fear of flying

[Surfdaddy]

I'm a pilot

I want to go to the Galapagos Islands. I want to go birding off of Antartica. I want to see my sister in California more than once a year. I want to visit my friends in NYC.

I wonder if the flight simulator might be helpful. You folks are talking me out of the try the small plane thing.

Martha, I'm in SoCal, not sure you are very close. But I'm a private pilot and would be willing to do a very short flight if you are in the area.

If not you could just fly here.

 

[Corporateburnout]

I had no idea I had mild claustrophobia until I tried to sleep in the lower bunk of a tiny cramped boat cabin. I couldn't stay there the first night. I eventually got used to it. I was in my early 40s - so it took a long time to discover this phobia.

I still get a bit of that creepy feeling if I need to get under a low crawl space - like when I was trying to help my husband find that thing under the car.

Audrey

I had no idea I was claustrophobic until I went for an MRI three weeks ago. I had difficulty breathing and I almost pushed the panic button they put in my hand but decided to overcome my fear and managed to get through it.

I'll go for the open MRI next time or close my eyes and go through my relaxation techniques earlier in the process.

BTW never had any fears of flying or being in a confined space.

 

[Meadbh]

I had no idea I was claustrophobic until I went for an MRI three weeks ago. I had difficulty breathing and I almost pushed the panic button they put in my hand but decided to overcome my fear and managed to get through it.

FWIW, my patients (babies) just sleep like a baby and enjoy their MRIs. As I said to a baby's nervous mom last week: if he can have an MRI and enjoy it, you can!

 

[Martha]

Martha, I'm in SoCal, not sure you are very close. But I'm a private pilot and would be willing to do a very short flight if you are in the area.

If not you could just fly here.

That's sweet. I am way up in Minnesota. But I am going to visit my sister in LA this winter sometime. Driving the good old MH.

 

[youbet]

Now I drive over the new bridge and after the first couple of crosses I don't think about the collapse anymore.

I'm impressed by the height and view from the Bong bridge in your hometown Martha. How do you do driving over that one?

 

[Martha]

I can drive across the Bong with my eyes closed. I use that bridge when motorcycling, nice wide shoulders. The "High" bridge, in contrast to the Bong bridge, has narrower lanes and often dirtier so I never like riding the cycle across that bridge. I go across one or the other of these bridges every couple of days so they don't bug me a all. Both have real nice views.

The Bong:

The High:

 

[Nords]

FWIW, my patients (babies) just sleep like a baby and enjoy their MRIs. As I said to a baby's nervous mom last week: if he can have an MRI and enjoy it, you can!

"Sleeping like a baby"-- when she was that age, our kid used to be able to drive two full-grown adults out of a queen-size bed with her alleged "sleeping" behavior.

You would think that the MRI magnet noise would wake them up. And if they've figured out a way to quiet the magnet current shifts, then are they going to do that for the grownups MRIs too?

 

[Surfdaddy]

That's sweet. I am way up in Minnesota. But I am going to visit my sister in LA this winter sometime. Driving the good old MH.

Well post me a message if you come by and want a ride!

My brother lives up by you in Blaine.

 

[Koolau]

Martha,

One of my phobias is riding roller coasters and similar "scary" rides. I know they are (generally) a lot safer than even air travel. Still, the view is simply terrifying to me. The few times I've actually forced myself to ride one, I ended up closing my eyes which helped a lot. I realize that nothing actually changed, but my body could accept the g-forces and jerking around, but I didn't have to see the ground rushing up at me. Don't know if there is any analogous "trick" to play on yourself as you fly.

As I write this, I have a paper weight sitting on my computer table. It is a valve lifter assembly from a small aircraft engine. It is cast metal which has been violently ripped from another piece of metal. I happened to be flying the small plane when the ripping occurred. When it happened, I knew that, ready-or-not, I would be on the ground in less than a minute (Piper Colts have the glide angle of a brick!). It was approx. my 5th flying lesson. The instructor landed the plane in a winter wheat field. My only moment of panic was when smoke (turned out just to be oil mist) filled the cockpit and I thought we might be on fire. I went on to get my private pilot license and flew over 100 hours (including some minor aerobatics) before realizing it was too expensive for the enjoyment obtained.

Guess it just goes to show how different we all are. I come closer to panic when public speaking than in missed approaches and aborted take offs.

If you get the chance to fly in a small plane with someone who is totally sympathetic to your situation, my vote would be to go for it.

Good luck!

 

[Meadbh]

As I write this, I have a paper weight sitting on my computer table. It is a valve lifter assembly from a small aircraft engine. It is cast metal which has been violently ripped from another piece of metal. I happened to be flying the small plane when the ripping occurred. When it happened, I knew that, ready-or-not, I would be on the ground in less than a minute (Piper Colts have the glide angle of a brick!). It was approx. my 5th flying lesson. The instructor landed the plane in a winter wheat field. My only moment of panic was when smoke (turned out just to be oil mist) filled the cockpit and I thought we might be on fire. I went on to get my private pilot license and flew over 100 hours (including some minor aerobatics) before realizing it was too expensive for the enjoyment obtained.

[breaks into cold sweat]

 

[mews]

Delaware has a high bridge on I-95. When it was built, lots of people found out they were afraid of heights. I was told that if you call ahead, a state trooper will drive over ahead of you as an escort.

ta,
mew

 

[Walt34]

In the mid '70s a friend and I gave some thought to flying underneath the Chesapeake Bay bridge. We decided not to simply because we couldn't think of a place to take off and land with taped-over numbers on the fuselage.

I suppose that would have freaked out some of the people driving on the bridge.

 

[NW-Bound]

Reading this thread makes me feel GOOD! I have some phobias, but much less than many here.

I think I don´t have phobias. All my overwhelming fears are rational: dentists, surgery, dogs that bite, bikes you fall off.....well anything that might end up in pain!

I just recall reading this somewhere.

"I do not like pain. Pain hurts me." - Anon​

I can stand up to reasonable pain, but I hate to think of any part of me getting mutilated. I'd rather pass another kidney stone than having any part of me pierced or tattooed.

 

[cnb46]

It's the Delaware Memorial Bridge between DE and southern NJ - Rt. 295 which gives you the option of avoiding Philadelphia area on 95. Rt. 295 goes N in Jersey almost parallel to the Jersey Turnpike for a while. Yes, there are marked "escort areas" on both ends of the bridge. I've never known exactly how that worked - whether someone drove you car for you?? Also lots of overhead signs about calling 911 or suicide prevention hotlines if you're in distress.

 

[Nords]

I think I will go with number 1 or 2.

Martha, have you seen this Virgin Atlantic program?

"Scared of flying? Press the fear iButton"

 

[F-One]

Martha...

... I have the same fear of flying. I took the SOAR course (many years ago - it was on cassette tape ). It definitely helped. It is also good to schedule a couple of round trip flights within a couple of weeks of each other. One thing I found is the more often I fly the less anxiety I have. I do have aids, first is propanolol (it keeps the heart from racing and for me eliminates the butterflies in my stomach) and early on, a xanax, made it easier for me to stay relaxed. Also, DW is usually with me for moral support, as we are usually going on vacation.

There are a couple of tricks in the course that also help; practicing relaxation before the flight and pay attention to others on the plane for their reaction to turbulence, etc. Finally, I've noticed that on take-off I am more comfortable leaning slightly forward and lean opposite of turns so I stay closer to level (I'm sensitive to balance and have BPV).

I know it's tough to overcome but the enjoyment of going places that used to take over half a day of driving has really been worth the effort.

Let me know if I can help in anyway

 

[Martha]

F-One, thank you for your tips.