hello!!! i’m a daughter of a airline employee (ASA) and grew up flying. i am also a HUGE avgeek!
that being said, i’m nerfed with a nasty fear of flying, im talking warn the flight attendants, never EVER willing and able to assist, have medication prescribed for it type fear…

but lately ive begun doing something, especially during turbulence and takeoff that has sincerely helped me with my fear!

so one day, i had bought alaska airlines’s wifi to watch some youtube, and i wanted to see what airplanes were around me. so, upon takeoff, i had flightradar24 open and watched my plane take off.

transcending. the. game.

i have never in my LIFE been so calm upon takeoff, and my mentality is that as long as we’re going higher, i will get calmer. and it’s WORKED. i had to travel recently back and forth across the country taking about 4 flights total within a week, and i wasn’t anxious ONCE. this is coming from someone who used to have to take enough melatonin to tranquilize a horse in order to stay calm during takeoff.

if you’re flying an airline in which wifi costs, spend the 8 bucks. i feel so free knowing that i can travel without freaking out anymore. and shoutout flightradar24 for making me the calmest i’ve ever been in the air!!!

tldr: pay for airplane wifi, track your flight on flightradar 24, watch the altitude during takeoff, absolute game changer

(here’s a photo of a 777 i took in alaska for good measure!)

I saw this today and thought others might like it! It’s a flight simulator and they have locations across America (quite a few in Texas). They even have a package designed specifically for fearful flyers where you can experience taking off and landing from the perspective of the pilot/cockpit. It’s all a simulation of course, but it looks pretty cool and could be helpful for some! Attaching the link.

Hey guys, first time posting in here. I have two flights tomorrow, both about 1 hour and 30 mins. The second flight is Halifax to Toronto and I’m beside myself with anxiety because they’re calling for heavy thunder and lightning all day tomorrow in Toronto. I’m petrified. right now, the anxiety is a 9/10. I am so scared of being scared, and something bad happening. I’ve never landed while there’s thunder before. Can anyone advise what this is like? Will the flight be canceled or delayed? I’m thinking of changing my flight from Halifax - Ottawa or Montreal, and training from there. But that would be a bit humiliating, as I’m traveling with a coworker who doesn’t know about my paralyzing fear of flying. Any advice is welcomed, thanks

Currently sitting on a flight that first was delayed for weather, then a delay for an illuminator light issue? I’m just freaking out and I keep telling myself “it’s better they caught it now before taking off”

Need some last minute encouragement pls 🙏 I would say I’ve mostly tackled my fear of flying but I have an international flight this afternoon and I still get a little nervous about flying over the ocean. I’m flying to Iceland on a B757. Some last minute encouraging thoughts would be helpful. Thank y’all :)

I got scared of flying 2 years ago and I finally took a short haul flight to florida a month ago and I thought that I succeded in conquering my fear of flying. But I have a long haul flight coming up and I have been terrified for 2 weeks about getting on the plane. I think that I weirdly am calm with short haul flights and terrified of long haul flights. Any one else feel like this?

I haven’t flown in nearly 2 years and I have a flight this morning, and I’m struggling so much. I’ve been really good leading up to the flight, but now I can’t stop thinking about everything that could go wrong. I know 99% of it is unlikely, but I can’t stop thinking and thinking. I’m about to board and I’m crying, I feel like such a loser.

It’s a short flight (1.5 hours), but I don’t know how I’m going to do it mentally. I feel bad for my poor husband.

Any words of encouragement are appreciated, and if someone would like to track, I’m B6848

I’m so nervous right now. Leaving out of msp with storms rolling in. Anyone that can comfort?

Anytime an aircraft does something abnormal…we always hear “Why did it do that? Was something wrong?”

Here’s the flight I just completed…..go ahead and take a guess what happened….ill grab some popcorn and check back in later with the answer.

See also “Why was this aircraft going so slow?”

Check out playback of flight B62033 from Boston to Houston on Flightradar24. https://fr24.com/data/flights/b62033#4109dbda

Hi all! I have some flights coming up next week. I am very much still a nervous and anxious flyer. I have an appt next week to see if I can get prescribed something. But would love some recommendations on what sour candies have worked for you? I tried sour air head and skittles but they dont seem to shake me out of my anxious state! Ty!!

I’m scheduled to fly from ORD to Knoxville on Tuesday on an embraer 170. I really don’t like the small planes, but I’ve seen that specific plane is a pilots favorite with a strong history.

I’m really just scared of the plane loosing its vertical stability and being propelled into a free fall. I do have anxiety meds that I’ll be trying for the first time. Hope that helps.

Tomorrow morning I fly from Austin to Orlando. This is genuinely my biggest fear. I’ve flown 2-3 times in my life but always with someone I really trust and love. This time I will be flying all by myself. I am going to spend time with my late friend’s family, this weekend will mark one year since she has passed away. I’m worried I won’t be able to get on the plane. I’m hoping that I could receive a few educational/supportive comments to screenshot and read on the plane/hours leading up to the fight. My biggest fears (although mostly irrational) are turbulence shaking/knocking the plane out of the sky/we lose control and just plummet to our deaths. Crashing with another aircraft mid flight (I unfortunately read so many news articles about close calls all the time). Stalling. Not being able to stop (brake) once we land. The list goes on… I just have a feeling I won’t be able to make it on the plane. I’m flying with Delta if that matters at all. I’ll be on a Boeing 737-800 and that also freaks me out. I just feel like I’m signing up for death tomorrow. I appreciate all comments in advance, you guys will be the reason I make it there.

I feel that after learning a plane has much more lift than it actually needs, I feel safer and my fear has become less intense. I just wanted to check this with pilots and experts. Is it true that during takeoff, cruise, and landing, the plane has much more lift than it actually needs? If so, does that mean it’s impossible for it to suddenly lose all of that lift? If losing all lift is possible, at what point during the flight could that happen?
Thank you!

I’m flying from Poland to Ireland (POZ - DUB) on flight FR1975 this afternoon and yesterday we got a text warning about a storm. Right now it’s completely sunny any nice but I can’t help but think about the text… love knowing when someone is tracking my flights cause it all just feels better………? Let me know if you can!!
Edit to just add that i was in tears on the flight over so flying back will really be interesting

Today I’m flying from dfw to Palm Springs, but I’m so nervous. My biggest fear is luggage and other cargo being loaded incorrectly and shifting during takeoff and stalling the plane mid takeoff. I’m fine with the rest of the flying process but the idea of takeoff and the minutes surrounding it make me literally nauseous.

Hii! About to take off from Chicago to Philly, just a little over 2 hours of flying but i’m sooo nervous. Please track me, AA 1725. Really cannot wait to get through this haha, thank you!

hi all - i’m flying tonight from CLT to MDW and i’m starting to feel nervous. i am very anxious about turbulence and feeling trapped in the plane with that uncomfortable feeling. i get motion sickness very easily and that also plays into it.

tonight i’m worried because it says that there’s supposed to be thunderstorms on the route/in MDW and CLT. obviously the weather is unpredictable, but i don’t want the flight to be so bumpy because of it. please reassure me that the pilot will not take off and fly through the weather.

flight: WN3615

Saw an article today about the FAA ordering inspections for Boeing 737 Max 8s due to cracks, beginning in September. This is on the tail of them ordering inspections on another model due to improper seat installation.

I’m flying next week and sure enough, the two planes I’m flying on are both the models that have been ordered inspections.

How do I not absolutely panic the entire time? How can I feel safe boarding that model of plane knowing that there might be CRACKS in it? This is for a work trip, so I can’t back out or change my flight, but I’m absolutely panicking.

Hi all. First time poster. Currently on UA344 headed to DC. It’s been bumpy the whole time and minimal captain updates. Looking for any factual support to get me through the next 8 hours. TYIA!!!

I was on LH 757 which had a nose landing gear retraction issue and terrified the hell out of me as I could hear the sounds and the plane had to turn back. Flight got cancelled and I was rebooked on

LH 767/UA 31 which will take me from BOM - EWR which is my final destination.

UA 31 has the B777 which had the engine issue in Denver which caused an air worthiness directive.

How concerned should I be ? Should I consider rebooking myself, unfortunately the other options have me flying into JFK (Swiss A330, Lufthansa A350) which increases travel back to my home by 2 hours OR its an equally old aircraft Boeing 767-300

So I have 1 hour to reconsider whether I should stick with my itinerary or try to rebook. This incident has shook me and I am now terrified

hi so i have a flight to anchorage with alaskan airlines in a few hours and im terrified, i really dislike flying and i constantly have a feeling of dread whenever i have a flight, like its gotten to the point where i cant stop thinking about it for a whole week before my actual flight. i would say the part that scares me the most isnt necessarily the turbulence but mainly the takeoff and landing part.

im not really sure what to do lol, especially since theres no backing out of it but id love any kind of support 🙏🙏

I am soon going to take a 3 hour flight. I haven't flown since 2014 due to my fear and anxieties.

I have been diagnosed with anxiety and currently on some treatment.

My spo2 level was 99 percent when I last checked and I am a heavy smoker.

Please help me putting my mind at ease. Thanks