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I also had a fear of flying, one that lasted 3 years. It came on because of 3 terrible flights in a row. It was bad to the point where I could not even think ab
by burningion 8y ago
I also had a fear of flying, one that lasted 3 years. It came on because of 3 terrible flights in a row. It was bad to the point where I could not even think about stepping on a plane.
I ended up missing weddings and job opportunities because the fear of flying was so intense.
I now fly regularly, and without issue. It took a long time, but I've found a few things that worked for me:
1. No caffeine on a flight day. This helps for any anxiety that may start to build for me.
2. Noise cancelling head phones w/ ear plugs. A lot of my anxiety came from paying attention to the sound of engines. Was something odd happening? Keeping the sound of the engine drowned out helped keep my mind off the mechanics of the airplane.
3. Neck pillow / comfortable clothing. Being warm and comfortable lets me fall asleep, completely avoiding any anxiety that may have otherwise come.
4. Timing flights to avoid common storm times. I'm in Florida, and the afternoon thunderstorms can be extreme. If I can, I try to fly out early in the morning, or late at night when the storms tend to not occur.
- jdminhbg 8y ago> 1. No caffeine on a flight day. This helps for any anxiety that may start to build for me. This was a big one for me. I'd also add a 1(b): no alcohol the night before. I'm ok having a glass of wine or something while on a flight, but drinking the night before definitely has the same anxiety-inducing affect that caffeine the morning of has for me.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y ago> A lot of my anxiety came from paying attention to the sound of engines. Was something odd happening? Keeping the sound of the engine drowned out helped keep my mind off the mechanics of the airplane. I went of my first flight recently, that was the bit that really stood out to me - a little before landing the engines sounded like they powered down to nothing. I had an (internal) freak out, while I watched everyone else continue on like nothing happened. After we landed safely I learned that same lesson - don't listen to the engine. Someone else is driving, and listening won't help.
- meowface 8y agoThis should actually be reassuring to you, if anything! Planes can maintain altitude, fly long distances, and land safely even in the event of both engines failing or blowing up. Also, when you hear them power down near landing time, they're still actually running and providing power, but are no longer providing thrust.
- nasredin 8y agoMiracle on the Hudson?
- hyperion2010 8y agoGimli Glider more like.
- btmiller 8y agoSubstituting the caffeine with some alcohol before and during the flight works wonders for me.
- cranjice 8y agoStrongly agree with all of these, especially no caffeine before or during a flight. In addition a couple strong cocktails right before the flight goes a long way to help me relax during take off. That's when I tend to be the most anxious. Also getting a couple big bottles of water at the airport and bringing them on the plane helps me stay hydrated/comfortable and forces me to stand up and stretch in order to get to the restroom a few times during the flight.