Flight Turbulance Fears?

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dcgirl

The air has a lot in common with water. Imagine wading through the ocean; sometimes you walk into a pocket of very cold water. Air is like that. And cold air has more density than warm air does. So when the plane travels through this cold pocket, it drops in altitude a bit (my physics may be off so forgive me) because the cooler air is more compact underneath it. And the air has currents just like the water does; you can feel the tide pulling at your feet a bit while you're in the ocean. Sometimes it is easier to walk into the current, and sometimes you have to really push against it. The same thing happens in the air, making your ride a little bumpier.

You simply have to get used to turbulence--- no magic pill or hypnosis or special seminar will get you over this automatically. But you can work up to it in small steps:

-Talk to flight attendants each time you fly; some are more helpful than others. Some can explain the physics of flying in words that non-engineers can understand. I find it very helpful to know the mechanics of how things work; it takes a lot of the fear away

-If you can get a seat towards the front of the plane, you will feel turbulence a lot less. Of course first class is the best way to fly but not everyone is rich or a frequent flier! For the rest of us, select a seat forward of the wing and you'll have a smoother flight

-Plan your flight around what kind of plane you will be travelling in. Some have smoother rides than others. The link below will take you to seating charts and comments for each of the airlines' planes; you can get the info on what craft will be used for a flight from the airline or from the travel booking service

-Avoid the Canadair Regional Jets (CRJ's) and anything smaller than that; these tiny planes are really uncomfortable to begin with, and if you encounter turbulence, it's really unpleasant

-If you can get some flying time in an Embraer 170 regional jet, do it. There is definitely differences between the airlines, but in general these planes have a very smooth ride and comfortable seating

-Try doing a crossword puzzle or sudouko instead of reading or movies; it is easy to become absorbed in these activites but if you do hit a bump and lose your place, it's a lot faster to get re-absorbed; I find it frustrating when I miss a couple of minutes of the movie, then dwell on that for the rest of the trip

-Most of all, just fly, fly, fly! You will get over it with experience but you have to fly to get the experience!

averagebear

Turbulence is normal. There are certain routes on which I expect turbulence, and if I don't get it, I'd wonder what's wrong. Since you like to fly, tell yourself you'd better accept it. I mean, it's almost like someone who enjoys outdoors, but is afraid of clouds.

Ronaldobhoy

If you've been in the car when a bit of wind buffets it and you simply adust the steering a bit - its pretty much the same thing

ZUS

You should understand that air travel is one of the safest means of travel. So turbulance is nothing else but just the wind thats flies accross the fuselage of the aircraft causing waves and shakes the aircraft. So just realx understanding its nothing dangerous and try your best to involve yourself in the flight entertainment systems.

private

It's all in the mind... Imagine you are on a rollercoaster and do't look out the window at all. Not all flights are turbulent though.

todd

The only way to naturally overcome fears is to convince yourself your fear is irrational. You have to just tell yourself that turbulence is normal and can not bring a plane down. No chance in hell.

Other then that, you can always speak with a doctor about getting some kind of anxiety medication if you think your fear to strong to cure by yourself.

Also, be aware that turbulance is the least noticable in the middle of the plane, and tends to be the worst in the back.

alienaviator

Just try not to worry about it. I know this is hard, but keep yourself strapped into your seatbelt and accept that this is all part of flying.

Sitting as far towards the front of the plane helps. You don't feel as much bump in the front as you do towards the back.

Gracesuf

Just think of it like bumps in the road when driving a car. The reality is that, of course, something culd go wrong and the plane could go down-- just like your car could crash any time you are driving, but thousands of flights go every day with no problems.

teendevil21

lookie here deres nothin ta worry bout turbulances it means wen the sky is cloudy..... my best advice always believe in ur faith nd god then nothin will happen. since u r afraid ta sleep..... afta the turbulance is over then u can sleep peacefully.

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