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Vancouver to Cancun and return

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Jane D	Vancouver to Cancun and return	Lead	[-]
Posts: 167 (03/30/08 10:42:35) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None Hi all, Back a few yrs ago I bought the SOAR cds which helped me get my wings back after 6 years. Flew to MX twice that year. Just returned from my third trip to MX. This time a 6 hr flight to Cancun. I'm feeling better and better about flying. I do take a prescription Ativan with me and take very small doses by my physicians orders. I have had anxiety disorder all my life. It takes the edge off.... but I can honestly say that things like turbulence, landing etc simply do not bother me. Once I'm up there I remember a few things. If you hit tubulence.... keep an eye on your drink on your tray. It is not all that bad if the water is barely moving. Now imagine it on a gravel rd. LOL Fly by the seat of your pants. Good advice Tom. It makes one relax. My only anxiety was in take up from cancun. It seems the plane was somehow not going straight on the runway. I don't know.... strange. It was very windy so maybe the pilots had to compensate. I realize they are highly trained and not sucidal. The 2nd 767 had very old technology in it. Ie... every other seat had some old telephone system. It made me think I was on an old airplane and I think that gave me some anxiety. However, all in all. Great trip. We are considering going back in 4 weeks. My advice to you guys........... just GO. Get on the plane and fly. It's kinda neat once you are up there. You will not have a panic attack. The days before going are much worse than the flight. Enjoy your freedom.
Ilyaphd		#1	[-]
Posts: 21 (03/31/08 07:56:19) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Jane, congrats on your trip and I enjoyed the story! Thanks for the encouragement, like "just GO" I am starting to feel that way about my upcoming flight this saturday!
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW		#2	[-]
Posts: 2181 (03/31/08 16:37:24) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Great, Jane! Congratulations.
Jane D		#3	[-]
Posts: 169 (03/31/08 20:13:58) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ilyahphd: Absolutely... you know once you are up there gliding along... everything is normal. Look around at the other passengers and flight attendants. Chatting away, laughing just carrying on normal activities. You are so much safer than being on some highway where anyone can kill you. It's nothing like the worrying you do before hand. It is easy. All you have to do is sit there. I actually dosed off on my flight home.... imagine waking up and you are in a plane LOL Used to be my biggest nightmare. I think the more you do it, the easier it gets. Good luck..... you are going to do great. Remember.... relax and think about where you are going. It is over before you know it and you are there.
Ilyaphd		#4	[-]
Posts: 24 (04/01/08 05:20:11) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Jane, I just have these ups and downs with my emotions. One day I feel that everything will be ok and the next day, I have these premonitions about "my flight" and that flight and look on the news and whatever, you know the story. Listening to people like you makes me feel better but I of course wished to be flown already and be ok. It is the fear of the unknown. Ironically, my anxiety led me to do some house remodeling to get rid of some negative energy! So my wife is at least not that irritated with my shortcomings! I will try to chat with the plane's captain although I am anxious to be seen as a crazy person afraid to fly! Do not want to disturb boarding, you know. We will see. Thanks again for your encouragement.

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Note from Capt. Tom

I know everyone worries about weather, but pilots really do not worry about it. We simply - instead of worrying about it - completely prepare for it. Before going to the plane, we review the weather at the destination. If it is not 100% sure to be within legal limits when we arrive at the destination, we must specify an alternate airport in our planning documents, and load on plenty of fuel for going to the destination airport, and then if need be, diverting to the alternate airport.

The legal limits are conservative. Even when weather is slightly outside the legal limits, any airline pilot could still land safely. You can rely on the captain never to land when the weather is not legal, and legality limits are reached prior to safety limits.

If you are still anxious, call me and we can talk it over. I'm at 877 332-7359 from 10 AM until 7 PM Eastern time.

For effective help, even if you are flying in a day or two, sign up now at www.fearofflying.com/fasttrack and call me when you finish Clip 9 so I can make sure you are all set.

Using Weather Information

If you enter your ZIP Code or City at the top of the weather presentation, it will give you weather for your area. Or, you can enter your destination ZIP Code or City.

Click on the "LOCAL RADAR" button to see whether or not there are thunder-
storms. Keep in mind, however, that we can either fly above the storms when cruising or fly through gaps between storms. During landing, we cannot fly above them, but fly through gaps, or through the area of the storms where the turbulence is least.

Turbulence, though it may cause anxiety, does not mean anything is wrong. Turbulence does not mean danger. The plane can handle far more turbulence than Mother Nature can dish out.

Though flying in turbulence is safe, it doesn't feel safe. And here is where the SOAR programs come in. We can help you feel as safe when you fly as you actually are.

You can see these programs at www.fearofflying.com/store.

For questions on aviation or the psychology of aerophobia, click here to e-mail Capt. Tom Bunn, MSW, LCSW.

To contact the SOAR business office (media contacts, brochures, replacement tapes, billing, shipping), click here to e-mail Lisa Hauptner, MS.