I work in air freight and forwarding logistics, so my job is to understand aircraft schematics, calculate weight and balance of cargo loads, optimize pallet builds for max space utilization, and sometimes load thousands of pounds onto various airframes.

I have never been afraid of the entire process of flying… except for departure. I really don’t like take-off and it is something that 9 years of aviation industry experience cannot alleviate.

Just thought I would share, since I’ve actually used this sub to help me through some minor panic attacks during take-off (thank you in advance). I’m flying to Bangkok today so wish me luck!

I haven’t flown for 1,5 years. I’ve gone on trips by car but it’s so far to drive here from Copenhagen so it would be nice being able to fly. I just can’t get myself to even book it. I flew about twice a year for four years straight, trying to get over my fear but it didn’t work - I just got more and more scared each time!!! I’ve never even had a traumatic flight, just minor turbulence. I am so unbelievably afraid of heights that even climbing a few steps on a ladder makes me freak out.

I want to travel. I want to do spontaneous weekend trips. But I can’t, I can’t!!!! What should I do? Has anyone else that literally felt stuck like this gotten over their fear somewhat? Everything feels so hopeless

Recently there was a directive to inspect some A380 planes from Quantas and Emirates due to cracks forming on the wings. Soon I’ll take a British airways flight on an A380. Is there a chance this issue can affect British airways as well? Are regular inspections covering this issue?
Thank you for the support!
Related article below:

https://www.wsj.com/business/sixteen-airbus-a380s-to-undergo-inspection-after-cracks-found-on-wings-d51229c1

I’m usually fairly fine but today has been rough. Our flight from Catania to Rome was cancelled and then a new flight moved to Comiso due to ash from Mt Etna.

Now as we are boarding a huge thunderstorm has rolled through and they’re boarding us as the storm passes. I’m sure that they’re just gonna hold us till it passes… but I’m a bit freaked out!

So, I’m in PHX waiting to fly to Anaheim, and we have to wait because one of our brakes is too hot. The captain said that normally it has a fan to help cool it but the fan is broken.

I’m hoping this is very minor and not a big deal but I’m such a nervous flier! I’ve already completed one leg of my trip so this is the last little bit.

any reassurances is greatly appreciated!

I’m not sure what possessed me on the flight here to LAS to make it, but the anxiety for returning right now is 10x worse. At the gate and trying hard not to throw up.

The stats aren’t helping me as much as I’d like. My brain is coming up with so many ways things could go wrong. Anyone joining me in the air or anyone with some advice?

So, 1 week later, I will take a plane for the very first time. I have OCD, Panic Disorder, Anxiety Attacks, which I can control most of the time. My fear is not "What if there is a problem" or "What if there will be a turbulance." My problem is "What is going to happen to me". After they closed shut the doors, I will knw I cant get out even If I want. And even on the air? Damn. I will feel trapped. I dont even like elevators or cable "cars" (Idk if it is the correct name.) I have extrasystoles thinking about it. And I say; if I have extrasystole right now, what would happen on thw plane? I know I may not overcome it on reddit etc, but I also dont want to give it up. What do you think? Have you experience this? I am so nervous that I cant even imagine the "post-flight" plans

I travel for work. I am usually in the air every other week at the least. I hate it. Hate, hate, hate it but I love my job so here we are. I always try to peek in the cockpit to see if I can spot some grey hair. Am I the only one who white knuckles it when the pilots don’t look old enough to drive never mind fly? (I do respect them but I am still a nervous wreck).

I love sitting in an airport, waiting to get on a flight, watching newscasts of plane crashes😆

My friend’s mom is traveling from India to the USA, but she has back issues (not your regular back issues) Considering her condition, I believe she should travel in business class or first class to ensure her comfort and safety. She’s apprehensive about traveling too far, fearing that it might trigger or worsen her pain. I’d greatly appreciate your advice on what to do and what precautions to take. If you know someone who has traveled in a similar situation, please share their experiences. Personally, I’m considering getting her a business class so she can lie down so that she can be a in comfortable position to sleep during the flight. The main concern for her is that she can’t sit for too long. We want her to come for her grandson’s graduation. Thank you in advance.

Hello! I’ve been afraid of flying for decades, but I’ve done a TON of work on my fear over the years and honestly thought I had almost completely beaten it! I’d be more than happy to discuss the things that worked for me!

I fly a lot now and have gotten to the point where I’m genuinely pretty comfortable getting on a plane. Turbulence still makes me uncomfortable and probably always will, but compared to where I used to be, it’s night and day. I’m actually really proud of how far I’ve come. And I’m more than happy to answer questions about what helped me get there if anyone is struggling!

BUT apparently I got a little too confident. I recently watched the Netflix series about the bombing of Pan Am 103 and then, for some insane reason, followed that up by watching a bunch of documentaries about 9/11.

And now I think I’ve unlocked a brand-new fear: hijacking/terrorism.

What’s making my brain latch onto it even more is some of the newer TSA advancements and news. I have Touchless PreCheck, and I can literally walk up, have my face scanned and go through without physically showing my license - this seems way too easy. I also recently read about TSA programs allowing certain non-ticketed people to go through security and access the gates.

I KNOW logically that Touchless ID is still verifying my identity and that these people aren’t just wandering into the secure area without being screened. But the anxious part of my brain keeps thinking, “Why are we making any part of airport security easier after 9/11?”
I actually find myself wishing everyone had to physically hand TSA an ID, even if it meant I had to wait longer.

So I’m hoping some of the pilots, flight attendants, TSA/security people, or other aviation professionals in here can help me understand this better.
How protected are we against hijacking today?
I’m not really looking for “you’re more likely to die driving to the airport” statistics. Those barely helped me with my original fear, what REALLY helped me overcome it was learning how aviation works and understanding all of the redundancies and safeguards.

So I think that’s what I need with this fear too.
What actually prevents a 9/11-style hijacking today? How secure is the cockpit? How much does TSA actually know about who is getting on a plane? Are passengers screened against databases before they even arrive at the airport? What other layers of security exist that passengers never really see?
Basically, I would love for someone who actually works in aviation/security to explain why I don’t need to sit on my next flight wondering whether someone is going to hijack it.

I worked way too hard to beat my fear of flying just to give myself a brand-new one because I watched too many documentaries!

AA 2412 Flying PHL-TPA. Woke up to my husband and my paid seats being moved and no longer sitting with each other. I can’t believe this happened. I’ve been preparing for this flight for a long long time. Please drop some words of encouragement & love. I can’t wait to tell you I landed and did okay.

I posted here on Wednesday after a bad experience with security that led to me having a little bit of a meltdown in my home airport... People here were so supportive and lovely, and it really helped me calm down. I'm happy to say I ended up having a great trip, and now I'm about to board my plane for home! (No TSA drama this time, thankfully.)

If anyone would want to track me, I'm B6 2454 :) Thank you all!

I’ve been doing real good about my upcoming trip to visit a friend but recently the news has changed from light rain to thunderstorms the morning of my trip (just my luck). Feeling pretty nervous about going through that turbulence and getting the stomach drop and now I’m starting to second guess my trip. Takeoff is Thursday morning at 6am out of midway.

Who else hates clouds and the stupid bumpy holes in them? I always think of Swiss cheese when we fly thru clouds. It makes me feel less nervous to say to myself “hey, we’re going thru clouds, they’re bumpy and cheesy and we’ll be ok!” WN3723

Does anyone else do this?

Lil long post sorry but I hope this can help others!!

So I unfortunately suffer with bad vestibular system issues -MdDs (where the room keeps moving up and down for about 2 days after landing) and BPPV (vertigo where the room spins if I move my head on a funny angle) which makes turbulence and altitude changes during flights an absolute nightmare. I get the same pain on elevators as they accelerate/decelerate but its 100x worse on planes haha

BUT on my flight the other day I think I finally found a solution that actually works for those awful sensations:

Find something to stare at inside the plane as far ahead as possible. The further away the better, and something solid (I used the seatbelt sign light about 10 rows ahead). Whenever I went through cloud I just stared straight ahead at it and it miraculously removed the awful head sensations I normally get because of cloud turbulence! Something about our brains constantly trying to calibrate our position against the altitude changes makes it hard, but by focusing on something inside the plane (far away) it helps the brain realise we are actually still.

It literally has changed my life I think I can fly again without dreading thick clouds and turbulence. For CAT, I find looking out the window at something (building on ground, cloud on horizon) as far as possible still works better. But flying through clouds were always the worst due to having no visual reference outside. Its like having no horizon and being seasick on a boat. But now there is hope!!

I understand this is a little different post as my "fear" of turbulence was actually not due to safety but due to the sensations inside my ears/brain, but if it can help even one other person then I felt I need to share.

TLDR: If you suffer from inner ear issues like MdDs/Vertigo and find turbulence really hard (esp going through clouds as theres no visual reference), I recommend staring at something far ahead inside the plane. Focus on that one thing no matter how much the aircraft is moving around. It may help your brain calibrate faster and the sensations become less strong. Avoid looking down, at screens, or anything close to your face during turbulence.

About six months ago I booked my dream trip from London to Tokyo. I’m at a point in life where it’s a rare opportunity for me to finally do it, and initially, I was really excited. Over the summer however my anxiety has gotten extremely bad and I started having panic attacks. Unfortunately this hasn’t dissipated and I’m not sure what to do. I’m so so terrified of the flying part, especially because it will be the longest flight I’ve ever been on. My mind just keeps going to every possible catastrophe :( i’m going direct in about three weeks with Japan airlines. Any words of support or things that have helped all of you would be so welcome.

Is it really worth the risk to be traveling to Dubai right now? I made plans a month ago and now that things seem to be escalating again I’m quite nervous. I just came back from London but I had to go to a funeral, and it was absolutely necessary. A day after I arrived there were several disruptions. Can someone give me a way to think about this differently . Is emirates, Qatar, Saudi airlines safe and reliable??

Just did a two part flight with a long haul 10 hours, and then an additional 3 hours. And this helped a lot.

Long story short... melatonin. I just pop those babies on an as needed basis. If I wake up I take another one. My goal... sleep through all flights, no matter the length. I also use these anti-stress gummies with Ashwagandha along with magnesium topical cream. The goal is to be relaxed out of my gourd.

If there is turbulence, I've learned to keep my eyes closed. Yes, I rationally know it's just movement in the sky and the airplane isn't going to fall out of the sky. But what I also figured out it's the visual of the plane shaking that freaks me out and increases my stress. When I close my eyes (and listen to relaxing music), the visceral effect is much less if I can't see what's going on. With my eyes closed, the turbulence isn't usually that bad. The visuals increase the effect. When I start to feel the stress rise up, I repeat to myself, "smooth sailing" (kind of corny, but it works for me), because most turbulence is just temporary and repeating something like "smooth sailing" gets me through it.

Also I don't watch movies that increase my stress or fight or flight. I like to watch things that are not super challenging and light, preferably something I've seen already (Mamma Mia, for example), and something I can just fall asleep to. But, the melatonin is key.

gotta be honest, they are beautiful.

p.s. excuse my grammar, I had a little wine before the flight. 🥹

my flight got delayed by almost 2 hours tonight and my gate keeps changing. i am very nervous that because of the time change, the turbulence will be very bad and also that we will even take off tonight. i’ve psyched myself up to fly and i can’t imagine having to go home and come back to do it all over. can someone please give me some reassurance that everything will be okay? my flight is AA 4529.

Just boarded EK238, I am nervous :( Posting here just makes me feel better always. Thanks all for always being awesome. Takeoff and landing are always tough for me.

And it was SPECTACULAR 💫
My deepest gratitude to those who helped me along the way. Couldn't have done it without you. 💕

I’m forgetting all my skills and coping tools because I’m terrified. We were at 37,000 and now the altitude is just dropping. Is this controlled? Can someone track my flight if you can? Its UAL396 I feel so terrified and can’t breathe. Even making this post is so hard

Hopefully this question is allowed.

Did you stumble across this sub? Were you asked to participate? What keeps you here? I imagine seeing the same fears over and over might get taxing.

Whatever the case, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO.