Fear of flying

[Linflas]

My 84 year old mother in law flew for her first time last December. She has been coming to visit us twice yearly from Montreal for 12 years now and used to take Amtrak until they stopped running the connecting bus from Montreal to St Albans, VT. The last 2 few times she came by bus and this last trip while she was standing coming back from the restroom when the bus lurched and screwed up her leg so she couldn't walk. We were trying to figure out how we were going to get her back home and I had already decided I would have to rent a car to take her since there was no way she could get in and out of my truck.

This is a woman that will not ride an escalator so we were surprised when she announced to us that she had decided to fly back. Other than losing her luggage for 12 hours everything went very smoothly and she has said that if she is able to get around this summer and is able to come down she is going to fly again. If you have any history of motion sickness take a Bonine before getting on the plane but I think you will find that the worst part of the experience will be dealing with the crap getting through the airport and the flight will be a nice relaxing period between that.

 

[Kev]

also watch the first episode of LOST

 

[EMPshockwave82]

Originally posted by: Umberger
the feeling is not really anything terribly different than things you have experienced before. there is substantial acceleration on takeoff, but nothing more than you'd see in a reasonably fast car. turbulence is AT WORST the feeling you get in your stomach when you go up and over a quick hill in a car. when the plane turns, the plane banks such that your apparent gravity is still straight into your seat (i.e. they don't go slinging you around sideways). landing is just like hitting a speed bump in a car, followed by moderate braking.

you'll do fine. let us know how it goes.


EDIT: oh, and there's a slight pressure change during ascent/descent. i chew gum during those parts of the flight to keep my sinuses open and help equalize the pressure in my ears.

about as accurate of a discription as you can get. add noise and you're there (but 99% of us know what a jet sounds like from being around them at one point of our lives)

obviously it's not as loud as it sounds when it's flying over or business men would be deaf

 

[AMDZen]

Its really simple. You just do it, board it, sit in it, wait for it to take off. Once all thats happened your anxiety will probably go away. You either face your fear, or you don't. Its as simple as that. There is a 98% chance that once you face it the first time it will go away quite a bit for the next time, and over time may go away entirely.

I'm not the kind of person who should answer for you though - because I have absolutely no unreasonable fears that I allow to hold me back in life and frankly I think that anyone who does needs a good kick in the ass. So yea I'm biased.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Canai
Put the plane on a treadmill?

...but I thought he doesn't like flying?

 

[So]

wow. My first flight was when I was 3. I love flying and my favorite part is takeoff.

That said, if you are afraid, avoid a window seat. All the flaps/ailerons/thrust reversers moving and the great distance to the ground might make you nervous.