What i'd like to know is how you got over your fear of flying. I've been to the councellor, i've done the breathing exercises, and the 'everything is going to be fine' stuff, i'm feeling stronger about flying, and yet....im still absolutely fucking terrified. Help?
I'm not honestly sure what happened. I'd flown domestically a few times and it killed me to do it. Then, a couple of years back we blew the money we had saved for a new house on a spur of the moment stop at Flight Centre. We booked a massive holiday to England, Wales, Ireland and France. It was to be the trip of a lifetime. I had a whole paranoid list of demands. I'd only fly QANTAS, the stopover couldn't be in Singapore, the takeoff had to be PM, etc etc etc. Crazy mental bullshit. Anyway, it was booked 9 months in advance. I had to get myself sorted, mentally. I did so by not thinking at all about the flight. I avoided it
I spent the night before packing on the bed and watching "Upsize me" on the telly. Still not thinking about it. We got to the airport at a leisurely 4 hours earlier than departure. We dumped our bags, strolled around, ate a late lunch, strolled a bit more. We ended up down the 'bit' where the lounges were, and then saw it. The very plane we'd be going on. I nearly vomited. I felt SO sick. I never swear, ever, in front of my mother, but I just said "Jesus fucking christ. I cannot do this." everyone started arguing straight away, "Oh, yes you can" etc. And I wobbled over to the window and kept muttering, "Look at the fucking SIZE of this! How the FUCK is this going to stay up? We've made a mistake! I can't do this!" I was heading for a rather large breakdown. I was muttering, not yelling, so the kids were oblivious, thankfully. They were excited. Finally it was time to board and I knew that I'd not back out. Having to organise the kids was a blessing, they kept me very distracted. The plane was only 1/4 full, at most, and that helped. I then focused on the parts that I actually love about planes, despite my fear. The engines. So, so powerful. I love me a good engine on anything, anywhere, and you cannot beat the engines on a Boeing 747. I just listened to them and just counted when the plane moved to taxi. I don't know why I started counting, but it kept me quiet
I listened to the engines and counted, paying attention to each number and visualising each in my head in a pretty fluoro colour. The worst part of flying for me is the runway and takeoff. Not sure what your least favourite part is, but maybe counting slowly will help? Once we were up in the air, I was strangely calm and actally content. It was so weird. It was like I burned out some fear chip. Nothing else happened until we were some place over Asia and then I got claustrophobic or something and the droning of the engines made me want to scratch my skin off. The relentless, steady hum was like bees buzzing all through me. I thought I was going to go a little crazy again, so I walked a few laps of the aisles to relax again. If you feel at all queazy, a lady on the Thai flight on our return gave me this magical black tea which fixed me right up. I thought it might have been the chili prawns they fed us at 3am! But either way, a black tea in half a cup of hot water topped up with cold water with no sugar will fix it. Who are you booked with? QANTAS are my choice always. We got a Thai plane on the way back due to fog at Charles de Gaulle, and missed the connecting QANTAS. Their service is impeccable, Thai is. Much superior to QANTAS! After my meltdown on the way though, I was right for the remaining 8 flights we had to take on the holiday. I'm not really sure how, but perhaps after 23 hours you too will burn out your fear chip?