Fear of Flying

[PsychocAndy]

I went to Mexico in January Edin-Gatwick-Cancun and it was the longest journey I've been on and what helped me was an Inhalater. half cigarette holder half biro. No lights or vapours, just nicotine. Nowhere near as good as a fag but helped.

Also had some turbulence for the first time, according to an auld couple we met with on holiday, it was bad. They had never driven on Edinburgh roads.

The best thing I was told about flying was from my late father in law. he said I shouldn't worry because my wife and kids would be with me and you wouldn't want to survive if they didn't, and that is the truest thing I have ever heard.

My cousin's wife is an Air Hostess and, if she wasn't in when I phoned for reassurance, he would tell me all the horrible things, which she confirmed later, that I don't ask her now.

 

I still hate take off, just the angle of the plane, but apart from that, and my Inhalater, it's all fine-ish.

[jack D and coke]

I went to Mexico in January Edin-Gatwick-Cancun and it was the longest journey I've been on and what helped me was an Inhalater. half cigarette holder half biro. No lights or vapours, just nicotine. Nowhere near as good as a fag but helped.

Also had some turbulence for the first time, according to an auld couple we met with on holiday, it was bad. They had never driven on Edinburgh roads.

The best thing I was told about flying was from my late father in law. he said I shouldn't worry because my wife and kids would be with me and you wouldn't want to survive if they didn't, and that is the truest thing I have ever heard.

My cousin's wife is an Air Hostess and, if she wasn't in when I phoned for reassurance, he would tell me all the horrible things, which she confirmed later, that I don't ask her now.

 

I still hate take off, just the angle of the plane, but apart from that, and my Inhalater, it's all fine-ish.

I'm doing that same trip in 3 weeks.

Flying is a strange one for me. I generally don't mind it but reading this bloody thread has put the jimmys clean up me[emoji1]

[I P Knightley]

I fly quite frequently: long haul, short haul. Been on all types of planes from A380s to little 29 seater twin props and all sorts of airlines.

 

I'll get the heebie jeebies every so often and without any rationale or pattern. I've been perfectly comfortable on an Air Pakistan flight where there was duct tape holding bits of the cabin together and a nervous wreck on a brand new Dreamliner. I think it must depend on factors like tiredness and what else I may have to distract my attention. 

 

No strategy to deal with it, just grin and bear it and work out which of my fellow passengers may be game up for a pumping if we're told we're crashing into the ocean.

[Currahee!]

Or on a slippy terracing.

 

 

[aussieh]

Why?

 

I am flying in just under 5 hours and I am absolutely terrified even though I am aware it is completely irrational. I've been panicking all day, I'm not even near the airport.

 

I've been in a plane quite a few times but it never gets any easier.

 

Any tips? I normally get a bit drunk but I'll be driving when I am landing (what an idiot).

Shitebag.

 

[Buffalo Bill]

I have a fear of heights AND a fear of flying(crashing) so it's a double whammy for me. I've suffered slight panic attacks on flights before to the point where the guy sitting next to me said "If I was as bad as you, I wouldn't fly".

 

 

I'm not so bad these days though 

[AlphonseCapone]

I've been on quite a few flights now since I started this thread. I'm getting a bit better, still hate take off.

 

But Monday I go to Australia and I'm starting to panic already. 26 hours, jesus ****ing christ.

[hughesie27]

I've been on quite a few flights now since I started this thread. I'm getting a bit better, still hate take off.

 

But Monday I go to Australia and I'm starting to panic already. 26 hours, jesus ******* christ.

Be worried about how dull that day will be.

[North Berwick Jambo]

I am one of the rare people that love flights. Ever since I was a kid going abroad on holiday for first time I have looked forward to them. Big planes, small planes, long or short journeys, I enjoy the views & always try to get a window seat. Even turbulence or landing in strong winds has never bothered me. My favourite part is just before take off when they throw the throttles forward & the engines power up fully hurting you down the runway.

[The Real Maroonblood]

I've been on quite a few flights now since I started this thread. I'm getting a bit better, still hate take off.

But Monday I go to Australia and I'm starting to panic already. 26 hours, jesus ******* christ.

I used to be scared of flying years ago.

Now it doesn't bother me. Flown lots of times including Australia which I will be going to later in the year.

A herbal remedy might help you.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.

[Harry Potter]

Why?

 

I am flying in just under 5 hours and I am absolutely terrified even though I am aware it is completely irrational. I've been panicking all day, I'm not even near the airport.

 

I've been in a plane quite a few times but it never gets any easier.

 

Any tips? I normally get a bit drunk but I'll be driving when I am landing (what an idiot).

Have flown many times, now take tablets but still grip the seat in front, turn white like casper on take-off.

Scared of crashing, yes, those air crash investigation programmes to blame .

the safer than driving quotes dont help.

Love landing as i know in 5 mins i will be off this metal tube.

[AlphonseCapone]

Be worried about how dull that day will be.

I'm hoping for dull, no dramas, just sheer boredom...safe boredom

[AlphonseCapone]

I am one of the rare people that love flights. Ever since I was a kid going abroad on holiday for first time I have looked forward to them. Big planes, small planes, long or short journeys, I enjoy the views & always try to get a window seat. Even turbulence or landing in strong winds has never bothered me. My favourite part is just before take off when they throw the throttles forward & the engines power up fully hurting you down the runway.

I envy you haha

[AlphonseCapone]

I used to be scared of flying years ago.

Now it doesn't bother me. Flown lots of times including Australia which I will be going to later in the year.

A herbal remedy might help you.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.

Did it just naturally go away? Like one day you were on a plane and realised you weren't scared anymore?

 

Australia should be great though.

[AlphonseCapone]

Have flown many times, now take tablets but still grip the seat in front, turn white like casper on take-off.

Scared of crashing, yes, those air crash investigation programmes to blame .

the safer than driving quotes dont help.

Love landing as i know in 5 mins i will be off this metal tube.

What tablets? Take off is the worst for me as well, being at that angle makes my stomach ache. Same, I might survive a car crash or be able to do something to minimise the incident, on a plane I'm done for.

 

Horrible fear but I never let it stop me doing things.

[Elias Henry Furst]

I'm normally a relaxed flyer but I was on a flight recently and at take off I was sure the plane was going to fall to the ground.

 

We didn't seem to be travelling fast enough on the runway and when we did leave the ground there seemed to be a lack of thrust and the plane appeared to level.

 

Obviously they knew what they were doing but it wasn't a pleasant experience.

[LSD Eindhoven]

My wife is a terrible flyer and the doctor gives her valium for the flights but the grogginess normally means muggings here has to manage the bags, kids, passports, connections etc when we get off. 

Her pal gave her a beta-blocker for her last flight and she said it was spot on. Zero anxiety on the flight even with turbulence and felt absolutely fine when we landed.

She asked the doctor for a couple for our next flight and she would only give her Valium.

[The Real Maroonblood]

Did it just naturally go away? Like one day you were on a plane and realised you weren't scared anymore?

Australia should be great though.

I think the wife helped because she is petrified of heights but as never been scared of flying.

She says at 30,000 feet it is unreal.

She even takes a window seat.

[Harry Potter]

What tablets? Take off is the worst for me as well, being at that angle makes my stomach ache. Same, I might survive a car crash or be able to do something to minimise the incident, on a plane I'm done for.

 

Horrible fear but I never let it stop me doing things.

Diazepam, never thought they worked at the time , but they did, was still a bit shaky at the take off, but managed a 5 hour flight to Gran Canaria, 

Even a cross wind on landing that tipped the plane to the side was not too bad.

[Riddley Walker]

Don't mind flying apart from take-off. When it's rising I'm just convinced that when it levels out it's going to keep moving down down down and we're suddenly vertical and about to crash into the ground like a smashed glass. After take-off levels out and the air-workers are going about their business normally I'm fine and enjoy drinking and reading/listening to music. Although that peace has been shattered now I have a toddler. Been on several flights with her and it's not fun.

 

However, coming back to Scotland for a few days by myself next week. Seriously looking forward to some peace. Four flights in five days, will be the most peace and quiet I've had in ages.

[Alwayssunnyingorgie]

I hate flying, it came on in adulthood, I do love the feeling of take off when you feel all that power it gives me a semi landing doesn't bother me I landed in a thunderstorm last year and it looked brilliant from the air. It's sitting at 35000ft waiting for the fireball to sweep down the plane that scares me.

[luckydug]

I am one of the rare people that love flights. Ever since I was a kid going abroad on holiday for first time I have looked forward to them. Big planes, small planes, long or short journeys, I enjoy the views & always try to get a window seat. Even turbulence or landing in strong winds has never bothered me. My favourite part is just before take off when they throw the throttles forward & the engines power up fully hurting you down the runway.

 

I'm the same .Absolutely love the whole experience from arriving at the airport to leaving the destination airport.

It's like a holiday before the holiday for me.

[Cyber]

Flew into Belfast City on a flybe prop when storm Doris was passing ....pilot done some fighting with the plane I actually thought we were doing a go around the way the engines were being worked ...just closed my eyes and hoped for the best.

[Harry Potter]

I'm the same .Absolutely love the whole experience from arriving at the airport to leaving the destination airport.

It's like a holiday before the holiday for me.

More like a nightmare before the holiday ha ha.

[Morgan]

Don't love it but don't hate it.

 

We go to Barcelona a lot [used to live there so visit friends]. Did it by train about 7 years ago and it took almost ten hours.

 

The flight from Nice to El Prat is under 50 minutes so it's no contest.

 

Our Doc here gives us a wee tablet called Lexomil which helps things.

[cheetah]

The only bit I hate is the airport, full of sad twats with beige suits on.

[Morgan]

The only bit I hate is the airport, full of sad twats with beige suits on.

Panama hats and sunglasses.

 

Indoors.

 

When it's raining outside.

[The Real Maroonblood]

Bob Monkhouse. "I want to die like my father, peacefully in his sleep, not screaming and terrified, like his passengers."

[Elias Henry Furst]

Bob Monkhouse. "I want to die like my father, peacefully in his sleep, not screaming and terrified, like his passengers."

[The Real Maroonblood]

I've been on quite a few flights now since I started this thread. I'm getting a bit better, still hate take off.

But Monday I go to Australia and I'm starting to panic already. 26 hours, jesus ******* christ.

How was the flight?

[AlphonseCapone]

How was the flight?

It was actually pretty good. The difference in those huge planes as far as sounds and movement in the plane is like night and day compared to the usual planes I'm in. Plus the entertainment and service makes it a bit easier to relax.

 

We got a bit of turbulence from a cyclone in the Indian Ocean (not the one that battered East Australia) but even that wasn't too bad. Dare say I may have made progress in my fear!

[Jambof3tornado]

Remember being on a nimrod that suffered a lightning strike over Sicily. New underpants all round!!

 

The strike cracked the windscreen and left a gap in the nose you could slide your hand into!

 

A rather steep descent was required and worse still the strike set off the missile early warning system.

 

Spilt my bloody cup of tea too!!

[auldy19]

Remember being on a nimrod that suffered a lightning strike over Sicily. New underpants all round!!

 

The strike cracked the windscreen and left a gap in the nose you could slide your hand into!

 

A rather steep descent was required and worse still the strike set off the missile early warning system.

 

Spilt my bloody cup of tea too!!

Were you engineer or aircrew ?

[Dagger Is Back]

Been on loads of flights and had some hairy moments. Didn't fly until I was 25 and the first time I had to get hammered.

 

Worst was coming home from Florida. Ready to taxi for take off and the pilot announces we're turning back. Then announces that they've got a wee problem they want checked out.

 

30 minutes later he tells us they're waiting on a replacement part being sourced and fitted.

 

By this time I'm seriously wanting to get off. All the questions in my head. Where are they getting this part? Is it a new or used part? Shouldn't they test it first before they take off with us aboard?

 

The worst 9 hours or so of my life. I felt every bump and heard every noise.

[luckyBatistuta]

I'm terrified of flying and it makes me dread my holidays, which I hate, as I should be looking forward to them. It steadily got worse over the years and I used to try and get hammered with the drink and I'm normally half cut after 3 pints, but it made no difference at all, no matter how much drink I consumed. I then got these sleeping tablets off my father that would knock out an elephant. I decided to do a trial run with one and went to take it before my meal before going up the stairs to bed. My wife said that I should take it once I was upstairs, but hey, I knew better, right. Wrong, she said my face went right in my dinner and she had to drag me up the stairs. I woke up about 10 hours later with my eyeballs looking like something from a cartoon. I thought "great, this will do the job"...wrong again. I was still totally aware of every movement and sound on that plane, even though I tried to get rat arsed with drink on top of the tablets, because they weren't working. I am still terrified nowadays, but I've found the best cure so far...my kids. I refuse to show any fear, as I don't want them to be scared of flying and so far it's doing the job...still dreading my holiday this year though, because that flights getting closer

[Harry Potter]

It was actually pretty good. The difference in those huge planes as far as sounds and movement in the plane is like night and day compared to the usual planes I'm in. Plus the entertainment and service makes it a bit easier to relax.

 

We got a bit of turbulence from a cyclone in the Indian Ocean (not the one that battered East Australia) but even that wasn't too bad. Dare say I may have made progress in my fear!

True, i was in a 767 which is very big and seems to handle better than a 737, would imagine a jumbo jet is even better.

[Boab]

Remember one time, on the way home from Cyprus, the crew couldn't close the middle door ( it was a big beast, a Tristar ) and after slamming it shut a few times, with no success, the captain appeared. There was some worried looks from some passengers as he whipped out a large screwdriver and started jamming and hitting the bit that was causing the problem.

He then slammed it shut, turned the handle and sauntered back to the cockpit.

 

Kept my belt loosely fastened on that flight !

[The Real Maroonblood]

It was actually pretty good. The difference in those huge planes as far as sounds and movement in the plane is like night and day compared to the usual planes I'm in. Plus the entertainment and service makes it a bit easier to relax.

We got a bit of turbulence from a cyclone in the Indian Ocean (not the one that battered East Australia) but even that wasn't too bad. Dare say I may have made progress in my fear!

Glad to hear it.

I've flown in the A830 and it's so quiet it makes a big difference.

[@VladMagic]

My niece (11) had a total irrational fear of bees and wasps. I haven't witnessed this but my brother said it was pretty scary. She would almost fit if one went close to her. Completely terrified of them.

 

She was recently treated with hypnosis and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and is 100% fixed. No fear or hysterics. It can be used for fear of flying and is highly recommended. 

[AlimOzturk]

Don't give a hint about flying

 

Great believer in destiny and when my time is up there is little I can do about it.

[Салатные палочки]

I'm flying at the end of the month.  Since I'm a bit of an aviation geek, the bursd thinks I'll be fine but if I'm honest I'm still a bit of a nervous flyer.  Usually have a couple of pints and a beta blocker beforehand and that see's me through take off.  I love planes, airports etc but it's probably the thought of dying that scares me more.  Landing in Geneva a couple of years ago was the scariest experience of my life.  The Captain had warned us of turbulence at that end but I hadn't bargained on it being as bad as that. The pilots earned their money that day, they must have been battling with it up in the cockpit.  It was really rough and the whole cabin went quiet.  Just the noise of the engines constantly changing tones and some real strange buzz like noises I had never heard before. Landing was pretty smooth after all that.  

 

Going on Thomas Cook so it will be either a 757 or an A321.  Either way hopefully near the engines so I can hear the sweet sound of the Rolls Royce RB211...

 

[Harry Potter]

Don't give a hint about flying

 

Great believer in destiny and when my time is up there is little I can do about it.

Thats all very well but i dont fancy ending up in bits in a plane crash, ma worst nightmare.

[Harry Potter]

I'm flying at the end of the month.  Since I'm a bit of an aviation geek, the bursd thinks I'll be fine but if I'm honest I'm still a bit of a nervous flyer.  Usually have a couple of pints and a beta blocker beforehand and that see's me through take off.  I love planes, airports etc but it's probably the thought of dying that scares me more.  Landing in Geneva a couple of years ago was the scariest experience of my life.  The Captain had warned us of turbulence at that end but I hadn't bargained on it being as bad as that. The pilots earned their money that day, they must have been battling with it up in the cockpit.  It was really rough and the whole cabin went quiet.  Just the noise of the engines constantly changing tones and some real strange buzz like noises I had never heard before. Landing was pretty smooth after all that.  

 

Going on Thomas Cook so it will be either a 757 or an A321.  Either way hopefully near the engines so I can hear the sweet sound of the Rolls Royce RB211...

 

That video is awesome.

[I P Knightley]

Think the 1st Officer who landed the 767 I was on(so not a small plane) the other day into Heathrow, fancied shitting a few on board up upon landing.

 

Last 500-600 feet, he was constantly adjusting the thrust. I know when landing a little is applied now & again, but it seemed for a second or two as if we were aborting landing & he was about to apply full power & start climbing again.

 

Looking around, I could see a few people with confused looks.

 

Said to the good lady, that this'll not be a smooth touchdown.

 

Sure enough, if someone was wearing false teeth on the plane, they wouldn't have been on landing. It was like he landed it like a Harrier.

 

No cross-winds. Odd landing.

I was on a flight which aborted its landing at Heathrow. We can only have been 100 ft or so off the ground (definitely over the M25 for those that know it coming in from the West) before the driver put the welly down to take us up again. I can't remember which airline it was but the fokkers never told us what had happened or why. Second approach was a bit more nerve-wracking.

[Jambof3tornado]

Were you engineer or aircrew ?

Engineer.

[auldy19]

All the best lads are !!

[Maroon Sailor]

Had a few dodgy landings over the years when it's been blowing an absolute hoolie.

 

Worse one for me was flying back to Brize from MPA in the Falklands. Must have done this about a dozen times or so with the RAF but one time in particular about 12 years ago it must have been right on the limit for them landing. How the feck he managed to get it down safely was incredible as I'm sure at one point the plane was coming in at a 45 degree angle as well as tilting from side to side.

[RobboM]

I was flying back from Bristol and the plane was really small. I think the cockpit was only separated by a curtain from us passangers. Coming in to Turnhouse over the Forth the plane was buffetted about and as we came in to land I heard the computer voice with the warning voice familiar to anyone who had watched the Krypton Factor in the 80s when they had the flight simulator round and it was the warning message that usually preseded the contestants crashing, "Vooop Voop, Nose Up!,Vooop Voop, Nose Up!"

.... we landed safely

[151]

Do a skydive. Flying is amazing after that.

[auldy19]

Do a skydive. Flying is amazing after that.

Jumping out of perfectly serviceable aircraft ?? No ta!!