I am just wondering.. is there anybody around here who is scared to fly? What do you do about it?

I panick and become sweaty when I think of it. I am not at all looking forward to go for a holiday to Holland. İf Kadir will come with me, I would feel a lot more comfortable, but we will find out if his parents changed their mind this weekend..

My fear of flying is become bigger and bigger lately. I would not at all wanna fly with a company that offers tickets cheaper than 300 euros. I know its silly but it scares me. If someone asks me what exactly Im afraid of, I cant say ıt and I wont. When they sum up the reasons I put my hands on my ear, start to shake and sweat and panick (and ı beg you not to mention them here either)

Does anybody know if there are pills I could take before entering the plane? How do you cope with being afraid of flying?

I (we) havent got the money to travel by car and thinking of kadirs visa issues it would not be an option in the first place.

I am not afraid of flying but liking, no. Always happy that I am back on the ground again. For information to get rid of your fear see: http://www.valk.org (in Dutch and in English).

I think dramamine can be taken for fear of flying. Check at the ezcane.

You can use Cocculine, a homeopathic medicine against travel disease. I used it when travelling by boat and bus and I never got sick or felt afraid. Cocculine is from factory Boiron, you can buy it cheap in every good drugstore in Holland or even online (just Google).

ive always had a fear of the take off and i take sleeping pills or tranqullisers 20 mins before boarding but i always seem to sob when the roar of then engines start but my tavels are very far and few between and ive always travelled with someone for support but in 2006 i took 12 flights in 4 months and like the old saying turn and face your fears. because all these 12 flights were by myself i was forced to just get on with it and deal with it and i think because i have flown so many times recently that the last 2 flights there were no tablets for support and the last 4 flights no tears !! The more you do something the more you become accustomed to the situation.
i just got used to getting on and off planes and for the first time ive learnt to deal with the takeoff on my own .
didnt think i'd ever get over this fear but then i never in my wildest dreams think i would have taken so many flights in such a short time .
Dealing with my fear though as stated above i am sorry to say ive relied on prescription meds

Jackie
xx

I used to be terrified of flying. I was horrified when my job started to involve travelling to the Far East and remember lying in bed at nights unable to sleep at the thought of being on a plane for 12 hours. However, I think long haul flights are the cure! They are so boring that after takeoff you forget your fear and just focus on how bored and uncomfortable you are!!

Delays and waiting on the tarmac also helped cure me – you forget your fear and dread and just forcus on wanting the *!@* !* plane to take off!

I have flown hundreds of times now and although I still anticipate the worst and grip the chair arms rather too tightly during takeoff (or one occasion the hand of the poor passenger next to me! ) I find that a stiff drink is all I need now

i know why most people fear of flying maybe due to fear of heights and as we know accidents happen as plane crash. But why think of these negative things, flying is enjoyable and adventurous, coz you can see the world from the top. I love travelling too much so i really tried to find a job in an airline and luckily i got and i am tasked to do lots of official businesses in both our domestic and international destinations. I have also free unlimited all year round travel benefits including my family. When i fly, i just pray and put to God's hands my life and that's it, i feel safe.

@ aenigma!!

if you don't particularly want to take drugs there are these special wrist straps that calm the nerves. They sell them in the airport. I haven't used them before but I bought similar ones for car sickness - for some reason I can't travel in the car for too long during the day time. At night though I am fine
Anyway the straps work for me and it is completely drug free which is even better

I know exactly how Deli_kizin feels! Aargh! Only the thought of having to go back to Holland next week! I just cope with it by sitting down and not looking outside.. Imagine that Im being in a train .

I do the exact same things when I think of flying!!! The sweats the panicking and I'm sure its not the thought of motion sickness, its my uncontrollable fear of heights and DEATH! I can't even stand on a chair to change a light bulb without breaking out in a sweat. I'll check out all these suggestions as I am planning to fly for the first time in april. Also I have spoken with a doctor about getting some valuum, maybe a suggestion for you Deli_kezin. At least for the first time. If not I'm afraid I might be running around the plane screaming at the top of my lungs (like I do on a ferris wheel) LET ME OFF!!! STOP THE RIDE!!!! I'M SERIOUS CARNI I"M GONNA KILL YOU!

for those who havent flown before the flight is "usually" very smooth and apart from engine noise you hardly know you are moving, sometimes there is a bit of turbulence (sp) but its no worse than a bus ride.
i really have been frightend all my life of the take off but having been faced with many flights in recent months i have over come my fear, a few butterflies as the engines roar and tearing down the runway but no more adrenaline rushes, uncontrolable shakes and tears and no more pills for me unless i want to sleep on a lengthy flight

Jackie
xx

i blame final destination and 9/11 for these fears of flying.it seems to have become much more common since then.we have more chance of getting rundown by a car in the street than a plane blowing up or crashing.personally i love planes but i can't go on one for at least another 3 and a half months

hang on in there people

According to a report in todays newspaper(Daily Mail so it must be correct )in spite of a 4% increase in air travel there has been a 11% drop in fatalities.For planes carrying 6 or more passengers there were 156 crashes in 2006 against 178 in 2005.According to the report 75% of the accidents involved small light aircraft.

i love flying but i am claustraphobic and germaphobic so my fears revolve around being trapped in that damn cabin breathing everyone else's air....but give me a couple shots of patron before the flight and who the hell cares!!!