[Advanced] Fear of Flying (2)

Managing the fear
Some fearful road warriors have strategies of their own.

Goltsch says that flying has always made him a little nervous, a discomfort that only intensified after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

He focuses on what's within his control: getting to the airport early so he doesn't feel rushed; keeping his iPad and phone fully charged so he can stay entertained during the flight; and picking a nice hotel that he can look forward to visiting when he lands.

"Some may call my steps just normal things an experienced business traveler does," he says. "For me, it is more than that. It just ensures that while the flying might be stressful or fear-inducing, I am not allowing other things to pile on and make things worse.

Keeping perspective
McKain has looked up books on the fear, and once even took a flight lesson. "I thought if I understood (flying) more, it would help me, and I wouldn't be as fearful," he says. It didn't work.

McKain has chosen a four-hour bus ride from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur rather than fly 40 minutes through thunderstorms.


But often, there's no getting around traveling at 30,000 feet. He's tried beta blockers and even a sleeping pill to calm his nerves. Still, it's his normal ritual that works best: deep breathing and a simple prayer uttered at the start of each flight.

Keeping things in perspective also helps.

"I think about all the things my dad did for a living," says McKain, whose international travels, sometimes in first class, contrast sharply with the life of his father, who worked in a factory and as a truck driver.

When the fear comes, he says, "I think if this is the worst I have to deal with ... I'm the luckiest guy in the world."


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130518adafd2a051b134eb89e911029365a825fae.wma

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2012/09/28/dealing-with-fear-of-flying/1599711/