Fear of turbulence!

[Foxymoxy68]

Later this week, my DH and I are going on a cruise which involves a 3.5 hour flight to pick the boat up.
It's a special holiday as I retired from a long career in teaching this summer and we wanted to do something nice in September.
However, the closer we get to departure day, the more anxious I'm
feeling as I'm terrified of turbulence! Taking off and landing are fine-it's just the bit in between! The very thought of a bumpy flight sends me over the edge! I understand the science of it-sort of-but just cannot deal with it when it happens!
Any advice/reassurance would be welcome!

Turbulence will not kill you. Drink plenty of wine, and enjoy !

Take off and landing involves wake turbulence. It's strongest during either.

Combination of jet wash / exhaust from the engines and wingtip vortices (circular patterns of rotating air left behind by the wing as it generates lift).
Both are dangerous of another aircraft flies through it.

You can't avoid turbulence. Maybe it will happen maybe it won't. Maybe a mild sedative.

Boats bob and bump on water & we don't freak out.

Planes do the same on their cushions of air. It's like a car rumbling across cobblestones. Nothing to fear. I rather enjoy it!

Think of what an amazing feat aviation is!

I have no good advice as I hate turbulence more the older I get.

I’ve just been on a very bumpy 7.5 hour flight during which the seatbelts signs were on for much of it. I guess the fact the cabin crew don’t even react is a comfort.

Wine. After many years of being scared of flying in general I've worked out that two large glasses is the key. No more, no less.

Enough to take the edge off, but more seems to restart my anxiety. So yeah, two large glasses of Pinot is my advice

This won’t help but the cruise will be worth it. We just got back from a fly cruise and it was amazing.

I hate flying, all of it so just grit my teeth and watch the minutes tick by. We booked aisle seats which helped, less claustrophobic.

Sorry, no tips but really hope you enjoy your cruise.

you could try the easyJet fear of flying course. I did an online version and it did help.
also think about whether it’s actually partly motion sickness - I worked out this is part of my issue and tablets for that work wonders.

I had a real phobia of flying! Last year after 20 years of not doing it, I read ‘fear of flying’ by captain Keith (and got some diazepam 😬) what I learnt is what sensations you feel is not what is actually happening. Those words have really stuck with me.. When there’s turbulence, sit back and settle right into your seat and pull seatbelt as tight as is comfortable.. this stops you moving around when the plane moves, thereby reducing the sensation of falling and rising, like what happens in a lift.. it is uncomfortable but try remember it’s just that… uncomfortable but not dangerous.

I must say the diazepam has been amazing in helping too.. I now making up for 20 lost holidays!

You'll be fine… just let the plane do what it needs to do… which is get you to your destination safely!! And they always do!!

☺️☺️

*Take off and landing involves wake turbulence. It's strongest during either.

Combination of jet wash / exhaust from the engines and wingtip vortices (circular patterns of rotating air left behind by the wing as it generates lift).
Both are dangerous of another aircraft flies through it.*

It was a big problem many years ago when the heavies first arrived on the scene but it might be worth adding, for the nervous OPs sake, that for many many years now there have been minimum separation criteria in place ( mandatory minimum times/distances between take offs/landings) to minimise any such risk.

Thanks for all the advice! I'm
already feeling better about it although the rather large glass of red I'm currently supping might have something to do with that! Honestly though, grateful for taking the time to reply.

Hypnotherapy. Just amazing. I can't tell you how much difference this has made.

https://www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk/

I had a very turbulent flight recently and reading this as helped as I'm flying again this week. Is 6am wine o clock on a plane? 😂🍷

Has*

I'm packing atm but haven't had a drink... honest!

Lufthansa crew gave me a look when I asked for the wine on a morning flight once. Judgemental cows.
You can buy small bottles of wine at the airport for the morning flight :)

I flew back yesterday from Spain and I am the same as you. No problem with take off or landing but any little bump has me clutching at my seat. I find concentrating on a book hard as I'm constantly vigilant but magazines are easier as are podcasts. I actually listen to fear of flying podcasts as I fly, especially those where a captain is explaining everything, and they help. I need at least one large glass of wine before boarding, regardless of the time, and another on board. As the plane takes off, I have half a nightol which makes me feel pleasantly sleepy and a bit more relaxed. Good luck 🤞

Great advice about the podcast! And the wine! Thank you

Its normal to get some turbulence and it's perfectly safe, just like being on a fairground ride. Middle or front of plane has less than back so choose seat over wings or at front to reduce. I normally find not much on short flights but long haul has much more. Doesn't bother me other than they shut the bathrooms down and food stops. Best to keep seatbelt on whole flight. Last flight they had the pink song turbulence so could listen to that. Keeping busy may help a bit, I tend to think about what to do on holiday, excursions etc and daydream.

After years of being terrified of flying and turbulence I finally gave in and went to my gp who prescribed xanax. My only regret is that it took me so long as it honestly works so well. It takes me from pure terror to total relaxation!

Sorry, I have no advice OP, but I’m exactly the same as you re: fear of turbulence.

When we flew back from Florida a few years ago, the turbulence wasn’t great. I was thinking ‘well, the crew are still walking around, so it can’t be that bad!’, but they promptly returned to their seats, so my fear was through the roof at that point 😬. My son, however, loved every minute of it! Oh, to be 7yrs old again 😞

Did they? You should have sang " it's 5 o clock somewhere" 😂
I'll maybe gauge the mood. See if anyone else is getting drinks?

I’ve tried to rationalise it by telling myself I wouldn’t be panicking if I were on a train and it bumped on the tracks. So now when we hit turbulence, I close my eyes and say silently to myself “train tracks, train tracks”. Works for me!

I used to be the same OP but once during an episode I looked at my drink and the liquid was hardly moving. Don't know why but it was reassuring that not much was actually happening. I think it's the unexpectedness of it all - you know when you're taking off and landing but not when you might suddenly run over a series of invisible boulders.

I just find flying tedious now. 😆

I take diazepam - just one or two but it helps a lot .

Invisible boulders! Haha!
You're so right about the drink thing though! I'll have to order a large vino, just to test the theory out obviously!

I used to be terrified but I like it now, I find it very soothing