Nervous Fly'ers

Alot of people on here are frequent types but how many of you are still just an incy wincy bit scared, at what stage and to what level.[:0]

I'm not normally a nervous flyer, but I can honestly say that for a brief momment on VS043 last friday I was an 'incy bit scared';)

papadoc.

Originally posted by papadoc
I'm not normally a nervous flyer, but I can honestly say that for a brief momment on VS043 last friday I was an 'incy bit scared';)

papadoc.

What with all newspaper story's have you posted your eyewitness account on any of the threads

Hi G-VSKY 97

I have commented in the thread in the 'News Bites' section and will get around to doing a trip report later today.

papadoc.

I had to get "treatment" to help me back onto planes. I didn't fly for 2 years after 9/11 and had panic attacks for the first few flights after that. I had NLP sessions to help me walk from the walkway onto the plane again. I wasn't a good flyer before due to a specific incident over Africa (turbulence as it happens) and rarely took flights.

Now I am OK when it is clear, apart from turbulence. I hate taking off and landing when visibility is poor or in low cloud, half expecting to see another plane hit mine any second. But I have to fly for business or change industries. As well as that my family is fed up with the ferry to France after 4 years! I have some breathing techniques which help me to calm down.

Its really a terrible fear, I only fly very reputable airlines. Only fly from certain airports and try and avoid routes with certain aircraft (e.g. MD planes). I have not and will never use a prop plane as I don't think my nerves could take it!

I can't imagine how I would have reacted to "that flight", I'm bad enough with a few bumps.

Despite knowing statistically that it is very safe I know that if mine is the one in a million then I am well and truly dead....

I find I am better travelling with my family as I really have to try and be strong for my childrens sake. But they usually ask me if I'm OK

[HighFlyer]

Im not in the least bit a nervous flyer, never have been. I was sat next to my Uncle on my first ever flight, he is a (non-commercial) pilot and works at LHR doing ATC so i had him explaining to me everything that was happening on the plane, from the flaps to the undercarriage. Not sure if that had helped me not be a nervous flyer as i have a basic grounding on what all the noises are and how the plane flies, i think it gave me a love of flying and aviation though.

Im one of those nutters who will put their hands in the air 'white knuckle rollercoaster' style when we hit turbulence!

Ive only felt worried a few times onboard; when my plane got hit by lightning and when had a sudden drop onboard. Neither time did i panic. One of my cousins is a nervous flyer and spent most of her 8 hour flight to Orlando in tears, i really do feel for people like her.

Thanks,
Sarah

[Decker]

For a bigger sampling (and to add your thoughts) check out this poll!.

Feel for you mate I really do.

I was never the best flyer but never really minded it and only tended to get a bit apprihensive but that was it. Then coming back from Barbados a few years ago (early because of a hurricane) we had LOTS of turbulance with a few really unexected drops which really shook me and my g/f up. I also then tended to suffer from motion sickness a bit but travelled to Florida since and was fine.

Went to LA last year and on the way out we were delayed taking of from LHR and sat on the plane for 90mins. It was REALLY hot and stuffy in the plane and then they were late serving the food so didn't get anything to eat till about 3hrs after we boarded the plane! Then to make it worse they bought the only food I didn't like, salmon! [:$]

Yep that started it... For the next 9ish hours [:$] [:$] [:$] [:$] [:#]

Never ever felt that bad but once you've started its hard to stop. I'm happy to say though that was the only time I was sick on a plane, and 2 weeks later I managed the return trip from San Fran fine without problems. Stuffed myself with a footlong subway before takeoff though!

Hope you get better mate. My next flight will be for my wedding so fingers crossd I'll be OK then too.

I have a very bizarre phobia. I'm fine with taking-off, landing and general flight. Quite nervous during turbulence and when I happen to remember I'm about 7 miles up the air! My problem is, the bit between checking in and the plane lifting off, I'm un-reassurable with fear, yet I don't know what I'm afraid of!

Perhaps my first flight in UCS will help allay this odd fear!

I used to be very afraid of flying due to fear of heights, (oddly enough I feel safer on the top floor of a 747 ).

However, after all the flights I have taken, the fear is pretty much completely gone. Only after a 6-12 month break of no flying (happens now and then, shocking I know) I feel a bit fearful again.

I am convinced I will die in an crash, but at least my plan is to be in the pointy bit drinking champagne when it happens.

Cheers
sky

Up in cruise I'm fine, even in bad turbulence, its the take off and landing that I get scared during, or rather the climb and descent.

This got cured when riding jump seat into and out of Hong Kong 6 years ago... listening to the Capt and F/O discusing which yachts they were buying. They seemed so relaxed and matter of fact about everything it calmed me down for good!

I only get nervous during turbulence if I am in the middle of a plane. If I'm in a window seat and can see that there are mountains down there causing the bumps (e.g. over the Rockies) I'm OK. I was scared when I flew through a thunder storm and caught sight of some lightning briefly, but was reassured that the FA's were still up and about - although they did seem to have their smiles held in place by some kind of dental brace. Oh well.

What has scared me is the over-exposure this last couple of weeks to air disasters in the media e.g. "Air Crash Investigations", that ITV3 programme and all the stuff on forums about the VA FA losing the plot.

Maybe I should stop watching and reading... but it's interesting!

TTFN

Paul

Have to admit, I'm not the happiest of flyers. In the past, my stomach would tie itself in knots on flight day, I'd hold on to the arm rests on take off and landing. I don't think I'm sa bad now, but still do worry about it - after all, it's a whacking great big piece of metal and shouldn't be able to stay in the sky!

we were in Cape Cod when 9/11 happened and our journey home was delayed for 3 days (I was also due to start a new job - great timing, huh?! That was pretty unnerving - not helped much by being taken from pillar to post to get home. But on the other hand, we were just so fed up by the time we did get a flight, it kind of took the edge off. And also, there was quite a delay when we were on the plane, before we even taxied. The pilot (or whoever flies the thing) came over the tannoy and apologised for the delay, but he said he wanted to be sure everything was totally safe......

I'm generally fine with flying although I'm sometimes a bit aprehensive about a few big bumps - don't know why though[?]

Now sailing round St.Albans head in Force 6 gusting 7/8 certainly got my heart going - sailor I'm sure you'll know what I'm talking about;)

Cheers,
VS045

Um, Yes, St albans. Now F6 at St albans must mean a WSW I guess. And you had a bumpy ride. Well you've missed the inshore passage lad. Stay within 5 cables of the head in anything but a southerly. The inshore passage is deep water so smoother and enjoys a favourable flow in the early tide. You should also note the SE eddy which runs for 11 hours of the tide down the west side of the promontory.

Give me St albans in a F6 any day over Greenland Bumps!

Um, Yes, St albans. Now F6 at St albans must mean a WSW I guess. And you had a bumpy ride. Well you've missed the inshore passage lad. Stay within 5 cables of the head in anything but a southerly. The inshore passage is deep water so smoother and enjoys a favourable flow in the early tide. You should also note the SE eddy which runs for 11 hours of the tide down the west side of the promontory.

Give me St albans in a F6 any day over Greenland Bumps!

I personally love flying. Although my greatest fear especially on a VS flight is them running out of LP again!

I can however understand why people get nervous flying. How do any nervous flyers here actually deal with it... and what do the 'courses' teach you?

Having been lucky enough to have been brought up with flying from an early age (it was flying MAN-Exeter in the right hand chair of the cockpit at age 8 that started it I think) I have always been a fan of planes, of which my VS enthusiasm is only a part of. During my teens I was involved with the air cadets and after doing many stunt manouvers in training aircraft and touch and go landings in Hercules my attitude can only be described as bring it on! [8D]

Flying one of our ultra modern aircraft you done the fist thing in aiming for a safe flight, The JAR OPS requirements for European aircraft is very strict and our Own CAA takes it one step further.. making British aviation one of the safest in the world... We were 100% bag matching since lockerbie, Not allowing people other than passengers to the gates etc.. a long time before 9/11.

Occaisionally you encounter situations on aircraft, from light air raged or getting tipsy customers ..to maybe a diversion for what ever reason.. But I feel that my training from VAA and now experience will guide me in most situation.

The other week we encountered heavy Turbulence and I was in crew rest on a 747 and it felt the seat belt was goint to cut my waist open, some newer crew were very quiet untill I couldnt help but laugh the situation off and make the comment "why did I just pay $60 to go to 6 flags, its free at work"

I was a late arrival to flying, not getting on a plane until I started travelling for work, and then it became a weekly thing for a couple of years and I really didn't bat an eyelid, it was just like getting on a bus.

Then work changed and i went a couple of years without flying.

Then there was a spate of crashes of reputable airlines and "newer" planes, such as TWA and Swiss Air. That totally threw my confidence, as in the past I had always told my self it was perfectly safe flying a quality carrier with modern equipment.
After that i went on a string of holidays to the US and found myself absolutely terrified (racing pulse and sweating) every time I got near an airport, and the holidays had a dampner put on them becuase I knew I had to get on a plane again to get home.

And then 9/11.......


Then work took me to china in 2004 and i found i had to get on a plane again it wasn't easy, but it was BA and a shiny new 777 so it met my previous criteria of quality carrier and modern equipment.
Unfortunately I knew I had to get a connecting flight on a chinese airline at the other end. And then the transformation happened.....

When I first arrived in China I vowed (due to hearing previous stories of lax standards and shoddy equipment) that i would take the minimum of internal flights. However a desire to explore stronger than my fear of flying, and a number of work travel requirements had me making @30 flights internally in china in a year. What i found changed my view and removed my fears, a fleet no older than 5 years and numerous brand new airports... and then I met a girl, who unfortunately now lives 6000miles away on the other side of our "big island", so i make the journey every couple of months and in my mind it's just like getting on a bus again... All be it a Virgin Airbus, which happily is a quality carrier with modern equipment!

I have never had any probs but my brother loathes flying as he's terrified.He never had any problems until travelling through the old USSR with Aeroflot-apparently the ancient aircraft was held together with string,there were no seatbelts or safety briefing, the seats were broken,it shook the whole time and was full of drunken Russians all trying to fight each other in the aisle.To cap it all the crew had some sort of a whipround from the passengers when they landed (somewhere in deepest darkest Russia), as there was (apparently) some dispute over fuel not having been paid for and there wasn't enough in the tanks to carry on with the journey.My brother (normally a sane and reasonable bloke) swears this is all true and now breaks into a cold sweat and goes pale at the mere thought of getting on an aeroplane.How he got back from the USSR I really don't know. All I know is that it's pretty disabling for him and all nervous flyers now have my utmost sympathy.
Julie

I still get very nervous, but only during certain parts of the flight.
You can often see me pacing up and down with sweaty palms at the departure gate. Once onboard I tend to relax a bit. Love take off and landing (It's all the activity going on that takes my mind off of the fear).
I then seem to get a bit panicky again during the middle of the flight (I think this is a result of becoming bored and the mind starts thinking).

One thing of great significance to me is having a window seat, I fly alot better when I can see the outside world.

I don't get nervous i've been flying since i were little so it's normal. Plus i was crew so know all the ins and outs of what's normal and isn't.

My best friend on the other hand is a really nervous flyer and going on a long haul with her is emotionally draining.

I find a little alcohol also helps...[:p]

For years having any fear of flying never crossed my mind, until last year when I flew from LAX to LAS. About 10mins from landing the plane just seemed to drop! alot of people shouted and I grabbed the guys leg next to me and hung on for dear life! it was very shakey for about 5 minutes after. I suspect this is normal on this route as the FA told the lady behind to hold her baby tight as it was about to get bumpy.

Since then any turbulance un-nerves me slightly but not enough to make me consider not flying. I think when there is no turbulance you can forget that you are flying miles above the earth, when turbulance hits you start to remember that! I try concentrating on drinking my red wine rather that the bumps!