I am scared of flying. I suffer from claustrophobia, as well as of a fear of heights. It helps when I sit in an aisle seat, but only just.
I read on Google: "Signs you may be afraid of flying include becoming anxious in elevators, having panic attacks before getting on a plane, or going out of your way to avoid air travel." How well they know me!
I have family in Cape Town, which is a 2 hour flight from where I live. Every time before a flight, I get the jitters. I know a crash will probably never happen, but this piece of knowledge doesn't help me feel better about it. In the end I do relax and sort of enjoy it, but I am very relieved when we land safely.
There are a few things you can do to make sure you are better prepared, in case of an emergency:
If you are a woman, wear flat shoes. In the case of a crash, you don't want to totter around in high heels, and going barefoot can be a pain on hot tarmac. And no, no flip-flops either. That goes for comfortable clothes too. Dress sensibly. Jeans is the best choice. Every time you dress for a flight, ask yourself, "will I be able to slide down that chute in this?"
Count the seats to the nearest 2 (yes, two) exits. Know exactly where they are the moment you sit down. Never assume that the exit closest to you will be available. It might not be.
A window seat is wonderful for the view, I agree, but in the case of a crash, an aisle seat will allow you to move out much faster. You won't have to climb over the people sitting next to you, neither will you have to climb over mangled seats blocking your way.
Don't try and help the person next to you with his/her oxygen mask. You only have 15 minutes, and will lose valuable time. In this case, it is each man to himself.
Fasten that seat belt tightly, and don't take it off. I can't imagine how it must feel flying for longer than 2 hours being strapped in, but this is good advice, believe me. Do not take it off.
Assume you'll lose your electronics. So do that backup of your precious photos and other data the night before you leave.
Place your camera under the seat in front of you. You won't be allowed to keep it on your lap during take-off and landing. Don't put it in the overhead storage bin above your head.
It may sound silly, but don't keep the snacks trolley occupied for too long by your side. Let them rather move on.
The best position to brace is where you crouch down and try to reduce the forward movement of your upper body and head. The reason for bracing really is to keep you from injuring yourself, so that you can help yourself with self-evacuation afterwards. Don't brace with your legs, this could break them, and don't think pillows and blankets (if they are issued) will absorb any of the energy of the impact. It won't.
According to http://www.airsafe.com/issues/fear.htm, it doesn't help to try and comfort people like me with statistics on how safe flying actually is. This is so true. It doesn't allay my fears at all. I worry about things like, has the airplane been properly serviced lately, and how good are ALL the tires on this machine?
It won't be necessary to fly to Cape Town soon, but there will come a time when I'll have to, and yes, I'm already starting to work out other possibilities and strategies in my mind. In the end I'll fly (because 2 hours are faster than spending 2 days on the road via car, bus or train), and I'll get there safe, and I'll enjoy my stay and not even worry too much about the flight home. But a great relief will flood me when the airplane comes to a stand still back home, and I can get up and gather my things and get off. And I'll be okay afterwards - until the next flight looms closer...
Photo taken with my Canon 700D, July 2016 on a Kulula flight on the way to my mom's funeral. I must admit, that nearing Cape Town from the air must be one of the most beautiful sights on earth. The mountains and the ocean are absolutely breathtaking.
Take care!
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Thank you!
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Do you remember the first time you flew? What kind of thoughts did you go to your first flight with?
I am asking because of my own experience. The first time I ever flew I was about 21, but knowing that I'm predisposed to being rather nervous (from my mother) and knowing that there is a chance for me to be afraid of it, I deliberately decided beforehand that I am going to absolutely love flying and before going to the flight, kept repeating this idea to myself so often, that I started to believe it. And surely enough, as I had the first experience of taking off.. it did have the elements of fear, I won't lie, but the fact that I had kept thinking that I would love it, sort of translated it more into excitement rather than anxiousness. And thus, the feeling of take off is now my most favourite feeling ever and I do, indeed absolutely love flying.
So much so that I later decided upon becoming a cabin crew. A job that I'd run back to any time, should my health allow me to.
As for your advice, it is genuinely good and should be followed by everybody, just for the sake of safety reasons, for being mentally prepared could actually save your life in a case of an emergency. As a cabin crew we are required to repeat our drills on every take off and landing. Sadly this is not actually practiced. I used to do it at the beginning, but felt rather silly to keep it up as I was the only one to do so.
Still to this day I am extra vigilant of inside and outside conditions when flying, feeling how the aircraft reacts to the weather and such, but for me it is not accompanied with any sort of fear, it's more of a professional habit.
Hope this is of any use for you. I'll be sharing some of my cabin crew stories along the way, so if it's something you'd be interested in, feel free to hang in and check them out.
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Thank you for your response! I've been claustrophobic since I can remember, and never ride in lifts but always take the staircase. I also avoid escalators. We once went to the Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn (here in South Africa) when I was about 14, and will never forget that fear of being boxed-in and not being able to get out immediately on my own free will (my parents would have killed me if I had tried that!) People love those caves, they are beautiful and quite an experience, but I hated every moment of it. I think my fear of flying has more to do with this than anything else. I feel boxed-in. It also affects my breathing. My first flying experience was good and in effect quite pleasant, and every one up until now has been. Not a lot of turbulence, friendly attendants, soft landings. I have no complaints at all. I think my phobia also has something to do with the feeling of not being in control of my environment from take-off right through to landing. And doing something small, like keeping myself strapped in, gives me a feeling of being able to take some sort of control. Of course, it will also help in the event of a sudden drop or a real emergency.
I'm glad you find my advice good, it's something I put together for myself from reading articles and watching clips about safety and airplane emergencies. I like to be prepared. One must take note of the safety drills and also read the instructions on the card provided. I know lots of people get blase about it, but it is of utmost importance. I guess you can't force people to be sensible! Maybe you can spot those of us with phobias, we are the ones paying attention!
If I ever feel a panic attack growing too strong while I'm flying, I'll alert the cabin crew. Fortunately it hasn't been necessary yet, I could always control it (without alcohol or drugs) up until know. But I must admit, my next flight isn't something I look forward to! I will try your advice on positive feedback, though, and I'll remember your words. I have to, if I ever want to see my family again!
You know, I'm actually fascinated by aeroplanes. I love everything about those engineering marvels. I've even read up on Split Scimitar Winglets (I kid you not), as the Boeing 737-800 on my last flight home last year was fitted with them.
I'm so looking forward to your cabin crew stories!!
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Now you got me reading up on Split Scimitar Winglets.. this just cracked me up:
"essentially making it look like two very thin (and presumably self-loathing) dolphins jammed themselves head first into either side of the plane."
(http://gizmodo.com/how-these-simple-scimitar-winglets-make-the-737-a-whole-837341873)
xD xD
Jokes aside, yes, definitely do not shy away from alerting the cabin crew, if you feel like it's too much. I see how claustrophobia plays into this. I myself experience claustrophobia only when a seemingly small space is overcrowded with people and I have no leeway. I first experienced this in London underground when a crowd of people were just stuck and could not move forward in one of the narrower pathways. The second time around was actually on an aircraft on one particularity hectic boarding.
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I can imagine how you must have felt! Funny enough, I feel okay in buses and trains, even though I don't have any control in that environment either! Maybe it's because I'm close enough to the ground.
That is a very good article, and the part on the dolphins also had me laugh out loud. It surely does look like 2 very thin dolphins jamming themselves into the sides of the plane. :)
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