Of course, many of you will have a mild fear of flying, or flying anxiety due to the fact you have never flown before.
This is completely normal. In fact, I was obsessed with planes when I was younger, but before I flew for the first time I suffered from quite severe pre-flight anxiety – and now I fly up to 50 times a month as a Flight Attendant!
It’s basic human psychology – a fear of the unknown. Not knowing what to expect feeds this anxiety.
Hopefully this site helps you relax, but in this article I want to focus more on the first-time flyers – rather than the general fear of flying.
A common misconception is that flying is bumpy. Yes, if you fly into turbulent air it can be a little bumpy – but generally, air is smooth and you don’t feel a thing. When an aircraft turns in the air, you turn with it so if you are standing up, you don’t fall over! I promise!
You can place a drink on your tray table in front of you, and on a nice day the liquid will not move – that’s how smooth your average flight is.
Turbulence is a different story – but we really don’t encounter it that much considering. If you need more info on turbulence, then check out the articles at;
Take-off is simply a magnificent show of power that should amaze you. You will taxi out to the runway. When Air Traffic Control (ATC) give clearance for take-off, and the pilots have completed all their pre-flight checks, engine power will be applied.
A small amount of power is applied at first, to enable the pilots to check that the engines are behaving as they should do, and are all stable. When they are happy, full take-off power will be applied. At this point, the sudden increase in speed will push your body into the back of your seat slightly.
Different aircraft have varying take-off speeds, but at an average it’s around the 150mph mark.
When we reach take-off speed, the pilots will lift the nose up, and the aircraft will naturally lift off the ground. The landing gear will be retracted – and depending on where you are sat, and the size of the aircraft, you will hear it.
The initial climb will be quite steep, but after 30 seconds (approx), the aircraft will level out slightly before climbing once again.
The one important thing to remember is that engine power will be reduced at some point – and sometimes quite dramatically so. For a first-time flyer it may sound as if something is wrong, but it’s perfectly normal. I remember my first time, I thought the engines had stopped working – but they hadn’t at all!
The seatbelt signs will be switched off after approx 10mins, but only if the pilots believe it’s going to be smooth enough.
The First-Time Flyer Handbook
I have written a handbook for the first time flyer. It’s detailed description of everything from booking your flight to arriving at your destination.
If you would like to order a copy then please CLICK HERE NOW.
If you have any specific questions that you need answered now, contact me by clicking here.
8 responses to “First-Time Flyer: What to Expect”
Takeoff causes me the most stress. Basically because there have been several instances where I feel a slight drop as the plane is ascending into the sky. Why does this occur and is this normal?
Thanks!
Christine
Yes, it is completely normal. There are various things that can cause this;
Turbulence – this can be convective turbulence, or wake turbulence (this happens when we fly through air that another aircraft has passed through recently)
Wind – even light wind during takeoff can cause slight movement of the aircraft
Reduction of Engine Power – during takeoff full engine power is often used, but at a certain altitude the pilots may reduce the power applied to the engines. This can give the impression that the aircraft has dropped slightly, when in fact it has slowed down and levelled off slightly.
As I said, this is 100% normal, and is not a threat to the safety of the aircraft – or it’s passengers.
I have never flown before, and I’m 20 years old, I just can’t seem to get my head around it, I’ll be flying in a few weeks and I’ll be transferring a few times. What should I expect?
Hi Jeff,
I’m going to send you an email in a second with an attachment called First Time Flyers Guide. It’s something I wrote myself as a definitive guide to those who are flying for the first time. If you don’t receive the email, check your spam folder as it may go there!
Let me know if the guide helps you out…
41 first time flyer scared for sure hate heights and get sick from riding in back seat of car lol…. so I don’t know how this will work .
I have never flown before and I would like to know what to expect? What am I allowed to bring. I heard that you are only allowed to bring a certain amount of liquid, which is shampoo, lotion, and etc. What about my luggage do I need to know? I fear that my luggage may become missing or something.
i’m 20 years old i have never flown before i’m really scared i’m flying to california with my husband on march 27th, and i’m freaking out i’m kinda excited but not really…. please help me calm my fears
hello there, i am 19 and of course first time flyer…im going alone to germany to meet my girlfriend im scared that might get lost at the airport, i have to get off twice, is there anyone that can make sure i will get on the right plane and not the wrong plane?….. im very scared and i dont want to mess up like i said im going alone…ive had this queston on my mind but no one seems to know i hope you can help please
Thanks, Adrain