Flying from SFO to JFK in one week.

[SLM415]

I think the most frustrating thing about my fear of flying is that I used to absolutely love it. I am 23 now and have dreaded flying for many years, but as a kid I couldn't wait to fly - in fact I would get really excited at the idea of a flight that wasn't non-stop, the more planes, the more trips, the better.

Now...that is COMPLETELY different. I'm tired of being so afraid of flying. I fly maybe once or twice a year, but they are typically short flights (from San Francisco to San Diego to visit family). Well...I really got myself into it this time. I decided I want to finally go to NYC and visit a friend of mine, see my favorite band, and do other general fun stuff. I'm always fine with the idea of traveling up until my flight is booked. At that moment I feel like I've basically booked myself into the grave...that somehow I will choose the one flight where something will go wrong. For every flight I do make safely, I figure I just got lucky that time.

I've had two therapists (one I was seeing as a teenager and one I was taking a college course from) tell me that it has to do with the feeling "out of control"...my fear of flight started around the time my parents got divorced when I was 10...so it's like I channeled the feelings into something more tangible.

It also didn't help that 4 years ago I flew to the UK and had the most rough flight I've ever experienced...I don't think I could deal with that again. I was sitting in the back of the plane flying over the Great Lakes and it felt like the tail was going to be ripped off...even the FA's had to take seat and buckle up (I always watch them...I figure if they are fine, everything is fine...so that was scary). I obviously made it, but it was just so jarring and scary. Nothing like any turbulence I'd experienced before.

But even knowing this...I can't seem to do anything about it. I've read lots of statistics...and reading in general, but everytime I get on an airplane I feel doomed. I don't really know what to do...especially with this long flight coming up, and the flight out there has one stop in Chicago (take offs are the worst for me...though the rest isn't much better).

I guess I am just looking for support...or advice...I just feel hopeless because I've read all this information and statistics and I feel like nothing will help :sigh:

[aerobat]

Hi, SLM, and welcome to Taking Flight! :welcome:
I have just a few minutes at the moment, as I am headed to the airport for a cross-country with a student (no, not across the whole country like you are preparing to do, just a round-robin between three airports in central Texas :)). I became a flight instructor after beating my own fear of flying; that happened fast 17 years ago when I found out what the work is about.

I don't want to sound like a snake-oil salesman, and everything we offer is free, and the fact is, the knowledge and practice required to beat this fear is very straightforward counter-anxiety trickery, :magic: but it works best when it's backed up by certain kinds of intellectual knowledge. And it also has to be practiced. The statistics on airline safety can't touch the fear by themselves, as we all discover to our surprise and dismay :shakehead, but that stuff comes in handy at a certain point along the way.

Right now, go here:

http://www.anxieties.com

to get started. There's excellent general info on anxiety as well as a fear-of-flying section. The owner of this site is the shrink who boosted me out of my fear back in 1993--with first his book and then with him, one-on-one. So therapists can speed up the process. But now with the internet, we can get our clammy palms on everything we need.

The people here, myself included, can help you get ready to do this flight and make it a big step on your path to recovery. I'll get back to you later this evening. You can do this. :thumbsup:

[SLM415]

Thank you! I will start reading that website now and I look forward to hearing from you later :wave: Even if I am not fearless when I fly next week...any little bit helps!

[jsellers1981]

Oh my gosh! Please take this trip! You will regret it if you don't. If you have never been to NYC you are in for a treat. I just got back Sunday and it was worth every minute in the air and every bit of anxiety. It was the most amazing place I have ever been. Just try to remain focused on how much fun you will have in NYC. It really is an amazing place. I would fly there every day if I could!

[SLM415]

i am very excited about the actual *trip*...it's the flight that FREAKS me out...there's no backing out, as my friend bought the ticket to the show for me and i would hate to not go. i have never been to NYC, my dad lived there for 10 years back in the day and owned a record store in the East Village...etc...so i am dying to go...especially to get some photos in front of where his record store was...and some of the stores he worked at on St Marks. THIS is all very exciting...

but of course i'm worried i won't even make it... EEK. :mg:

i am trying to focus on being there...but the flight is sooo long...so...i am going for sure...i just don't want to feel like i'm going to keel over from my anxiety. my flight out there is a red eye, i am hoping i will be so exhausted after an 8 hour day of work that i was just konk out...but i know i will most likely be awake and over analyzing every little sound and movement.

[aerobat]

I've had two therapists (one I was seeing as a teenager and one I was taking a college course from) tell me that it has to do with the feeling "out of control"...my fear of flight started around the time my parents got divorced when I was 10...so it's like I channeled the feelings into something more tangible.


This makes perfect sense. My fear of flying was kicked off by the death of caving friends in a canoe accident, and around the same time, the separation of my parents. We really do slip flying in as a stand-in for the big disruptions, and we do not do this consciously. I had no idea.

What matters right now is that you find ways to demystify your fear; that tends to poke a hole in it. It's also good to understand that your fear is not unique, that the rest of us have pretty much the same experience--or did have. All of this makes the path to recovery more accessible.

It's also good to realize that the "cure" does not require a deep dive into the unconscious, years on the couch, a thorough review of our childhoods, etc. What's needed is a fast course in anxiety and some good tools for managing it, and then some practice of techniques. Even a few glimpses of relief are helpful, because they open a window onto the territory to which we will, with persistence, find the door.

So...more in a bit. Are you still on the forum?

[SLM415]

yes - i'll be on here for the rest of the evening.

i can say that reading through some of these posts today has already helped a bit - especially the one about the girl who had to make the emergency landing. i watched her video where they were dumping the fuel...even though i could feel my heart rate go up...it was interesting to watch (and wasn't what i imagined fuel dumping would be like at all...which went to show that a lot of the things i imagine are truly that, my imagination).

i'm really glad i found this forum. i had been on another one...but every response from the moderator was a little bit of helpful pep-talk followed by "now pay $129 for my program"...it felt more like someone trying to push a product...which didn't help my fear any...what if that's all they're trying to do and they're only trying to say the right things for their own profit?!

i will be here reading through posts...when i'm outside i try and look at all the various planes overhead and that all of them get safely to their destination...and i try and reassure myself (however difficult it may be) that my flight wont be any different than theirs.

:grouphug:

[aerobat]

You might want to track your flight, starting tomorrow. if you go to the tracking board, you'll see how to do it and find the links. I like FlightAware. A lot of people find it helpful to see that their flight is arriving safely and on schedule day after day. Furthermore, there's a good chance we can round up some people to track your flight on the day you are on it; this creates a kind of "magical " support, and a connection between you and your "ground crew" and cheering squad.

Have you been to anxieties.com?

Dang, I forgot she was going to post that fuel-dumping video, I need to go see that! :)

Many of us here have been on the site to which you refer. The forum is run by the owner in such a way as to promote his program and none other. He does good work; I don't mind giving him a plug. And for some people, his program may be the shortest path, but our experience is that this work can be done for free, so long as one makes a commitment and sticks to it.

We can answer your questions; ask away! :sunshine:

[SLM415]

i actually watched the free intro movie on that site and i liked it...but i didn't get the support i was hoping to find on the chat forum. it's nice here to get a reply...and to be able to talk to other people too.

i'm glad you reminded me about the flight tracking! i want to look at that...and maybe find someone to track mine (although like i said...my flights out there are red eye...i don't know if anyone wants to stay up all night ;) ) but i feel like having someone watching it somehow makes it safer.

the worst part of the flight for me is take-off. the plane just feels so out of control, and i've read it's one of the most dangerous parts of flight. how dangerous is it really? landing doesn't bother me so much because i know that i can get the hell off the plane soon!

i read over anxieties.com while i was at work today...i plan to read over every day until i can get some of the breathing excerizes imprinted in my brain...

i think it helps that i do understand that my fear is irrational - i just need to learn how to cope with the fact that even with that knowledge, my body still reacts...or my mind wants to say 'what if this happens...then think of my family....think of my friends..." everything and everyone that would be affected. then i get all upset :shakehead

[aerobat]

i actually watched the free intro movie on that site and i liked it...but i didn't get the support i was hoping to find on the chat forum. it's nice here to get a reply...and to be able to talk to other people too.


Are you talking about the live chat he runs? In my experience, that tended to be rather shallow and it jumped in a dozen directions, much like chat in general. The discussion forums are better, but one senses the presence of :rolleyes: Big Brother. But the nitty-gritty of his method is effective. You can glean some of his exercises for free, like the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise. It's designed to interrupt runaway thoughts and images. On anxieties.com, you'll find the technique of thought-stopping, using a fat rubber band. Its purpose is to disrupt; it's our version of spitballs in the classroom :lol:. It breaks up the cascade of catastrophic images and, with practice, shows us (1) that we can do this, and get better at it, and (2) that these images are phantoms of our imagination that are not keeping us safe at all. Whenever you wish to lay them out in the light of day, you'll find that we've all had them--images of falling in flames out of the sky, images of our friends at our funeral, the awful headlines...you name it. We've been there. This is what thought-stopping is designed to suppress. At first it only works for a few seconds, but then we combine it with postponement (OK, fear, I'll rendezvous with you at 7pm sharp; in the meantime, buzz off) and worry time, in which we wallow in the awful stuff for, say, five minutes and discover that we can't even keep it up that long.

By the way, a four-hour flight will not be four hours of anxiety. One gets used to being up there, and we deplete our stress hormones and settle down into acceptance. But there's much more to this than that. ;)


...my flights out there are red eye...i don't know if anyone wants to stay up all night ;) ) but i feel like having someone watching it somehow makes it safer.


There's a few night owls around here...what time does your flight depart the gate at SFO?

the worst part of the flight for me is take-off. the plane just feels so out of control, and i've read it's one of the most dangerous parts of flight. how dangerous is it really? landing doesn't bother me so much because i know that i can get the hell off the plane soon!

In splitting hairs on margin-of-safety, landing is statistically more "dangerous" than takeoff, with a higher task load than during the takeoff. But in reality, the danger in these phases on a modern airliner in this country isn't worth worrying about. That said, we know the stats aren't worth the screen they're printed on; not yet. They will be, though.

The takeoff feels dangerous because of all the power and acceleration and--not least--the commitment. The point of no return. Myself, I love it now. I grin like a kid out the window.

i read over anxieties.com while i was at work today...i plan to read over every day until i can get some of the breathing excerizes imprinted in my brain...

Just practice...the calming counts are good, the color visualizations are good. The positive affirmations (stated worry followed by stated antidote) are good; you can make yourself some flash cards to take with you.

i think it helps that i do understand that my fear is irrational - i just need to learn how to cope with the fact that even with that knowledge, my body still reacts...

This is why the most effective response is physical also. Do things which reduce the flow of adrenaline. Without adrenaline the most horrific thoughts imaginable have no teeth. So part of the process is side-stepping the conscious mind and going straight for the brain. It's very important to accept that we have an irrational fear, but also that it didn't just come from nowhere (you: parents' divorce at age ten easily explains it) and that there's nothing "wrong with us"--no more so than that a skier with a broken leg due to a tumble has anything wrong with her/him. The fear of flying is an accident, plain and simple. A neurochemical accident, for which there should be no shame. Of course I understand the embarrassment; I kept it a secret for decades and didn't own up to it until I was doing the work to get over it (which worked).



or my mind wants to say 'what if this happens...then think of my family....think of my friends..." everything and everyone that would be affected. then i get all upset :shakehead

Thought-stopping!

[Barb-SAN]

It also didn't help that 4 years ago I flew to the UK and had the most rough flight I've ever experienced...I don't think I could deal with that again. I was sitting in the back of the plane flying over the Great Lakes and it felt like the tail was going to be ripped off...even the FA's had to take seat and buckle up (I always watch them...I figure if they are fine, everything is fine...so that was scary). I obviously made it, but it was just so jarring and scary. Nothing like any turbulence I'd experienced before.
Hi SLM...I've been enjoying reading the thread, and all of Aerobat Barb's great tips. I noticed this part of your original post...ah, the turbulence bug-a-boo. That gets a lot of us...in fact, we just recently had a turbulence discussion on this thread... http://www.takingflight.us/forums/showthread.php?t=9710
Have you considered trying to get a seat on the plane this time that is over, or just in front of the wings? That's usually the smoothest ride. :)

Also, about the relaxation & breathing exercises, it's very important to PRACTICE every opportunity that you have, so it becomes automatic. I've used biofeedback to help me be more "body-aware", and also see how effective various relaxation techniques are for me. In fact, today I had a chance to practice, at the DENTIST...where I had to have prep work for a crown. Always the scientist...I took my pulse in the parking lot of the dentist's office...anticipatory anxiety building, pulse 107. It dropped to 97 once I was in the dentist chair, and by the end of the proceedure 1 1/2 hrs. later, it was down to 85 (still not great...but a lot better than 107, and I was feeling much more relaxed). It was graphic evidence to me that we eventually run out of adrenaline, and our body calms down. I did try to do my breathing exercises, tell myself that I trusted the dentist, etc. Ultimately you just have to surrender control and submit to the process, know that it's for your ultimate benefit, etc. I think the anxiety at the dentist comes from some of the same places that it can with flying...giving up control, and not being sure of the "outcome" so it's easy to indulge in "what if?" thinking (plus at the dentist there's that possibility of pain too).

[SLM415]

the video was a pre-recorded one....although it looked as though it was made in 1985 ;) i found some of it informative but i just spent enough money on a plane ticket...so i wasn't going to pay money for the rest of the videos...and yes i know just what you mean about "Big Brother"...as much as i wanted to talk to other members it seemed difficult...so i gave up after i wrote my first topic and got a reply that was a few lines long followed by "go to this link" which was of course the "shopping cart" :lol:

i do remember at some point getting a bit comfortable on my flight to the UK four years ago...but that was the worst flight i'd ever been on...because of the horrible turbulence over the great lakes...so while i do remember being OK after a few hours, i also remember being TOTALLY freaked out! although i have to admit i got the guts to turn the TV channel to the camera view outside of the plane...i watched Greenland go under the plane...it was scary but also fascinating!

i have to admit the irony in hating take offs is that as a kid it was my favorite part. i wanted to take off again and again and again :shocked:

my flight takes off i think at 11:58PM on American Airlines, right around then, and right before midnight. it goes to Chicago and then i get on another plane that goes to Newark. my flight home leaves from JFK directly into SFO.


i have to admit even just talking and joking about all of this with people who understand takes some of the load off. the few people i have told around me don't seem to "get" it...it's nice that there are people who do get it. i've also had FlightAware running in the background of my web surfing...and every so often i click over and see all those planes out there...arriving into SFO safely.

thanks so much for all the information and support...i know some of the AA flights have wifi but i don't think my flight out there does....maybe the one on the way back. i hope so, if only so i can come on here and post via airplane! :sunshine:

[aerobat]

i have to admit even just talking and joking about all of this with people who understand takes some of the load off. the few people i have told around me don't seem to "get" it...it's nice that there are people who do get it.

Yep, it helps to talk about this with people who get it. You'll see that expressed here often. The discovery that one is not alone, that one's fear is not unique or special, is valuable. You may find that you start feeling a little better about flying just from having mustered the courage to come here and share your feelings, and from getting support and empathy. A lot of the progress seems to take place beneath the surface at first, and it's easy to doubt it. We've experienced that, too--that the first few steps seem small and fragile and we hope they are not illusory. They are not.

Start a journal about this. Call it something like "Beating My Fear of Flying". Make note of every little bit of relief or grace or insight. List your biggest, most awful images and next to them, write an antidote, a counter-statement of your own creation. Experiment with the different techniques you find, and like Barb-SAN did surrounding her visit to the dentist today, check your pulse and record it, both when the fear seems to be in control and when you are able to reduce it.

Here's a bit of Anxiety 101 homework for ya: :happyguy:

define:

sensitization

desensitization

disconfirmation

Awrighty, I'm signing off. I'll be back on the forums tomorrow midday or so. :sunshine:

[Barb-SAN]

Start a journal about this. Call it something like "Beating My Fear of Flying". Make note of every little bit of relief or grace or insight. List your biggest, most awful images and next to them, write an antidote, a counter-statement of your own creation. Experiment with the different techniques you find, and like Barb-SAN did surrounding her visit to the dentist today, check your pulse and record it, both when the fear seems to be in control and when you are able to reduce it.
I think one of the big challenges of dealing with FoF is that it seems to be such a "BIG STEP" to get on the plane, particularly for someone who has been "grounded" for a long time. Looking for ways to "work with" anxious feelings in small doses on the ground (e.g. elevators, or the dentist (not such a "small dose", actually...:rolleyes:) can help to build confidence that we can influence our anxiety levels at least somewhat. I think keeping a journal is a really good idea, as is posting your progress here. Print out your threads and save them for future reference.

I did some of the same things yesterday that I do before a flight...a 20 minute workout (gentle) on the Nordic Track, and 20 min. of easy Yoga in the morning to help with anticipatory anxiety. Then some distraction during the day (paperwork that required "focus"), and read The National Enquirer to engage the "visual" side of my brain...:lol:

When I got to the dentist's office and saw my heart rate was so elevated, I took a walk around the block before entering the building to burn off some of the adrenaline (flight or fight). Then, I joked a bit with the receptionist in the office (hard to laugh and feel anxious simultaneously). When I went back to the dentist's room, I immediately told the hygienist that I was feeling anxious. She told me that was "normal", that everyone feels that way when they are coming in for something other than a cleaning. I also had a little discussion with the dentist about anxiety before he started work. He used a topical anesthetic before injecting the novacaine :thumbsup: which made that almost painless. He also used a novacaine without epinephrine, as the epinephrine can cause anxiety and racing heart. He reassured me that he would be doing his best to give me an excellent, well-fitting crown. I told him I had complete confidence in HIS work...was just more concerned with my own "panic" reaction. I asked him to tell me what he was doing step by step, which he did. I was aware that I was really tensing the muscles in my back while he was drilling, and I had to make a conscious effort to remember to breathe, slow and relaxed. My tendancy was to tense my muscles, and hold my breathe.

Ultimately I got through the procedure O.K. (not much choice once they get started...you REALLY don't want to have them stop until that temporary crown is glued in place.) It's not something I'd want to do every day...but I do think it helped to admit to the anxiety, discuss it, and accept that it's "normal" in that situation, and then try to remember the "tools" that help.

So...we also suggest meeting your pilot before your flight, and admit that you've had a problem with fear of flying. Admitting it can help to defuse it, and meeting the pilots will reassure you of their competence. If you are lucky, they may invite you to the cockpit for a short visit, and you can ask them anything you are particularly worried about (e.g. if your flight is expected to be turbulent). That's been my usual question to the pilots...if turbulence is expected, and if it's encountered, could they tell us passengers about how long it will last (no 100% guarantee there), so we can time our bathroom breaks?

[SLM415]

thanks to both of you so much! i like the journal idea...i had been thinking in general i should start journaling anyways...and this would be a great way to start, especially if it's working towards getting over this, or at least more comfortable with it.

i've been trying to put it into perspective too...i've been though things that were a lot scarier (surgery etc) and in more dangerous situations than a plane *really* is...although it doesn't always feel that way. when i do think about it, it really is the build up. waiting in the airport, walking down the long narrow aisle (i forget what it's called right now) to actually get on the plane, seeing the side of the plane and going through the door, buckling up and the door closing...all up until about 20 minutes into the flight...at which point i am still nervous but relieved that we even made it off the ground.

once i get home tonight i think i will start my journal...i'm also going to make sure to bring my laptop or a CD player because a friend of mine gave me a yoga/meditation CD to help with my sleeping problems...and i think it would be a good thing to have with me as it is very relaxing. just wish i could have my electronics on during the first 10 minutes of the flight! :)

[Barb-SAN]

once i get home tonight i think i will start my journal...i'm also going to make sure to bring my laptop or a CD player because a friend of mine gave me a yoga/meditation CD to help with my sleeping problems...and i think it would be a good thing to have with me as it is very relaxing. just wish i could have my electronics on during the first 10 minutes of the flight! :)
Great idea. If you listen to your meditation CD enough times, perhaps you will memorize it, and then be able to "replay it from memory" during those first 10 minutes of flight! ;)

[MathFox]

my flight takes off i think at 11:58PM on American Airlines, right around then, and right before midnight. it goes to Chicago and then i get on another plane that goes to Newark. my flight home leaves from JFK directly into SFO.


Well, that means I won't have to get up that early and can start tracking at 8:58AM ;) or maybe one of our Aussie friends picks it up ;) ;). So post your flight info on the flight tracking board if you like flight following!

[SLM415]

i will post it, thank you SO much! knowing it will most likely be tracked makes me feel much better already :):):)

[aerobat]

I should be able to track you at the beginning of your flight; you're only two hours earlier and I am a night owl. So post your flight data when you are ready to. Have you been tracking that flight?

when i do think about it, it really is the build up. waiting in the airport, walking down the long narrow aisle (i forget what it's called right now) to actually get on the plane, seeing the side of the plane and going through the door, buckling up and the door closing...all up until about 20 minutes into the flight...at which point i am still nervous but relieved that we even made it off the ground.


If you are still amazed that these big, hulking hunks of metal can make it off the ground, it may help you to learn more about aerodynamics. Not that this data is intended to substitute for the more important work of taking control of the anxiety, but it does help to know that the machines are very reliable and efficient and can be trusted. You can pose questions about all this on Captain Hutch's forum, and I'll let him know to have a look.


walking down the long narrow aisle (i forget what it's called right now)

Ah, that...it's called the Tunnel of Doom :eek:;)...er, the jetbridge or jetway. :lol:

[Kimmar]

Hello and Welcome to Taking Flight!

I've been here for a couple of years now and have effectively beaten my fear of flying (which was about as deep as yours since I quit flying for 25 years!)

If you plug my name (Kimmar) into the search you should be able to come up with all the posts I've ever started and with that you can see me go from absolutely terrified to (just yesterday) posting about how thrilled I am to be able to afford another flight and get in some practice now!

I kept a journal through out my recovery and it was *invaluable*! I only just (last flight) packed it in my suitcase for the return trip home. Usually I carried it right with me on my person so I could write about my feelings etc. on the plane. I've come so far and you will too. It may not be easy (at first) but it *is* do-able.

I didn't have to "get to the root" of my fear so much as I decided (knowing all the stats) it was about as logical as being afraid of the color blue. If I suddenly became phobic about the color blue you bet I'd be doing some wondering about why I had, but on the other hand I'd be doing anti-anxiety work so that I could get my "silly brain" (the one that doesn't listen to logic or reason) to calm down enough to let me give it the real facts.

Deep breathing helps because your brain believes that if you are breathing deeply you *must* be relaxed and therefore there's no need to keep pumping out that adrenaline just because you saw an airplane...(Yes, I too could watch flights on the Internet and watch my heart rate go up...Just like you! )

The anti anxiety techniques work to do just that. Distract or relax your mind so that your body can relax too.

I can't say enough about practicing whatever techniques you find work for you. You have a whole week to work on them! Whenever a "silly brain" thought enters your mind think of that as an opportunity to "practice" so you'll be ready to do so on your flight. The more you practice the more natural it will become for you, but at the same time on my first flight I wrote down hints *on my hand* because I was pretty sure I'd forget *everything* once I set foot in that plane! LOL

I didn't even need to use the writing on my hand, but it was good to know it was there in case I needed it.

Keep reading here, writing down everything in your journal, and practicing your techniques.

Let us know what epiphany's you are having and what doubts and fears you are having. We can (and will try to) help.

[SLM415]

Aerobat : HA...it's totally the tunnel of doom! i posted my flight information on the tracking forum...both for the departure and return flight :) it helps because then i just imagine myself as one of the little airplanes on the tracking screen to the person watching it...just one in many of flights that are going smoothly. it's already giving me the chance to feel more excited about the actual trip and less focused on dreading the flight.

Kimmar: hi and thanks! i got myself a little notebook to take with me to the airport...i know that once i am on the plane i will probably get anxious...i can admit that one of the things of feeling out of control is that somehow my flight will go wrong because of "karma". i have a habit, weeks before my flight, to also speak about my trip in positive ways (about the bad things, HA) like "i hope my flight is safe" or "i hope i make it to my destination" because i'm worried i'm somehow going to jinx myself if i say "i hope my flight doesn't crash". even just TYPING that makes me worried!

i'm not a relgious person, but i always send out a 'prayer' into the cosmos, just to be on the safe side, when i get on the plane as well. i feel like, well, i better cover ALL my bases - just in case!

i've been doing some of the breathing practices, just to get them as a routine. i really am hoping that i can relax enough that i can sleep during the red eye flight on the way out there. my flight back is very early in the morning, so i'm also hoping i can fall alseep and get some rest on the way back. i think this is my goal!!!

[aerobat]

i can admit that one of the things of feeling out of control is that somehow my flight will go wrong because of "karma". i have a habit, weeks before my flight, to also speak about my trip in positive ways (about the bad things, HA) like "i hope my flight is safe" or "i hope i make it to my destination" because i'm worried i'm somehow going to jinx myself if i say "i hope my flight doesn't crash". even just TYPING that makes me worried!

I know that feeling of having "fate" dog one's trail. :rolleyes: I used to describe it as "being on God's $#!t list", though I could never determine what I had done to deserve this. Not to mention all those other people on the plane who are supposed to be, what? Collateral damage? The cosmos just doesn't work this way, but it took some practice to pry that habit of feeling off me.
I'm just not that special! :lol:. And neither is anyone else here.

Feeling the shadow of karmic retribution is a form of "magical thinking" and it's common to fearful fliers. Also common is seeing "omens" everywhere. The time comes when we just have to laugh at the way the fear tries to trick us. Once we start catching our fear with its pants down, so to speak, it becomes easier and easier to control it.

[SLM415]

it's so funny that you mention the idea of the other passengers as "collateral damage"...when i was probably 15 or 16, i figured that so long as there were a few babies on the plane, that karma wouldn't be able to chase me down because well, there are babies on the plane! it's horrible in a way, yet laughable at the absurdity of trying to convince oneself that everything will be okay.

i can definitely feel myself getting a little bit more anxious as the date is rapidly approaching...but i do feel a little more prepared and am finding ways to distact myself. i definitely get the "omen" thing too. i always feel like weird things happen right before my flight, but then i realize if it were any other day, it wouldn't seem weird. although one good thing is i had my first dream EVER where i was on a plane and it didn't crash...i actually made it to my destination! :thumbsup:

[aerobat]

when i was probably 15 or 16, i figured that so long as there were a few babies on the plane, that karma wouldn't be able to chase me down because well, there are babies on the plane! it's horrible in a way, yet laughable at the absurdity of trying to convince oneself that everything will be okay.

These magical ideas are prevalent in the human population. I'm inclined to think we all (not just fearful fliers) have them, but they stay beneath the surface until something threatening (or appearing so) comes up. It goes along with that old adage "there are no atheists in foxholes".

If you've been reading the threads here, you'll likely have found my two threads about the engine failure I experienced in August on Southwest. I don't want to get into that (except to reaffirm that it had no negative effect on me beyond the stress of the situation itself, which I managed well), but something I didn't mention was that once we pax were all on board the replacement flight and off the ground, headed to Denver, there was a fair bit of buzz about what had happened to us, and the new cabin crew (of course!) wanted to hear about it. I sat up front near the FAs. Two women next to me said that "God couldn't have let anything bad happen to our plane because there were so many babies on board". And indeed there were five little ones that I had seen, though I had not had that thought. What this seems to reflect is the pervasive idea that we are born innocent (or relatively so) and as we get older we become more guilty (acquire bad karma, engage in sin, etc.) and thus become more deserving of karmic retribution, divine punishment...in the form of having our plane go down?

So what part of all this is the irrational part? :lol: I'd say all of it, but it's tough to convince oneself of this emotionally--especially when (1) as kids we've suffered through a fractured or dysfunctional family life and (2) irrational thinking is so "normal" in our culture. A lot of phantoms and bogeymen are born in this stew. I speak for myself as well, though I was never a fearful person in general--quite the opposite (professional cave explorer, among other things). It's no accident that one in four people are nervous fliers while on the plane, even though they tend to keep flying. And most of these millions of people (70 million in this country! ?!) never get into recovery (where you are headed, by the way) 'cause they don't know where to look for it. It's not where we tend to look.

i can definitely feel myself getting a little bit more anxious as the date is rapidly approaching...but i do feel a little more prepared and am finding ways to distact myself. i definitely get the "omen" thing too. i always feel like weird things happen right before my flight, but then i realize if it were any other day, it wouldn't seem weird. although one good thing is i had my first dream EVER where i was on a plane and it didn't crash...i actually made it to my destination! :thumbsup:

That's a very cool dream, and not trivial (you wrote it down?). I had a dream like that too, in 1993 as I was getting ready to fly for the first time in 13 years. In it I was negotiating with my fear of flying while on the plane, and discovering my heroic script. And the plane landed safely. That was the only flying dream I had during those weeks, and it was a winner (so were the flights! :thumbsup:).

There's a process of "inoculation" we go through in getting into recovery whereby we become less and less vulnerable to anxiety triggers--not only our previous ones, but also any new ones. A recovered fearful flier is, I believe, less likely to develop a fear of flying due to an emergency situation on a plane than a passenger who has never had this fear and who has never gotten the education (about everything) that we get. What we get is a fair trade for losing our innocence about flying, which is something we don't get back. But we learn to accept (comfortably) the very, very small risk as informed grownups, and we learn a lot about ourselves in the process. You'll see this in the posts of people here who are flying happily and who seek out opportunities to fly, because it's just such a sweet thing to do. I hope you are fortunate enough to discover this next week when you fly to New York. I see every reason to expect it. :) It's OK (and typical) that you don't expect it yet...it tends to come as a big surprise. :woot:

[Kalinych]

when i was probably 15 or 16, i figured that so long as there were a few babies on the plane, that karma wouldn't be able to chase me down because well, there are babies on the plane!

Hahaha :) The night before one of my flights (during my acute FoF phase), I had witnessed a car spin out and go off into a ditch at 70mph in front of me. It was dark, and the crash site wasn't visible from the road, and after injured driver was pulled out and went into hospital, I figured that since I probably saved a man's life today, God wouldn't let anything happen to me when I'm flying tomorrow! That worked very well with very uneventful flight and no anxiety. The flip side of course was that I was unlikely to have such reassuring omens for all other flights from now on which caused considerable worry... :rolleyes:

[SLM415]

okay...finally figured out the "quote" system on here, so that should make replying a bit clearer ;)

These magical ideas are prevalent in the human population. I'm inclined to think we all (not just fearful fliers) have them, but they stay beneath the surface until something threatening (or appearing so) comes up........Two women next to me said that "God couldn't have let anything bad happen to our plane because there were so many babies on board".

i have to admit, along these lines, it's a HUGE relief to even get off my chest that i even HAVE these thoughts. the last time i told a friend of mine (probably 8 years ago at this point) about the logic of a plane full of babies, i said 'that way, the plane will be safe' and his reply was 'or it would just be a VERY horrible trip down'....d'oh! he was right though. the logical side of me knows that it just doesn't matter, but it's easy to try and find comfort in things like that...although it doesn't really work all *that* well, because then it becomes, 'what if my bad karma outweighs x and x'.

part of my fear, too, comes from something that i actually really love. i have been an astronomy major for quite some time...i know *way* too much about the universe and how it works (you'd think right there, it would throw the karma thing out the window, but it doesn't). i guess though, in a way, knowing all of these things can sometimes add onto the feeling out of control - and that i can never know just what will happen, especially on a flight, and that there's nothing i can do to not be the 1 in 12 million statistic.

That's a very cool dream, and not trivial (you wrote it down?).

i did, i did! in my dreams when i am on a flight, it always ends badly. i've had them from where i was on a small propellar plane that got sucked through a big jet engine, or a 'typical' crash scenario...i've also had really graphic dreams (i won't go into detail) about watching planes crash in front of me. so i have to admit it was pretty exciting that i had a dream where, although i was nervous in my dream, my plane actually made it and landed without incedent!

of course... today i was buying something at a store and as i was leaving i'd noticed she'd rung me up for *less* than the item was priced....i would normally go back but i was in a hurry, of course i thought "oh crap, now i've just added onto my plane disaster karma". i did immediately correct that thought, but it was still there for a flash of a second!

Kalinych, i hear you...it's such a hard balance, isn't it?!

[aerobat]

part of my fear, too, comes from something that i actually really love. i have been an astronomy major for quite some time...i know *way* too much about the universe and how it works (you'd think right there, it would throw the karma thing out the window, but it doesn't). i guess though, in a way, knowing all of these things can sometimes add onto the feeling out of control - and that i can never know just what will happen, especially on a flight, and that there's nothing i can do to not be the 1 in 12 million statistic.


The only thing we can do which will guarantee that we will not be the 1 in 12 million statistic is: don't fly. :(

Many of us have tried that. It's a miserable price to pay. I think the main reason people stop flying is to stop the anticipatory anxiety, which is awful and goes on for weeks.

In order to fly comfortably, we have to give up the need for a 100 percent guarantee of safety. We have to be willing to settle for 99.9999% instead. We don't ask for that sort of guarantee on the freeway, but our willingness to drive on the freeway is enabled by the illusion of control. I don't know what the statistical likelihood is (but you might! :)) of a meteor falling through your bedroom ceiling while you're asleep, but it has happened. We don't demand a 100% guarantee that it won't happen, nor do we obsess over whether our house might be the one or whether our karmic tail is going to catch up with us in that specific manner :mg:. There may be a phobia about meteors out there...there certainly are people who believe that Earth has an unpleasant appointment with Nabiru in 2012. :lol:

We aren't (nobody is) completely consistent in the things we admit into reality; I am not. As an anthropologist I have spent many years on the fence between science and indigenous shamanistic beliefs, with more than one foot on both sides at different times. I chalk this up to a dialogue or truce between my right and left brain; the right tends toward the magical and mystical. This is just ducky when things are going well, but the problem with magical thinking is that it can turn on you. I love Kalinych's anecdote: my serendipitous lifesaving action saved my butt this time, but what about next time?

We have to squirm away from the influence of magical paradigms when they disempower us. This takes courage; it may feel like going to a hilltop during a thunderstorm and daring God to strike us with lightning. I had to challenge the "powers that be" various times during my flying-breakthrough period; like all the rest of the work we do, it gets easier with practice.

You can reclaim, emotionally, your right to be up there on a plane, or your right to go wheeee! during takeoff rather than feel afraid and out of control. It doesn't mean your ideas and feelings about karmic justice will evaporate. For me they did not, but they rather got bumped up a few notches on the wisdom/compassion scale. I became less self-centered when I beat my fear of flying; I unloaded a lot of crap that was tangled up with it. Among the mantras I went around mumbling during that amazing time were: courage and compassion are two sides of the same coin, and courage is its own reward. There are a thousand ways this process interfaces with karma, and most especially with dharma. It's why I am here on this forum, doing this work. It's why the other people who stay and give support are here; we have been given a great gift, and with it comes a natural directive to give back. :)

I think you're doing just fine, SLM. The process of properly getting ready to fly is not linear. It's organic: part conscious, part unconscious, part structured and disciplined, part intellectual, even academic; part intuitive and emotive and peppered with spontaneous aha! experiences, and with doubts as well, and with opportunities to find courage. It's not usually very dramatic; it doesn't envelop us with certainty; it just tiptoes along on "little cat feet" dropping hints that we are on the right track. The proof that it works is given when we fly for the first time thereafter.

[Passenger Mark]

I think the most frustrating thing about my fear of flying is that I used to absolutely love it. I am 23 now and have dreaded flying for many years, but as a kid I couldn't wait to fly - in fact I would get really excited at the idea of a flight that wasn't non-stop, the more planes, the more trips, the better.



Hi! Let me offer my "Welcome Aboard" also! You have certainly come to the right place!

As for the part of your post I quoted above, I was actually just like you! And yes... it is VERY confusing!

It is too bad we can't remain kids forever. They have such a "fresh" way of looking at the world. It is the innocence about them.

As we get older, we begin to accumulate more responsibilities, concerns, and worries. When I was a kid some fairly dramatic things happened in the world. In fact, we came close to nuking each other a few times, but I don't recall caring! lol

Anyways... our protective instincts become more keen as we get older, and many times our brain (a complicated device) can send some false alarms to our body... which in turn causes anxiety.

I think of it as your home alarm system going off because the cat walked in front of the motion sensor. You react, the alarm company reacts, but then you turn the alarm off as everything is normal.

When flying, if your "alarm system" goes off, simply reset it as it is a false alarm, and go about life as normal. Try to remember those days when you were a kid and loved flying. Actually flying is SAFER now than THEN!

Once again, Welcome aboard Taking Flight!

[SLM415]

mark - yes i agree. on the note of "innocence" and everything we accumulate, it's interesting because i know that if i don't get on the plane, that the plane will be fine - the flight will make it with no trouble. but somehow i feel like MY being on the plane will somehow make things more likely to go wrong. i guess i have some soul searching to do here. i would never consider myself to be a 'bad' person, maybe just more along the lines of unfortunate, when it comes to a lot of aspects in my life. i really do try my best to be a decent person, but life sometimes will land you with things no matter what kind of person you are.

but...i feel like if for some reason i didn't get on that plane on Weds night, it would be fine. it would be like any other plane. but like i said...i feel like somehow it has to do with "me".

on a better note, i watched this video Barb-SAN had posted of some planes landing in REALLY windy weather. the last time i flew was earlier this year, from San Diego (where i grew up) into Oakland...and the landing into Oakland was EXTREMELY rough. the plane was dipping and shaking and we landed really hard...people were pushed into the seats in front of them, i had to put my arms against the back of the seat in front of me to keep myself upright. it was really unnerving. but watching these planes...they were obviously WAY worse off...and i could imagine what they were feeling, versus what i went through. and it was really interesting to see these planes land (or be able to go around) and nothing bad happened.

in fact i can say it was the first time my blood pressure didn't go up watching airplanes, although i did gasp a few times at the planes moving all over the place! it did make me think, 'wow, those pilots really DO know what they are doing...and those planes really ARE built to last!'.

i still have some nervous moments, and i've noticed now it's usually late at night when i'm tired and going to bed...my mind tends to wander and it's easier to focus on everything that could go wrong. however i think i am still doing okay - i seem to be able to tell myself to just 'stop' and think about something else...something that will HELP me go to sleep!

thanks again to all of you...i feel some hope in all of this...and that's what is most important to me right now!

[Passenger Mark]

You are NOT an omen, or jinx! The plane will be fine whether you are on it or not.

As for bad things happening in our life's.... I understand. But remember, the bad times make the good times even better!

And yes the pilots know what they are doing. And remember, they like themselves, love their families, and are not going to do anything to risk either!

[SLM415]

thanks mark. i am just telling myself this over and over - and really meaning it! today i got a $75 gift cert to my favorite restaurant through work as a 'thanks for your hard work' (i have a kindof crazy job, being in charge of shipping art and antiques!). this made me feel great...and like maybe things are going my way...which also includes my flight! :)

[SLM415]

on the flip side...i just came home from yummy food to....JURY DUTY SUMMONS NOTICE. i laughed so hard. at least my odds of going to jury duty have got to be worse than flying on a plane?! :lol:

[aerobat]

mark - yes i agree. on the note of "innocence" and everything we accumulate, it's interesting because i know that if i don't get on the plane, that the plane will be fine - the flight will make it with no trouble. but somehow i feel like MY being on the plane will somehow make things more likely to go wrong. i guess i have some soul searching to do here.

One of Mark's anecdotes revolved around a situation wherein two people on the forums were planning to fly around the same time (Mark being one), and both had the same sense of dread that their plane was going to be the one. So the "funny" was that each of them tells the other "it can't be your plane that goes down, because it's going to be my plane!" :)

Yeah, I know what you're saying. I used to feel the exact same way. Here's where a good dose of disconfirmation goes far: fly to Chicago, get there just fine, fly to New York, get there just fine, and make a point of telling your premonitions that they are wrong and no longer worthy of your attention. This is another thing that must be practiced, and the only good way to practice it is to keep flying, and look at each flight as an opportunity to dismantle more of the fear.

Stats on jury duty...I've been summoned some eight times and have never sat on a jury. Most cases are settled out of court.

So...two days, less than forty-eight hours to go. You're doing fine! :tiphat: This part of it--finding courage--is very special; without it, we don't get the wave of triumph and accomplishment.

[Passenger Mark]

LOL!!!! Jury Duty!

When I lived in California I thought Jury Duty was my second job! I don't know why but it was a constant calling!

NEVER EVER sat on a Jury. In civil trials attorneys don't like Insurance Adjusters.... was one of the first removals.

And on Criminal.... I think defense attorneys didn't like my "hang em all" comment!

Anyways, I wish I won the lottery as much as jury duty! Come to think of it, if I had a dollar for every non-eventful mile (all of them) I have flown, I would have a personal plane!

[SLM415]

So...two days, less than forty-eight hours to go. You're doing fine! :tiphat: This part of it--finding courage--is very special; without it, we don't get the wave of triumph and accomplishment.

i know...EEEK. but less EEEK than before. i'm also trying to look at it this way : work has been really busy the past few days, demanding clients...express int'l shipments...and the airplane will be taking me FAR away from the stresses of work. i'm basically doing a, 'the airplane is my friend', routine :bigplane:
(how great are the emoticons on this site, by the way? HA!)

as far as the jury duty...this will be my FIRST time ever having to go in. hopefully that's all i will have to do!

[Polca]

Hi all,

I must have, I find your forum amazing, and I must say that I am very to have found it.

The reason I'm posting on this thread and not creating a new one is because of the coincidence between my situations and yours, SLM.

I'm also 23 years, and I'm flying to New York tomorrow morning. However, I'm coming from the other side of the globe (Paris).

As you, I have flown many times before when I was young, been to New York 4 times (though this time is quite special because I'm going to visit my girlfriend who's been there for a month now).

However, I'm also absolutely petrified. Like you, I have wondered about the karma effects, and the chance that I'm in the 1 in the million that will die in a crash. I think for me the worse thought is the one of dying disconnected from the earth. I don't know why, but the idea of exploding in mid-air (yes I know, how many times has that happened in reality?), or falling to my death is worse than a car crash. For some reason, I have the feeling that having a parachute would definitely ease my fear. Has anyone ever tried that?

Anyways, I can't stay long as I still have to pack ! But it's good to know that others are going through the same though process, it's definitely helping. I'll send you a message when I have safely arrived tomorrow to let you know how it went. If you hav free time and want to follow my flight (though you'll probably be sleeping) its the AF12 :)

[Barb-SAN]

Anyways, I can't stay long as I still have to pack ! But it's good to know that others are going through the same though process, it's definitely helping. I'll send you a message when I have safely arrived tomorrow to let you know how it went. If you hav free time and want to follow my flight (though you'll probably be sleeping) its the AF12 :)
Hi Polca, and Welcome to Taking Flight!
If you'd like to be tracked, we have a tracking forum where you can post your flight information...assume it's this one? http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AFR12 Which I see landed safely 3 hrs. ago. :D You might find it reassuring to look at other AFR12 flights for the past month...:)
Have a great time, and be sure to take some photos to post with your trip report, after you ARRIVE SAFELY at JFK! Have a wonderful trip!

[SLM415]

what a coincidence...an exciting one (for me) to say the least!

However, I'm also absolutely petrified. Like you, I have wondered about the karma effects, and the chance that I'm in the 1 in the million that will die in a crash. I think for me the worse thought is the one of dying disconnected from the earth. I don't know why, but the idea of exploding in mid-air (yes I know, how many times has that happened in reality?), or falling to my death is worse than a car crash. For some reason, I have the feeling that having a parachute would definitely ease my fear. Has anyone ever tried that?

I have ALWAYS wondered about the parachute thing, and i was even thinking about this the other night. i asked my dad once when i was younger, and he said something that you're just way too high up for a parachute to be feasible, and given the lack of oxygen and the extremely cold air, you'd probably be passed out or RIP before you got to an altitude where there was enough air to sustain a parachute.

UMM okay. that is not the best of topics - but that's the explanation i had gotten, and it made enough sense to me.

i have been able to come up with a lot of distraction tactics pre-flight, and i think i will do a bit better than normal on the flight tomorrow though i'm obviously still a bit nervous!

-sharie

[SLM415]

i had one other bit of information that helps me too. the whole statistical thing...that there's something like a .37 chance in 7million or 12million or whatever that huge number is, that you will perish in a plane...is "reset" for every flight. so if you take one flight and it makes it safely, it doesn't mean your odds have then gone up for something to happen on your next flight. they are the same for 'every' flight (at least on a well established air liner). so every time you fly, those odds remain exactly the same. kindof like how you can flip a coin and land on heads 100 times. the statistics are the same...just because you landed on heads once, doesn't mean you are "more likely" to land on tails the next time.

[aerobat]

Hi there, Polca, and bienvenue! :welcome:

The parachute thing...basically SLM's dad had it right. Although a skilled skydiver could manage a jump from 35,000', they would use oxygen to stay awake, and wear an insulated suit, and would have to know when to open the chute after a certain period of freefall (they'd have an altimeter). The rest of us (even folks like me who have done a few tandem jumps from 10,000') would not be good enough at this to make it feasible, even if we managed to get out of the plane in one piece. And consider that: why would the FAs on a plane in an emergency be willing to open the door to let people out? It would be depressurization chaos (think of that horrific scene from the first episode of Lost...better yet...don't! :eek:). Then there's the extra weight of the parachutes--120 x ~14 pounds. And then your landing...:rolleyes:...and the repack requirements. And forget that movie Air Force One with the silly parachute scene (it's not a comedy, and don't watch it if you haven't seen it already).

Awrighty; I hope I haven't loaded anyone up too much with catastrophic images :(; if I have, (1) I apologize, and (2) use your deep breathing and other tools and calm down, because none of this is going to happen.

[SLM415]

(think of that horrific scene from the first episode of Lost...better yet...don't! )

this is exactly why i have NEVER seen an episode of Lost...i can't deal! i think the last movie i saw with a plane 'incident' was Survivor...right? with Tom Hanks? THAT was bad and it was only a little plane....but everything was just "la-dee-da" and the next thing you know....well...YEAH.

well....only about 24 hours left...being able to read on here and know that this forum is here has helped a lot. i think i knew a lot of the statistical stuff, but i just had a lot i needed to get off my chest, and really wanted to talk to people who got it. now when i think of turbulence, or a rough take off or landing, i just think how much worse it could be (like those planes landing in BAD weather) and now i know that it really does feel much worse on the inside than it actually is.

i'm ready...anxious...but ready!!! i'm sure i will post before my flight...and i will DEFINITELY post after i make it! yeah! after i MAKE IT! :hyped:

[Polca]

Hi all,

Thanks for your messages :)

I figured that something like that would explain the lack of parachute... but for some reason having one would reassure me from the "lack of control" point of view.

As for LOST, well I have seen it, so I better banish that from my mind :)

Didn't sleep well at all (1h-2h tops) but oh well, the machine has started and I can't look back.

I will post my feedback from your side of the pond! It's good to know that others are going through the same process!

[aerobat]

Go, Polca! Looks like you will be taking off in about 2.5 hours. I am a night owl, but will be asleep at that time. Have an easy, comfortable flight and a wonderful visit with your friend! Pop us a line from the city where I was born! :happyguy:

[Passenger Mark]

Pop us a line from the city where I was born! :happyguy:

Barb! You are a YANKEE! I thought you were a born and bred Texan! LOL

[SLM415]

i know this might sound weird but...where did the flight tracking forum go? i can't find it anywhere? just want to make sure someone is able to track my flight tonite!!

[Barb-SAN]

i know this might sound weird but...where did the flight tracking forum go? i can't find it anywhere? just want to make sure someone is able to track my flight tonite!!
You have to be logged in (and a TF member) to see it.
And...MathFox is going to be disappointed to hear that your flight is TONIGHT!! :lol:
That pesky time zones/dates(?) difference between the US West Coast and Europe...

[SLM415]

i guess i had been looking for that forum while not logged in! i feel so bad that he tracked my flight, but it wasn't really my flight! now of course in the back of my mind i'm thinking somehow i've jinxed myself....and nobody will be able to track my real flight and then what if something happens? AHHHHH!

[Barb-SAN]

i guess i had been looking for that forum while not logged in! i feel so bad that he tracked my flight, but it wasn't really my flight! now of course in the back of my mind i'm thinking somehow i've jinxed myself....and nobody will be able to track my real flight and then what if something happens? AHHHHH!
Speaking of "jinxing"...just curious to know why you titled this thread "Flying from SFO to JFK in one week" when your flight is to Newark?? You managed to confuse TWO seasoned flight trackers. :lol:

[SLM415]

that was a typo on my part...i keep thinking 'i'm flying to new york'...and i am leaving from JFK...and then i had just copied and pasted my itenarary.

[SLM415]

i'm just back to having a terrible feeling about this whole thing. :thundercl

[MathFox]

BTW, I think I read a flight number when I see your nick... :rolleyes:

[SLM415]

sorry...it's my initials and SF area code.

[Barb-SAN]

i'm just back to having a terrible feeling about this whole thing. :thundercl
You will be FINE!! I was just teasing a bit about the JFK thing...but was glad there really was a reason (the name of this thread) that I was confused and thought that's where you were going. :D

[SLM415]

that's ok...i know you were only teasing - the thing that gives me the crappy feeling is the whole mix up. i'm worried now nobody will be able to track my flight and i won't have the 'air-to-earth connection'. i know it's a silly thing to be so focused on but the idea of it helps a lot.

[Barb-SAN]

that's ok...i know you were only teasing - the thing that gives me the crappy feeling is the whole mix up. i'm worried now nobody will be able to track my flight and i won't have the 'air-to-earth connection'. i know it's a silly thing to be so focused on but the idea of it helps a lot.
Perhaps if you offer to bake MathFox a "virtual" plate of brownies or a pan of lasagna he will track you again. ;) I'd offer, but, well, I'll be fast asleep by then. We can at least make sure that there's a finished track posted to match your FLIGHT REPORT that you will be busy writing during your flight (if you aren't sleeping, that is). :)

[aerobat]

I'll track your takeoff!:) I had my own Twilight Zone experience with the site today :blush: but I assure you it's not an omen!!! I tried to do a search on a quote from Leslie, one of our longtime members. She had shared several years ago a memorable maxim from a female airline pilot who told her "the plane doesn't give a rat's ass about turbulence". But when I went to search for the post, the phrase "rat's ass" put me in the Twilight Zone...locked out of TF the whole day till Scott helped me figure it out.:rotflmao:The webhosting service has a porn filter and that phrase tripped it. Arrgh.

Okay. You are at the gate, waiting to board. Maybe you have your laptop and can log on...regardless, your ground crew will take care of things here and your pilots will get you safely to...Newark! And you are going to have a fabulous time with your friend in the Big Apple.

(Mark...I was born there but my parents got me to Missouri before I was two. I don't talk like a Yankee! :tongue:)

[aerobat]

Hey, you're on the forum! :)

[SLM415]

yes...I am at my gate now. more than anything I am TIRED...which was the idea...I work 8-5 so I knew I'd be pooped by the time I got here. I want to send a special thanks to the check-in lady who let me cram my purse into my backpack since I had a total of 3 bags...and you can only have 2 on board. so she saved me like $35...I was very happy cause I thought you could have one personal item (like a purse) and two carry ons...but I am used to flying southwest so there was my error.

even just a take off track is nice...THANK you. I am not feeling *so* bad now that I am here although I my stomach flips a bit when I see the planes out the window. I brought my notebook to write in - but I am hoping to be so totally tired that I fall asleep within 10 or 15 minutes on the plane!

[SLM415]

:) yes I'm here! my replies will be slow as I decided not to bring my laptop (which worked out perfctly since I had to purse-cram!) so I'm writing replies on my iPhone! but I wanted to check in!

[aerobat]

Looks like your departure is a bit delayed. I'll stick around till you take off. :thumbsup: Do you have an updated ETD?

[Barb-SAN]

Hey...I just dropped in for a second to wish you a great flight...glad to see you are at the gate and feeling better! Are you going to say "hi" to the pilots? :ray::ray:(Best part of the flight...;)) Have fun in NYC too!

[aerobat]

Yes!! Please meet the pilots! You'll be glad you did.

I have to go run a quick errand--back in less than a half hour. See if you can just close eyes and relax...breathe and stop any worrisome thoughts. I am two hours ahead of you and it's currently 12:44AM CDT. :) You are going to be fine! (yeah, yeah, they all say that...but we KNOW!:cool:)

[SLM415]

hmmm strange- the screen here says it's still ontime for 11:40?

[SLM415]

thank you Barb-SAN! and no problem aerobat :) i'm not going anywhere...just yet!

[SLM415]

I am getting ready to board...eeek wish me luck

[aerobat]

Ha! EEEEK! :eek:Good luck! You'll be fine! The airplane is your friend. I'll track ya through the takeoff and climb, and when you get to cruise you'll be sleeepy...ve-ry sleeeepy...;) So get some rest so you can see the sights tomorrow and have a fine night on the town. :happyguy:


PS FlightAware says this:

Wednesday, October 06 2010 Duration 3 hours 31 minutes Status Scheduled / Arrival delayed about 16 minutes


who knows where they got that? :rolleyes:
Happy trails!:cheers:

[SLM415]

I've had a great time here in NYC! :) now packing up for my early flight home. hoping it's another smooth one!!!