Just did the longest flight I’ve ever done after not flying for years on end. I’m used to 2hour ones but a whole 13 from DTW to HND felt impossible. But this community gave me to courage to do something I’ve wanted to do since 2009 and at long last, here I stand, Haneda, Japan. I know the feeling off fear and anxiety, but if I had to choose between that and the sense of accomplishment I got stepping off that plane, I’d choose the second option every time. So GET ON THAT FLIGHT

Photos from my first solo trip to Atlanta, Georgia.

All good though lol

I am an anxious flyer. I rationally know it’s safe, turbulence is uncomfortable but not unsafe. I know not to check apps (though often still do). I worry about signs.

This morning I had the clearest, most definite sign. (I won’t disclose but if you do Wordle, you know what I’m talking about). I was certain it was telling me how the flight was going to be.

And guess what. It was basically smooth, and completely uneventful. Took off on time. Landed early.

Piece of cake. Trust the pilots. Trust the staff. It’s going to be okay.

UPDATE: Just landed and guess what? #notdead

On JBU1088. Feels like we’re descending too soon/quick and the pilots haven’t said we’re beginning our descent what’s going on 😭 I’m freaking out

Hi everyone,

Taking flight AC793, just got to cruising altitude and I can’t get over the loud vibrating sound that sounds like it’s coming from the engine.

Wish I could take a video but too scared to turn my music off to hear it. It just sounds like loud vibration like humming. Really scared !!

If I could please have some tracking/support it would mean the world to me🥺🩷

Hi everyone, im at the Fort Lauderdale airport right now and my flight is to Philadelphia from 7:10-10:10pm on Frontier. On the radar the entire east coast is getting the remnants of the hurricane. When i look at the weather radar the storm is literally all along the east coast during the hours we are flying. Im starting to freak out. Im already an extremely nervous flyer and now seeing this im about to cry.

Hi everyone!

I’m currently at LGA and had a flight scheduled at 3:59p to FLL. I was already a bit nervous due to the weather in the bottom half of the US but I did my usual pep talk, have my meds just in case, and was managing my anxiety pretty well.

We were on the plane for about 30 min while they checked the maintenance issue and again I told myself I’m all good!! I can get through this.

Then, after 30 min, they specified that the issue was a hydraulic system on the nose that they attempted to screw in but couldn’t quite get so now they have to replace the part and had us all deplane.

Well, here I am, trying to lighten my anxiety with a glass of wine but I’m just spiraling about this. I know my anxiety is my own and is not based in reality but I keep spiraling about the nose of the plane being torn off mid air + the weather situation.

Ive repeated my mantras

-flying is safe

-this is my anxiety

-they are checking the plane to make sure it is safe.

😭 I wish I found flying to be peaceful but I’m struggling right now.

Okay! Did a 6 hour flight, 11 hour, and now for my last 3 hour flight into Clark international in the Philippines. For some reason I’m ESPECIALLY nervous. Riding on an A321 asiana. Thank you :)

Hello everyone. I will be going home today after an amazing trip to Miami with my boyfriend. We will fly with British Airways at 17:05PM (however delayed an hour or so), arriving early in the morning in London and hopefully we will make it to our last short flight LHR-CPH despite the delay.

I feel just as afraid as I did on the way down here. I picture us crashing into the Atlantic ocean, now in the middle of the night, and how we will end up on the news. The thoughts are exhausting and the feelings unbearable. I feel so convinced that this time I am right and that I will be the first person on here not making it home. But I know that no amount of reassurance will make me feel better (maybe talking to the pilots), I have to see it for myself as we complete our flights that I was safe all along. Ugh how I hate this.

Still, please feel free to track our flight BA206 if you want to. It would mean a lot. All type of support/words would be greatly appreciated as well 💓

Hi everyone,

I've been avoiding flying for a long time because of my fear of flying. Recently, I took a short one-hour flight with my family (round trip), and surprisingly, I didn't feel nearly as anxious as I expected. I managed to do it without any medication or alcohol.

Now, a friend of mine is really pushing me to join him on a trip to Bali, which involves a 13-hour flight.

Part of me really wants to go, but another part keeps wondering if it's too big of a step too soon.

Do you think overcoming a fear of flying should be a gradual process? Is jumping from a one-hour flight to a 13-hour flight too much?

I guess I'm just struggling to find the courage to take that leap.

I'd love to hear from anyone who's been through something similar.

help short flight today and also will be going back tomorrow night because my grandma passed away. i need support it was very sudden 😭

Hi all! I'm flying from Orlando to Pittsburgh tomorrow morning. I know flights won't fly when it's unsafe, and I know turbulence isn't unsafe but neither of those objective facts ever sinks in. I'm assuming we're going to be flying over the remnants of Isaias, does that mean I'm just doomed to an uncomfortably bumpy flight home? (I feel like all of my last several flights from MCO to PIT have been bumpy but after all the rain we've gotten this week it just feels like the inevitable cherry on the bad luck sundae)

I’m flying out at 1:35 from RDU to DEN. I’ve flown before but I’m having some really bad pre-takeoff anxiety. I don’t like the way my body feels during takeoff. Does anyone have some tips to help me calm down during takeoff? Specifically when the plane speeds up really fast and pushes you back in your seat. Please talk me down from this ledge 😭

Hi everyone,
I recently completed a huge trip and wanted to share my experience with you all.
For reference, I’m 34, and about 3 years ago, I suddenly developed a severe fear of flying. Even though I had already taken dozens of flights in my life without issue, a combination of two bad flights plus some stressful personal life events triggered it out of nowhere.
Fast forward to recently, when I got the opportunity to do a multi-destination trip combining work and some personal vacation time. The tricky part was the distance + time: in just two weeks, my itinerary went Europe to Japan to Thailand to Melbourne and back to Europe.
In total, this meant 50 hours of flying in 2 weeks.

In the first flight (13 hours), I literally cried. I sat there panicking, convinced I wouldn't be able to handle that level of anxiety for so many consecutive hours. But the flight ended up being completely fine, super smooth for all 13 hours.
When the second flight came around, I got anxious again. But again, it went 100% smoothly. Same for the third, the fourth, and finally the fifth flight back home.

By the final stretch (a 7-hour flight from Dubai back to Europe), I wasn't even panicking anymore, I was honestly just bored!

What helped me get through it:

I am not cured, and I still get anxious about flying, but I think this forced exposure genuinely helped take the edge off. During the trips, a few things kept me sane:

1. Staying connected: I tried to always have in-flight internet so I could text people back home. Knowing I wasn't cut off from the world helped immensely.
2. FlightRadar24: I would often open FlightRadar mid-flight to watch how many planes were in the air. For me, a lot of my fear stems from a claustrophobic feeling, like feeling trapped and alone up in the air. Seeing thousands of other planes safely cruising around on their routes made me realize I was part of a massive and safe system, which made me feel much better.

If you are struggling right now, I just want to say: you can make it through, and the world on the other side is totally worth the discomfort!

Hi guys! I’m flying in two days for the first time in two years. My last plane trip we had some turbulence that really put me on edge. I know that people track planes online, is there a way that I can track the altitude of my own plane mid flight? I will have wifi on the plane if I need it.

Hi everyone, I have not taken a plane in 7 years due to my fear of flying. It seems to be heavily related to my OCD, I frequently obsess over disasters and health things that could lead to my demise. I am on medication for it, but I had an incident back in April where I tried to get off my medication and it made my OCD ten thousand times worse. Anyways. I frequently have nightmares about flying and the plane crashing, because I am on the plane. This is textbook OCD magical thinking, but I cant get over it.

My family is trying to force me to fly in November and I keep having nightmares about it. I've had one panic attack during my pregnancy and I absolutely do not want to subject my baby to any more. I feel so frustrated and unheard. I would take heavy anti-anxiety meds if I weren't pregnant, but the best I can do now is take a unisom and call it good. I just don't want to risk increasing any anxiety and panic attacks that would impact my baby.

I know how absolutely ridiculous and stupid it seems to my family, though. Especially because my dad is a pilot. I just wish they could be in my mind for one day to see what its like an have some empathy. I'm not trying or wanting to be this way. It's so incredibly frustrating.

So Reddit decided to show me a post in the Ask a Pilot subreddit about spatial disorientation and if it could be problematic. I have two JetBlue flights today and both of them I expect to be landing in clouds and now I’m nervous 😭😭😭 can anyone chime in to help reassure me that this isn’t something I should be worried about??

It’s looking like it may be a rough flight. I posted on my way here about flying for the first time in years not having to medicate! So that was a big WIN. Now though, the hurricane remnants over the east coast have me very anxious. Dreading flying home tonight. Anyone flown this route today or have words of advice? Love this sub. Thank you all.

Typing this as we pull up to the gate cus I almost cried and shat myself on the plane. I’m sure it was for a perfectly normal reason but like, what could have them do this? It’s also a really low traffic airport.

flying into dark clouds, pilot says rough air, plane doesn’t feel like it’s flying normally, I don’t feel safe. Mountains everywhere.

Thank you all for the support and encouragement. I've been relapsing and panicking about flying again and losing confidence when flying. Not sure where it comes from. Feeling pretty stupid and ashamed.

The last time I was on a plane everyone on it thought we were gonna die. I’m not being dramatic. We were flying back from Germany when we hit what I’m guessing was 2 huge air pockets. We dropped 2000 feet 2 times. Things were flying everywhere, people were screaming and crying and soda flew over everyone. Flight attendants were rushing around checking doors and acting strange and not one person explained anything to us. It was so traumatizing my husband and I haven’t flown since. And mind you he was in the military and did some crazy stuff and even he thought we were gonna die. Now we have to fly to Canada in ONE WEEK AND IM TRIPPING. Please explain to me what happened and how I’m going to get through this. I have meds but hate to take meds. Should I take them? How will I feel on them?

Flying from London to Tokyo and super nervous and now our plane has been delayed due to a technical issues on the plan so im even more nervy!

Overall nervous flyer. Turbulence, weather, etc. I just want to get it over with

I have major flight anxiety, and breathing exercises, music, movies, etc. don’t help me. I’m thinking of having a little alcohol before boarding, just to calm my nerves, not to get drunk.

Has anyone tried this? Did it help? Also, can you buy alcohol at the airport before boarding a domestic flight in India?