Hi ripperie,
Thank you for your interesting question. The first thing you can do
is realize this is a very common fear. Even the word 'Turbulence' is
scary!
I realize you have 'no fear of flying' and your anxiety relates
strictly to air turbulence... however the tips and advice on
overcoming anxiety relate to reversing the effects of *any* anxiety,
fear, and phobia.
=================================================
Fear of Flying explains the various issues related to the fear of
flying (including air turbulence)
http://www.guidetopsychology.com/fearfly.htm
=================================================
PMR (Progressive Muscle Relaxation) is a popular technique people use
for overcoming fears and anxieties (which you could practice prior to
flying and then apply the technique during flight) is called
Progressive Muscle Relaxation, which will help you to relax.
http://www.guidetopsychology.com/pmr.htm
(Read page for techniques)
*****
And this page on Autogenics Techniques
http://www.guidetopsychology.com/autogen.htm
Although one of the most simple and easily learned techniques for
relaxation is Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR), autogenics, while
requiring considerable time and discipline to learn, has more
far-reaching benefits than simple muscle relaxation.
(Read page for techniques)
*****
Also Self-Administered Systematic Desensitization is another technique
very helpful in overcoming anxiety.
http://www.guidetopsychology.com/sysden.htm
One method that has been consistently proven to be effective in the
treatment of anxiety and phobias is systematic desensitization. In
this procedure, events which cause anxiety are recalled in
imagination, and then a relaxation technique is used to dissipate the
anxiety. With sufficient repetition through practice, the imagined
event loses its anxiety-provoking power. At the end of training, when
you actually face the real event, you will find that it too, just like
the imagined event, has lost its power to make you anxious.
Originally developed to be administered by a psychotherapist,
systematic desensitization has been shown to be effective when
self-administered as well, and your greatest gains will come through
your own regular practice. The examples utilized here will be for
desensitizing yourself to Fear of Flying; you can, however, alter the
examples to suit any type of anxiety.
(Read page for techniques)
================================================
Fear of Flying Help Course - Created by an Airline Captain -
Effective, Fast, Easy & Free! Interactive Online Lessons -
Animations, Videos, Photos, Sounds
Now Available Online Free of Charge!
http://www.fearofflyinghelp.com/
"Often friends and family can't understand the problems caused by a
fear of flying. Fearful fliers react to feeling out of control, as
well as weather, turbulence, flying over water, claustrophobia,
crowds, losing control (panic attacks), terrorists, hijackings, fear
of falling, and fear of heights. Many times these fears are caused by
a lack of understanding about what to expect during a flight. Most
fearful flyers just need a little help in the form of education,
reassurance and guidance."
[edit]
"What if the plane hits an air pocket? Where does airplane turbulence
come from and how much turbulence can the plane withstand? Which are
the safest airlines? Can an airliner glide if the engines quit? How
likely is an airplane crash? Which seat is best to sit in? What about
airline safety statistics? Can the doors be opened in flight? Why does
the takeoff feel so scary? What causes aircraft accidents?"
[edit]
Lesson 3: The Aircraft and Its Environment
* Airplane Safety and Reliability
* The Basics of Flight
* Air Traffic & Terrain Avoidance
* Weather - Fog, Snow, Ice, Thunderstorms, Lightning
* Turbulence - Explanations, Avoidance, Misconceptions
=================================================
Many airlines offer group courses such as Flying Without Fear which
you can read about at the following site: Overcoming your fear of
flying by Zoe Drewitt
http://www.handbag.com/travel/advicefortravellers/fearofflying/
(Any course will address turbulence - which is a very common fear!)
===============================================
Turbulence
http://www.airlinetraveladvice.com/fear.shtml
It is normal to be concerned about turbulence, many people are. Even
strong turbulence is quite harmless. For the most part flying is very
smooth. After all, you are riding on air! But sometime the air gets
disturbed and creates a little bit of a bumpy ride.
Causes of Turbulence
Wind flowing over obstacles such as mountains can cause turbulence. It
is kind of like water flowing in a river with small eddies. A common
winter time turbulence occurrence is called "mountain wave". This is
produced downwind from a mountain range when the winter jet stream is
at a lower altitude. The air mass in the mountain wave will flow up
and down a little bit like sea swells (no, it doesn't make you
"seasick"!). This can cause turbulence and is typical east of the
Rocky Mountains. Weather forecasters are very good at predicting this
type of turbulence because it is easy to track the location of the jet
stream. Airliners may change the cruising altitude to minimize its
annoying affects.
Turbulence can also be caused by shifting wind currents in the sky.
When you transition from one wind current to another, such as crossing
a warm or cold front, the air can get stirred up. Planes flying
through these transition areas will normally experience some
turbulence.
One of the more common types of turbulence is caused by "convective"
heating. As the sun warms the ground, the hot air rises and makes the
air have a "bumpy" feeling. You may see evidence of this by small
puffy shaped clouds. This type of turbulence is normally limited to
the lower altitudes.
You might feel "convective" turbulence for a short while after takeoff
or before landing on hot sunny afternoons. It poses no danger and is
rarely classified as anything but light or mild turbulence. Birds such
as hawks and eagles use this rising energy of hot air to soar above
fields. This way, they avoid having to flap their wings while
searching for prey.
There are many sources of information about turbulence available to
pilots. They get information from the National Weather Service,
company Dispatchers, from ATC, other aircraft, and from their own
observations of sky and cloud formations.
Car vs. Airplane Turbulence
Have you ever driven fast over a bump in the road which caused you to
come up off of your seat an inch or two? It feels fairly violent and
the jolt would certainly spill any drinks you were holding. How large
of a bump does it take to do this? Maybe a one or two foot bumps in
the road. But it feels pretty bad.
Airplane turbulence bad enough to spill drinks and cause you to come
up off of your seat is very rare. But even if you do experience it,
remember that the plane is not "falling" hundreds of feet. It just hit
a bump a couple of feet high. The altimeters in the cockpit would
barely register the bump. So try not to let your imagination get out
of hand.
Next time you are driving on a bumpy road, imagine you were a
passenger on a plane and how you would consider it to be "bad"
turbulence. Now take a look at the road. How big are the bumps on the
roadway to create the rough ride? The air is usually very smooth. But
sometimes some small ripples can make it feel like "bad" turbulence!
So do like the pilots do - always keep your seat belt fastened while
seated. Injuries can result from unexpected turbulence if you don't
keep your seat belts fastened. Unfortunately, some flight attendants
and passengers have been injured while standing during unexpected
encounters with turbulence. It probably doesn't feel too good to have
your head bang the ceiling of the airplane!
1. Turbulence may feel uncomfortable, but it is normal.
People often misunderstand turbulence. When encountering turbulence,
nervous passengers feel the plane is "falling" out of the sky. It is
natural for them to only feel the "down" bumps. But for every "down"
there is an "up" bump. The "downs" are just more easily noticed. Next
time you are driving on a bumpy road, imagine you are a passenger on a
plane and how you would consider it to be "bad" turbulence. Now take a
look at the road. How big are the bumps on the roadway to create the
rough ride? The air is usually very smooth. But sometimes some small
ripples can make it feel like "bad" turbulence!
=================================================
Boeing Airline Captain, K.H. Lim has an wonderful website devoted to
Air Turbulence.
http://www.geocities.com/khlim777_my/asturbulence.htm
=================================================
Fear of Flying FAQ
http://www.totavia.com/fearofflying/
Besides thunderstorms, what else can cause turbulence?
Turbulence is potentially alarming word often used over the public
address system to describe any air that is not perfectly smooth.
Choppiness is what is usually encountered in unstable air. CAT, Clear
Air Turbulence, occurs at flight altitudes when two air streams,
travelling at different speeds, converge. The air is disturbed and
choppy where they meet and blend. Imagine two fast moving streams
coming together to move on as a river. The plane rides the airwaves,
just as a boat sails the sea. The surface can be choppy, but CAT is
rare, and won't hurt you or the plane.
Air is always in motion. Even in a still room, smoke from a cigarette
can be observed to waft and curl Air in rapid motion becomes wind. A
steady wind becomes gusty and unsteady when it moves across uneven
terrain in the same way that water becomes choppy when it moves over a
shallow rocky bed. So if it is gusty as you drive to the airport,
expect to experience some choppiness a few minutes after take off, as
the wind gusts over the uneven terrain.
=================================================
A very good friend of mine had an experience such as you did with
turbulence on an overseas flight and adamantly refused to ever fly
again. But, shortly after that particular flight her mother became
ill. Because they lived on opposite sides of the United States,
unless my friend overcame her fears she realized she'd not be able to
visit frequently and take part in helping her mother with her care.
She found the following Self Help Program invaluable in overcoming her
anxiety and fears about flying and turbulence.
Achieving Comfortable Flight: Taking the Anxiety Out of Airline Travel - $59.95
Reid Wilson, Ph.D. & Captain T.W. Cummings
http://www.anxieties.com/index.php?nic=comfortableflight
2 booklets
7 audio-tape programs
and a set of 14 quick reference cards
(The page explains everything you'll receive if you order.)
*****
If you'd prefer, you can visit the Fear of Flying page and click on
the various links on the left side of the page:
http://www.anxieties.com/index.php?nic=flying
"I had the opportunity to design American Airlines' first national
program for the fearful flier. This self-help site is based on that
successful seminar and on my years of experience working with people
desiring to fly comfortably again."
Links to click on:
* Fear of Flying Summary
* How did your discomfort with flying begin?
* Why does fear of flying take more effort to overcome?
* Learning how to fly comfortably
* Fear of Flying STEP 1 - Trusting the industry
* Fear of Flying STEP 2 - Accept your feelings
* Fear of Flying STEP 3 - Breathe!
* Fear of Flying STEP 4 - Relax
* Fear of Flying STEP 5 - Take supportive actions
* Fear of Flying STEP 6 - Handle your worries
* Fear of Flying STEP 7 - Use visualizations for rehearsal
=================================================
A bit of humor - Fear of Flying :)
http://www.wwseniors.com/cgi-bin/artdsp2.pl?sect=travel&filename=20011220aa
=================================================
keyword search:
fear of flying air turbulence
overcome anxiety flying air turbulence
relaxation techniques overcoming anxiety
online program overcoming fear of flying
fear of flying air turbulence tapes books information
fear of flying various issues
fear of flying treatments
fear of flying courses
Best regards,
tlspiegel |
