Anyone else terrified of flying? - Page 2

GamingHamster · 01-08-2014, 02:04 PM

I'm afraid of heights yet I love flying.

I guess it's just standing near or at high places that you can fall off from lol.

Just know you have done this before, and you'll get through it once again. Maybe like the first day or work or school, people get nervous about it leading up to but once they're there, they end up fine.

JinjaMakes · 01-08-2014, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clairealex

Jinja - I try to reason with myself but my brain doesn't let me forget where I am. Every time I start to relax that weird pressure changing thing happens or a little bit of shaking happens and then I'm all scared again. I also have a weird thing where I can't focus on anything whilst flying. So I can literally spend 9 hours on a flight just kind of looking about myself. I think it's a weird control thing. I want to feel aware at all times or something haha!

Haha, I've been with my parents as a kid and they gave us books and games and the films were on, I never watched or played anything... I just kind of sat there. I do like looking out of the window though. I love how tiny things look.

I just remembered a funny story...
I went away with my girl mates when we were 16 and as we came to land in Spain my nose started to block up and I felt like a bubble growing in my nose, suddenly it popped and LOADS of snot and bogie poured out my nose! My mates were laughing so much, I was so embarrassed. Hunting in my hand luggage for the pack of tissues I knew my mom had put in there all the while with snot running down my face! Haha! By the time I'd found the tissues and cleaned up we'd landed.

Also before we even left the uk we'd taken off and after about 30 mins the pilot said we had to land again (I forget why, nothing serious) so he came over the speaker "sorry about this ladies and gents but we'll have to land, we've been circling Birmingham for 30 mins wating for a landing slot"
I just said out loud without thinking... "I thought I'd seen that cloud before" hehe I think it cheered people up!

Colby and the Dwarfs · 01-08-2014, 04:41 PM

Haha! That's something I can see my brother doing!

I guess one of the reasons I like flying is how it was always made a fun experience for me. Games, puzzles, guessing the minute our plane would land.. And stories, tons of stories. My grandparents always comforted my brother and me with the same story, about how the first plane they were on Papaw said, "Wow! The people do look like ants!" And Mamaw responds with "We're still on the ground;those are ants.". Oh, funny every time.

hammy2 · 01-08-2014, 05:56 PM

I love flying but I also dislike it its like a nervous happiness. Take off is exciting, being above the clouds is exciting but coming into land makes me nervous :-/ I've had a lesson too and got to fly over my house! That was so much fun. I always like to push myself with things I'm scared of eg I don't like deep water because I nearly drowned at six saving a friend who got out her depth but I will always head to the deep end at the baths. Breathing techniques are really useful because if you're scared you breathe real fast, slowing breathing helps calm you down and I the more you do things you're scared of the easier it gets.

Clairealex · 01-09-2014, 01:41 AM

Sonicx - that makes perfect sense to me. I always think about how the cabin crew have probably done three flights already, that day. We're only going to Eastern Europe so the flight is only about 2hrs. The cabin crew will probably just want it over with so they can have their lunch break! It's crazy thinking it's such a big deal for me, and so mundane to them. I also try to think of all the commuters everywhere who use planes like a bus. They're technically safer than a bus!! Trying to think these rational thoughts is easy just now but when that plane starts taxiing towards the runway, all rational thought leaves and I cover my ears, close my eyes and hope for the best. Horrible feeling haha.

Gaminghamster - I know, I have to remind myself that I've already done this. I've never settled into a flight. Not once. I can kind of relax when we're going over land and if it's cloudless, I can occupy myself by looking down into new countries. But i still use it as a means to ensure we're not falling out the sky. Even when it's a perfect flight, I still have to check we're still in the sky!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JinjaMakes

Also before we even left the uk we'd taken off and after about 30 mins the pilot said we had to land again (I forget why, nothing serious) so he came over the speaker "sorry about this ladies and gents but we'll have to land, we've been circling Birmingham for 30 mins wating for a landing slot"

I just said out loud without thinking... "I thought I'd seen that cloud before" hehe I think it cheered people up!

Haha this is hilarious!!!!!

if someone said that on a flight in that situation it would definitely give me a chuckle!

Colby - it's great you have so many good flying memories

my parents have always tried everything to keep me calm and neither of them are scared of flying, nor is my sister, so I have no idea where it came from! I was always scared, but it wasn't until I started having to fly on my own and with friends that it got really really bad. My sister is one of the people who's going with me next week though, so I'm hoping her being there will help to keep me calm.

Hammy2 - well done you for facing fears head on and making sure you feel in control of them!! What a great way to handle it! I should take a leaf out your book

Scrubby · 01-09-2014, 07:17 AM

Flying is a great experience, looking out the window and seeing all the cities below.
Buy yourself some boiled sweets for the flight and suck them when taking off. It prevents your ears popping and keeps you occupied.
Let one of the hostess' know about your fear and they'll do all they can to make you as comfortable as possible.
Also before you land you can ask a hostess for a "smelly thing" (I don't know the proper name, that's what i've asked for for years and they've understood) you put it to your nose and it calms you right down.
Plane crashes are very very rare. Nothing to worry about.
Hope you have a lovely time.

shazd84 · 01-09-2014, 08:07 AM

I used to have the biggest fear of flying. I did the same thing - it started building up weeks before I knew I was due to fly, and by the time I made it to the airport to check in, I was a nervous wreck, in tears having a panic attack. Once on the plane, I wouldn't be able to move my head at all, without being sick. Then by the 2nd day of the holiday, I'd start stressing about the flight home! So holidays were never enjoyable. I then booked a holiday to Australia, so knew I had to do something to survive 24hrs on a plane! I tried hypnosis & although during my two sessions, I didn't think it was working at all... something must have happened unconsciously, because other than boredom I was fine on the flight there & back, and have since then, flown on my own somewhere and been on various other flights without the panic or the sickness.

basilthehammy · 01-09-2014, 05:55 PM

Just don't look out the window! Thats what made me scared

Clairealex · 01-10-2014, 04:36 AM

It's great to hear everyone's different views on it!

I was thinking of taking one of those BA fear of flying courses. I think half my fear is not knowing exactly how it all works and trying to work out of noises are normal etc. it would be good to have pilots and engineers explain everything in detail!

hammy2 · 01-10-2014, 02:01 PM

That maybe a good idea because if you understand things it might not be so scary. Why not visit your nearest aviation museum and read up about flight?