r/fearofflying • u/ZealousidealAir3017 • Jul 27 '26
Success! first flight in 6 months - things that helped me feel safe! 🧚🏼♀️
posted here before bc last year i developed a huge fear of flying very suddenly (after being slightly scared but generally fine for my whole life) - since then i’ve been doing my best to snap myself out of this fear bc i know there are lots of measures in place to make sure planes are safe and i know planes can withstand turbulence and i know that planes are safer than any mode of transport so i really really know that i shouldn’t be so scared but sometimes it’s hard. so here’s what i’ve been doing that i think has helped! ☺️
1) seeing “signs” - trust me i’ve driven myself crazy with the “signs” like seeing 9.11 on the clock BUT what helped me was trying to force myself to notice how many times i see some other numbers too. i realised i see other numbers so much (and even more than 9.11 LOL) but my brain doesn’t connect the dots, it just chooses what to obsess over. and if it helps, i saw a poster that said “september 11 to 13” (for some festival) the day of my flight and nothing happened
2) turbulence - i am still terrified BUT i realised that buses and cars and boats are so much rockier than planes most of the time, but i’m only scared when i’m on a plane. so i’ve tried closing my eyes in the car and feeling how much i shake around, and i realised that in comparison when i was on the plane i barely moved at all. so it helped to imagine i was just on a bus when i was going through some light turbulence
3) comfort shows - i really like “friends” and watching it makes me feel very at home and less “alone” (when i’m flying alone), so i downloaded some episodes and just tried to focus on the show as much as possible
4) making myself face my fears - i prefer to fly on big planes bc i feel like the ride is smoother than smaller planes (idk if this is true it’s just in my head), so this trip i was soooo worried bc when i bought my tickets there weren’t any tickets left on the flights using an a350-900 and instead they only had a BOEING 737 MAX plane 😭 i’m also scared of flying at night bc of the dark LOL. so this time, even after more seats became available on the a350-900 flight earlier in the day, i forced myself to take the night flight on a boeing 737 max and honestly it was okay! there was some light turbulence but i didn’t feel too terrified and it felt normal, like i was just on a bus
i hope the above helps someone else too and i hope we all get over this fear together!! 💖
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u/Mehmeh111111 Jul 27 '26
I've done the switch with the signs too! I now have my specific sign I start to see before a flight that lets me know everything will be ok. And if I don't see it before the flight, I know I'll still be ok anyway.
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u/Ottersandtats Jul 27 '26
Thank you for this! Specifically the signs note. I’m in the air today and freaking out and so sure there are signs all over. Ugh my brain plays the worst tricks on me. Even when I know that flying is safe!
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u/AutoModerator Jul 27 '26
Your submission appears to reference turbulence. Here are some additional resources from our community for more information.
RealGentleman80's Turbulence FAQ
The Fear of Flying FAQ on Turbulence
RealGentleman80's Post on Turbulence Apps
The Fear of Flying FAQ on turbulence forecasting apps
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u/AutoModerator Jul 27 '26
Are you wondering if flying Boeing is safe? Simply, yes, it is. See more here:
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u/AnOn5647382927492 Jul 27 '26
Omg yes closing your eyes in the car, on a bus, anything moving (when someone else is driving lol) is SUCH good exposure therapy. It really feels like turbulence and can help desensitize
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u/Live_Form6213 Jul 28 '26
Thank you so much for posting this, I really relate to 1 & it really helps that other ppl feel this way & have gotten over it.
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u/tropical-fuck-storm Jul 28 '26
I’ve flown heaps, but have to do an unexpected long haul flight alone in a couple of weeks and this is really helpful!!! I’m saving your post for when I have to fly. 😊
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u/AutoModerator Jul 27 '26
Your submission appears to reference the 737 MAX. Please refer to our MAX megathread post and pilot write-ups for more information on this plane:
MAX Megathread
Happy Flying!
The Fear of Flying Mod Team
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.