Anxious Flier- Tips please!

[NickNacks]

I wouldn't say I'm phobic but definitely an armrest gripper!!

Take off and turbulance particularly make me sweat and I wonder if any easy fliers have any reassuring thoughts or info or tips to pass on as I'm flying for the first time with my children of any age where they will notice any wobbles from me and I would hate to pass on this fear.

Thank you!!

I used to be like you. Hated the thought of flying. Would worry about it for about 2 weeks before my holiday and then worry about coming home. Hopeless situation. Think it was because I had children and my imagination was running away with me. Tried Valium from the doctor and alcohol but nothing really helped. Finally after about 20 years of being frozen when the seat belt light comes on I have finally realised you are not going to fall out of the sky. They say it's the safest form of transport and it probably is. Now I don't even think about it. I think it's something you have to work out for yourself. I have even flown on my own a number of times now and don't grip the arm rest on take off !! Don't be like me. Hope this helps a little

Thank you. I'm looking forward to it as I sit here, in fact im quite excited! The problem is with all the strange and sudden movements and noises which really unsettle me. I determined to be a bright and breezy flier to keep the dcs calm and happy about flying.

Fingers crossed!

Download Paul Mckenna's fear of flying from his website. Very helpful.

Bach rescue remedy and avoid caffeine before flying, have some camomile tea instead.

Diazapam and a glass of champagne if you have someone to watch the kids.

Always watch the air hostesses. When there is a bump or noise that has me sweating they are breezing around chatting - if there was a STRANGE bump or noise they would react, and they never ever do because they have seen/felt it a million times before. I find watching them very very reassuring!

I am not a good flier.

But I am a bit better after a trip to Sydney via Singapore last year. About 3 hours into the homeward journey, it occurred to me to think of the plane as being like a ship on an ocean, going up and down with the waves (which it a lot of, though nothing dramatic!).

It's daft as I have flown thousands of miles on really dodgy airlines in my youth (Aeroflot, China Airways, Garuda etc).

I used to be terrible then went on Virgin's flying without fear course and I'm so much better now. A few tips from them, it is absolutely the safest way to travel, keep telling yourself that. Think of it as flying through something i.e. you're flying through air which can have lumps in it, hence the turbulence you're not up there in nothing. They demonstrated with a model how much a plane actually moves during turbulence if you could see it from the outside and even in the worst stuff they'd fly through it's nothing. The rattling of luggage racks etc is nothing to worry about, if they were rigid and didn't move about they'd break. Look out of the window on take off and landing, not looking or shutting your eyes deprives your brain of a vital input so it makes things up, if you look you know what's happening so your brain can process the movements.
They also did a load on positive thinking etc with a psychologist, the key part is to visualise yourself being calm and remembering that in the grand scheme of things the flight is such a small amount of time and generally it's allowing you to visit somewhere nice .
Apparently according to one of the pilots there that day they don't have a big red light in the cockpit that goes off and let's them take off once 90% of the passengers are gripping the hand rest so there's no need to do it
I have the course booklet at home, can check it later for any other tips if you'd like, let me know.

ampere Is Garuda a dodgy airline then???? I flew to Indonesia with them business class. I'm fairly relaxed when sitting up front.

Thank you- excellent tips especially the watching flight crew faces! :)

fuzzywood that would be great if you have any more advice from the notes :)

I think, although it's widely known as the safest mode of transport I am also aware that a break down or crash in a car can easily be survived - less likely in a plane :( hey ho bright side is at least we are all together

Garuda lost their 'landing rights' at EU airports at one stage. That's all I'm sayin'!

Arse just wrote a really long post and lost it. Let's try again!
The first thing it says is that aircraft used in public transport are extremely safe and reliable. The safety standards they have to meet are much higher than in other forms of public transport.
Turbulence is basically the movement of warm and cold air. The greater the temperature change the bigger the movement. Aircraft are designed to tide the bumps. Turbulence is no danger to aircraft. The only reason they suggest you keep your belt fastened when seated and when they put the signs on is that it could cause injuries to passengers but won't affect the plane (paraphrasing this bit but you get the gist).
The other relaxation technique they taught was to take 3 deep breaths hold each one as you breathe in then as you breathe out tell yourself to relax. Seems to work for me. I do it before take off and if I get a bit nervous during turbulence. Have to say though that the course turned me from a flying refuser to having no real issues. I even didn't freak out a couple of years ago when I was on a flight that did a go around (a last minute aborted landing).
Finally it also says that all movements and noises are completely normal unless the pilot tells you different.
Good luck and enjoy your holiday, you'll be absolutely fine on the flight. You going somewhere nice?

ride not tide.

Thank you very much, that's so encouraging to hear how much progress you have made!

We're off to Spain and very much looking forward to it!! :)

Have a fantastic time . Just keep positive and you'll be fine, you can convince your mind of anything if you try. I'm all for the art of positive thinking, focus on that beach and the smiles on your DC's faces because you're all having such a lovely time and the flight will seem inconsequential.

I'm not great either and take a diazepam and get a good movie on ipad or playstation or the like, put the ear plugs in and get lost in it. I leave dh to sort out ds - tis only a really short flight, and yes look at the stewards and take their lead on the bumps. Oh and make sure kids have loads to do so that them complaining of being bored doesn't add to your stress.
I also like to dress nicely and pretend in my head that I'm like a jet setter!