I am supposed to fly to Birmingham from Philadelphia at the end of this month to visit relatives, however, I am deathly afraid of stepping on an airplane. The
last time I was on a plane was 7 years ago, on a trip to PR and it was one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life. I wll never forget the horrible
feeling of being trapped in a metal tube , several thousand feet in the air. I am literally physically sick at the thought of having to step on an airplane
again, my muscles are so tense to the point where I have a constant headache and I have nightmares about getting on a plane. i refuse to believe all the
statistics that say it's safer than driving because to me, if there is no gaurentee the plane will not crash, that that is too much of a risk for me! I
can't take any medication because my toddler will be with me( another source of worry)Anyway, I am trying to book a flight, the shortest one possible, but
the only one available that is a non-stop trip is on Us airways, Air- Wisconsin, The plane is a cjr-200. Now, from reading these boards, I see that the plane
is a small plane and usually the pilots are not as experienced. Also, the whole outsourcing of maintenance thing! This just makes things worse for me! I also
don't want a flight with stops because to me, that is more time spent in a plane as well as another take off and landing which are said to be the most
dangerous parts of flying! I am just at my wits end, trying to figure out what to do!
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Phyically sick at the thought of flying!
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 GwenRaiden.survivorsucks |
Phyically sick at the thought of flying! |
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Posts: 1 (10/05/09 19:29:31) |
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Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW |
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Posts: 2733 (10/07/09 14:23:13) |
Right. There is no guaranteed the plane won't crash. And that is the problem. When you have not built in enough ability during formative years to regulate
feelings when dealing with uncertainty, then nothing short of certainty will give you relief. It's not your fault; it was your parent's job to give you
the ability to regulate feelings when dealing with uncertainty; obviously they failed to do that.
Looking for certainty makes suckers out of us. Why? Because there are a lot of hucksters of all kinds willing to offer you certainty in some form. The grossly oversimplify the world into absolute right and wrong and absolute safety and unsafety. I think it is vital to reject such oversimplification and see the world as it is: uncertain. And, learn how to build inside the emotional strength to regulate feelings when dealing with uncertainty. For, after all, certainty is a myth which, if you believe it, will cost you everything. Anyone who can't live without certainty either lives with illusion of certainty or doesn't live at all. |
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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. |
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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- 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. |
