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Any Fearful Flyers?

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by Xx BENNY xX, Feb 22, 2014.

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  1. Xx BENNY xX

    Xx BENNY xX Tourist

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    I am just wondering anyone here suffer through plane rides to get to Vegas? I have never flown before and thinking about it gives me the worst anxiety. Just wondering if anyone has any tips for a guy lol
     
  2. VegasDave

    VegasDave Addicted

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    I have a pilots license and still get anxiety from takeoff to landing. Get some drinks and just let it happen, if planes crashed often they would not be in business. I have a 10 hour flight to Peru I think I will be getting some prescribed pills for coming up next month.
     
  3. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

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    Xanax has worked quite well for my mother. (She is so afraid of flying that I didn't travel on a plane until I was an adult.)

    Basically it just makes her loopy enough that she just doesn't give a shit. So a bunch of booze would likely create the same effect. But, depending on your proximity to the lavatory, it might be a bit less convenient.
     
  4. VegasDave

    VegasDave Addicted

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    I always go for an aisle seat on every plane I fly for this very reason, plus you don't see out the window so much...
     
  5. farscapevr6

    farscapevr6 Tourist

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    For me take offs and landings are THE worse.
    I take some medicins to keep me calm lol
     
  6. uli_1515

    uli_1515 Low-Roller

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    I hate the take off and landing part so bad I just close my eyes and clench my whole body. Drinking is the only thing that can get me thru.
     
  7. BeeeJay

    BeeeJay President of The Red Lobster Hostess Satisfaction

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    guess you guys wouldn't have enjoyed my landing Thursday night into Chicago Midway in 60 mph gusts. Pilot actually nailed the landing but it was about as rough as I've seen coming in, and I fly about every other week.

    my bigger fear is who is gonna sit by me! :evillaugh
     
  8. Jbrown815

    Jbrown815 Tourist

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    I'm perfectly fine with flying, never had an issue. My traveling partner always had been except our last trip home. Full panic attack while we were in the emergency exit row of a 5 hour flight. After he started freaking out I made him take two of my Xanax. After that he was fine even with our additional hour and a half connector to finally get home. Was a really bizarre experience for the both of us.
     
  9. wigwam_salesman

    wigwam_salesman VIP Whale

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    Flying gets much easier the more you do it and you get used to the things that happen.

    Before you get to that stage just have a three or four vodka mixer drinks at the airport bar in quick succession. Job done.
     
  10. mikenhe

    mikenhe VIP Whale

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    "On any given day, more than 87,000 flights are in the skies in the United States. Only one-third are commercial carriers, like American, United or Southwest. On an average day, air traffic controllers handle 28,537 commercial flights (major and regional airlines), 27,178 general aviation flights (private planes), 24,548 air taxi flights (planes for hire), 5,260 military flights and 2,148 air cargo flights (Federal Express, UPS, etc.). At any given moment, roughly 5,000 planes are in the skies above the United States. In one year, controllers handle an average of 64 million takeoffs and landings.

    For every one flight you see listed on an airport monitor, two you don't see show up on air traffic controllers' screens. It would take approximately 7,300 airport terminal monitors to show all the flights controllers handle in a single day and approximately 460 monitors to show the number of flights being handled at any one time."







    That was from a natca webpage about 7 years ago.
    multiply that by the number of days in a year.
    then look at the number of airplane crashes in the usa in a year.


    So a) you are in far more danger getting to and from the airport (and you do that 4 times for a trip)
    b) you are far more likely to die of a heart related disease - its the top cause of death.


    Take a good book, a few magazines, something to play music on, a puzzle to do and loads of things like wethers - individually wrapped of course - to keep your hands busy. The flying isn't a problem - its your mind that causes the issues - take it elsewhere...
     
  11. LV_Bound

    LV_Bound VIP Whale

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    My only major concerns are delays and cancellations.
     
  12. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    My wife freaks out on every takeoff. She starts sweating and jumps at every noise change at bit of turbulence.

    Vodka seems to help a little.
     
  13. Terry Benedict

    Terry Benedict VIP Whale

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    I've never heard this before. I LOVE it.

    I tell anxious people to keep an eye on the stewardesses. If they're not nervous, there's nothing to be nervous about.
     
  14. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    Dude! I'm a Raider fan too... and if you can watch a Raider game, still consider yourself a fan and watch another one the following week.... trust me... you have the intestinal fortitude to fly!!!

    On a serious note... I fly a lot (18-24 times a year) and it's not that I LOVE to fly, but it's the ONLY economical, fast and safe way to go.
     
  15. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    You might want to look into kava supplements. Its a natural supplement sold OTC that is supposed to help with anxiety and popular for nervous flyers. My girlfriend flies almost weekly for work and sometimes has anxiety when she does it alone, especially since she often takes tiny planes. She started taking this supplement once in a while and claims it helps. I think its all bullshit and it can have some side effects but much less so than stronger prescription drugs.
     
  16. reef33

    reef33 Tourist

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    True but that's a realistic fear!
     
  17. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    My wife used to white knuckle my hand on takeoff & landings, now she never even thinks about it. Repetition!

    I would agree with the 3 across seating, who ends up in that 3rd seat is a concern. :wink2:
     
  18. LolaDoggie

    LolaDoggie VIP Whale

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    I've said it before, I'll say it again. Pills not booze. Go to the doctor and get something for the plane ride.
     
  19. JWBlue

    JWBlue VIP Whale

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    Yes.

    I minimize my fear by taking action to further reduce the already low probability of being in an accident.

    > I only fly on jumbo airliners (Airbus, Boeing). I do not fly on commuter planes which statistically have a greater chance of crashing.

    > When possible I fly on Tuesday - Thursday which I believe there is less chance of a crash. In other industries it has been shown that people do their jobs better on those days.

    > When turbulence is bad I drink a lot of alcohol.

    This alleviates my worries.
     
  20. nhcris

    nhcris VIP Whale

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    Well that brings back some memories :) I am a retired controller and I get stressed just because I am a control freak. I don't worry about crashing since there isn't a damn thing I can do about it from the back of the plane, so I do whatever I can to minimize my aggravation.

    I try to fly out of MHT vs BOS because we have less delays & traffic, parking, check-in & security are all a breeze. That means I am usually on SWA and that my flight time is usually between 6& a half and 8 hours.

    I choose the connecting airports very carefully. I avoid Midway/Detroit/ Minneapolis in winter. In summer I try to avoid making any connection in the late afternoon/early evening due to thunderstorm activity. I have never and will never fly through Newark. Delays suck and make me cranky, and these choices reduce the likelihood of delays.

    I make sure I get a window seat (it lets me turn my back on the middle seat freak that I am likely to get) because I love seeing landmarks that I recognize & I like getting the sunlight or seeing the night sky. It also reduces that claustrophobic feeling when I can look outside.

    I play VP, Pai Gow & sometimes watch a movie on my Ipad to pass the time.

    I purchase a bottle of water after security, and I bring a snack. If flight attendants are restricted from serving for any reason, I am all set. I drink plenty of fluids, but not much alcohol (unless it's a redeye). I always use the lav 30 minutes before we are supposed to land.

    My biggest fear, and sadly it has happened a few times, is getting sick after a flight. I bring Lysol wipes & hand sanitizer and try to keep the area around me clean, and I give the evil eye to anyone that looks sick (I scope them out at the gate before boarding) if they try to sit near me.

    When you fly, so many things are out of your control that the best thing is to just go with the flow while doing the small things that can help reduce the likelihood of problems arising.
     
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