Successful flyer - maybe soon :)

[Darius R]

Hi all,

It was long time since last time I've posted here. Just wanted to share with you how I'm doing with my fears. As you can see in the title things are going well. Now it happens that I need to fly quite often and my relations with planes had changed completely. I can tell you that I do not feel any fear and do not experience any sleepless nights just before flight, my trip to airport is always nice and fun. I'm always trying to get as early as possible to airport - just to watch the planes as I really enjoy it.

One things which is still existing is some small fear when I'm in the plane waiting for take-off and then take-off itself. I still can't watch through the window and I'm still sitting with closed eyes and waiting for seat belt sign to go off. After that I just enjoy my flight.

Now you maybe wonder what it changed so much. I think first thing - is Keith help, books and all understanding about planes, movements and 'strange' sounds. When you can explain it to yourself during flight then you're already ok :) Next thing that helped me is frequent flying. I mean not that frequent as a pilot, but at least once per month, maybe twice. Then you get used to it. Third thing is your own psychology. Somehow I've realized that planes are really safest type of transport and somehow I've tried to compare it with the cars. In both cases you can have problems and accidents, but I've came up with brilliant idea of why plane is more safe ! If, I mean really IF something is going wrong with the plane, then pilot has still a lot of time to fix the issues which is not available in case of cars, so I'm really convinced now that planes are most safest way of travel ! All other things is just strange 'movements', strange feelings, turbulence and so on which is not maybe very comfortable, but still perfectly safe !

Also there is one more thing that has helped me. There is one (or maybe several) internet site where you can find all incidents happened with airliners. Nor you maybe want to ask why on earth I look on that type of sites, BUT.... you just realize that everyday there is some minor small incidents with planes, but they are just daily routine for pilots and they are always solved. Maybe you can see it differently as a passenger, but it is just normal. That makes me feel that flying is more routine than riding your car !

So all in all I feel really comfortable with planes. I just can't overcome my fear of heights which is different story.

If I continue like that maybe I can call myself as a successful flyer in few months :) By the way, flying again day after tomorrow. Just no worries ! :) And I would like to say my special thanks to captain Keith for his effort to answer maybe sometimes strange questions about physics of the flight and some other stuff :) Thank you all being with me all this time and helping. I really enjoy being in this community and see you when I'll return back from my small holiday !

Best regards !

[Darius R]

Hi Jan. You can try some time to get window seat. Then keep your eyes closed and relax until you will understand that you've reached cruising altitude. Then try to look out of the window. View is really nice. Also according to the doctors, people can't feel fear of heights at 10-11km, because brain can't interpret this height correctly. It just looks as a nice picture :) Human beings are not made to be in 11 km, so also your brain  do not "understand" that. You should not feel any fear. You can also think that height does not bite :) Nothing will happen if you look out of the window. I think the same myself sometimes when climbing and then I look out of the window. For very short time it looks fine and interesting, but then suddenly I realize that we are climbing, so I close my eyes again :D

[Jan Dawson]

Hi Darius. I cannot look out of the window much and always get an aisle seat. I am interested to hear your comments about seeing things as small objects. I am not there yet, I am really better being away from the window. Glad to hear you are enjoying flying more, that is great news.

[Darius R]

Yes, height is big issue for me. It will sound maybe very strange, but I always try to get window seat. You maybe wonder why, but I can tell you when we are at cruising altitude I really enjoy the views. View out of the window makes me feel more relaxed, I can think about lots of things then, look at small cars and houses and feel that our all problems as is small. Also I really enjoy descending and landing when I look out the window. I just can't stand take-off and climbing. Then I really feel that I'm somewhere high and that I'm very very fragile. During take-off and climbing I just close my eyes, breathe normally and wait that nice sound saying that seat belts are not needed anymore. That means to me that most scary stage of flying is over, I keep my seat belt on and then I see nice flight attendants smiling and walking around and then I start to feel safe.

Now that I look back in time I can see very big progress in conquering fear of flying. Now I can enjoy flying, I never see planes as something which can kill me and so on. I really love planes and I'm happy that I have opportunity to fly. This is achieved mostly by all information in Keith's book and also audio CDs helps to relax before or in flight. So it's good when help is there :)

[Jan Dawson]

Hi Darius. I see you also have a problem with heights. I am not crazy about looking out of the window and always try to get an aisle seat. I really wish I could get over the height issue. I am flying with Easyjet in 6 weeks.

[newland]

hello Drius, 

Many thanks for sharing your feeling about successful flyer you are. your overcoming fear is somewhere also ours because it helps us very well and in good way.

You know what I realize that my fear is just wrong perception about plane and flying, nothing more. the perception is caused by our creative imagination engine and wrong understanding.

Ahmed form Montreal Canada

[jacqui stachan]

I have just revisited this site, not been on for a while.... I am really pleased to hear you are doing so well. You have been around on here as long (or longer) than me. Well done!