I now know I had made the biggest mistake of my adult life. For years I found excuses not to travel out of the country. The cost was too much; I had to finish my education; I simply couldn’t go when the weather was cold…in London. The truth of the matter was however, that I was afraid to fly. Ultimately my desire to explore the world overpowered my innate fear of rising above the clouds in a steel soda straw so I had a few martinis and hopped on a flight out of the US. Still, every time I fly I find myself nervous and besides simply getting on the plane and doing it I have picked up a few tricks to alleviate at least that part of me that once refused to step foot near even an airline’s website. What I have compiled below 
are five tips to help those out there with similar anxiety.
1. Know what to expect:
You have conjured the image in your mind of arriving at the airport. You’re next to go through security and suddenly you’re pulled aside and told to undress for a random and thorough screening. After surviving that utterly humiliating ordeal you limp towards the plane only see that the paint on the nose is chipped; surely the hull has been breached. Still, you board and before you know it the engines roar. You’re in the air and smoke, maybe mist…no no, you’re sure it’s smoke, is rolling off the wing. Turbulence sets in and the flight attendants are having a very difficult time serving drinks since they are repeatedly being thrown against the ceiling of the plane as it looses altitude. Then you start to think…children loose helium balloons all the time at Disneyland; we are flying over California; what if one gets sucked into the engine and we plummet to the ground in a fiery, mouse shaped balloon related, accident. I can assure you this will not happen.
Without knowing what to expect at the airport and on the flight itself your mind tends to wander. Familiarize yourself with the sights and sounds of flying. Understand the bumps and movements of an airplane. Getting an idea of what is to come will dramatically help you form a realistic notion of what you’re experiencing; this will undoubtedly be better than your uninformed imaginings. To do so you might talk to friends who have flown. Ask them to describe the process from start to finish. Question them about turbulence. Do they have a “bad turbulence” story? Chances are they do (everyone thinks they do). Then, realize they are still here to tell you that story. Obviously they are either exaggerating, turbulence really isn’t that bad or both (more often than not it’s the latter).
Another great resource out there can be found on the web. flyingwithoutfear.com is a wonderful site that is loaded with free content. You can listen to the sounds of pretty much every aspect of flying from engine noise at take off to final boarding calls in the airport. There are videos that describe exactly what you will see and help you understand what to expect. You can even find a support forum to discuss much of what I mentioned above. Take the time to know what you’re getting yourself into. You certainly took the time to understand what you will experience once you land…why not what you will go through on your way there?
2. Understand how safe flying actually is:
We have all heard the saying “you’re more likely to die in a car accident on the way to the airport than on the plane”. This is certainly true with statistics pointing out you are in fact 500-1000 times more likely to meet your end on the highway. But let’s face it; this does not really help calm your nerves. You are still not in control of the plane! Think about it though, how many drivers are actually in control of what other drivers are doing on the road around them; none! I’m fairly confident that 40,000 + Americans are not dying each year in a car wreck because they have control over the situation. Then consider that since 1970 there have been only 58 fatal events between 16 different US and Canada airlines. That is an estimated total of around 36.6 fatal events (at least one person died) per million flights. Now granted crunching these numbers probably doesn’t make you feel comfortable with flying. It should however, give you hope that your chances of getting to your destination on a plane are pretty good, statistically. Considering that your chances of dying from hot weather are even greater than dying in a plane crash; make it somewhere cool.
3. Sit on the wing and breathe the fresh air:
Once you get yourself all the way on the plane you are likely to still have to deal with your nerves acting up once in your seat. The cool air from the valve above you is a great way to chill out and relax. Open the nozzle full blast and direct it onto your face. The rush of air will not only help your possibly heavy breathing but also
help keep your underarms a bit dryer. You certainly want to minimize the amount of sweat you will have to wear for the next few hours.
If the idea of turbulence is your nemesis, grab a seat on the wing of the plane. While the jury is still out on this one there is a general consensus that sitting over the wing of the plane will provide the most stability. In the end I don’t think the turbulence you will feel in the back of the plane is going to be significantly less bothersome than that in the middle since any bumpiness is likely to have you clutching the armrests. Still, if you think of the plane like a teeter-totter or seesaw with the wings as the pivot in the middle, it makes sense that you would feel less sitting here. At least you can tell yourself that and see if it helps. It certainly works for me.
4. Just pretend you are on a bus:
Albeit a simple technique, closing your eyes and imagining that you are just taking a bus ride can help. When it comes down to it, being on a plane doesn’t feel that much different than being on a greyhound bus (once you’re in the air). Turbulence often feels much like a bumpy road and your neighbor is usually too big for his seat and nodding off onto your shoulder in either modes of transportation. For this method to work however, you may have to disregard number 2 above.
5. Sedatives are just a doctor’s appointment away:
When there is simply no way to get around your fears and thoughts of canceling your flight start entering your head make an appointment to see your doctor. Explaining the situation and asking for a prescription of sedatives such as Xanex (brand name) or Alprazolam is your right and nothing to be ashamed of. These little pills come in .25m .5, and 1 mg doses and you and your doctor will have to figure out what is best for you. As a 5’8” male weighing about 160 Lbs I can say the 1mg pretty well knocks me out for a good portion of a 7 hour flight and I prefer the .5mg.
With one or two of these pills you may not be able to alleviate all your apprehensions but you certainly won’t feel quite as tense for near as long. Just be sure to wait until you get to the airport or have someone else drive you there and likewise don’t fall asleep in the waiting area and miss your flight. If a prescription is not an option for you just remember that most major airlines are now taking credit cards for alcohol purchases during a flight and many foreign carriers still offer complimentary booze.
Giving into your fear of flying can certainly cause you to miss out on the fantastic chance of traveling the world. The confidence and sense of accomplishment that everyone gains by visiting a foreign country or distant land is only multiplied by the conquering of your fears. You will never hear anyone say that visiting another culture was simply not worth the flight so take what seems like the greatest risk and achieve what will be your biggest reward.
