Nervous to Fly...are the skies calm or turbulent in March between San Diego and Florida?
Nov 3rd, 2004, 11:50 PM
#1
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Nervous to Fly...are the skies calm or turbulent in March between San Diego and Florida?
I don't wanna go! Hate to fly. But I want to visit my cousin in Florida in March. Have never flown to Florida before.
I live in San diego. My first time flying alone was in September, I flew from San diego to New Jersey and it was smooth sailing, pretty much. Non-stop continental flight.
I'm wondering if anybody knows whether there would be more turbulence in the skies in March between San Diego and Florida?
I live in San diego. My first time flying alone was in September, I flew from San diego to New Jersey and it was smooth sailing, pretty much. Non-stop continental flight.
I'm wondering if anybody knows whether there would be more turbulence in the skies in March between San Diego and Florida?
Nov 4th, 2004, 02:11 AM
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It depends how our reelected president performs. Who voted for this guy?
Read this post I pasted for you below. Did you forget about it?
Author: Melissajoy
Date: 11/04/2004, 03:16 am
Message: Agb, I totally sympathize with your bf and you are loving to want to help. I didn't fly for years because of my fear of flying.
But my doc helped me solve the problem. First, for a couple months before the flight he shouldn't see any movies about plane crashes and he should consider temporarily ignoring the news for a month before travel, stop the paper, etc.(too much news about terrorism, etc. doesn't help)
XANAX is the best thing to happen to us phobic flyers! Get a prescription for a low dose of xanax so that he can take 2 or 3 as needed. He should take the first one the morning of the flight. (In fact if he starts getting really panicky when he's still packing his suitcase a xanax while packing can help.) Then when he gets on the plane he can take a second or third pill as needed (as long as his doc prescribes the low-dose pills.)
They really work. Dramamine helps too. You can take xanax and dramamine both though you have to realize the combination can make you more drowsy but it's safe.
Here's how xanax helps you fly. Okay, you fly without xanax, you're thinking maybe: "I'm trapped on this #%! plane, I'm gonna die, what if we crash, ahhh, let me off!" Okay, here's what flying is like with xanax, you're thinking: "I'm trapped on this plane but hey, it's kinda nice. Why did I think it was so bad anyway? We might crash but hey, at least I can enjoy it." Makes a big difference.
I only use xanax for flying (and pre-flying packing panics)...you don't want to get into the xanax habit all the time. It's totally safe for occasional use.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author: Melissajoy
Date: 11/04/2004, 03:18 am
Message: Oh yeah, also, xanax is better than drinking on the plane because alcohol can be hard on your stomach when your'e nervous but xanax won't bother your tummy.
Buy the headset and see the movie even if you have seen it before. It's good to have distractions. Get him an aisle seat because getting up out of your seat and heading for the toilet a few times is another good distraction, makes the time go faster!
He should think about whether looking at the wing will reassure him. I like sitting where I can see the wing, like right on top of the wing or slightly in front of it, because it reassures me to see something besides clouds out there!
Read this post I pasted for you below. Did you forget about it?
Author: Melissajoy
Date: 11/04/2004, 03:16 am
Message: Agb, I totally sympathize with your bf and you are loving to want to help. I didn't fly for years because of my fear of flying.
But my doc helped me solve the problem. First, for a couple months before the flight he shouldn't see any movies about plane crashes and he should consider temporarily ignoring the news for a month before travel, stop the paper, etc.(too much news about terrorism, etc. doesn't help)
XANAX is the best thing to happen to us phobic flyers! Get a prescription for a low dose of xanax so that he can take 2 or 3 as needed. He should take the first one the morning of the flight. (In fact if he starts getting really panicky when he's still packing his suitcase a xanax while packing can help.) Then when he gets on the plane he can take a second or third pill as needed (as long as his doc prescribes the low-dose pills.)
They really work. Dramamine helps too. You can take xanax and dramamine both though you have to realize the combination can make you more drowsy but it's safe.
Here's how xanax helps you fly. Okay, you fly without xanax, you're thinking maybe: "I'm trapped on this #%! plane, I'm gonna die, what if we crash, ahhh, let me off!" Okay, here's what flying is like with xanax, you're thinking: "I'm trapped on this plane but hey, it's kinda nice. Why did I think it was so bad anyway? We might crash but hey, at least I can enjoy it." Makes a big difference.
I only use xanax for flying (and pre-flying packing panics)...you don't want to get into the xanax habit all the time. It's totally safe for occasional use.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author: Melissajoy
Date: 11/04/2004, 03:18 am
Message: Oh yeah, also, xanax is better than drinking on the plane because alcohol can be hard on your stomach when your'e nervous but xanax won't bother your tummy.
Buy the headset and see the movie even if you have seen it before. It's good to have distractions. Get him an aisle seat because getting up out of your seat and heading for the toilet a few times is another good distraction, makes the time go faster!
He should think about whether looking at the wing will reassure him. I like sitting where I can see the wing, like right on top of the wing or slightly in front of it, because it reassures me to see something besides clouds out there!
Nov 4th, 2004, 03:56 AM
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March is the time for spring storms, but nowadays weather observation with all the radars/satellites are so good that planes seldom fly into a storm anymore, but go around it. The bigger problem is delays, not turbulences.
Nov 4th, 2004, 06:00 AM
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I'm a lousy flyer, too, and until about 20 yrs. ago I wouldn't fly at all and 15 yrs. ago just refused to fly anywhere that I couldn't get to non-stop. I've now racked up quite a few FF miles, and I admit that it took a fair amount of Xanax to get through those first few years of flying.
I will tell you that that more you fly, the more you will be able to fly because you learn that most flights -- certainly not all -- but most are pretty much ok. You also learn that it's unusual to have to suffer through more than about 20-30 minutes of turbulence at a time, so I watch my clock (clock my watch?) and tell myself it should be over soon....
Another aid, for me, is to check the aviation weather the morning of a flight to give me a good idea what to expect. Here's the link: http://www.weather.com/maps/activity...rom=aviationfl but if that doesn't take you exactly where you want to go, start at weather.com, look for maps, activities, and aviation.
One of the maps will usually indicate predicted turbulence for the next 6 hrs. -- obviously, it won't cover everything --- sometimes there will be a bouncy ride at high altitudes because the jet stream is causing problems; sometimes there will be a bouncy ride at altitudes close to the ground because of local weather. At least if you're at a low altitude, you're about to land, which stops turbulence pretty effectively (unless there are speed bumps on the tarmac).
Give yourself a lesson in meteorology and, for example, learn to read the "isobars" -- the lines designating pressure (hi vs. lo) -- if they are bunched up close together, the area will probably be pretty windy and you could bounce a bit. Far apart = pretty smooth (usually).
As to March -- the later in March you go, the more you will be seeing the beginning of spring-summer patterns of late-day thunderstorms and/or thunderstorms ahead of cool fronts battling with warm fronts. My advice, travel as early in the day as possible, figure that even if you go through a little turbulence it won't usually last the whole trip or even as much as an hour, and take music/book-on-tape/or comedy-on-tape and just distract yourself as much as possible.
Xanax works but make sure you know how it affects you, how long it lasts, and what happens to you when it wears off. I now prefer not to use it because I have a headache for a few hours after it wears off. I listen to George Carlin or a Sue Grafton novel or some New Age elevator music.
You can do this -- one thing in your favor -- very few mountains between San Diego and Florida.
I will tell you that that more you fly, the more you will be able to fly because you learn that most flights -- certainly not all -- but most are pretty much ok. You also learn that it's unusual to have to suffer through more than about 20-30 minutes of turbulence at a time, so I watch my clock (clock my watch?) and tell myself it should be over soon....
Another aid, for me, is to check the aviation weather the morning of a flight to give me a good idea what to expect. Here's the link: http://www.weather.com/maps/activity...rom=aviationfl but if that doesn't take you exactly where you want to go, start at weather.com, look for maps, activities, and aviation.
One of the maps will usually indicate predicted turbulence for the next 6 hrs. -- obviously, it won't cover everything --- sometimes there will be a bouncy ride at high altitudes because the jet stream is causing problems; sometimes there will be a bouncy ride at altitudes close to the ground because of local weather. At least if you're at a low altitude, you're about to land, which stops turbulence pretty effectively (unless there are speed bumps on the tarmac).
Give yourself a lesson in meteorology and, for example, learn to read the "isobars" -- the lines designating pressure (hi vs. lo) -- if they are bunched up close together, the area will probably be pretty windy and you could bounce a bit. Far apart = pretty smooth (usually).
As to March -- the later in March you go, the more you will be seeing the beginning of spring-summer patterns of late-day thunderstorms and/or thunderstorms ahead of cool fronts battling with warm fronts. My advice, travel as early in the day as possible, figure that even if you go through a little turbulence it won't usually last the whole trip or even as much as an hour, and take music/book-on-tape/or comedy-on-tape and just distract yourself as much as possible.
Xanax works but make sure you know how it affects you, how long it lasts, and what happens to you when it wears off. I now prefer not to use it because I have a headache for a few hours after it wears off. I listen to George Carlin or a Sue Grafton novel or some New Age elevator music.
You can do this -- one thing in your favor -- very few mountains between San Diego and Florida.
Nov 4th, 2004, 01:53 PM
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I too live in San Diego and have flown to Florida during the spring many times; I also fly a lot to New York and I have never noticed a difference in the flight turbulence between these 2 routes.
All of the above advice is great. And if it's possible try to get a non-stop flight or one that stops in Dallas (to keep the flight on a somewhat straight, southern path). Have fun!
All of the above advice is great. And if it's possible try to get a non-stop flight or one that stops in Dallas (to keep the flight on a somewhat straight, southern path). Have fun!
Nov 11th, 2004, 08:59 AM
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fehgeddaboutit, Enough with the rudeness!
I am a very nervous flyer, too. I know someone can't predict the way a flight is going to be but when you are up there and it gets bumpy or the plane makes a movement that feels "wrong" it is nice to know that this is normal and not to worry. Sometimes you can only learn that from what other people have experienced.
Let's not go out of our way to make people feel bad about posting.
I am a very nervous flyer, too. I know someone can't predict the way a flight is going to be but when you are up there and it gets bumpy or the plane makes a movement that feels "wrong" it is nice to know that this is normal and not to worry. Sometimes you can only learn that from what other people have experienced.
Let's not go out of our way to make people feel bad about posting.
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