I flew the red-eye from LAX to Dulles yesterday and then a commuter up to State College, PA and I made it! I had cancelled the same trip in December and
thought I would never get on a plane again. The DVDs helped so much and my anticipatory anxiety was much less this time, but I was freaking out the morning of
the flight and crying. We didn't fly til 11:30 that night, so I practiced the exercises again and talked with Lisa on the Chat. I was pretty calm the rest
of the day.
When we got to the airport I was shy and embarrassed to ask to meet the captain, so my fiance took my letter up to the ground crew. They were SO awesome. The captain actually came out to the waiting area to meet me and he told me he had been flying 20 years and flew in the Navy. I was beaming after that. They called me onto the plane early and the flight attendants checked on me several times to see how I was doing. Once the doors closed, I got VERY scared again, but I did not have a panic attack once on the plane, like I normally do. My fiance was SO supportive and he helped me do the 54321 exercise and I listened to my "at the airport DVD". I also looked at magazines, watched "Simpsons" episodes and tried to stay distracted. Listening to the "flight deck" also helped, especially during landing, because I could hear what we were going to be doing, before I felt it. We had some light turbulence over Kansas City, and I was anxious, but I actually felt more relaxed afterwards, than I did before the turbulence. I think because my anticipation of it happening, was worse than the actual turbulence.
I was still very nervous through the flight, but I handled it much better than I thought I would. I didn't give myself much time to do the "strengthening exercises" before the trip, so I am planning on doing them this week before my return flight. Now that I know I won't freak out, I think I will feel much better for the return trip.
I just have two questions: I flew on a United Express Saab 340 for my commuter flight. The captain looked and sounded about 22. The co-pilot seemed somewhat older. What is the experience normally for pilots on these small flights?
Also, during that flight there were only 13 passengers, and most everyone was sitting upfront, so the flight attended asked for a volunteer to go sit closer to the back of the plane. How imperative would something like that be to the balance of the plane?
Thanks Capt Tom and Lisa! I am hoping my flight home goes just as well! I have my honeymoon in October and I want to be able to get on that flight for Hawaii!
When we got to the airport I was shy and embarrassed to ask to meet the captain, so my fiance took my letter up to the ground crew. They were SO awesome. The captain actually came out to the waiting area to meet me and he told me he had been flying 20 years and flew in the Navy. I was beaming after that. They called me onto the plane early and the flight attendants checked on me several times to see how I was doing. Once the doors closed, I got VERY scared again, but I did not have a panic attack once on the plane, like I normally do. My fiance was SO supportive and he helped me do the 54321 exercise and I listened to my "at the airport DVD". I also looked at magazines, watched "Simpsons" episodes and tried to stay distracted. Listening to the "flight deck" also helped, especially during landing, because I could hear what we were going to be doing, before I felt it. We had some light turbulence over Kansas City, and I was anxious, but I actually felt more relaxed afterwards, than I did before the turbulence. I think because my anticipation of it happening, was worse than the actual turbulence.
I was still very nervous through the flight, but I handled it much better than I thought I would. I didn't give myself much time to do the "strengthening exercises" before the trip, so I am planning on doing them this week before my return flight. Now that I know I won't freak out, I think I will feel much better for the return trip.
I just have two questions: I flew on a United Express Saab 340 for my commuter flight. The captain looked and sounded about 22. The co-pilot seemed somewhat older. What is the experience normally for pilots on these small flights?
Also, during that flight there were only 13 passengers, and most everyone was sitting upfront, so the flight attended asked for a volunteer to go sit closer to the back of the plane. How imperative would something like that be to the balance of the plane?
Thanks Capt Tom and Lisa! I am hoping my flight home goes just as well! I have my honeymoon in October and I want to be able to get on that flight for Hawaii!
