Scared of flying in aeroplane??

Question

Please help my husband is scared of flying is there anything he can have or do to relax him serious answers only please

thanks in advance

he has been on a plane many times but it has got worse every year and I have told him anbout car plane situation but he still not with it please help is there any calmers or anything prescribed he can take

justanot I know exactly what you mean but hubby wont buy it just for the people that dont know he has flew before last time was last year he feel like he is on a fairground ride and he hates them too anything that will calm or knock him out would be very grateful for the advice as he is a total nightmare on plane please please help me !!!

Answer 1

It's amazing that in spite of people offering up 'tell him to relax,' and explaining that 'it's safer than driving in a car,' that this advice and information just does not seem to work for people who are 'scared' of flying. Somehow, it just doesn't (as they say) 'cut the mustard.'

Sorry, I personally really can't offer any solid advice, but I suggest that researching the WWW will likely offer up suggestions ~ although, there are a couple of major Airlines who have 'programmes' for people like your husband.

Incidentally. My wife was once very VERY nervous etc about flying. She would need a few stiff drinks to get herself numbed for the flight. But then, some years ago, and for no apparent reason, this suddenly changed.

Whereas there was no way you could induce her to look out of a planes window, now she would arm wrestle anyone for a window seat, given the chance. She is like a miffed kid if she doesn't get one too.

Good luck to you.
Sash.

Answer 2

I was terrified of flying until I bit the bullet and allowed myself to be transported by easyJet from Luton to Belfast some six years ago. Since then I've flown all over the place, including twelve flights to the USA.
There are several programmes available for nervous fliers, just search the net. My first ever flight involved a whisky before boarding; that was enough to pluck up the courage to get on the plane. After the initial experience of take-off, which was a bit off-putting, flying has become a pleasure.

Answer 3

I had a problem with flying a year ago, after flying all my life two years ago I suddenly got quiet scared of flying. Its taken a lot of work on my part to learn how to handle flying.

One option for your husband is a fear of flying course, most airports run then. For a fee, you spend most of the day learning about flying, how air planes work, talk from the captain, from a psychologist that explains the fear reaction to flying. After the talks and coaching, the day is rounded off with a trip on a air plane, with the coaches on board to help the participants. Never been one one these course but I have heard they are very helpful.

What I have learnt to do is to teach my body to relax. My problem with flying is that my body reacted with the stress of being on a plane, my heart would race, i would sweat, breath quickly. What I now do is as soon as I am on the flight I get comfortable. I slump my body in the seat, letting my shoulders drop, acting like I am so tired I am going to fall asleep soon. When you put your body in a relaxed position, it can't really start the panicking reactions of racing hearts and fast breathing.

It takes a bit of practise, but now I have gotten to the point that when I fly I can sit normally and enjoy the flight and if there is turbulence I just put my self in a relaxed position and stop my self from starting to panic.

Also it helps not to have any caffeine or sugar before a flight as it can enhance the panic feeling

Answer 4

Most people who are afraid of flying have that fear because they do not understand how or why an airplane flys, and that fear is supported and inflamed by media coverage of any and every aircraft incident and accident that occurs. I recommend that you obtain a book on how aircraft fly (the FAA has a book of aeronautical knowledge that may be useful, and Jeppessen, King Schools, and others have books and tapes regarding this, generally part of Private Pilot "ground" courses). You may want to go to Sporty's Pilot Shop via a web browser (I don't have their web address at hand) and peruse their instructional book section. It may also help to call them on their 800 line and ask for suggestions. Once your husband understands some of what makes an airplane fly, and that it won't simply "fall out of the sky" if an engine should fail, etc., he may become more relaxed about the situation. Also, one of the things that "fear of flying" feeds on is news coverage of airplane crashes. The reason they make the news is twofold - first, it is spectacular, and the "talking heads" can really play up all the drama surrounding an aircraft accident, and the general public eats it up, as they don't really know anything about airplanes or flying, and the whole concept of flying through the air is somewhat foreign to the human psyche. The second reason is that it is unusual - airplane accidents just don't happen very often. As a pilot, I often have people come up to me and ask me why I fly, "when it's so dangerous, you hear about all these airplanes crashing around the world." I ask them where they got that idea, and the inevitable answer is TV news - they always have something about an airplane accident. I try to put that in perspective - if airplanes crashed "all the time," it wouldn't be news. Consider this: if TV stations in major cities were required to report on car accidents in those cities - not all auto accidents, only "serious" auto accidents resulting in death or injury - all you would be able to see on TV would be news coverage of auto accidents, 24 hours a day. You see airplane accidents on the TV once every few months (if that frequently, probably less). The accident rate for aircraft is much lower than for automobiles, especially when you consider the extremely low accident rate for airlines. Those statistics should make him much more worried about the drive to the airport than any flight he will go on. Remember, there are thousands of airline flights every day in the U.S., and it is extremely rare that one crashes.

If that doesn't help, you may be able to get your doctor to prescribe a mild sedative specifically for this situation. Hopefully, if your husband learns some factual information about how and why airplanes fly, some of his fears will abate.

Answer 5

When was the last time you've been in a plane? It is not scary. I fly all the time. Am I dead? No. You're more likely to die in a car crash than in an airplane. Airports have extra careful since the 9/11 attack. They have securities. Don't be scared. Just go, relax and enjoy

Answer 6

well when at the airport see if anyone of the aircrew onboard can help or aanyone at the desk otherwise just explain that a plane is a car that goes threw the air and it truley is much safer tell him this everyday on the news you hear about car accident everywhere but when was the last time he heared of a plane crash plane crashes are very survivable there is nothing to fear but fear itself sure there alot of sounds you hear and it does get bumb when flying threw clouds but explain that there is nothingto worry about and the pilot is not going to try to fly threw something that could bring down the plane the pilot is not just worried about everyone elses life but their own as well so tell him rest assure airtrave truley is the safest form of travel.

Hope that helps and good luck to you and your husband

Answer 7

Request a seat next to an emergency exit, there is more leg room, as long as he can physically operate the door and understand the instructions on it.
Flying is safe because:

Redundant systems (back up, on back up, on back up)
A "Crew" looking out for operations, not just 1 person like a car.
Radar ground support, from air traffic control tracking the aircraft on radar all the way.
Multiple engines
powerful "In Flight" Radar
It's a "Commercial Jet liner", you can get up and walk around, go to the bathroom etc. It's cool, it's the fastest way to get there, why fool around ?

I love flying, I love "Take Off" it's "Horsepower Unlimited" when they're all "Turning and Burning" !

Answer 8

try to get a medicine from a pharmacy that will take the edge off or buy some sleeping pills. Or tell bring something to get him distracted. When I went to Tamp Bay the women next too me was crying and sweating so me and her played a game the flight addendants gave us (put down the food tray and bring like games like uhh, uno, word up, but nothing that will upset other passengers)!
good Luck!

Answer 9

oh god me too! I absolutely hate it, I am not flying anytime soon but I am going to go on a fear of flying course, See the website below for weekly e-mails from Virgin airlines - it really helps to put things into perspective.

www.flyingwithoutfear.info

Good Luck

Answer 10

ever since 9/11 i have been scared of flying but i cope with it. when i am in the lounge i listen to my music but i would listen to naturel sounds like the sound of the wind in a forist and control my breathing so the heart slows down then when on the plane just clouse the eyes and try and remember the sounds you were listening in the lounge in other words just meditate