Anxiety before flying long haul

[sparks_190e]

This might not sound very PH "well built" blah blah blah and I'll probably get a ribbing, but we have a long haul flight on Tuesday (11 hours) for our trip to the US and I'm feeling really st about it, worried even. I've done the flight a few times before and I was fine but for some reason I'm really not feeling good about it this time.

Any suggestions to calm my nerves?

[borcy]

Is there anything you're specifically worried about to do with the flight?

[Jaybmw]

The way I deal with flying is if something goes wrong you cant do much about it. Trust the equipment, the highly trained staff and rest assured that air travel IS the safest form of travel

[NovaPower]

I had similar anxieties in the build up to my last transatlantic flight, in particular flying over The Atlantic without any airports to divert to in an emergency. I even started Googling 'can airliners fly on one engine' and the like (turns out they can).

I was still a bit nervous waiting at the gate, but once I got onboard and settled the anxieties just drifted away.

As previous commentor asked, what is it that concerns you?

[sparks_190e]

borcy said:

Is there anything you're specifically worried about to do with the flight?

I really can't put my finger on it. I think because I've been mad busy with work I haven't paid it much thought recently, and usually I'm thinking about it a lot on the build up. Maybe that's it?

[MJK 24]

NovaPower said:

I had similar anxieties in the build up to my last transatlantic flight, in particular flying over The Atlantic without any airports to divert to in an emergency. I even started Googling 'can airliners fly on one engine' and the like (turns out they can).

I was still a bit nervous waiting at the gate, but once I got onboard and settled the anxieties just drifted away.

As previous commentor asked, what is it that concerns you?

I may well be making a complete fool of myself but I thought you don’t really go direct over the Atlantic?

More north and over Greenland and then into Canada etc. Fly over as much land as possible.

[wraggy]

MJK 24 said:

I may well be making a complete fool of myself but I thought you don’t really go direct over the Atlantic?

More north and over Greenland and then into Canada etc. Fly over as much land as possible.

The route taken varies and depends on weather systems, prevailing winds, Air Traffic Services fees. Cost is a major factor so the cheapest route taking all those factors into account is usually chosen. If ETOPS (extended twin engine ops) you must always be the relevant time/distance away from an alternate you can use. On the 777 it’s 180 minutes.

[GoodDaySunday]

MJK 24 said:

I may well be making a complete fool of myself but I thought you don’t really go direct over the Atlantic?

More north and over Greenland and then into Canada etc. Fly over as much land as possible.

Route depends on several factors plus of course where you are flying to. East coast tends to be over the North Atlantic. If west coast then Greenland and Canada is the route I've always flown.

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=LHR-LAX

[borcy]

sparks_190e said:

borcy said:

Is there anything you're specifically worried about to do with the flight?

I really can't put my finger on it. I think because I've been mad busy with work I haven't paid it much thought recently, and usually I'm thinking about it a lot on the build up. Maybe that's it?

If you're not normally bothered by flying and looking into the flight helps. Then start looking at the flight, plan your trip, look at what seat you'd want etc.

[dandarez]

I prefer long haul flights to be honest. Cuba was 9-10 hrs, seemed shorter than going to Turkey. Probably helps that not banged up seat against seat like on short haul flights. I used to hate flying, but then as long as not sat by window (although hasn't bothered me in yrs) I used to convince myself I was on a coach! LOL

(safer than on a coach anyway!)

[CrayonPark]

CBD Oil and L Theanine. They’ll take the edge off.

[GT03ROB]

Couple of beers before flight you'll be fine.

[AndyAudi]

Have a think about the flight for a bit then, maybe go online, see if you can pick seats if not already (if you’ve done flight before you maybe have status or points to spend before the selection becomes free to all) Look at the website to see “what’s on” & maybe mentally pick a film or two to watch.
Simple things but both help bring a little control back to you.

[anonymous-user]

Is it death? (Sorry)

Think about how much you enjoy driving.

You're more likely to die in a car accident.

You still enjoy it though.

[Scabutz]

Might be worth a trip to the GP if its really bothering you. My mum has always been terrified of flying, to the point she wont fly now. But when we were young we went to the US and the doctor gave her some pills to calm down. Valium or similar I guess.

[Olas]

Use your intellect to control your emotion.
In the same way that you reassure yourself when watching a horror movie that it’s Justin a film and it’s not real, you need to use your brain to understand that the likelihood of your flight ditching into shark infest waters, or the risk of you burning to death in the plane as it plummets toward earth are so infinitesimally small that you are infact at greater risk of contracting aids from the Queen if you should give her a good bumming.

The sensationalist example illustrates the point so you can feel free to stop being such a big girl.

[MitchT]

I'm the same.

I was a late starter. First flight (Manchester to Naples) was in 2002 at 28 years of age with my ex, then I didn't fly again until 2010 with my current partner when we went went LHR to JFK. I had a full on panic attack in the departure lounge at LHR when I started to ponder the prospect of five or more hours over water. Settled down after the OH bought me some wrist bands which act on your acupressure points.

I like planes and generally like flying - I find take off exhilarating, love having a window seat and observing the world below and enjoy the descent and landing with all the noises as flaps extend, gear is lowered, etc. BUT, for whatever reason, once I've booked a flight I always feel a strange anxiety building right until I'm pressed back into the seat as the take-off roll starts at which point the joy kicks in.

[Caddyshack]

Anxiety and panic is just Adrenalin with nowhere to go. Practice a big breath out and drop your shoulders with a big sigh, the feeling just goes away. Challenge the thoughts.

[Sheepshanks]

Is it the actual flying?

I do 3-4 trips per year and I always get anxious before a trip that all the arrangements are going to go wrong, I'll get stuck in traffic getting to the airport etc. I tend to calm down once through security as I'm in the airline's hands then.

[HTP99]

Jaybmw said:

The way I deal with flying is if something goes wrong you cant do much about it. Trust the equipment, the highly trained staff and rest assured that air travel IS the safest form of travel

Unfortunately anxiety doesn't quite work like that!

I get anxious before long haul flights, not short haul and only on the way out.

I just have a couple of diazepam which seems to settle me.

I don't know what it is that makes me anxious, I know I'm likely to reach the other end, I don't get claustrophobic and it isn't a not being in control thing, the only thing that makes me wonder is, it's only on the way out, so maybe I'm anxious about being so far away from home.