2 months out and it's starting!

[Getb0rn]

Hey Guys,

I know I am not here alot and I should be hear more often but I have been busy with work and Christmas... haha who am I kidding i am always flat out and busy.

I have afavour to ask you all. Could anyone give me some tips/tricks/advice for pre flight anxiety thats happening to me 2 months out from a flight?

Normally my pre flight anxiety comes thick and fast 2 weeks to a months before I go. But never this early and its making me think I should be going.

I just turned on the TV before and Air Crash Investigation was on. why is it always on when I am having doubts about going??? Its like a sign or something? And on google news there was something about a crah as well.

Should I go? I don't know, I haven't felt anxiety like this so early!!

Thanks guys for this. Iam truly sorry I am not around more often but I always appreciate your help.

Thanks

[MathFox]

"Fear grows on stress" Take time for yourself, to relax and be rested and ready for another semester of study.
Apply the tricks to keep your mind "in line" (http://anxieties.com/flying-step6.php)

Actually I expect a daily post over here to show that you do your worry time! :rotflmao: We all know you can do it. :grouphug:

[bellevueace]

I found thought stopping works well, when the doubting thoughts start tell yourself they are nonsense and irrational, counter them with factual knowledge gained from a reputable source within the aviation industry. You will soon see how silly these negative thoughts really are, then just concentrate on the positive facts of the area that is causing the doubt. Theres no question about taking the trip, of course you must go ahead, dont forget the AA is worse in the build up to the flight than it is when your actually on the plane. How your starting to feel now is as bad as it will get, do some research on the areas that cause concern, i always worried the plane could fall out of the sky if the engines failed, research proved this to be nonsense which gave me the tool to counter this fear through thought stopping. My fears were based on ignorance, the more i learned about the aviation business the more confident i became. You will be fine. Good Luck.

[Dachiri]

Go here: http://www.takingflight.us/forums/showthread.php?t=8275, look at my photos. You really want to go...REALLY!

Seriously, do not pass up the opportunity to go to Hong Kong! It is one of the most fascinating places I've been to!

If I can survive a 15 hour flight to get there/back (twice in the last 7 months!) you can make it!

I'll dig up my video of Cathay economy...that makes it worth it all by itself! Not only will you have a great trip, you'll have fantastic flights!

[Dachiri]

OK, so I watched my video from take-off this last time and realized it was just over 3 minutes of me rambling to give myself something to do. Soooo...I captured a few snapshots of the interior of a Cathay 777-330ER. Itsa niiiiice (pronounce this like Borat)...

2388

2389

Oh, and if you don't have Picasa...get it! Your great pictures of your great trip will thank you. :thumbsup:

[David]

I am 24 days out from my flight. I am very grateful for this forum, just try to relax and envision yourself having a good trip. That's what I'm trying to do.

[Getb0rn]

MathFox: I guess I am stressed out about so many other things at the moment as well that I haven't been giving myself any time to relax or anything. Straight out of Uni and I haven't had a second to myself. I think I am going to be saying 'Its ok to relax' alot more often.

bellevueace: Alot of my thoughts regarding eveything are so negative I seem to get trapped in this negative thought spiral. Wether its about flying, working, shopping, friends I just do not look postivly. That stopping thing works for me so well in the boarding lounge because I make myself not think about negative things. Maybe I should make the cut off date for negative thinking earlier? Perhpas thatwould work? hrrrmmm thinking out aloud.:)

Dachiri: Hong Kong looks amazing, I do have to go. I want to experience this so much. I love adding memories to my scrapbook and looking back and thinking I am so totally cool because I went there haha! The inside of the Cathay plane looks nice, but we are going on an Airbus. Thats another thing that makes me nervous. 15 hours to get to HK? I only have to do 7.5hrs to get there from Perth. Where abouts to you live?

Are airbuses as good as beoing? Does anyone know? I am worried about them because of a few incidents with Airbuses in Australia recently. Can anyone give me more info?


Again thanks so much for the help and advice guys I wouldn't be anywhere without you all.

[MathFox]

You really sound like someone who could use a holiday!

Are airbuses as good as beoing? Does anyone know? I am worried about them because of a few incidents with Airbuses in Australia recently. Can anyone give me more info?



Airbus makes good, solid and safe planes. In most cases I prefer an Airbus over a comparable Boeing... passenger comfort in an Airbus is better; only the 777 matches that level.
There are thousands of Airbus planes flying around every day... landing safely.

[Dachiri]

Outside of the 319 that I flew from SFO-DC on my last trip, I agree with Mathfox that Airbuses seem to be a bit more comfortable than Boeings. Both are perfectly safe and reputable. Do you know exactly what kind of plane you're on?

15 hours is quite the long flight, but Hong Kong is almost exactly on the other side of the planet from me. :D I live in DC, and have to go through either Chicago or New York to get to Hong Kong, so my total "in air" time is somewhere between 15:45 and 16:30, with the 15 hour leg being either ORD-HKG or JFK-HKG. I honestly prefer the looooong flights because I have a lot of time to first calm down, and then be bored so as to reinforce that flying is perfectly safe. :)

[bellevueace]

I also used to struggle to look at things in a positive manner. I was more of a pessimist than optomist. By deciding to overcome the fof i learnt a lot about aviation, knowing and understanding the real facts as to my own imagined facts really helped to give me the confidence to go on. Now after 8 flights ive gained confidence and am looking forward to my first long haul flight, that confidence has carried over into other areas of my life too, so not only have i gained confidence about flying but the offshoot is my self confidence has recieved a real boost and im now more of an optomist than i ever was. Thought stopping can also be an aid to achieving a positive outlook in other areas of life.

[Getb0rn]

Dachiri - I am flying on an Airbus 330 - 300 series one is a 333 and the other is a 343. I am just wary of the because majority of my flying has been on Beoing and I just have an attachment to them. Stupid hu? I have been on one Airbus and it was with Malaysian Airlines and it was old and crummy and I didn't like how loud the engines were. I freaked out every single time I heard them speed up or slow down. I am so anxious about being in them epscially for 7hours! (although not 15!!)

I must admit long flights end up having a certain rythmn to them compared with short ones. My short hop OAK to LAX and back were my worst flights because I kept anticipating the decent and leveling and everything. Where as my long flight HKG - SFO I wasn't so bad because I knew decent wasn't for ages... weird hu?

Mathfox - I do like 777 alot I like all boeings. I like 747's too but I haven't got alot of lfying experiences with Airbuses and it scares me. There have been a couple of incidents here in Perth with them havgin to turn back to PER for stuff and it makes me nervous. I guess your right they take off and land everyday.

Perhaps I should track a Airbus fligth? Or even my flight?

bellevueace- You think I'd start to be ok after approx 14 seperate flights but I still get scared. I feel stupid because I think I should be over it by now and an optimist about it. I guess I just have to see how strong I am for over coming and facing my biggest fears... more than once!

Where are you going on your long haul? Everything is long haul from Perth (where I am) hahaha...

[Dachiri]

The 330 and 340 are Airbus's widebodies. They are very similar to the 767/747, but they are more recent additions to the airline world (they've been around since the late 80's with first flights in the early 90's, while the 747 and 767 have been around since the 1960's and 1980's, respectively). If you like the 747, you'll likely loooooove these bad boys. The 320's I have flow have all had nice features like comfortable seats and good leg room, with all the safety and reliability of a Boeing.

I agree that I'm not a huge fan of the sound that Airbus's engines make, but it's perfectly normal. I would watch some YouTube videos of 330/340 flights to get a sense of what kind of sounds you're in for. Tracking might also be a good idea just to see that, in fact, Airbuses do make it to their destinations with the same regularity that Boeings do. :)

Have you used www.seatguru.com to pick out a great seat? Just checked it myself, and you'll have a personal TV with 20 channels on both planes...yay!

[bellevueace]

Hi getbOrn, Theres no time scale for overcoming the fof, no doubt the recovery period is different for each person. The main thing is your taking the flights and it will become easier. Just by getting on that aircraft your dealing the fof a blow, you will definatley get there. My first long haul is manchester-las vegas by the way, all my flights this year except one have been on the airbus, theyre fine.

[Getb0rn]

You have all put much ease into me. I am hoping I get in seat entertainment, really takes my mind off where I am,but if not I have my ipod and bag of goodies to keep me happy and entertained. I have night flights so I am hoping I'll sleep for most of it.

Thanks for the support guys...

belle... I personally find the longer the flight the eaiser it is to get into a rythmn of flying so I am sure this flight even though its long haul will be a breeze for you! I freaked out over my first long haul and I actually ended up sleeping for 8 out of 13 hours so it wasn't that long! I've always wnated to go to Vegas so I expect lots and lots of pictures!!

[bellevueace]

Hi getbOrn, Im hoping that the long haul isnt too boring and that as you say given the length of the flight its easy to settle into. Yep i,ll be taking loads of pictures, just have to learn to upload them, lol. Just think if we let the fof win how restricted we would be. Now thats scary:lol:

[tusphotog]

I loved the A330 when I flew on two back in the spring. It didn't make any of the clanging, banging, thumping noises that the A319/320 make. At takeoff you hear the buzz-saw type of noise from the engines, but you don't hear that once you speed up.

I actually prefer the A330 to the 767s I've been on. I really wish those planes were still on the SEA-HNL rotation like they were last year. I'd book those flights without hesitation. (Northwest, are you listening?)