I just completed 4 flights, for a total of 26 hours in the air, free of fear and without help from drugs or alcohol.
Yes. this is really me, Debby, who hasn’t flown in two decades without Valium to reduce my anxiety.
How did I do it?
I read a great book and took the author’s advice (see the book at the bottom of this post).
Fear is triggered by turbulence, noises, movement, loss of control and sensations. Captain Keith helps you deal with each of these.
The lessons for me were:
1. ‘Not normal’ for me is not the same thing as dangerous
2. ‘Unfamiliar’ to me is not the same thing as unusual
3. Modern aircraft are operated well below their capacity for airspeed, manoeuverability in the air, weight it can carry, stopping distance on runway, hard landings, turbulence, and they have more safety features than they will ever need.
Noises and movement feel unfamiliar and we can feel out of control, which is scary. But if you look around you, you’ll see calm people. Cabin crew and frequent fliers aren’t bothered. They’ve spent so much time in airplanes, in the air, that the things that you might think are unusual are normal to them. It’s just that to you they’re unfamiliar, and so you think that they’re unusual.
There are three main things you can do to put your fear of flying behind you.
1. Read this book and learn how aircraft work and what pilots do. Learn about noises and sensations.
2. When there is turbulence, strap yourself in. Wiggle back into the seat and then tighten your seat belt. Relax and let the seat support you, and you will move with the plane instead of a moment after. You’ll feel better. Breathe slowly. Breathe s-l-o-w-l-y.
3. When there’s noise that you don’t understand, ask one of the cabin crew about it, or ask the calm person beside you. Remind yourself (and this became my mantra): It’s just the speed brakes, flaps, wheels or engine. Everything’s fine.
I’m proud of myself. One of the four flights was 3 hours with the seat belt sign lit the whole way. Only once did I get that little jolt of adrenalin. But I just tightened my seat belt and repeated my mantra.
I feel liberated, no joke.
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Thanks Debby
The fabulous thing about what I do is that every so often I’m sent something like this and it really makes all the effort worthwhile. Recently had a guy write to me who hadn’t flown for 60 years and said the book had helped him… sure goes towards making my life fulfilled.
Keith
Hi, Debby
I’ve come over from your link on WVU to say hello. I’ve got two blogs, the one I listed here, the more successful one, and another one about language that hardly anyone ever visits and even I don’t visit often, lol.
I’ve flown thousands of miles, as I live in Australia and have travelled extensively in the past, but have developed a phobia because I’ve discovered I have a genetic tendency to blood clots. Twenty or thirty hours in the air is a time period that just doesn’t appeal to me any more. Only New Zealand seems reachable these days!
Did the book say anything about blood clots?
You could reply here or message me at WVU – catherine.
Hi Catherine, thank you for visiting my blog.
Two things come to mind about what you’re sharing here.
First, Captain Keith Godfrey doesn’t look at deep vein thrombosis directly, at least not that I’ve seen. He is more addressing a fear of flying, rather than a fear of medical complications from your physical reaction to flying, if you see what I mean. That said, I read somewhere that taking valium to try to ease anxiety associated with fear of flying can lead to the formation of blood clots, so in some way, fear of flying and blood clots can be related. But, as I said, I’m unaware of Captain Keith addressing it.
Second, a phobia is an unreasonable fear of something that’s unlikely to hurt you, such as a fear of mice, or of going outdoors. But in your case, the genetic predisposition to blood clots means that there is a real danger to you, not an imaginary or unlikely danger. In that case, you wouldn’t be considered to have a phobia, but rather to be taking reasonable precautions to preserve your health.
Does that make sense?
What’s your name at WVU?
I have a dog called Penny too!
All the best,
Debby
Yeah, I see what you mean. To a certain extent it is an unreasonable fear, because my doctor says just take the precaution of using Warfarin or another blood thinning agent.
By the way, does the book deal with claustrophobia? Ever since that poor guy was shot by the air marshal when he panicked in a plane I’ve added that worry to my pantheon of unreasonable fears, lol.
Nice to have met you at WVU.
I’ll be looking at your back posts, as this is a great blog.