Fear of Flying

I think you'll always encounter turbulence when you get towards Vegas. From what I've read the Rockies region causes a lot of it. My Vegas - Chicago flights in January was very turbulent. In and out of Denver a couple of weekends ago was bad too. Not sure time of day makes a difference.

I'm a nervous flyer, too, but I know in my head that there's very little to worry about. I imagine you know all this already, but read this blog post about turbulence from a Southwest pilot.

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/2006/06/08/turbulence/

There's also Turbulence Forecast.

http://www.turbulenceforecast.com/

I find a full stomach helps to lessen the reaction to turbulence. Seriously. Bring snacks.

My son who is a pilot tells me that it's smoother to fly at night, since the heat of the day cause difference in the air pressure which can cause turbulance. He also tells me that a plane will not fall out of the sky, and basically when you hit turbulence it's like driving on a bad road or throught a storm. I used to be like you about flying, but after listening to him, I do feel much safer. Good luck.

Turbulence won't make the plane fall apart, if that is what you are concerned about. Boeing performs a destructive test on all models during which they force the wingtips up with jacks or cranes until something finally cracks...when the wingtip has been deflected ten feet or more. In normal service they might deflect a few inches.

Maidalsabel, thanks for clarifying re: time of day. I didn't know about that.

To add to Maidalsabel son's comments - it's not just the air pressure but the fact that the heat during the day creates convection currents and atmospheric layers can heat at different temperatures - thus contributing to turbulence. This effect also is one of the reasons thunderstorms form more often during the day than night, and why air around and above mountains can ofter be rougher.

So yes, flying at night is usually/often smoother.

I am a nervous flyer with a brother who is a pilot.

He one explained to me that planes flying through turbulance is like a boat moving through waves. There is always a lot of up and down but that's what the craft was built for.
I found that reassuring.

Another nervous flyer - my strategy is to look at the flight attendants. If they are chatting, reading, serving drinks and acting as if this happens every day, then it probably does. If they are putting on parachutes, oxygen masks and praying, then I know to worry. The latter has never happened yet, but that does not stop me from looking at them whenever there is a blip from smooth flight.

LOL Gail, I do the same. From my isle seat.

Yes, I do this too - but I often imagine worried looks on their faces! When we landed at Phoenix a few years ago, it was so bad that we were all laughing - "it's like a disaster movie" my son said - and he wasn't wrong!

I don't like flying, but think it's magic to be so far away from home in a few hours! I look at it this way. Odds are that we will arrive safely, so I should enjoy the flight and not worry needlessly.

The big BA jumbo birds have little maps at the back of their seats (also movies, but I prefer watching the map!) and they tell you what height you're at. It's quite remarkable that despite seemingly dropping hundreds of feet in the turbulence, you hardly move at all! And for every down there is an up!

Another nervous flyer - my strategy is to look at the flight attendants. If they are chatting, reading, serving drinks and acting as if this happens every day, then it probably does. If they are putting on parachutes, oxygen masks and praying, then I know to worry. The latter has never happened yet, but that does not stop me from looking at them whenever there is a blip from smooth flight.

This is me to a T. The worst flight I was ever on (Chicago to San Francisco), they actually did have to put away the carts and sit with seat belts on most of the trip. When we landed I asked where the flight fell on a scale of 1 to 10 and they agreed it was at least an 8 -- they probably weren't as scared as the rest of us, but at least they acknowledged how awful it was!

Try this:

Think of a plane as a boat riding the waves, but the waves are air, instead of water. Turbulence is just the air boat hitting some airwaves and bumping along. They don;t stop the boat from moving forward.

The waves don't sink the boat.

Trust me, it helps.

Sorry! That was what someone else said, but I hadn;t read the responses before posting- but it's true.

Maybe you can tell us all what it is you are nervous about.

And also- how funny that there are at least two Fodorites with brothers who are pilots!

Fly United and hope that the pilot turns on Channel 9 so you can hear air traffic control (they usually do). You'll hear pilots and air traffic control discussing ride quality and you'll know what's going on, including your pilot's efforts to find smooth air, which is actually something they care about.

Here's the problem (for those of us who are nervous flyers):

Turbulence is just the air boat hitting some airwaves and bumping along. They don;t stop the boat from moving forward.

So the boat sinks, you get out and swim. The plane sinks and you crash to the ground. I'm not saying it makes sense, only that that's how nervous flyers like me think of it. I really should take one of those classes.

dmlove - The ship sinks because it took it water. The plane can't "sink" because there's no water to be taken in.

Think about this - the NOAA will fly aircraft INTO the strongest hurricanes to take scientific measurements.

rkkwan, I know "intellectually" that what you're telling me is correct. Doesn't help when I'm on the plane

No one likes turbulence. Pilots don't like it because you don't, and they do everything they can to avoid it. No pilot will fly any closer to a thunderstorm than s/he has to, and because summer flying is full of thunderstorms, there are lots of delayed flights in the summer.

That being said, there are certain conditions and places that are always going to be "choppy" (bumpy) or turbulent (whoa). Head winds invariably create the bumpy kind of turbulence that pilots call "light chop." It is absolutely not dangerous, ever.

Mountains can create air currents called standing waves, and mountains often are turbulent when they heat up between morning and evening, since hot air rises and the mountains channel it up, thus flying over the Rockies or Alps at night or early in the day is better than flying later.

Landing in Las Vegas is always going to be at least bumpy because of the temperatures causing convection and the mountains. But your pilot expects it and has flown it many times, so you don't need to worry.

The scariest landing I have ever experienced was at Dubrovnik in Croatia, where strong northern winds called the Bura hit a cliff at the end of the runway and have no where to go but straight up -- bouncing into planes that are trying to go down! But dozens of planes land there every day in every kind of weather.

I don't like turbulence, but reason and a little Ativan will get me through it!

Cross Dubrovnik off my list! (just kidding)

Let me just add that seat belts should be fastened at all times, not just when the light is on. I cringe when I read about passengers being tossed out of their seats during extreme turbulence when it is so unnecessary. Whether I'm in a plane or a car, my belt goes on when I first sit down and it stays fastened until I get to the destination (physiological needs as required).

I have spent the last 15 minutes reading and learning... I will be flying soon - my first flight to Europe (7 hours from NY) and the only reason I have not done it yet is my fear of flying. I am a part time travel agent who has spent the last 20 years traveling 4+ times a year and traveling = flying since I am not a "road trip" type girl.

Try some of these things that help me: first, I always get to the airport early. It makes me more relaxed not to be rushing thru the terminal, and I like to be aware of my surroundings (i.e. people). I take an anti anxiety medicine (except the time my pocketbook was stolen out of my rental car in San Francisco, and my anti anxiety meds happened to be in there - with my cash & ID for that matter)... right before boarding and listen to music as soon as I buckle up. I find I am relaxed at take off, and that makes for a more pleasant flight. I agree that watching the flight attendents - they do this all day, everyday so they are good indicators of whats really going on and opposed to whats going on in the mind of a fearful traveler.

Good luck to you... and enjoy your travels.

My friend the flight attendant tells me its like hitting bumps in the car. It sucks, but it won't make the car fall apart.

My biggest advice is to tell the flight attendant you're a nervous flier. Sometimes they will come out of there way to warn you that turbulance is ahead (it helps to know its coming). Sometimes they give you an extra drink.

Remember to breathe. I focus on my destination. Only way to see beautiful places in a reasonable amount of time is flying. So I try to focus on what I am getting out of it.

Good luck!

How do you know if there is a pilot in the room? Wait 5 minutes and he'll tell you. Here I am. My experience - 32 years flying in the military (not US).

All aircraft are designed to spend their whole lives in light to moderate turbulence. They will not break. Severe turbulence isn't nice and can cause damage but the aircraft will not fall out of the sky. They are extraordinarily strong. I have NEVER experienced severe turbulence in all my years flying transport aircraft round the world. I have avoided it by not flying into thunderstorms, and by paying attention to weather briefs and what my radar shows me. Your airline crews will do the same. They talk to Air Traffic Control constantly about where any turbulence is and at what heights.

Turbulence at cruise levels (high up) is caused by different temperatures in different places and is dependent on weather patterns and systems, nothing to do with the time of day. Turbulence at low levels is usually due to a combination of high wind speeds and local factors such as mountains. You will only come across it in the initial climb out and on the approach to land so it will only be temporary. There will be a small variation during the day due to heating from the sun.

I repeat, the aircraft will come to no harm from being shaken about a bit. It's just uncomfortable for all inside. Stay strapped in at all times that you don't have to walk about even if the sign is off.

Hope this helps. Old and bold pilots - I'm an old one.

Now, if you ask how 200 tons of metal stays in the air, that really is magic.

Hi Scarboroughmom --- and thank you to all the other posters so far! It's great to get some reassuring word of mouth from a pilot or two or three...

In terms of simply feeling calmer if/when there's a bumpy patch, I've found that ginger tea is soothing (and easy on the stomach). A little lavender oil is a good thing too---it's calming, not objectionable for your seatmates, and fights off the "stale air" sense that can sometimes make a flyer feel a bit claustrophobic.

Hope it's a smooth flight!

Try propranolol! It doesnt allow your body to react to the nervousness (your heart rate doesn't increase, etc...), so you don't feel as nervous. I will be using it on my 12 hour flight to Hawaii next week.

I don't fly well either, but my dr. gives me 3 valiums (depending on flight)and it takes the anxiety out of me. Just got back from the Netherlands via Heathrow and it does the trick..May want to ask your dr what works well for you.

Since a young child, I have flown numerous times a year. I always enjoyed that exhilarating feeling of being up in the clouds. However, I now start getting that nervous stomach feeling just before a flight. Just last week, I spent the whole time watching the tv screen that shows the progress of the plane (altitude and mph) and willing the plane safely to its desination. I would rather have spent the time reading a book!! I do find it helpful if the pilot gives passengers a heads up of impending turbulence. Thanks for this thread - lots of good ideas and I take comfort that I am not the only fearful flyer!

First suggestion: Valium. Visit your regular doctor (sometimes just a phone call will do) and ask for enough Valium to last you your flight, and return, plus an extra.

I usually take one Valium just before boarding the plane. My longest flight--Florida to New York, New York to Dubaii, Dubaii to South Africa--I took three Valiums, each one about 7 hours apart. Helped me get through nasty turbulence in the North Sea area.

Second tip: Pilot friend told me that tubulence is just the "potholes of the sky".

Third tip: Remind yourself that whenever you fly over mountain ranges, where bodies of water meet land, or cold meets hot, you will experience turbulence, it is to be expected and is nothing unusual. It's like if you were to go to the beach--the water is cooler than the air (generally) and there is almost always a nice breeze. But inland, just a few miles, different story.

Good luck.

I do find it helpful if the pilot gives passengers a heads up of impending turbulence. Thanks for this thread - lots of good ideas and I take comfort that I am not the only fearful flyer!

I agree wholeheartedly with both of the sentiments in this post. Pilots, please take note -- advance warning is very much appreciated!


Now, if you ask how 200 tons of metal stays in the air, that really is magic.

See, that's the problem in a nutshell, it SHOULDN'T stay in the air!

May I also BEG pilots (and FAs who have some control over the PA system) to SPEAK UP! or fix the volume on the PA system.

Nothing is more upsetting than hearing distant muttering coming from overhead -- "....your pilot....a few minutes..mmmnnmnmm....please....should be....mmmmmm....mmmchchchmm....seat belt.....mmmmmnnnnkkkkkksxx..."

This was a really helpful thread...thanks to everyone. I fly a lot and, as I've gotten older, I've become more nervous (don't know why that is). I agree with all the helpful tips and just want to add that, when the turbulence hits, starting taking very, very deep breaths and blowing it out slowly through your mouth. It helps a lot (along with the meds, of course). Your seat mate won't even notice.

My wife belongs to the 'white knuckle flyer' club AND tends to get motion sickness. Take-offs and landings are her worst times. She takes meclizine (Antivert) prior to flying. OTC (Over The Counter) dose is 1 or 2, 25mg tablets, once daily. I think she takes two or three!

BTW - no alcohol in combination with meclizine.

The mention above about watching the stew's is funny. I'm a flight nurse on an air medical helicopter. Sometimes I'll (humorously) tell my patients they don't have anything to worry about unless they see us starting to get worried looking. Nothing like bumping along in a helicopter at 1500' on a hot, windy, summer day.

John

Another vote for Valium (or Xanax or another "anti-anxiety" prescription medication). I don't get on a plane these days without. Also useful for sleep the first couple nights in a new time zone.

"In terms of simply feeling calmer if/when there's a bumpy patch, I've found that ginger tea is soothing (and easy on the stomach)"

Well... not advised when ON a plane, as the belt sign is always on when you must use the lavatory!

I have had trouble hearing what the pilots or flight attendants are saying very rarely. Sometimes if you're very nervous you have trouble focusing - and then what they say may not be clear.

If you really think they're all mumbling I would have your hearing checked. (Not hearing voices above a constant noise - as in the drone of the engines - is one of the first signs of hearing loss.)

Having flown through all sorts of turbulence MANY times (I have, at times flown a lot - like 60/70 trips, not flights, a year on business) I can confirm that light turbulence - esp at high altitudes is nothing to worry about. That's like the boat and waves analogy.

The only time turbulence is really an issue is take offs and landings -think of the boat and the dock analogy. Had this happen only once (wind shear) just before landing in Cincy - and it was NOT fun - but lasted only a couple of seconds. This is EXTREMELY RARE - since the airports are usually aware of local conditions. This was on a day that there had been a bunch of tornados through the area that had closed the airport. I guess they reopened it too soon.

It's not my hearing (my husband accuses me of having the hearing of a bat -- or maybe he was comparing me to a bat on other grounds...). It may, however, be the airlines I fly. I rarely have trouble on long-haul, large plane, "legacy" airlines. The trouble comes most often on the short-haul, regional and commuter lines.

On occasion, I've mentioned the problem to the FAs and had everyone around me say, "yes, yes, tell him to speak up"!

I don't know if it's the pilots or the sound system, but I find it difficult to hear what they're saying often. I haven't isolated whether it's only on certain airlines or certain aircraft.

A useful thread. Very much applies to me, my worry level is such that friends and family refer to me as "Ms Worst Case Scenario".

One thing that I use that really does help are the wristbands that have the little plastic bumps. It is a kind of accu-pressure. Their purpose is to prevent motion sickness, but one of the ways they do it is to diminish your physical reaction to movement. This allows you to process the bumpiness as less than it actually is.

Flying east and west is worse than north and south, IME, but just our luck that LA and Chicago are 2 of our most frequent trips from Boston. Oh, well.

Re: the flt attendants, one of our worst experiences was when the pilot said, "We're going to be experiencing some bumpy air, so I am going to go ahead and tell the flt attendants to sit down and put on their seat belts." They were seated for almost the entire Bos-Chicago trip. That was scary!

Thanks to all you lovely folks who offer all of this information and support. I think dmlove understands me though. I know I am at more risk driving to the airport than I am flying through some bumpy air. But somehow, knowledge only helps a little. Antianxiety drugs don't really help because they need to be used everyday in order to work. They are not situational type solutions. Tranquilizers just make me drowsy until the bumps start, and then I wake right up, scared as ever. Square breathing takes the edge off. Blaming my husband for it all also helps. (only kidding). Mostly, I just try to figure out if there is some voodoo I can do with timing the flight either time-of-day or time-of-year wise to avoid it. If I ever do have a really bad flight, I'll probably take a bus home, and never fly again.

On every flight I have ever taken, I get an overwhelming premonition that the flight will crash - just as they close the cabin door. Even I know this is silly, since I am still alive.

And thanks that no one recommended fear of flying classes. Why would I want to go to a class where they try to convince me that a multi-ton sardine can is safe, when I am sure it is not.

Second thanks to those warning about Las Vegas, as it is our transfer city on trip in 3 weeks.

I need to fly for work frequently and as I get older, I have become far more nervous. While intellectually I know that flying is safer than driving, I get mentally worked up days before my flights. I worry about turbulences and am very anxious about take-off, Many years ago, I took a flight when the pilot aborted a 747 take-off due to some "cable problem" as he did not get sufficient power. Since then, I worry incessantly during take-off, terrified that the plane cant climb up. On clear days I worry about wind shear, on cloudy days I worry about turbulence. I now live in Hong Kong and the airport is known for wind shears. I love to travel and had it not been for my fear of flying, I probably would be traveling every week. Any insights on takeoff anxieties?

Try Dr Bach rescue remedy - comes as a spray onto tongue for instant calming or as a lozenge.

My wife is convinced it is the only thing that keeps her sane on a flight. My daughter is now more relaxed for her exams.

It is a natural remedy & helps reduce anxiety.

SophiaMaple - Take off. I can only present some facts to you so here we go.

All airliners are licenced and checked to what is known as Performance A standards. What this means is that if at any point during the take off an engine fails then the aircraft will either be able to continue the take off and climb safely (and miss anything in the way) or will be able to stop safely in the runway distance remaining. With that there isn't any decision that the pilot need make. The decision is made for him when the take off performance is calculated for the weight and weather conditions etc of the day. He will either go safely, or abort the take off safely, under control at all times. Two or four engines, it doesn't matter.

All airline companies have strict operating procedures to comply with this and there crews practice such emergencies regularly in flight simulators. Bottom line - if there is a problem there is not a lot of skill required from the crew, it's all pre-decided and practiced.

I don't know if this is of any use to use those posting here. I find these posts interesting to read. I suspect that there are more white-knucklers on flights than is obvious sometimes.

I dislike airline flying because of the general airport experience, and then being cooped up in cattle class if you have to go that way is gruesome. Knowing what is going on is more of a help.

gail, you and I must be soulmates! I also get the same premonition which is now somewhat alleviated as we are no longer traveling w/our son as he is safely off living his own life in LA and is virtually never on the same plane w/us. At least now the premonition does not include guilt!

Seriously though, re: your Las Vegas landing, I spoke to the pilot when we landed there once and asked him if the bumpiness is normal and/or dangerous. He told me that hot air currents rise up off the desert and that is the source of the bumpy descent into LV. His nonchalance reassured me that they are well-versed in this and that it is completely a non-issue as far as safety is concerned.

I am on long record here (somewhere back in Fodors history) about how useless the comparison with driving is, because if you're in the mindset of comparing catastrophes, you're already upping the fright index for yourself. Yes, let's all look at horrible things that happen in life and then arrange them on a scale of probability. You'll go to bed thinking about being hit by lightning, drowning in a submerged car, bitten by rabid raccoons, crashing in a jumbo jet, or crushed by a falling piano.

scarboroughmom, et al: 1. Take off as early in the day as you can stand. 2. Check the aviation map at weather.com ( http://tinyurl.com/6a27pm ) so you'll know what to expect -- if it starts to bump over Ohio and you've seen a weather front stretching from Buffalo back to Kentucky, you'll know what's happening and that it will be over with when you get west of the front. 3. Distract yourself with something -- iPod music or comedy or audiobook; crossword, etc. 4. Figure it's rare that turbulence lasts more than 30 min. or in an average flight, and even in an exceptional flight, know that the captain doesn't want to be there any more than you do. 5. post on Fodors to find out useful info such as the info about bumpiness going in and out of Las Vegas (or anywhere in the Rockies, I'm afraid -- I refuse to connect in Denver for that reason). 6. Remember that this time yesterday you were fine and on the ground, and this time tomorrow you'll be fine and on the ground. Whatever's going on now will be soon over, and you'll be enjoying your destination without a thought about planes.

stfc, thank you for your insights. I have a flight in 8 hours.

You're welcome, hope you have a great trip. Here's something to take your mind off things - I, as with many of my fellow aviators, detest heights. I have real problems at the top of high buildings and cliffs etc. Bungee jumping is all my nightmares come true. Yet I have no problems flying, even at low level. Why, I wonder?

Hong Kong, eh? Haven't been there since we gave it back to China. I'll have to revisit when I retire next year.

stfc, it is because there is no visual connection between you and the ground. I've been in aviation for over 40 years and know lots of pilots who get shaky when on a ladder or on top of a tall building...because they can see the connection between where they are and the ground. In a plane, you're just suspended there and the sensation is not the same. Nothing like seeing a sunset at 30,000 feet or so and thinking "Just another day at the office."

An anecdote from one white knuckler to the others out there. As a family, we were touring the FBI Building (10+ years ago) and there was a big display about, I think, the Lockerbie air disaster. My son, then 10 or so, was going on and on about how he'll never fly again. A woman in front of us turned around and said something to the effect of "why don't you tell him how much safer it is to fly than to drive?" To which my son replied - "great, now I'll never get in a car either!" (Said son is now 23 and living in Kampala, Uganda, and believe me, he didn't get there by boat )

Bobmrg, yes, I've considered that to be a possibility for a long time. But I still have the same anxious feeling on a balcony when it is not possible to see the building below due to the overhang. But hovering a helicopter which I've only done a few times doesn't give me any worries (apart from being in a helicopter!)

I suspect it is more to do with having a window between me and the elements to provide imagined shelter. It is the sensation of fresh air and a breeze that gives rise to the imagined possibility of falling that is the problem. I've only once flown with an open cockpit, which was enjoyable, but I wouldn't have been keen to do any aerobatics, harness or not. I have full respect for the pilots of WW1 and that early era.