Afraid to fly? The idea of getting on a plane makes you sick? I can relate to that, I couldn’t stand the idea of getting on a plane until I was 27 and I decided to travel from Lisbon to Sydney! It can’t get more extreme than that.
I know a lot of people are fearful of flying, some may not be entirely fearful but they feel quite anxious when they have to travel. But if you are like me, once you try it there’s no going back, you will love it forever.
Well, not exactly. A lot of people never overcome their fear and anxiety, even though they do the best they can to manage it so they can still enjoy a holiday overseas.
My story
I’ve always hated planes. Since I was a little girl I could not stand planes, I was afraid of them and no one would convince me to even try boarding one. But that fear was in the way of one of my biggest dreams, visiting Australia. So, something needed to change in order to make that dream come true.
I am determined, so I decided that I would visit Australia when I was old enough and had enough money to do so. I didn’t tell anyone, I kept it a secret, but every year I was saving for my trip and “educating” myself on how to conquer my fear of flying.
In 2003, that time came. I booked my ticket and I was ready to go. My parents didn’t believe me and they thought I wouldn’t go ahead with it. The reality was that I became an aviation lover and today I read and watch everything about planes.
How did it happen? Well, I don’t know, I think it was the roar of the engines and the speed through the runway, that adrenaline rush that makes you feel alive. I was taken on my first takeoff, just like that! Totally in love with it, and the best was yet to come, my second flight was inside a Queen of the Skies. I think that sealed the deal. I will never forget her roar, her speed, her beauty. She made me feel in love with aviation and here I am, writing about planes every week and reading about them every day.
My advice
Give it a go! Let yourself be open to the experience. If the danger of a crash is what petrifies you, remember that we are more likely to be involved in a car crash than a plane crash. Those birds are pretty safe these days, and I’m sure that if you let yourself be in that moment and take the adrenaline rush just like I did, I can’t promise you, you will become an aviation lover as I did, but I think you will start enjoying it.