Fraidycat

Does anyone have any suggestions for coping with an unreasonable fear of turbulence? It seems to be getting bumpier than ever out there--not sure why--but it seems like every flight I'm on now requires a seatbelt throughout. Thanks.

xxx

Valium and a bloody mary! (seriously!)

Paul

There is a phenomenon known as Clear Air Turbulence that is often associated with the jet stream. Anytime your flight flies near the jet stream, there is a possibility of turbulence just like rapids in a stream. Its for your own good to wear your seatbelt at all times. I've seen too many C-Spine injuries from people not wearing belts and hitting their heads on the overheard luggage compartment. Turbulence is a normal part of flying. Airplanes are designed to fly in turbulence and your flight crew will avoid turbulence by changing routing or altitudes when possible. <BR><BR>My advice, sounds callus but just get used to it and consider it a normal part of flying. Knowledge of why there is turbulence should alleviate some of your stress.<BR>p

chickentoo

I have a terrible fear of flying, so much so that I have nightmares a week before flying. I get the sweaty palms, etc. when we hit bumps. As I fly frequently I now take zoloft and it helps. I'm still scared but al least I'm not panicing. Not saying it's a choince for you but if it's really horrible like mine was it may be a suggestion.

gail

When I am flying and sure the plane is going to fall out of the sky, I check out the flight attendants. If they are still appearing totally unconcerned, I try to relax. Yes, I know they are trained not to panic and certainly do not expect them to run around like chickens without heads if anything should happen - I can't imagine they would all be good enough actors to show no concern. I figure they fly more than anyone else on the plane, so they would know best.

xxx

I like turbulence, breaks up the monotany of they flight. Pretend you're on a roller coaster...

Rick

Yeah...I freak out when they make the flight crew sit down and buckle up when we're in midflight and the old bird starts to rock and roll. The worst part is trying to maintain composure for the sake of my wife and kids....but nothing a few beers can't take the edge off..

Daphne

Alcohol doesn't work for me but Valium has really helped. I even can look down at the ground now and find it interesting, if not exactly enjoyable.If we hit turbulence [I hate it when they can't serve coffee!] I try to self-hypnotize, relax my body and think of the plane as a little paper airplane riding on the wind currents. Just remember, this is what it was built to do. My husband is a retired Boeing engineer and he just drinks on the flight!

k

I just remember what it was like riding around on some of the back roads in NW Pennsylvania in the school bus - those roads were so rough, I don't think I've ever had turbulence that bad!

No Amelia E.

I get very ill w/turbulence if it goes on too long, so I get anxious the minute it starts. But here are a few things that help:<BR><BR>1. Spring is the season with the highest probability of turbulence, esp. late spring with all the thunderstorms, etc. Winter, if you don't encounter a blizzard, can have the smoothest flights.<BR><BR>2. Fly as early in the morning as you can and avoid flying between, say, 2 and 6 or 7 pm in the spring and summer, because that's when the air gets really unstable, with heat rising and thunderstorms forming.<BR><BR>3. Get a window seat and look out at the horizon. It will help keep you oriented and you can see what's out there by way of clouds and you'll "see" how the captain may be trying to go around the big thunderheads, etc. If you are on a plane where you can listen to the captain and air traffic control talk, you'll often hear the captain ask for a change of altitude if things get too rough. He doesn't like it any better than you do.<BR><BR>4. Wear earphones with music or comedy tapes or something to distract you from what's happening. If you can afford the noise-filtering earphones, try that --they're expensive and bulky but the difference is miraculous.<BR><BR>5. Note the "timing" of bouts of turbulence. I have noticed that there is sort of a periodicity of greater and lesser turbulence (makes sense) not unlike going through rougher and smoother water on a boat. It seems, usually (not always), that worse turbulence only lasts 10-20 minutes and then things settle a bit, at least for a while. If you make a science of noting how it is going on your flight, it can distract you a bit and you can also usually manage to convince yourself that you can survive 20 minutes of anything.<BR><BR>6. Don't beat yourself up that your fear is "unreasonable." It's not, because it isn't fun and not something you'd willing sign up for (except for you "rollercoaster -- WHEE!" fearless types). Assume others aren't happy either, and do whatever it takes to get you through the flight. I don't drink but that seems to be a decent solution for some people.

Clem

All you people must know a lot of pharmacists with your pill taking....I'd suggest educating yourself about aerodynamics and air travel...maybe even take a lesson yourself. By availing yourself of real information, you'd understand that it's virtually impossible for turbulence to take a jet down. Don't hide behind pills and booze...toughen up and enjoy the ride.

Christine

How is it impossible for turbulance not to make a plane go down??

y

Actually it is quite possible for turbulance, such as microbursts, to take our a jet. And it has happened.

calli

My nephew works on airplanes in the Air Force. He will not fly ..period. He says there is one bolt that holds the entire plane together.<BR><BR>I 'm a white knuckler , too. I hate taking off. Don't mind landing. I dislike flying through thunderstorms. I've heard too many stories :~(<BR><BR>I too look at the flight attendants. I forget what I heard..is it four bells indicates an emergency (you know...ding ding..fasten your seatbelts).

Stephanie P.

I am not the greatest flyer either. I have seen a book in Barnes & Noble in the psych section. It was written by an ex-pilot. In the book he explains what all the beeps and noises mean during the flights (usually they are all routine noises), along with why planes do what they do. Look into this, I only skimmed the book, looked interesting.

Mome

"Fraidycat," what is it, exactly, that freaks you out? Afraid of crashing? Afraid of the plane breaking up? Most therapists tend to start by asking you to spell out what, for you, is the "worst case scenario" to confront it directly.<BR><BR>There are many helpful suggestions here as well as some stunningly stupid comments ("toughen up" -- yeah, that'll work), but without knowing where your head is at, it's hard to guess which way to point you. <BR><BR>So why does a bumpy flight bother you?

gail

A bumpy flight bothers me because I am sure it is a sign that I am about to die aboard this big contraption that must be too heavy to fly and is probably held together by old chewing gum applied by over-tired drug addicted fake mechanics. Each new sound is further indication that something is wrong. Each bump is confirmation. <BR><BR>But I keep flying because it has not killed me yet and often it is the only way to get where I want to be.<BR><BR>Who knows, one day I may be right about the plane.

Tootle

Numerically and statistically, you're going to be okay (both Gail and Fraidycat).........probably. Look on the web sometime to figure out just how many planes are in the air at any given moment and multiply that by minutes and hours in a day and days of the week, etc. etc. etc. All those people on all those planes made it, just fine.<BR><BR>But it all seems to me an increasingly compelling reason to shore up Amtrak! Anybody else with me on that?

In the UK

OK - statistically speaking.......<BR><BR>You could randomly board one jet plane a day to any destination in the world and it would be 26,000 years before you would be involved in a major crash and you'd still have a 65% chance of walking away from it....<BR><BR>Of course, there are also numerous "incidents" that happen all the time - but they aren't life threatening...<BR><BR>whatever way you look at it - flying is a very very very safe way to travel.<BR><BR>Hope you feel better about your next flight.

gail

Whether or not the fear is rational does not seem to enter into it for me. I know full well that the chances of something threatening my safety on a plane are so small as to be not worthy of thought. But we can't always control the emotions, even when sense and logic invalidate them.