Flying to Mauritius on Thursday afternoon with my wife for just over a weeks holiday. Bless her, she booked it as a surprise, so I'd be a cretin to seem ungrateful and the place looks the nuts.................once we get there.
I've never been a great flyer over the years, but can just about manage a sub 2 hour flight to Spain most years without turning into a complete gibbering mess. But this is 12 frigging hours. ARHH!!
Two questions for for you wonderful Charlton Lifers out there, who I'm sure are much more mature than I am when it comes to flying.
1. Any tips during the flight to make it more bearable., I'll have a few drinks but don't want to get legless, and might pop a Nytol after a few hours.
2. Anyone been there before, and did you enjoy the place?
Sincere thanks in advance for any help / advice you can give me.
Very worried of Bexley
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If you can't hear all those nonsense announcements by cabin crew - you are less likely to get stressed out by the flight. In the end you will fall asleep in the middle of what you are doing, and Hey Presto, flight over.
Good Luck.
It's crashing thats gets you.
Sorry, doesnt help !!!
I presume the worst part is take off and landing?
Get a book, magazine etc anything to help take your mind off of what is happening at that time.
Take a few deep breaths, make sure you have a bottle of water to cool you down, if you start getting hot and bothered whilst taxiing.
When nervous I find sucking on some boiled sweets or munching on some Haribo type sweet helps negate the sicky nervous feeling you might have.
Or take pen and paper and try to list all the teams in premier division, then championship etc.
Anything that gets you thinking of anything apart from what is going on around you.
Once up in the air, watch a few films and go for regular walks.
I've talked to a lot of people about it, they all say that Valium is a great way to get through it. Takes you to a nice chilled out place.
Just hope I have the bollocks to try it one time.
BTW, my folks have been to Mauritius and loved every minute. Great place.
To be honest, in my experience, Long Haul is better for nervous flyers as you have the in-flight entertainment to keep you occupied.
No matter what anyone says, a few drinks will definitely take the edge off. Don't get plastered as you might flip out!
But yes, seriously - flying is the safest form of transport by a mile.
For the more adventurous, you can walk with Lions (they are roaming free, ie untethered). You can also go into the cheetah enclosure and pet those.
You can also walk on the seabed with an upsidedown fishbowl on your head, into which oxygen is pumped.
The island, in my experience is very safe. Larger visible police presence on the streets than in the UK.
There are also tourist trip to some islands - Gabrielle was one, as I recall.
Now onto flying.....before I got the job which took me to Mauritius, The Philippines, India, Peru and South Africa I had the most terrible fear of flying....absolutely petrified and convinced that if I stood up on the plane to go to the loo I would tip the plane over!! This was on a 2 hr flight to Spain!! I had such a fear that I would throw-up before I left home. However when I got the job, I mentioned above, I was only there 3 weeks before they told me I had to go to Bangalore (India) in 5 days time......to say I went into 'melt down' was an understatement, but I didn't want to lose my job (I had been unemployed before then), so I hid my fear. I can remember the day I left Mrs RM and drove from Hinckley down to Heathrow, mostly in tears as I thought that this was it, my time had come!! I arrived at Heathrow, went through all the normal security checks, eventually got on the plane, BUT as it was a 12 hr flight it wasn't one of those small planes, it was a Jumbo Jet. I took my seat, said a prayer and tried to concentrate on the job I had to do when I got out to India. I was then amazed at the 'take-off'.....didn't feel it......didn't feel us climbing and didn't notice anything about the flight.....including the landing....the larger aircraft are just so smooth......it is quite a different experience to the small short haul planes. In the next 2 1/2 years I did 250,000 air miles and loved every minute of it!! I now miss it, but give me a long haul over a short haul everyday of the week. The only advice I can give is enjoy the long haul larger plane, as others have said concentrate on why your are going to the wonderful Mauritius and know that there are other people who have been through what you are feeling and yet are now experienced flyers. The only other piece of advice I can give is look for a book called 'The fear of Flying' (I think it was called that), it explains everything from how planes work, the noises you hear at certain times of the flight, explaining all the safety equipment and all you need to know. I found it to be of great help, but nothing is as good to help you overcome your fear as flying on a long-haul flight....believe me it is a different experience and one I hope you will enjoy. If you would like to discuss, PM me and perhaps we can speak. Good luck mate (but you wont need it)
Cheers
RedM
flights are boring, recommend drinking a bit when in the air followed by a good sleep.
avoid tea/coffee as makes sleeping less easy.
have a great holiday.
The take off and the landing are where statistically you are more likely to habe trouble. Thats a few minutes of your lengthy flight. Allow yourself to be scared then. If that goes alright then you lived, congratulations.
You'll have a fantastic time.
For the flight I always find heavy drinking and an aggressive crywank while away the hours.
Hope you and the good lady have a great time. Please give her my regards.
(b) Think of it as a golden opportunity to relax, unwind and sleep before you get there after all the stress of actually getting to the airport.
(c) Think of big dipper rides for takeoff, landing and turbulence.
Enjoy...
Pop one about an hour in and sleep