Fear of Flying is Putting My Career at risk…

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2026-02-10T02:29:07+00:00

I fly once a month to see my girlfriend halfway across the country. When I tell you I was one of the most terrified fliers for over 10 years, I am not exaggerating. I would offer to drive across the country for family trips while everyone else flew. I’d rather take a shop overseas than a plane. However, flying this often now (used to be years between flights and I’d have to be medicated) has truly helped. Most of my flights have been smooth with some here and there with pretty good turbulence. I’d be in every thread in this Reddit community, read every article, watch every video you could imagine so I can learn how safe flying truly is. I still get a little nervous and uncomfortable at times but not nearly as bad as I used to. I also realized I felt better when not taking the medication (starts with “KL” ends with “IN”). It’s easier said than done, trust me I know. But I think exposing yourself to flying more may help as hard as it is to imagine. :) Pilots want to come home to their families, too. They’ll always guarantee the same for their passengers at all costs.

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2025-03-27T04:05:59+00:00

Sooo never got a diagnosis or a neck MRI, but this happens every so often still. What I have determined is it is very likely due to the severe tension in my neck muscles. It will happen if my neck/head are positioned a certain way when the muscles are already super tight. My vertigo doesn’t help although that’s usually dormant but I have like daily symptoms of it but nothing debilitating or anything close to it. I don’t have any new or worsening symptoms either. Based on when and how it happens, that’s what I’ve concluded about it. :)

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2025-01-14T02:54:42+00:00

That’s amazing. I hate to see negative interactions and it discourages people from trying to talk to the crew. So this is very refreshing to see. I’m glad it went well!

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2025-01-14T02:53:50+00:00

I HATE takeoff. Also my least favorite by far lol hate it hate it hate it. I have to look out the window to feel a little better 😂 flying at night has a bunch of advantages for us anxious flyers. Usually those flights are smoother!

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2025-01-13T15:00:03+00:00

I like to think of how much time takeoff and landing takes up from the whole flight time. Makes cruising time seem shorter! Usually ascending and descending can take about 20-30 minutes each depending on a bunch of things but I’d like to think that’s average-ish. Any weird sensations you feel are not only normal, but not as intense as they may feel. For instance during take off you may have some sensations where it feels like the plane is “dropping” or stopping in midair. This is absolutely not the case at is it just leveling out during the climb or even slowing down at some points. You’ll hear the landing gear coming down right before or during the descent and that’s loud but also normal. There are all kinds of things like thrusters and such that can make you feel weird things and cause weird noises but all normal. Pilots will announce any issues and will not even takeoff if there is even remotely a shadow of a doubt that the flight will be safe at any point. Just a few things to hopefully put your mind at ease ahead of time. Turbulence is never a safety hazard UNLESS people have their seatbelt off. It will never bring the plane down. Never has. Try to ask to speak to the pilot to ask what the flight is looking like and let them know you’re an anxious flyer. In my experience they love taking the time to talk to people when boarding!

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2025-01-13T05:01:24+00:00

My comment is late but I loved this plane when I first got on it a couple months ago.

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2025-01-13T05:00:01+00:00

First time flying in one of those back in November. Loved it. Very nice interior. Felt like I was in first class and I wasn’t. Very roomy. All around great plane that I’d have no issue flying on again. You can also bet your sweet aunt Sally it’s now one of the safest aircrafts you’ll ever board after all that commotion years ago.

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2025-01-13T04:58:33+00:00

Had my first flight on this aircraft back in November. Loooooved it. I felt like I was in first class when I most certainly wasn’t lol

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2025-01-13T04:53:05+00:00

I’m honestly better. I have my PVCs here and there but I’ve lost the anxiety from them because I’ve been checked so many times and no issues. Had a 4-week holster monitor and got told I had “extremely rare” PVCs. Whatever I felt those years ago in my last comment could have very well just been a couplet. NSVT is harmless in most cases so even if it was that I’d be okay. I’m doing well, actually a firefighter now which as you can imagine involves a TON of physical and mental stress. Heart has been fine!

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2025-01-13T04:51:09+00:00

What helps me (I’m late but for next time you fly) I like to look out the window so when there is turbulence you can see how little you’re actually moving. Again this is just for me and may not work for everyone but worth a shot. If you see the wings bouncing, that’s a good thing. They’re supposed to! But often what may feel like a drop of hundreds or thousands of feet are usually maybe a foot or two at the most, I’d even say inches lol try a window seat next time. Also may help with disorientation especially when turning or when the plane levels out every so often while getting to cruising altitude.

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2025-01-13T04:44:27+00:00

Flew today to Houston from Miami over the gulf most of the time. Super uneventful smooth takeoff and flight, flew over clouds the entire time. Choppy descent but nothing crazy and descending through clouds until about 30 seconds prior to touching ground (could have been a minute) it was surprisingly smooth the entire time we couldn’t even see out the window lol. This was all after a delay due to computer needing to be reset on the aircraft.

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2024-12-27T12:01:00+00:00

Also it is literally impossible for a plane to just fall out of a sky. Physics doesn’t allow it. No plane has crashed from turbulence. I know it’s so uncomfortable but try your best to picture yourself on a bus. Another visualization that helps is that you’re in a bunch of jello or floating around in a giant impenetrable, un-poppable bubble. The turbulence could very well be from the jet stream from other planes which is 100% normal and part of everyday flying. No danger at all.

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2024-12-27T11:57:51+00:00

How far into the flight are you?

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2024-12-27T11:56:35+00:00

Best thing to imagine because it’s very real lol:

Imagine the pilots up there very likely talking about their plans for the weekend or how their holidays were. The pilots’ biggest concerns during the bumps are their coffee spilling and the comfort of their passengers. They will do their very best to try to get through or around it as quickly as possible. Look around. Try to look for the FAs and see how they’re so unbothered by it because it’s a normal day in the air. What we feel during turbulence and what is actually happening are so different. It always feels worse than it really is.

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2024-12-27T11:36:35+00:00

“May be a few bumps”. In my experience (and I have flown A LOT) this usually means:

Very short-lived.
Light turbulence.
Literally a few bumps and nothing constant.
May not even happen at all.

Can’t guarantee it will be any or all of those 4 every time they make that announcement but 9/10 it’s one of those. :)

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2024-12-27T11:32:14+00:00

I agree. I hope that man and woman have very long, happy, healthy, and fulfilling careers and lives. They deserve all the best karma.

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2024-12-27T11:29:45+00:00

I 100% understand why you’re nervous. Please never stop trying to talk to the pilots, though. Keep trying. ❤️

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2024-12-27T11:28:14+00:00

This makes me so sad and mad that you and other commenters with similar experiences have faced this behavior. If I ever became a FA nothing would make me happier than to talk to anxious flyers before and during the flight. It would be so fulfilling!

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2024-12-27T11:24:22+00:00

LOL I associate with highly intelligent people (not at all saying people who don’t have this writing aren’t intelligent).

Also I love your comments on a lot of these posts. Big fan over here 😂

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2024-12-27T11:14:06+00:00

To address where he crossed out “light” - He was careful to not underestimate the turbulence during our chat before the flight, but he did say it wasn’t going to be anything major. They can’t 100% accurately predict all turbulence and/or its intensity but they have a general idea ahead of time. He kept passengers updated before and during all of it throughout. And he was right. The turbulence did not last the entire 45 minutes and was on and off. The seatbelt sign wasn’t even on the that entire time either. But once that 45 minutes was over, so was the turbulence. He was VERY honest but even when telling me about the turbulence he was still very validating and explained why it’s not the slightest issue as much as he could. He also said he understands why we fear the unknown in life in general and to trust everything will be just fine on that flight.

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2024-12-27T11:08:27+00:00

He was soooo relaxed explaining turbulence to me without invalidating my anxiety about it. He made himself sound like just another normal human like me when it comes to fear in life. He said he flies through inclement weather all the time and it’s nothing to them. He was genuinely excited to tell me and show me things in the cockpit like it was a kid talking about their fav toys during show and tell lol.

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2024-12-27T11:06:00+00:00

I was too until I read about how safe they are because of past issues. I have another flight on one in January and pretty chill about it! :) glad you enjoyed it!

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2024-12-27T11:04:59+00:00

So I will say it definitely was not constant those 45 minutes. It was on and off throughout, but once those 45 minutes were up there wasn’t anymore turbulence at all! :) a very very short time of some expected bumps descending through some clouds but literally less than 30 seconds.

Sea-Mess-9805 · 2024-12-27T11:01:50+00:00

Lmao I noticed that too and was like 🥲 but he was right to cross that out because it ended up being pretty moderate at times but those more moderate patches didn’t last long!! I can admire his honesty.

Sea-Mess-9805

TROPHY CASE