Terrified of flying + first time flying overseas!

I hate to fly, but I have to tell you that the international flights are easier to me. Why, you ask? Because the planes are bigger and therefore there is usually a bit less turbulence, plus the small planes make me feel like I am being hurled through space in a tin can. Also, the flight is so long, that you can't really be freaked out the whole time, because it just gets so tiring to be that anxious for 10 hours. More or less, it's just boring as hell. Bring a book and your iPod, and just surf the movies they have, try to find one you are interested in to help you relax and forget about it. Try not to freak out during takeoff and landing, those are the toughest parts for me. Just get up and stretch your legs once in a while, splash some water on your face once in a while (unless you are worried about smearing your makeup). And have one of those little bottles of red wine to help you relax. 

I hate flying, and got really bad when i was doing 7 or 9 hour flights every month.  I think the important things are to relax, and if that involves taking drugs then do it (I loved over-the-counter diazepam from chemists in India, but if you can get a doctor to proscribe it that's probably better!).

Make sure you are wearing comfy clothes...PJ's if necessary..and I always get an aisle seat so I can stretch my legs if I need to.  Keeping fluids up is good, and I really like what Kittenfish said about turbulence, that is great advice.

Other than that, bring a book, a little pillow and a blanket if you can, and just pretend you're on a train.

Vicky

Here's a tip I read on Elysse Sewell's website that I liked so much, I am totally doing it next time I'm flying (though it doesn't have anything to do with nervous flying): take a whole fruit (or two)with you on the flight for a snack. Put it in a paper towel, and a ziplock bag. That way, you can have it, clean up and wrap the mess in the paper towel, stuff it in a bag and just toss it in the trash. No fuss.

Are people allowed to take produce on international flights? I always thought you couldn't. It would be good to know otherwise.

Are people allowed to take produce on international flights? I always thought you couldn't. It would be good to know otherwise.

I think you can - as long as you eat it on the flight.  You can't bring it into the country you're entering however.

You can't bring it into the country you're entering however.

You definitely can't!  A friend of mine was caught by the fruit-sniffing dog at O'Hare because she had an apple in her bag that she had forgotten to eat on the flight.  But as long as you eat it before landing, you're fine. 

I still mourn the loss of a lovely cheese sandwich going into Auckland.....



Vicky

The last time I flew to the US the girl next to me had brought some fruit that she forgot about until about 30 minutes before we were supposed to land. So we're frantically eating plums and apples before we touched down!

The last time I flew to the US the girl next to me had brought some fruit that she forgot about until about 30 minutes before we were supposed to land. So we're frantically eating plums and apples before we touched down!

Totally off the original topic, but that reminds me of a story about my grandfather.  He bought a crate of oranges in Mexico once, then his car was stopped at the border and he was told he couldn't bring produce into the US.  My grandfather was really frugal and really stubborn, and he refused to abandon the oranges.  Instead, he made my grandmother, my dad, and my three aunts sit on the Mexican side of the border and eat every last orange! 

Totally off the original topic, but that reminds me of a story about my grandfather.  He bought a crate of oranges in Mexico once, then his car was stopped at the border and he was told he couldn't bring produce into the US.  My grandfather was really frugal and really stubborn, and he refused to abandon the oranges.  Instead, he made my grandmother, my dad, and my three aunts sit on the Mexican side of the border and eat every last orange! 

LOL!! That sounds exactly like something my grandfather would've done!

You definitely can't!  A friend of mine was caught by the fruit-sniffing dog at O'Hare because she had an apple in her bag that she had forgotten to eat on the flight.  But as long as you eat it before landing, you're fine. 

I brought four apples off the plane and through the airport in edinburgh with me. they are sitting in my flat now. No idea how they'd know I had apples in my bags though because they never x-rayed or went through any of my stuff when I was leaving the airport, the immigration lady barely blinked an eye at me and there was no-one in customs so I just walked through and out the door. >.<

Enjoy Edinburgh! It's my favorite city of all time! 

I saw mention of a decongestant and just wanted to share what my daughter's doctor told me which was very very helpful. She said when we were flying over here to ask the flight attendant to please let us know when it would be about a half hour before they begin the decent. She said decent starts way before landing and that is when the pressure is bad on your ears so she said if about a half hour before the start of the decent you take a decongestant and pain killer (ibuprofen or tylenol) it will help a lot...it worked wonders with my daughter. The flight attendants were great when I asked and even checked with the pilot to find out when the decent would begin.

I also agree with letting the flight attendants know if you are a nervous flyer. DH is one and he is always so pleasantly surprised how nice and helpful they are when they know, it makes a huge difference to him.

A flight attendant we knew told us that the "stews" have a trick when children (or adults) are having trouble with ears.  Something to do with putting a plastic cup over the ear.  If the kid is hollering then that will help to pop the ears too.
I used to resort to the valium a lot but now take a fat novel (start reading before takeoff so you will be more absorbed)  Also take the Ipod with soothing tunes.  My problem comes about half way into the flight and all I can think is "I-want-to-get-off-NOW!"  Its sort of like claustrophobia.     But yeah, keep focusing on the other end of the flight!

My problem comes about half way into the flight and all I can think is "I-want-to-get-off-NOW!"  Its sort of like claustrophobia.

Me too!! I'm a pretty good flier although like most people I don't like turbulence so much, but my biggest problem comes about five hours in (I'm flying from Portland to Amsterdam to Manchester) and I start to get fidgety and claustrophobic...I hate it!

I love the neosporin tip from others too, I am definitely going to do that on my flight this weekend!

The talk of turbulence reminded me of something I learned on a forum for fearful fliers and it helped me a lot. Turbulence in the air is a lot like the bumps in a road when you drive a car; the only difference is we can kinda see the bumps up ahead, but sometimes a pothole catches you off guard and you get a little surprised. Turbulence is the same principle kinda, and the plane is great at handling it--it *wants* to fly, that's what it's made for. And also if you'll notice, they don't give you a lid for your drinks, because they don't expect there to be that much bumping around--certainly not as much as you'd get in a car

I think it helped a lot to read things from pilots, and to see how excited they are to fly and how it's so much more than a career to them. For them it's a very routine thing and they're some of the most professional people you'll meet, so it helps to try and let their calmness rub off onto you if it can.

What forum is that if you don't me asking? I am a very fearful flier and I subscribe to the newsletter that Virgin's "Flying without Fear" people send out but I can't take the course as I am still living in the US at the moment. I used to not be afraid of flying at all...but through the years each flight I have been on has increased my fear (I think to be honest watching a plane fly into a building live on TV didn't help) and I hate feeling so helpless/terrified :-(. Drugs haven't done much for me, but I still try to get as gorked as possible before a flight.

What forum is that if you don't me asking? I am a very fearful flier and I subscribe to the newsletter that Virgin's "Flying without Fear" people send out but I can't take the course as I am still living in the US at the moment. I used to not be afraid of flying at all...but through the years each flight I have been on has increased my fear (I think to be honest watching a plane fly into a building live on TV didn't help) and I hate feeling so helpless/terrified :-(. Drugs haven't done much for me, but I still try to get as gorked as possible before a flight.

The forum I've used is www.getonthatplane.com. I've found it helpful since there's a pilot for Southwest on there who can give a lot of technical details and explain things well to help dispel people's fears, and there's a therapist on there as well who can give more emotional support and such. Someone on there even filmed his experiences on takeoff and landing and put them on there so people could watch them and get accustomed to the situation before even getting in the plane. I've found just talking to the people on there helps, and the forums are free which is nice since I don't really have the spare money for online courses or somesuch, so hopefully you can find some help as well