the landing and taking off bother me, especially the landing. The rest of the flight doesn't really bother me that much.

The fact that I'M not doing the flying.......;)

GOING UP AND COMING DOWN AND TURBULANCE

I don't think I have fear of flying per se. But rain and bad weather are scary. I keep thinking the plane's going to crash because the pilots won't be able to see where we're heading.

The crashing! no seriously, hearing the undercarraige go up and down and various other noises during the flight get me tense. I watch to much "aircrash investigation" i guess i'm my own worst enemy :(

going up. i don't like flying while it's raining i usually get panic attack and cry in silent.

Rolling down the runway wondering how a plane this big and heavy will ever get off the ground (try a fully loaded 777 or 747-400).

looking out the windows during takeoff and see the wings bending up and down...also...terrorists..

The fact that I am REALLY high in the air!!!!! I have only flown once and I can't say that any part was scarier than another, the whole thing was rather nerve racking. Perhaps it would be better now that I know what to expect.

I hate flying from the moment we take off to the moment we land, however I am most afraid when turbulence hits and we are all those thousands of miles above land and sea. This is when your mind goes racing and I visualize some horrific things.

Hi Fly_Forever80, Thank you for your comments. I did take a Virgin Atlantic Fear of Flying course and I must say it did help. However you always have that concern about terrorists and I think when turbulence hits, I just seem to fear the worst. A lot of my thoughts are irrational, but when your up there they feel very real. It is just a mind over matter thing, you could get killed driving your car, but I suppose you feel more in control there. I just have to try stay focused and not let my crazy thoughts take over. I must admit I would prefer it, if pilots would give constant updates when turbulence hits, as on a lot of flights they say nothing and you just see the seatbelt sign coming on and panic. : )

For me, it's the takeoff more than the landing...it is the first and most unpredictable part of the flight for the pilots too I'm assuming. The landing scares me too, but only because the landing gear not opening has been in the news so much as being a problem with airplane malfunctions. Also, during mid flight, anytime the plane is tilted, or the plane is flying at a steeper slope than what I'm used to.

I have to say that EVERYTHING about ever flying scares me. Being in such a small space for a number of hours, but the main thing would just be the freefall feeling if the plane went wrong and was going to crash or something! It doesn't help with things like LOST and it being big plots for TV and film either. It makes me think its not safe.

My husband says "It's not so much the flying... it's the thought of the sudden STOP at the bottom"

i love flying... i grew up flying cropdusters and firebombers for my uncle. turbulence, old, loud, smelly, hot, drafty, clunky. worldwar II, surplus, held together with duct tape and bailing wire. then theres the noise and smokey engines and the turbulence and the treetops, power lines, powerpoles, fences, and the occassional sudden stop, broken bones, and yellings, from damaging my uncles planes

Everything, from getting on the thing, the sounds of the engines, the movement..everything but I am working on it..lol :)

mainly taking off scares me, then i slowly get used to it. Next plane im taking ill probably be sleeping the whole trip before i reach ft jackson for training.

Airport Police http://drphil.com/shows/video/

I am totally the right person to ask about this. I ALWAYS suffered from a severe fear of flight. Later in life, I had some bad encounters with airplanes and even lost a friend in a crash once. I had post traumatic stress to deal with and it just made me even more fearful. I decided I was tired of being afraid and was going to take control of MY thoughts, because after all they are mine alone and if I can't change them, who can? I beat my fear and ended up traveling Europe. Here's how I did it, and my best advice to you. Education is power. There are some GREAT books out there on fears of flying. Books that address every paranoid question you've ever wanted an answer to and educate you about everything you ever wanted to know (and more) about flying and any scenario that could arise. Buy and read at least two of these books (such as Flying Without Fear, etc). You can buy them on Amazon for a couple of bucks. I think that'll take care of most of it, believe it or not. Also, your mindset is really responsible for your fears and you play a role in how you process information. I also listened to a self help tape, that dealt with having confidence in shaky situations. That helped a lot too, just applying that info. The best suggestion I got (and it's unbelievable how simple and effective this is) is your body language. When you are walking through the terminal about to board, keep your shoulders pushed back and your head tall and proud and confidently walk on. Then, when you are on the plane, SMILE. I know it sounds rediculous, but there's an incredible amount of power generated in your body language and what you do with your body affects how your mind feels. Between reading books and those actions, I couldn't believe the difference. It's actually got to the point where I (gasp) enjoy the process and like looking out the window and marveling about what a great piece of technology planes really are, how safe I am in one, and how beautiful the view is. There are billions of people throughout history who sat on their backs looking up to the sky dreaming they could fly above the clouds and here we are taking it for granted. Good luck, you'll be fine :)

I may be a little late answering this but I somehow stumbled upon this site when searching for help online for my terrible fear of flying. My fear mainly comes from my fear of heights...the fact that we're so high up in the air scares me to the point that i can't look out the window and kindly have to ask who sits at the window to pull down their shade at least half way. Some of you may think I'm completely paranoid but this fear takes over me. I can't touch the floor of the plane either because it reminds me of the fact that there are 30,000 ft. between me and the ground. I step on my small carry-on bag that I put underneath my seat. I also feel claustrophobic, being stuck in a confined room for certain hours is asphyxiating to me. Thankfully I never had a bad experience flying. It's a fear that really came out of nowhere when I was 11 yrs old on a flight to Peru from Colombia. I had a sudden panic attack and ever since then I can't seem to enjoy a flight. I used to love flying and loved even more the window seat, now I need the aisle since it doesn't make me feel as trapped. I think the longest flight I've ever been on is 3, 3 1/2 hours and must take a pill to help me relax. Having people talk to me helps a lot! As long as I'm distracted I'm ok. Going to the bathroom in an airplane is completely out of the question and so is walking around the plane. Seeing people just walk up and down the aisle makes me nervous. The reason I'm even looking for help online is because I'm now 25 and I'm hoping to move to Australia early next year to do my Masters. The fact that I live in Venezuela and the "shortest" flights are 14 1/2 hours long have me completely terrified. I refuse to let this fear take control of my life, but I honestly don't know how I will react on such a long flight especially being my first time and alone. It's frustrating that my friends and family don't understand this fear. They're used to long flights and could care less. I wish I was like that. My brother falls asleep as soon as he sits and wakes up when we land. I envy him so much. I never sleep the night before in hopes that I'll be tired enough to pass out but it never happens. My fear keeps me quite alert. Seeing as how you are a pilot, what words of comfort and advice could you give someone like myself? I am going to look into books to see if it can help somewhat. Ideally, I'd love to be passed out throughout the whole flight, but don't think that's a good idea lol. I want to enjoy flying again, look out the window and see the clouds and enjoy it, and being able to sleep on a flight would be nice. Just feel comfortable and safe. Thanks in advance! :-)

Sitting next to a personne who wants to talk all damn night.*lol*

The drive to the airport! 27 times more dangerous than the flight itself!

I'm not afraid of flying, but my heart races when the air gets choppy. Shakes the plane up real good.