flight if turbulence bothers you. You're flying right alongside the mountains the whole way, and not very high, so it's quite a mini-roller-coaster ride usually. Not unsafe at all, just incredibly bumpy.

On the other hand: It is a very short flight (actual flight time is 15 minutes, I believe), and if turb doesn't bug you, it might be just the thing. I know there are some fearful flyers who don't care a whit about turbulence, and if you're one of them, I guess DEN-COS would be fine. I know United has that flight and I bet Frontier does too.

Hopefully others will weigh in with their suggestions, but I wanted to get that in first. DEN-COS is not your typical up-and-down shortie flight. I'm sorry I can't think of another quickie destination from DEN.

[BAH]

Aw, Brad, I saw your question on the other board a few weeks ago, and I'll repeat my response here. The flight from Denver to Colorado Springs is typically very bumpy, and not recommended for a practice flight if turbulence bothers you. You're flying right alongside the mountains the whole way, and not very high, so it's quite a mini-roller-coaster ride usually. Not unsafe at all, just incredibly bumpy.

On the other hand: It is a very short flight (actual flight time is 15 minutes, I believe), and if turb doesn't bug you, it might be just the thing. I know there are some fearful flyers who don't care a whit about turbulence, and if you're one of them, I guess DEN-COS would be fine. I know United has that flight and I bet Frontier does too.

Hopefully others will weigh in with their suggestions, but I wanted to get that in first. DEN-COS is not your typical up-and-down shortie flight. I'm sorry I can't think of another quickie destination from DEN.

Thanks Leslie. I remember your comment but I really need to see how I will do on a short flight. My doctor, who I confided in with my flight anxiety told me that a short flight would help a bunch. I actually took a tram ride up in Estes Park on Sunday with my family and a bit of help from Xanax and it worked like a charm. I could not have gotten on that tram in the past. I used to look up at that thing and see how high it was and that I would be crammed in this little compartment and get really nervous. I missed out on the beauty of what you can see up on that mountain for so long and now I have done it. That has spurred me to try a short flight and see how I do. I like the idea of leaving from DIA because it will get me familiar with the place and let me know what it feels like to wait for approximately 2 hours before leaving. My mother has told me that she would take the flight with me. She actually works for a travel agency and has flown quite a bit.

I just feel that facing my fears will help me overcome some of the anticipatory anxiety I am going through right now, which is pretty intense. I can tell you that after that little trip up the mountain on the tram in Estes, I had no anxiety at all because I did it. Now it is time to try and fly.

Brad

[LeslieDEN]

Hi, Brad,

I sure don't want to discourage you. I just remember my flight from Denver to Colorado Springs. I'd been doing well with FOF, but this one was like HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD FORGET THIS I'M DRIVING BACK TO DENVER. The first officer had told me it would be like that: "The Rockies in springtime," he had said with a smile. It was nothing to him. And the flight attendant said the flight was always like that.

I didn't drive back to Denver, and as it turned out, the return flight was actually pretty smooth. I just want to be sure you know that if you end up on a rocky Rockies flight, it's not an indication of what you'll experience on your Denver-Dallas trip (I make that trip once or twice a year myself and it's usually pretty good).

But it sounds like you're ready for just about anything, so yeah, if the idea of turb doesn't bother you, please do it! And let us know how it goes! As you and United both say: "It's time to fly." :)

[Jeff California]

Hi Brad. Book the short flight. If you are anything like me, the short flight will do wonders for your progress. Expect the bumps and enjoy them. Soon you will look forward to the next flight as it becomes more liberating to take flight. Book a flight and let us track the flight!!!!


Jeff

[Insert Clever Name Here]

My plan is to also try a short flight first, so let us know how it goes! I have been up in quite a few Cessnas and been bumped around quite a bit. I can't even, to be honest, remember how it feels to be in a big comfy jetliner (all I remember is I didn't do well on my last flight, but I've changed a lot too thanks to these guys here!), but I know it wasn't as rough and tumble as in a Cessna on a stormy day like my last flight.

Either way, go for it! When I get the money and time, I'm certainly going to start out that way again - more for my confidence than anything. I would prefer a one way trip personally (as I took the "long way" home last time I flew commercially :tongue:), but I know I'll do fine with my new techniques. And you'll do fine too, just keep coming back here and let us know how we can help.

As for bumps, I kind of enjoy them at times - depends on what mood I'm in, I either see them as a nuisance, every now and then get a scare, but mostly it's just kind of a different feeling that I don't get on earth and (again depending on the mood) sometimes find them fun.

Try to think of it that way, I've found just thinking about it positively makes much more of a difference to how I respond to everything, good or bad flight. Negative thoughts, my body responds with tightness, short breath, and fear. If I think of things as fun and an adventure, my body reacts that way. It's a smart body, but the beauty is it also can be quite dumb if you want it to!