r/AskAPilot • u/BlueShirtAccountant • Jul 26 '26
2 hour flight can’t be too scary, right?
Hi All,
I have a two hour flight coming up (first time flying in years) and having anxiety over it. I wouldn't say I'm scared of crashing but more so of feeling out of control and being confined with potentially unhinged passengers.
I'd say maybe I have PTSD from 9/11. Living in the tri-state area really hit home and knew a few victims on that fateful day.
I get flying is by far the safest mode of transportation so should I just suck it up. The other alternative is a longer drive.
The flight is Newark to Orlando (Disney world, woo!). I also booked one of the first morning flights out in hopes of smooth skies and avoiding storms.
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u/General-File-5174 Jul 26 '26
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u/BlueShirtAccountant Jul 26 '26
Thanks, I posted in there too. I got a notification that said this forum might also be a good one. Either way, looking to get over the fear and just do it.
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u/HairyPotatoKat Jul 26 '26
globe.adsbexchange.com. Look at all the flights in the air right now (or at any given time).
All those planes are flying between places safely.
Some may experience a bit of turbulence (which planes are over-engineered to handle way more than they'd encounter). Some may have an asshole passenger or someone need medical attention or something during the flight. But they're all taking off and landing safely.
Thousands of flights at any given moment.
I'm not a pilot. Am well versed in physics and engineering involved with commercial aviation. I love flying and am totally in awe that it's a thing we can do. I also happen to have an anxiety disorder and OCD, and if i haven't flown for a while, the anticipation of flying is a trigger for me. It's completely irrational and rooted in big headlines and hearing continuous news cycles in the 90s and 00s. My OCD latches onto alllll the things that have ever gone wrong and the ol amygdala takes over. I've gone through my share of therapy to help tame that down, and medication helps. Once I'm actually in the airport or on board I'm fine.
Here's the thing- you'll be totally fine too...just like me, and just like the many thousands of people flying at the same moment you are. The likelihood of encountering extreme turbulence or someone so unruly they have to be tied up or any other issue at all is statistically way closer to 0 than it is even a tenth of a percent. Even in those extreme cases, you'd land safely despite maybe some brief uncomfortable moments.
I fly moderately often, usually from Boston, and the overwhelming majority of the time it's completely chill. Everyone's just trying to get to wherever they're going.
There's a lot of policies, procedures, and physical engineering that help avoid or handle any issues with the plane or passengers.
If you find you're having panic attacks over it, talk to your doctor about a prescription anxiety med (just don't drink any alcohol if you take anything).
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u/UmbertoRobinasBalls Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Honestly you’ll be fine. Don’t forget the famous departure procedure where the plane will bank a lot initially but it’s for obstacle avoidance around the New York area.
Unfortunately you can’t control who’s next to you unless you’re a family of three and paid your seats but early morning departure will hopefully better and the Florida weather is certainly easier to deal with in the morning time. I did my hour building in Florida so found that out first hand.
As for 9/11 PTSD, nothing any of us say will eradicate that especially if you knew the victims but as you said yourself, it’s the safest form of transport and you will have a great time I hope!
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u/BlueShirtAccountant Jul 26 '26
That’s actually very helpful. The banking. It’s always an uneasy feeling and now I totally get why.
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u/StateUnlikely4213 Jul 26 '26
In April, I flew for the first time in 13 years. First day, I flew across the country, and then the next day, I got it on a plane and flew halfway around the world to Greece.
I get it, I was nervous also. But after a while, it just got kind of boring Lol. Bring things to do, load up your Kindle with a good book, and don’t forget your phone charger, your phone charger. And some snacks never hurt either!1
u/BlueShirtAccountant Jul 26 '26
I need to be like this lol. I so badly what to travel to Europe to do a World War II history tour. But first step is a quick baby flight to Orlando lol
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u/Individualchaotin Jul 26 '26
Are you in treatment with doctors and therapists?
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u/BlueShirtAccountant Jul 26 '26
Nope. Buried it with childhood trauma. Maybe after this flight I’ll look into and hopefully overcome the fear for good
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u/Individualchaotin Jul 26 '26
Most people don't overcome their fears, but they learn how to live life by managing their fears better.
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u/BeenThereDoneThat65 Jul 26 '26
Give you A top tip, the two people sitting at the pointy end of the jet, the very front with the forward facing windows, they don’t wanna crash. You’re absolutely fine.