So I'm flying again tomorrow. Nearly 6 hours.
As a nervous flyer I absolutely hate turbulence and I get really anxious during it. So I looked at turbulence forecasts, which was a mistake, and to me it looks like it'll be bumpy. Especially from Canada and to destination I hope I'm wrong.
Does anyone who is a frequent flyer have any tips to get over this fear? Or at least lessen it.

Turbulence happens and it's inconvenient, but not dangerous. No plane has ever crashed because of turbulence. In fact, the aircraft structure barely notices it.

What turbulence actually is, is moving air and the aircraft moving along with it. That causes the inside of the aircraft to shake. Like I said, inconvenient but not dangerous. Compare it to driving a car on an unpaved road full of holes. You're bouncing through those holes so you need to keep your seat belt fastened, but you'll get over it.

PatrickZ80 wrote:

Turbulence happens and it's inconvenient, but not dangerous. No plane has ever crashed because of turbulence. In fact, the aircraft structure barely notices it.

What turbulence actually is, is moving air and the aircraft moving along with it. That causes the inside of the aircraft to shake. Like I said, inconvenient but not dangerous. Compare it to driving a car on an unpaved road full of holes. You're bouncing through those holes so you need to keep your seat belt fastened, but you'll get over it.

I know all that and I am getting better with quick turbulence but according to jetplan and turbulenceforecast.com there is a big area of CAT over Canada and down to NY in my flight path

Looks like I'll be flying a lot of the time against the jetstream. Crap......doesn't that mean extra bumpy?

akb88 wrote:

Looks like I'll be flying a lot of the time against the jetstream. Crap......doesn't that mean extra bumpy?

It doesn't have to, turbulence actually has little to do with winds. Flying against the jetstream does however mean flying slower, so the turbulence might last longer. However it's not more severe, flying with or against the jetstream doesn't make any difference in that matter.

There is also a chance the plane will make a detour to avoid the turbulence area, flying around it instead of straight through it. In that case, maybe you'll experience some slight turbulence when scratching along the sides of the turbulence area but nothing severe. It's not uncommon for aircraft to avoid turbulence by flying a different route, certainly if the turbulence is severe.

GalaxyFlyer wrote:

Embrace the bumps!

GF

I honestly wish I could. I wish I was one of those people that enjoys the bumps in the sky but alas...I'm not.

PatrickZ80 wrote:

akb88 wrote:

Looks like I'll be flying a lot of the time against the jetstream. Crap......doesn't that mean extra bumpy?

It doesn't have to, turbulence actually has little to do with winds. Flying against the jetstream does however mean flying slower, so the turbulence might last longer. However it's not more severe, flying with or against the jetstream doesn't make any difference in that matter.

There is also a chance the plane will make a detour to avoid the turbulence area, flying around it instead of straight through it. In that case, maybe you'll experience some slight turbulence when scratching along the sides of the turbulence area but nothing severe. It's not uncommon for aircraft to avoid turbulence by flying a different route, certainly if the turbulence is severe.

Do the jetstream bumps come when the plane crosses the stream instead of flying along with it?

akb88 wrote:

Looks like I'll be flying a lot of the time against the jetstream. Crap......doesn't that mean extra bumpy?

From my experience, flying WITH the jetstream is actually usually more bumpy, usually during the "transitional" area (i.e. when the plane was flying with one jetstream and then flying to another one to "ride" the jetstream).

In general, most turbulence are not even that bad - you can feel the wind gust, but it probably won't be like riding a roller coaster.

akb88 wrote:

So I'm flying again tomorrow. Nearly 6 hours.
As a nervous flyer I absolutely hate turbulence and I get really anxious during it. So I looked at turbulence forecasts, which was a mistake, and to me it looks like it'll be bumpy. Especially from Canada and to destination I hope I'm wrong.
Does anyone who is a frequent flyer have any tips to get over this fear? Or at least lessen it.

The great thing about longer flights is that's its easier to transition to a smoother altitude. And there are plenty of planes flying that route so everyone knows what's ahead and can more easily avoid it if possible.

It's those shorter flights who have more problems. This past may I had the worst flight I've ever had. I was flying mem-atl-mia on a Sunday morning. Well sat night tornados came through my area so I was up most of the night. Got to the airport sun morning just in time to fly back into it. We sat on the tarmac for 45 minutes waiting for clearance, finally got it and flew back into that storm. It was a crazy bumpy 50m that I do not wish to repeat. 10m after landing atl closed for a bit due to a tornado touching down close to the airport. But you know what? The entire time I was watching that wing and it didn't really move all that much and this was on a soon to be retired (we shall miss you) md-88. Was it fun.. No. But I know that no matter how bad it felt to me, those pilots have been through worse. For God sakes we send planes into hurricanes!

I will say tilting my head to the side helps a lot.

We avoid it because, unless you're departing on a ferry flight, it's just super annoying to deal with, the passengers get upset, and it's just not a pleasant situation to deal with even though it's perfectly safe.

I would think that maybe the best way to deal with it is to book a window seat, open the shade, and go to the airshow on the infotainment system, where you can check your altitude, since I would guess that the number one reason that people are afraid of turbulence is that it gives them the sensation that they may be falling from the air, let's remember that most passengers have never experienced an actual stall, so they could mistake the bumps for substantial losses in altitude.

Sorry I couldn't contribute more, there was a time after JAL 123 where I was terrified of flying, and I got better progressively, but that was decades ago and I don't really remember how I got over it. Hope that this helps

Maybe you could read through the last time you posted the exact same topic for the answers to your concerns, as you clearly did not take any of the advice from members trying to help you. Are you just addicted to attention at this point?

HOOB747 wrote:

Maybe you could read through the last time you posted the exact same topic for the answers to your concerns, as you clearly did not take any of the advice from members trying to help you. Are you just addicted to attention at this point?

I have done in the past. Just few days ago I was on a flight with no issues. But over the weekend I had a relapse in my anxiety disorder and my fears are back.

akb88 wrote:

I have done in the past. Just few days ago I was on a flight with no issues. But over the weekend I had a relapse in my anxiety disorder and my fears are back.

Glad you're calling it by it's name, an anxiety disorder. An irrational fear. As long as you keep that in mind, you'll be fine.

PatrickZ80 wrote:

akb88 wrote:

I have done in the past. Just few days ago I was on a flight with no issues. But over the weekend I had a relapse in my anxiety disorder and my fears are back.

Glad you're calling it by it's name, an anxiety disorder. An irrational fear. As long as you keep that in mind, you'll be fine.

Yes. I know flying is the safest way to travel. But I really dont feel safe when its bouncing up and down for hours.

akb88 wrote:

Yes. I know flying is the safest way to travel. But I really dont feel safe when its bouncing up and down for hours.

I can imagine that, however like I said there is nothing unsafe about it. The worst that could happen is that you get hot coffee spilled over your clothes.

When flying through turbulence, keep an eye on the wings. You'll notice that they hardly bounce. That's because the plane is hanging still in the air, only the air is moving and so naturally the plane moves along with it. But the position of the aircraft relative to the air that surrounds it doesn't change.

Now imagine that the plane would somehow be able to fly straight through that moving air, but without moving itself. No doubt that would be comfortable for the passengers, but it wouldn't be safe. After all, the moving air would put pressure on the aircraft. While resisting this pressure the forces it has to withstand would actually be so big that the aircraft would be in danger of breaking apart. So instead of resisting the movement of the air, you're safer to not resist and just move along with it.

Look at the feelings of the several pilots that have responded in here. Galaxy Flyer, et al. We're just not concerned with it. It doesn't affect our ability to fly at all (the autopilot is on, anyway), and we just kind of ride through the bumps. It's mildly annoying, sure, but there isn't a pilot up in the flight deck who reacts negatively to your run of the mill turbulence. And even the severe stuff, it's not for fear of the plane having an issue, it's for those of you in the back (especially our flight attendants) who could get hurt. The plane will be fine.

Watch some of the videos like the 787 wing stress test to see just how much the planes are designed to bend and flex before breaking. You'll never approach that, even in the most extreme of turbulence.

PatrickZ80 wrote:

The worst that could happen is that you get hot coffee spilled over your clothes.

Unless you're unlucky enough to hit clear air turbulence as you're returning from the lavatory and slam your head into the ceiling when the plane drops (yes, it happened to me once).

I made it....with fantastic help from the absolutely terrific Icelandair cabin crew.

HOOB747 wrote:

Maybe you could read through the last time you posted the exact same topic for the answers to your concerns, as you clearly did not take any of the advice from members trying to help you. Are you just addicted to attention at this point?

Someone with anxiety and irrational fears, us telling and retelling them they are safe is an affirmation. Plus new people may give different advice.

Although I wouldn't go so far to say I had anxiety during takeoff I felt a sense of discomfort for maybe the 1st minute or 2. This was decades ago and to me I thought the deck angle was steeper than the typical 20° so in my head I felt we were closer to stalling then we were. I re read several times that the standard takeoff and turns are no where near the stall point. And realizing thousands of planes take off everyday without incident. Now I've come to enjoy takeoffs as well as the rest of the flight. I just used a lot of affirmation.

akb88 wrote:

I made it....with fantastic help from the absolutely terrific Icelandair cabin crew.

What did they do for you?

Airstud wrote:

akb88 wrote:

I made it....with fantastic help from the absolutely terrific Icelandair cabin crew.

What did they do for you?

Came to me and talked about various things whenever it was getting a tad bit bumpy. A very nice distraction. They were very understanding about it as well.
Also got a free soda haha..

Quit researching your flights before you take them and just deal with it when (more likely "If") it happens.

How are your fears during take-off and landing? Those stages of any flight are far more critical than turbulence.

akb88 wrote:

Also got a free soda haha..

I may hope everyone got a free soda on a six hour flight.

MartijnNL wrote:

akb88 wrote:

Also got a free soda haha..

I may hope everyone got a free soda on a six hour flight.

Indeed soft drinks appear to be free on Icelandair. They do charge for alcoholic drinks, snacks and meals.

However it's not natural for soft drinks to be free on longer flights. Icelandair might be an LCC, but they're no ULCC. It's kind of a hybrid model with some things for free, but not everything. On ULCCs, no matter the length of the flight, nothing is free. And there are 6-hour (or longer) ULCC flights.

OK....so I'm flying again and feeling a bit silly. I got an SMS asking for 30 volounteers to check in their carry on bags, I only have a backpack that goes under the seat in front of me. But I'm having concerns if this could mean they are having issues with weight balancing.......

GalaxyFlyer wrote:

They’re trying to not have to last minute check bags due to the overheads filling up before everyone boards. Flying isn’t this scary, don’t make it so.

GF

Thank you. I'm really trying, but sadly, sometimes the weirdest things trigger my anxiety.

As I've said before to those who suffer anxiety of flying, while looking up stats about the extreme remote chance of you dying in a plane crash, 1st hand experience may help. Download a flight tracker app... flight radar 24 is free and shows literally every plane in the air on the planet. You can click on any one of them to track and it shows its destination speed, altitude... open it all the way up to show the entire u.s. or all of Europe and it will be a blanket of planes. Shrink it down enough to show cities and airports and its still countless. Thousands upon thousands all making their destination without major incident. Go to a major airport observation deck and you will see endless planes all nearly mimicking each other taking off and landing, turning. That's just one airport out of hundreds. It really illustrates the irrational feelings and the suffering of them before and during a flight.

timh4000 wrote:

Go to a major airport observation deck

This very much depends on if the airport actually has one.