Off on my holiday!

zepp76

I'll be leaving for the airport at 04:00 tonight for my holiday in Italy, I have to say I'm bricking it when it comes to flying. I've only flown twice before this, any tips on staying calm and relaxed on the flight? I've got a good book to read if that'll help?

Emp_Fab

What is it that scares you?

Kilgore

Diazepam

fretmeister

Learn about aircraft and how well they are built and the physics of them being in the air. Learn when to expect noises (such as the flaps / undercarriage deploying) so they don't scare you. 

Knowledge is power.

It's just a bus, although it's a bus company that insists the 2 drivers in the front actually know what they are doing.

stickyfiddle

If feeling nervous, just breathe deeply and slowly. Close yours eyes if you need. Don't drink too much, but don't be afraid to have one at the airport if you know that generally makes you feel relaxed. Obviously if you're a fighty drunk then steer clear! 

Remember that flying is statistically the safest way to fly. If in doubt, make a mental note of where the exits are, and how many rows in front/behind, and how the door opens. That will genuinely help you if you *do* need to evacuate. But you won't, because flying is extremely safe and european airlines are generally all run very well, at least when if comes to maintenance and piloting! 

My best tip is probably to watch the crew. If they look calm, everything is definitely fine. It's only if they start to look worried without some reason (e.g. a passenger being a twat) that you need to worry. And I've only seen that once in mayb 150 flights, and that was only big turbulence, which isn't usually a big issue on a flight that short. 

You'll be fine  

stickyfiddle

fretmeister said:

Learn about aircraft and how well they are built and the physics of them being in the air. Learn when to expect noises (such as the flaps / undercarriage deploying) so they don't scare you. 

This is good. MrsF often gets worried as modern planes do make some weird sounds that can sound very odd if you're not expecting them. I don't even notice them these days

VimFuego

Emp_Fab said:

What is it that scares you?

he's the pilot.

rivercider

stickyfiddle said:

If feeling nervous, just breathe deeply and slowly. Close yours eyes if you need. Don't drink too much, but don't be afraid to have one at the airport if you know that generally makes you feel relaxed. Obviously if you're a fighty drunk then steer clear! 

Remember that flying is statistically the safest way to fly. If in doubt, make a mental note of where the exits are, and how many rows in front/behind, and how the door opens. That will genuinely help you if you *do* need to evacuate. But you won't, because flying is extremely safe and european airlines are generally all run very well, at least when if comes to maintenance and piloting! 

My best tip is probably to watch the crew. If they look calm, everything is definitely fine. It's only if they start to look worried without some reason (e.g. a passenger being a twat) that you need to worry. And I've only seen that once in mayb 150 flights, and that was only big turbulence, which isn't usually a big issue on a flight that short. 

You'll be fine  

Wis'd for the advice, but had to chuckle at 'flying is statistically the safest way to fly'.  Isn't it also the only way? 

But thanks stickyfiddle, I'm also a very infrequent flyer who doesn't much like it, but have to endure it again this year as the wife gets a taste for going abroad. (Whatever next?!)

stickyfiddle

rivercider said:

stickyfiddle said:

If feeling nervous, just breathe deeply and slowly. Close yours eyes if you need. Don't drink too much, but don't be afraid to have one at the airport if you know that generally makes you feel relaxed. Obviously if you're a fighty drunk then steer clear! 

Remember that flying is statistically the safest way to fly. If in doubt, make a mental note of where the exits are, and how many rows in front/behind, and how the door opens. That will genuinely help you if you *do* need to evacuate. But you won't, because flying is extremely safe and european airlines are generally all run very well, at least when if comes to maintenance and piloting! 

My best tip is probably to watch the crew. If they look calm, everything is definitely fine. It's only if they start to look worried without some reason (e.g. a passenger being a twat) that you need to worry. And I've only seen that once in mayb 150 flights, and that was only big turbulence, which isn't usually a big issue on a flight that short. 

You'll be fine  

Wis'd for the advice, but had to chuckle at 'flying is statistically the safest way to fly'.  Isn't it also the only way? 

But thanks stickyfiddle, I'm also a very infrequent flyer who doesn't much like it, but have to endure it again this year as the wife gets a taste for going abroad. (Whatever next?!)

Ha! Brainfart there. Though technically true.

Hot air ballooning is fun, but WAY more dangerous than flying. But also actually fairly safe.

Anyway, seeing new places is well worth the fear of flying anyway. And it does get better every time you fly (on average!). I used to get super-nervous from the moment I entered and airport

randella

It's the airport that winds me up more than the flight - I've developed a zen-like approach to it which means I'm fairly relaxed by the time I'm sat down on the plane.

It can't hurt to try.  There will be queues, noise, rude staff (airport-dependent), pushy passengers who think they're going to get to Spain two hours earlier by barging into a line that's for disabled people and young children.

Rise above it, chill, smile at the staff even if they don't smile back.  Let it all flow around you and you'll be at your destination exactly as planned having a tasty lunch.

Don't forget your passport.  Have a drink at the bar, but don't get half-pissed because you'll have a nasty hangover halfway through the flight.  Sit back, read a book.  Noise cancelling headphones are tops if you have some.

RandallFlagg

Do you get scared when a car goes over a bump in the road? no. Bumps in the air are just that, bumpy air, well within design tolerance for the plane. I flew so much in 2015/6 that I used to look forward a bit of turbulence in the end.

mrleon83

The pilot wants to get home..

The pilot has a huge amount of experience and is trained to deal with really bad sh!t happening so that you get to where you're going

You may feel like you've dropped 10,000 feet (turbulance), in reality it'll only ever be a tiny amount.. I got over this fear by getting into a gran caravan in cairns.. watching the altimeter, we were at a consistent 1000 feet regardless of wobbles, 

Planes are designed to fly level.. 

Planes can be safely landed with no working engines..

Enjoy!

zepp76

Thank you to you all for your words of encouragement, I won't be drinking as I haven't touched a drop in nearly four years. It could get quite messy if alcohol passes my lips!

zepp76

Emp_Fab said:

What is it that scares you?

Everything about it scares me! Because of my mental illness I suffer from high anxiety and start to run different scenarios through my head making things terribly difficult. I've just got to try and look forward to what lies at the other end.

stickyfiddle

mrleon83 said:

The pilot wants to get home..

Absolutely this. We had a great briefing before a single-prop tourism flight in Oz. Essentially "I have to tell you this by law - here's your life vest. The exit is the door you'll get on through. Wear your seatbelt and headset and tie your veset round you now then forget about it unless I tell you. If I do tell you to do something, do it quickly and without complaining and you'll be fine. If I didn't think 100% we were going to land and go home safely I wouldn't have got out of bed, never mind come to the airfield." 

It was fine. Great bloke  

JezWynd

10mg diazepam + 1 small brandy. They'll wake you when it's time to disembark.

Dominic

just think of all the thousands of flight crew who do it every day of the week for a job just like other people go to the office - the biggest worry they have is to push trolleys ,deal with drunk idiots and sell duty free shit .

McToot

Pilots only REALLY enjoy their flying when they have to deal with weird/tricky conditions. 99% of the time it bores them. That's how safe it is. 

Another way of looking at it is that the vast majority of their training is spent on stuff that will rarely, if ever, happen. 

ourmaninthenorth

VimFuego said:

Emp_Fab said:

What is it that scares you?

he's the pilot.

 'kin brilliant. 

scrumhalf

I don't like flying but I've learned to cope.

Remember: The pilot wants to get home for his dinner as much as you do.

Cirrus

Where in Italy are you going?