6 Weeks today to Orlando

[Julie Betts-nicholson]

I keep telling myself that six weeks today we'll have already landed and will probably be at the villa by now, but thinking about the flight is starting to play on my mind when I'm not busy and I'm concerned that starting to get preoccupied at this stage isn't good. I think the problem is that I haven't flown for three years and so some of the coping strategies I'd put into place have gone by the wayside. The Air France issue raising its head has shaken me up a bit. I keep thinking about them knowing for 3 minutes that the plane was going down and find myself again and again returning to what it would be like to be in that position. I'm scared of being that scared: far more scared of this than the actual experience of flying which I - rather bizarrely - enjoy and would probably love if I could just get these fatalistic ideas out of my head. I tell myself that I watched my Dad waste away with cancer for 9 months and that was a far worse way to go, but I can't stay that rational and can feel my anxiety level raise now so I'm worried what I'll feel like the morning before. My cousin's a fearful flyer and he once refused to get on a plane and I'm worried that I'll get so worked up that I'll do the same and because there are 7 of us going I'll spoil it all for everyone. Up to my last flight I felt I'd made so much progress but I'm really worried I'll be back at square one. I can't really talk to anyone here as my husband - who is not a nervous flyer - says I just make him anxious when I start and the last thing I need is two of us worked up. I guess I could just do with some idea of where to start again to start building my confidence and to be reminded other people are out there who also feel like me and are getting there and back safely. I try and tell myself that the experience of flying will be the same for everyone on that plane with me and that the only difference is that I'll make it 9.5 hours of torture and they won't, so why can't  my subconcious accept that?

[Captain Keith]

 

Hi

Lots of things happen to lots of people.

Have you met George Clooney? Have you been on a bus that has broken down in Oxford Street at 20 past 11? Have you stubbed your toe getting into a lift? Ever been electrocuted? Kicked by a donkey? Driven the wrong way home? Pick anything and theres a chance it could happen.

You've a better chance of dying from cross infection in a hospital than in a car crash in the UK. Meet any  child under 12 in the USA and he/she has more chance of becoming  the USA President than you have being in an accident

I can give you a number of the chance of 'it' happening in a plane 1 in 23,000,000.

Finally   why on earth would the crew get anxious? In all my years of flying I was never anxious. We don't do anxious...we do alertness and preparation and training and re-training and safety cultures and cross checking and planning and procedures. Where's anxious in all this?

Relax and enjoy your flight and leave everything to the crew...

 

Keith

[Julie Betts-nicholson]

We're here! I was a bit anxious at the airport, but - strangely - much calmer than I'd been at home and far less anxious than I thought I'd feel. But then - absolutely unbelievalbly - when the plane taxied round to take off the only thing I felt was excitement! I was so relieved not to be terrified, that I actually cried. As the engines roared, my husband said "sit back" and we both ENJOYED!!! the whizz down the runway! This was the first flight where I totally took turbulence in my stride (though, to be honest, there wasn't much which I'm sure helped), was able to read a book and have some sleep. This must be what flying feels like to those who aren't afraid. And all that worry was for nothing. When I had a racing thought, I imagined it was a whinging person and banished him to another part of the plane to sulk. I know that sounds weird, but thinking of the fear as an irritating person I could picture (a bit of a Norris from Corrie) really helped because it wasn't me who was scared but someone else making me scared. I don't know if that makes any sense. Yes, I still had a few disaster movie thoughts, but I reminded myself of my promise that I wouldn't feel scared unless the cabin crew's behaviour gave me any sign something unusual would happen. It was a bit bumpy coming down, but I coped fine. We flew over Ireland, across to Newfoundland then down the Eastern seaboard - just under 9 hours. So now we're here, it's 6.15am and I'm going to have a cup of tea by the villa pool. So it was all worth it. I know that I might still feel scared the next time, but I feel I made real progress yesterday and maybe (just maybe) if I can feel this way again it might get to be a habit not to be scared. Thanks so much for your support - it really made a difference. I'll post again when I get back. If anyone else is flying in the next few days, all the very best.

[Narelle Krack]

Awesome report Julie!! Great to hear - good on you! I hope my flight goes the same way as yours... I'm flying out Friday morning and starting to feel the nerves... but too busy to think about it too much at the moment.

 

Enjoy your return trip too :-)

[Captain Keith]

Well done Well done Well done Well done

[Julie Betts-nicholson]

It's just after 7am US time and this is the day we fly home. Been feeling a bit jittery, emotional and jumpy for a couple of days and have been trying to have a dialogue with myself to keep calm. What doesn't help is that the flight doesn't take off until 6.25pm and so - unlike the flight out - I have all day to get through first and I'm a master at working myself up. Checked the status of the flight coming in which is showing on time, so hopefully that should help not to delay us. Just want to be home now. I'm hoping that I have as good an experience as I did coming out, but we had a really rough thunderstorm yesterday and these threaten quite often, so I'm worried it might be a bit bumpy getting away. We had a bit of an unpleasant experience leaving here a few years ago when we hit some turbulence, so that always makes me a bit uncomfortable. When temperatures cool overnight, is turbulence more or less likely or doesn't it make any difference?  I'm going to try and get on to post again before we leave the villa in a couple of hours, so - if anyone's out there at the moment - any words of encouragement would be really helpful.

Thanks.

[Captain Keith]

Hi

 

"We had a bit of an unpleasant experience leaving here a few years ago when we hit some turbulence, so that always makes me a bit uncomfortable."

 

A few years ago...A few years ago...A few years ago...A few years ago...A few years ago...

 

This is in the past...leave it there or it'll weigh you down for ever.  

Why think of the time it was bumpy...think of the successful flight you had going out there. While I also hope that you'll have a good flight home...like the good flight there....it's more useful to spend your time deciding waht you'll do if it is bumpy. Realistic thinking as opposed to wishful thinking.

Awnswer to your question...no

 

Keith

[Julie Betts-nicholson]

You were absolutely right, Zsuzsanna. All the worry was for nothing! I did calm down at the airport and coped with a short delay better than I have before. When we got on to the plane, the pilot explained that we were due a smooth flight for the mostpart but that it was likely to be bumpy going up. That left me a little worried, but totally unnecessarily as it was fine and the pilot told us that the weather had actually proved better than expected. I kept my promise to myself that I wouldn't worry until I saw the cabin crew worrying and, of course, the day for them was totally routine. If I had a racing thought, I asked myself, "But is there anything to make me worry at the moment?" As the answer was always no, then I put the thoughts to the back of my mind. I was able to read my book and even forgot that I was on a plane for quite a bit of the time. The worst I can say about the experience is that it was a bit too warm for comfort. Sitting behind the wing was really interesting as we could see the way the wing adapted through the different phases of the flight. You could also feel the power of the plane and we got some fantastic views as we flew back up the Eastern seaboard. Once again, I feel really daft for worrying as I coped so much better than I'd expected. I've really got to work on that anticipatory anxiety now, as the total irony is that it's the hours before the flight that are so much worse for me than the flight itself. Thanks so much for the support - it helped immeasurably.