Terrified of flying, yet I have a plane to take in 5 days...

[Ermz]

I feel way more ill at ease on the road, and rightly so. Average people with way too little qualification being given access to roll around in death machines. Think about how many thousands of flights happen all around the world daily with total success, and put it in perspective compared to how many people get murdered or killed in road traffic or other accidents in your area alone. These pilots have hundreds, if not thousands of hours of flight time, and the ones less experienced are always supervised by a senior. You just need to put it all in perspective to deal with an irrational phobia, and do not just rely on hard drugs to get you through it, since they only ever treat the symptoms.

Personally the only thing I take issue with is entrusting my life to the pilot. I don't have faith in anyone, ever, so that is a bit hard to overcome, BUT the experience of flying in itself is great. That initial acceleration on the ground, the light g-force pressing you back as you rocket down the run way and eventually pivot backward only to lose touch with the ground. It's a true marvel of engineering.

The flight itself is actually very boring on a transatlantic 'bus freight'. Like Jeff I actually quite like Turbulence because it (quite literally) shakes things up a bit and gives you some interest for a few moments. The worst part of long flights is the pure boredom, not the pure terror, so just take it easy man, blast some music and think of it as any long bus ride, except a whole goddamn fuckton safer.

 

[James Murphy]

yes, and if you get too hammered or drugged up, you can barred from the flight if anyone notices you are impaired.

 

[Nebulous]

I always get a little anxious before flights, but for the most part enjoy the experience.

 

[LeSedna]

Haha!

I'm really not trying to be an ass, I know it's just a bit of a language thing going on here. It's just really funny when you take it literally... It was a post about how to be comfortable on a plane, but this bullet point sounds like "Motivate the people around you on the plane, and then die!"

I get it can be strange to read

 

[LeSedna]

By the way, I'm starting in one hour a flight in a little plane from my place to Cannes, so I'll basically follow the french coast of the mediterranean sea. It'll be awesome.

You should see some of my pictures I take during my flights. It may help you see how this is just a cool experience to fly. I may post a few of them later.

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

Definitely post pics dude!

 

[Chryst Krispies]

yes, and if you get too hammered or drugged up, you can barred from the flight if anyone notices you are impaired.

This is what my buddy warned me. I'm not legal to drink in the US anyway, so I can't really "Pregame" but I'm not sure if I want to be drinking in the air anyway.

I really just want to get in the Dramamine thing. I took it the only time I was on a boat and I remember passing out on the top deck feeling like a viking.

 

[JeffTD]

This is what my buddy warned me. I'm not legal to drink in the US anyway, so I can't really "Pregame" but I'm not sure if I want to be drinking in the air anyway.

I really just want to get in the Dramamine thing. I took it the only time I was on a boat and I remember passing out on the top deck feeling like a viking.

I've pregamed bus/train rides, since it's boring/smelly as fuck, and you can actually get stuff on board... but never a plane ride!

You won't be able to bring any liquor on board (unless someone buys for you at the duty-free shop), and they won't serve to you, so I'd just dramamine that bitch!

 

[SentencedToBurn]

get a portable dvd player and a season of a tv show

 

[Chryst Krispies]

So i had to take two planes already and I just wanna say. Some of the worst experiences of my life. in terms of travel. I can't understand how ANYONE enjoys this.

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

At least you're not dead!

 

[exoslime]

I feel personnally concerned by this thread because I'm a pilot I'm supposed to pilot an A320 in a few years.

I can give you some tips that are well known. They depend a bit, wether you are affraid of the flight itself, or being inside a plane (sort of an claustrophobia). But this is sometimes quite linked.

- You have to know this is the most secured thing ever, EVER. It's more secured than walking in the street I guess. If you were with me in planes when I fly, you'll understand it : planes are separated sometimes 50 miles one from the other (over the ocean on some parts). Everything is not only checked but double checked. Everything ! And nothing is considered "safe" until it has a reliability best that 1 on 10^6 flights, which means 1 incident (not even accident) on 1 000 000.
- When you will fly, remember what I say, it may help you relativise : see how it moves less than a car. Being in a car on a road is more shaky.
- Turbulences are quite rare and are NOTHING. Again, when it appears, it's like driving on an old road, nothing more. And it's not a danger, it's just like that.
- Try to be relax in your seat, inspire, expire.
- Try to read. I cannot read in a train or in a plane (I get sick) but it may help you. Or watch a movie if it's possible in the company and the aircraft you are gonna fly.
- Try to sleep.
- If you're claustrophobic of if you are sick, look at the window and look far in the distance. You know it's the old trick for people who get sick on boats : you look far to find a fixed horizon so that your brain has something it understands better. If you are afraid of being high, maybe it's better to look inside. You'll choose.
- take some pills
- chat with someone else, it will help you relax and focus on semething else.
- when the engines will give full power at take off, try to think "oh my god it's awesome" and try to find the awesomeness in the situation. It may help you realize it's actually uber cool and that people would have given everything for centuries to live that.

Anyway, you'll discover that it's all in your head. Technically, it's very quiet, more calm than any train or car, and actually, it may be fun

cool advices, thanks for that

my wife is afraid of flights too.. i need to fill her up with a bottle of red whine at the airport parking lot before the takeoff.. then she is funny as hell but at least not afraid anymore.:zombie:

i actually enjoy flying (long distance), i got my 160gb ipod and akg k240 with me.. 900 Titles too choose.. it wont get boring, i will get served with drinnks all the time, the meal is ok too, and best is, on the newer aeroplanes, you have a touchscreen mediastation in front of you and you can choose out of x different movies, some brandnew ones, some classics...
so you drink, watch a movie, eat, watch a movie, drink drink drink, watch the 3rd movie, the plane arrivies and then you are angry that you could not finish the 3rd movie (and you notice your wife still isnt sober )

 

[smy1]

some scotch, some music and see ya people, zzzzzzzzz total comfort sleep with this shit

El Gato: what is this? And where can I get it? I fly to a lot of my shows and often those are early flights, so I'd like to sleep on the plane ...

 

[El_Gato]

El Gato: what is this? And where can I get it? I fly to a lot of my shows and often those are early flights, so I'd like to sleep on the plane ...

It's a collar (surgical collar from what I see in the dictionary) for people who had a neck damage so you don't move or use the muscles. Your neck can be relaxed=comfort.

You can find it in every Orthopedics supply store and some pharmacies. Very cheap.

 

[LeSedna]

Definitely post pics dude!

Okay, FIRE

I'll show here a few of them and I just create a .zip with some of my favourite ones that you could enjoy (I removed the aero-geeky ones ).

ZIP file

 

[drew_drummer]

It's a collar (surgical collar from what I see in the dictionary) for people who had a neck damage so you don't move or use the muscles. Your neck can be relaxed=comfort.

You can find it in every Orthopedics supply store and some pharmacies. Very cheap.

I call them neck pillows

 

[MaxStatic]

Well I'm a little late to chime in but....

Sorry your first to rides were less than comfortable. I don't know that anyone really enjoys it....unless of course you are sitting up front. I'm a pilot too and frankly, I don't like being a passenger much either but that has more to do with it being boring and my type A brain thinking/knowing I could do a better job. It's not different than in a car for me, I like to drive, not be driven.

Here are some tips that I hope help you:
1. Leave the dramamishit, hard-a, etc. the fuck alone! If you have issues with motion sickness, this will make it worse. Dramamine is the worst fucking shit you can buy and makes you dizzy/drowsy as fuck. It knocks you the eff out, which could be a plus, but in my past experience and in the experience of the military, it's bad stuff. I suggest going o'natural for the flight.
2. Food. To settle the stomach, make sure you eat a little bland but make sure you eat. If you don't have something in your stomach the acid in there sloshes all around and will do you in. During flight school, the high-g, upside down in formation kind, I use to eat two or three slices of plain white bread right before I stepped to the aircraft. Soaks up the acid and keeps your belly content. Ginger snaps(make sure they actually have ginger in them and not just molasses) are great too but don't eat them all by themselves or you will get heartburn.
3. Hydrate Water, water, water. If you are dehydrated you will be MUCH more susceptible to problems with the vestibular system i.e. getting the leans, dizziness, etc. Now you have to balance this as you don't want to spend your time in the jet in the bathroom as they are cramped, stink, and have that strange blue shit everywhere but you need lots o water. If you aren't peeing clear, you ain't drinking enough. This is where the alcohol comes into play too, it dehydrates you, leave it alone.
4. Breeth!!!!!!!!! This is NASA fucking technology here bud, breathing in a relaxed manner is key. They taught us this thing called diaphragmatic breathing. Basically you inhale with the focus being to expand your stomach so it presses out on your diaphragm and fills your lungs nice and deep. This stimulates some nerve or some shit and also concentrates the O2 in your blood stream. You need/want O2 and lots of it. More reason to leave the substances the fuck out of it as they fuck with the O2 getting to your brain. Breathing should be full and a steady pace, you don't want to hyperventilate and pass out. Nice slow and deep, like the ladies like the loving....well...except the dirty whores but you get my point.
5. Sit next to a window and look at the horizon. If you have a frame of reference to where you are moving, your brain will put 2 and 2 together and the motion sick feelings(a result of your brain being confused by multiple stimuli that don't make sense) will lessen.
6. Relax....I know I sound like an asshole for saying that but relax. Yea I know it's not that easy but.....it is just that easy. Remember step 4 and go to a happy place. Listen to some tunes, think about sex(always worked for me on checkrides) hell, if you have to, go beat off before you board so you have some endorphins running in your blood. Shame is for pussies that wear pink popped collared shirts.
7. Remember that you are the only one in this world that can truly control your thoughts, emotions, feelings. Don't be scared of planes or your reactions to them. Face them, not rigidly as you will hit the wall, but like water. Everything becomes easier with repetition, flying, guitar playing, fucking, etc.

Travel safe bud, you'll be ok.


One last thing that may or may not help you that has brought a deeper sense of meaning in my life is this. I've lost friends in my business, friends with wives, kids, parents, etc. I only get one shot at this rodeo so every time I leave my house, I say bye to the wife and kids and make the determination that A)if I don't come home at the end of the day, I wouldn't have left anything unsaid/done B)I make the decision that I WILL NOT DIE TO-FUCKING-DAY! because I have too much to live for. The world is a dangerous place, granted I do a dangerous job(I am NOT an airline pilot) but I could get hit by a damn car crossing the street too. My point is you never know when your time will come, and I find it allows me to live a fuller life knowing that I make the decision to meet that day standing up whether it comes tomorrow or years from now.

 

[MaxStatic]

PICS!!!!!!! I play too.

30K up

Fun fun fun

in the jungle

are we filming for Apocalypse Now?

I got lots more if anyone wants to see 'em

 

[Jevil]

LORAZEPAM is the best way to avoid fear and panic attack. I take it. Also ********** is great.

I'm not afraid of flying itself, but my problem is that I get panic attacks in places where I cannot go out when I want to. In a plane I can't leave when I want, that makes me feel very bad.

In my honeymoon I took many flight, France, Holland, Kenya, Mauritius and did flights of 12 hours with a pill of Lorazepam, and no panic or fear noticed. I even got asleep most part of the flights.

videogames, portable PC, Movies, music... also helps. Keep always your mind busy or asleep.

 

[MaxStatic]

Ohh I forgot one thing. DO NOT PUT YOUR HEAD DOWN DURING TAKE OFF OR WHILE THEY ARE IN A TURN! I've seen it a million times, someone freaked to fly and they put their head in their lap i.e. point it down for take off. That acceleration will jack you up with your head oriented that way. Keep your head up, straight forward in in your seat back for the takeoff.