Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Fear of Flying
How does one overcome a fear of flying. John Madden takes a bus, Boston Red Sox All-Star Jackie Jensen retires and Christine McVie won't even re-unite with Fleetwood Mac. See, I'm not the only one that suffers this phobia. Just when I start thinking of flying I read of a plane landing in the Hudson or crashing in a cornfield or a Turkish pilot abandoning the wheel to pray. I have yet to see an ocean or venture out of the Great Plains because of this situation. I guess the only way is to suck it up, maybe get a few drinks in me and go for it right? Fares are cheap and I would be fool to not take advantage of this, right? Flying is the safest form of travel, double freakin right! What if a bird flies in the engine, yikes! What if that Gremlin in the Twilight Zone lands on one of the wings. Do they have parachute under each seat just in case? As you can see I have struggled with this situation for many years. Actually I have been on an airplane once when I was 19 years old. I had to be flown back home after an emergency appendectomy left me stranded in Pueblo, Colo. while playing baseball in college. Since then my mode of travel has been on four wheels. So what will get me up in the sky once more? Will my curiosity to see far off places allow me to overcome the fear of the friendly skies. Maybe when I reach a certain age I won't know up from down and it won't matter. The one thing that could force me to step across this angst threshold would be the desire to please my wife who would love to travel. We shall see, to be continued. Until then, Up Up and Away.
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This is called "aviaphobia" (Google it for many different online self-help guides) and I am a sufferer too. I've often wondered if it really is a "phopbia" rather than just a logical apprehension about being seven miles above the surface of the earth. Either way, it sucks and it makes travel hard.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, my aviaphobia is outweighed by my desire to get out of the Great Plains region as often as possible, so I just suck it up. Although I still HATE it and get super nervous (and drunk) before a flight, it has got a little easier. I suspect that if I flew with any kind of regularity that my fears would be diminished even more.
I don't know what to tell you, but just go for it. I guess if you like take a few drinks also. I fly at least 2-3 times a year due to my family living on the East Coast and a Golf trip. Usually I'm so tired when I get on the plane, someone has to wake me up at a layover, or when I reach my destination. On that I would say I'm lucky. I also enjoy flying because I want to get where I need to be ASAP.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I fear when I fly is, will my golf clubs make it? I just paid an extra $100 for luggage cost and that's each way. I just don't even think of the other things, if something happens at 35,000ft. I guess that's it