Is getting on a plane a huge risk?

[dinny]

That's what it feels like to me (have a fear of flying, we are going away in two weeks, haven't been ona plane for seven years)

I am extra scared as was planning to take shedloads of drugs to calm me down but I can't as have unexpectedly got pregnant.

I've had hypnotherapy and it has helped, but to me it seems like a 50/50 chance as to whether we make it there anbd back in one piece....argh, what have I done booking this holiday? Help!

we are flying at night, not sure if that is better or worse

no, dinny, i haven't flown since 2002 because it's a PITA since 9/11.

that's why.

not because i'm afraid of getting blown up in a plane. the risk of that is pretty low.

i just can't be arsed getting to the fucking airport hours in advance, the possibility of being searched, seats the size of a postage stamp, nasty air, delays, etc.

I fly all the time. I have never ever had any scary situations on a plane. The worst thing that can happen to me is that my baby does a poo and I have to change a nappy in the tiny toilet.

how come you fly lots, Fairymum? lots of hols of work?

I am terrified of flying but everyone else is right - statistically you are more likely to die in a car crash.

I do know someone who died in a plane crash - an indonesian airliner which crashed in 1997 when the pilot killed himself and took the 130 odd passengers with him (selfish bastard). Given how rare it is, I have kind of reassured myself that given I do actually know someone who has died in a plane crash, I am now less likely to die. .

My god dinny, I could have written your post. I am due to fly to NZ in October and I have an absolute fear of flying.

The trip has to be made and I have to deal, somehow, with the fear. I was awake till 2am last night convincing myself I was going to die. Completely irrational thoughts so I share your fear. I plan to make a trip to the doc's for drugs but would love to be able to manage it 'straight'!

What is making me feel more positive about the flight is I am determined not to let this rule my life. I want my DC to experience other cultures etc so therefore I need to learn to cope with the fear.

I really do not have any advice to offer for your trip but I just wanted to wish you well.

Wannabe - I remember that, awful

Sumo - thanks and I hope you manage to get on the plane too! what makes me know I have to get on is that dh has said he and the children will go even if I don't, so I have to be there as well anyway!

what is bullshite?

which posts do you mean?

Snap dinny, my DH and DC would go without me too. I couldn't bear to be parted from them either so figure 24 hours of fear will be worth it.

Thousands of people do this daily so it can't be that bad! and remember turbulance cannot bring down a plane!

If the security checks are sensible precautions, then why aren't they imposed uniformly? At Bristol airport when we flew, dh, dd and me didn't have to take our shoes off to put them through the x-ray machine (which is presumably why wearing decent socks was mentioned earlier) but the bloke operating next machine along was making everyone in his queue take theirs off . However, dd (22 months) had to walk through the arch on her own (no mean feat for a tiny person in a scary environment), but in other queues parents carried their toddlers through. And the person operating the x-ray machine didn't spot the small carton of soya milk lurking at the bottom of my bag, that technically was a banned liquid, that I had forgotten about and didn't find until dd emptied my bag at destination .

I love Air Crash Investigation (or Planes In Flames, as it is known in our household ).

I'm not scared of flying but I've always thought it would be reassuring if you were - there are very few episodes where they don't interview a whole load of survivors about their experiences. So you see these things that look truly catastrophic, like that Hawaiian plane on which the top peeled off like a sardine can, and ALL BUT ONE passenger survived. In the incredibly unlikely event that something does go wrong, your chances of walking away completely unscathed are still excellent.

Patrick Smith (on Salon.com, also has some books out) is a pilot and a very good aviation writer. I would recommend him highly to people scared of flying. He's great at explaining the mechanics (plane doors can't blow off - they're sucked by air pressure and seal like bath plugs) and the statistics.

Dinny I hate flying.
So much so that I am in tears during take off and landing.

But the last couple of times I have flown, its been ok.
I think its because I have been so busy with the children and I'm also aware of how they see me.
I don't want them picking up on my scaredy catness.

I think by the time I had taken dd to the toilet 50 times, we had landed

lol at 'planes in flames' - dh loves that programme but I hate it.

I used to hate flying but think of all the planes around the world that take off every day..you never hear of accidents
Also this is a good site
travelwithkids.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=travelwithkids&cdn=travel&tm=28&f=00&su= p284.9.336.ip_p531.50.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.fearofflying.com/faq.shtml%23first

oops..sorry for the big space