I had a very bumpy flight between DCA and DFW several weeks ago. Now, i'm really nervous whenever there is the slightest bump or rough air during flight. What can i do to get my "wings" back?

Private-Ryan.

This may sound silly but pretend the bumps are an amusement park ride and say to yourself "weeeee" . Another thing is to try to fly on planes you feel handle the bumps in a fashion you are more comfortable. I get a bit nervous with a bumpy CRJ flight but not an ERJ flight.

I remember when I first started flying regularly and was on approach to EWR. That a/c was rockin' and rollin'. Left and right - I thought we never could land. When I got off I looked at other a/c landing - it seemed that they were only moving a little bit. That's when I started thinking about it - if you are in the air, you're not in control. Don't worry about what you cannot control. Now, I don't worry so much - espcially after my 3rd drink! ^

Think of the airstream you are riding on as a body of water. In a canoe, you ride up and down the "bumps" in the water, and you feel fine (if not glad.) It's just that in a canoe you are doing a 0.5 - 4 MPH, depending on you and the current, whilst in a modern jet you may be doing 350-500+ knots - much more abrupt "bumps." (Try a glider for contrast, or even a small general aviation 'plane.)

Aircraft are designed to "go with the flow" and flex, bend as necessary. GO fly, and have fun.

Feel safety in numbers. (That is easier said then done when in-flight and going through serious turbulence, but a sense of fatalism and a sense of numbers can be comforting.)

I had this happen to me after flying a lot over several years - there were 4 moderate- to very-turbulent flights that I was on in a row. I would be sick before and then get so scared onboard at 32,000+ feet that I would feel like I was going to stop breathing. I was freaked out for a year. Then, after continuing to fly, I saw that I wasn't going to die, that all was safe. I would read my book very carefully when the seatbelt sign went on.

A flight attendent helped me the most of all by saying, "When the Captain has the seatbelt sign on, everyone is seated, the galleys are put away and the crew is seated - that is the safest a plane can be. Nothing will fall on you; you won't fall; the crew are ready to help someone who is ill/injured. That is the safest the cabin is going to be during the entire flight." That pretty much made me realize - I have no control; I want to travel; I have a seat belt and all will be fine.

Fly as much as you want to/can - you'll be fine if you take deep breaths, look around, buckle up and talk through your fears as you overcome them.

Also, if you fly on United, listen to the air traffic control on your headphones on channel 9 - it is the conversation of your pilots with the ground control (although some pilots don't make available to passengers). The things I heard that made me feel better were "Your ride will smooth out in 10 minutes" or "Moderate chop at all flight levels for the next two sectors" or "For smoother, United 926-heavy climb to flight level 39-zero"

Best to you,

JK-SFO

Dunno if this will help you, but remember that you're safer traveling in a plane then you are in a car, even if it doesn't feel that way.

Thanks for all of your suggestions!!! I will print this thread and read it during my next flight.

PR

Yes. Listening to UA's Channel 9, thus knowing a little bit of the progress of my flight has a reassuring effect on me as well, providing sense of being in touch with some 'control.'

I agree as well that flying regularly has the tendency of not necessarily removing, but at least increasing, that threshold of fear during turbulent stretches.

Wishing the OP some smooth flights in the sky.

I have the same problem. I used to be like a rock in turbulence. In college I was on a flight out of MCO during some severe thunderstorms. I slept right through it, but apparently a good number of the pax lost their lunch.

Then a few years ago I was flying out of DEN and we hit some bad turbulence- the worst I've ever experienced. I've been very nervous in turbulence ever since. The best thing for me is to get my mind off of it - engage in conversation, watch a movie, read a magazine - and an occasional drink doesn't hurt either!

For me, knowing what's coming just makes it worse. In December I was flying back to DEN after the holidays and before we even took off the pilot announced mountain wave conditions in DEN. I was a wreck the entire flight. When we started our descent I prepared for the worst. We hit the slightest little bump and the pilot made a comment like "Well we knew it was going to be bumpy but we didn't think it would be THIS bumpy". What?? That was NOTHING! I had psyched myself out for nothing. That experience helped me learn that it's all in my head, and further convinced me to not think about it!!

I find that the more one understands about flying the better:

What is turbulence? Is it dangerous? How does the plane stay up in the air? etc. etc.

A lot of this can be answered by buying a textbook on flying - but one thing I recommend to most fearful flyers is that they call a local flying school and ask to sign up for a few hours of private ground school. Ask them to take you through some of those questions, and once you learn the factual information behind turbulence, etc. I think it will diminish your fears.

There are also a few books out there for fearful flyers, so you might want to check those out, too.

When the plane starts to shake, its not only an increased feeling of helplessness but also a fear that the thing might just fall out of the sky. I think it is a good idea to buy a book on flying.

However, I have a co-worker is a rocket-scientist (BS/MS in Areo engineering) and he says because he knows so much about the subject is the cause of his fears of flying.

PR