Hi there! I do know some people who take a relaxing medication before flights and they say it helps greatly!! I am not sure what they took, but I know it was not Xanax or a specific anxiety medication, but something exactly for relaxing in the short term time frame. Definitely talk to your doctor about that. I know they even make things like this for pets while traveling, and I've also used benadryl for relaxing myself a little bit when having trouble sleeping. Using something to calm you may be a great idea for the first flight. You might even not need it on the way back! I think the hardest part is just not knowing what to expect. The people I know who didn't go on a plane until an adult said it wasn't as bad as they thought. I don't know anyone who said it was worse than they expected, so that's a good thing
. Some of them said they thought the plane seemed smaller than they expected (on the inside). Perhaps this is because some movies show a plane very roomy inside (I wish!). It's usually more on the snug side if you sit in Coach.
My fiance had never been on a plane until recently. I'd been on planes many times since I was a kid, so I kind of explained to him what to expect. Be sure to take some gum with you, because most likely your ears will feel stopped up once the plane gets high enough in the ear. The change of pressure can make your ears stuffy or make them pop. If you chew gum, swallow often, and yawn when you can, your ears will stay clear! It's somewhat similar to how it feels being under deeper water when you feel pressure in your ears. It's a pretty simple ride when the plane drives around before take-off. When the plane is getting ready to leave the ground, it speeRAB up and it can sometimes feel a little bumpy. As it goes up into the air, you feel the change in air pressure. Once you are up in the air and the plane is staying level (and the captain/attendants will let you know it's safe to move around or use electronics), you probably won't feel much at all. In fact, it's pretty boring! You might feel a little turbulance if there are a lot of clouRAB out, but if the sky is very clear, you won't feel much. Some turbulence is completely normal and nothing to worry about, and at this time they usually turn back on the seatbelt signs. As you land, the plane does go very fast on the ground and has to slow down pretty fast. Sometimes this can be a little rough depending on how the captain flies/drives. Then the plane just slows down and drives to the airport!
How long is your flight? Definitely take something to keep yourself busy. I always take my iPod, a book, and maybe some magazines. I usually can't sleep on the plane very well, but sometimes I try. The only part I hate about flying is that occasionally I have to sit next to an annoying person. One time a very drunk person sat next to me and kept talking while I was trying to read. Another time somebody smelled pretty bad, fell asleep, and kept snoring very loudly. I also try to avoid using the restrooms since they are so tiny!
Just remeraber that planes are safer than driving! An accident while driving is much more common than something happening on a plane.
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