Aviophobia

I use to be fear-less it’s true. Things never use to scare me the way they scare me today. I use to drive really fast, try the craziest rides at the fair, eat the weirdest foods, attempt internet dating, and engage in other ‘risky’ behaviours, all completely legal of course.

It’s Sunday, 2nd November 2014. On Sundays I like to read my horoscope, for insight and for fun. It makes a change to reading all those news reports, especially of tragedy. However, this weekend’s horoscope has alarmed me no end.

The Australian writer and astrologer, Ed Tamplin reminds us of what he had to say earlier in the year about the October Eclipses…

“The upcoming lunar eclipse of October 8 2014 will again place the Moon (my rising sign) exactly with Uranus, the planet associated with flight and the technology of war. It will further fulfil the promise of the last Moon to Uranus connection... But there is something strange about this time. Prior October eclipses, accenting the middle degrees of Aries or Libra, have been regularly associated with major airline accidents and aerial war.

The upcoming lunar Eclipse of October 8 2014 may again lead to disaster from the skies in the coming two months. It’s a time when air safety will need to be absolutely paramount. And even without history as a guide, aerial bombardment will again be in the news. Only this time it could be on a larger scale then we have witnessed for quite a while.”

Granted, this can apply to anything at any time, really, but it scared me. Looking at the two recent space/air related crashes in the news, it’s hard to see how these things are not all connected.

Getting older has come with its ‘phobias’, lots of them. This week, I will be tested once again as I’m due to fly on a budget airliner. It’s a journey that will take an uncomfortable 15 hours ‘til I reach my destination. The trip will involve cheap planes, trains, coaches, and automobiles. Do I want to travel? No. Do I have any choice in the matter? No.

My ‘aviophobia’, or fear of flying, has already begun to set in. Gone are the days of sitting in the window seat with neck perched over to get the best view of the ground as we ascend to 34,000 feet…excuse me while I throw up a moment…

This is how Wiki explains my condition…

“Fear of flying is a fear of being on an airplane (aeroplane), or other flying vehicle, such as a helicopter, while in flight. It is also referred to as flying phobia, flight phobia, aviophobia or aerophobia (although the last also means a fear of drafts or of fresh air).

Fear of flying may be a distinct phobia in itself, or it may be an indirect combination of one or more other disorders, such as claustrophobia (a phobia of being restricted, confined, or unable to escape) or acrophobia (anxiety or dread of being at a great height). It may have other causes as well, such as agoraphobia(especially the type that has to do with having a panic attack in a place they can't escape from). It is a symptom rather than a disease, and different causes may bring it about in different individuals.

This phobia receives more attention than most other phobias because air travel is often difficult for people to avoid—especially in professional contexts—and because it is common, affecting a significant minority of the population. Inability to maintain emotional control when aloft may prevent a person from going on vacations or visiting family and friends...”

I use to suffer for a short period with agoraphobia. I still have acrophobia, which use to cause a lot of agro during the fire drills at work. No claustrophobia yet. I don’t have coulrophobia (fear of clowns) either. Although I couldn’t think of anything worse than sitting next to a guy dressed as a clown whilst on an aeroplane.

http://stuckattheairport.com/tag/el-al-airlines/

"El Al Airlines, the national carrier of Israel, is famous for its stringent security measures. That hasn't kept clowns—loved by most children, yet terrifying to some adults—from boarding some planes.

As part of an expanded family entertainment program, the airline has added a clown to the cabin crew of select long-haul flights from Tel Aviv to New York and several other cities. The complimentary program runs all summer and was featured on some El Al flights during the recent unrest that caused other airlines to temporarily halt flights to and from Israel.

On clown-enhanced flights, the fright-wigged temporary crew member roams the aisles, telling stories and riddles to children and handing out colouring books, crayons and games.“ (Must let Loren Coleman of Twilight Language know about this, if he doesn’t already)

About ‘aviophobia’, apparently I am in good company as Isaac Asimov, Doris Day, and Stanley Kubrick, all suffered. Wiki goes on to describe treatments for the condition…

“If a phobic flier were able to fly in the cockpit, the pilot's facial response to an unexpected noise or motion would adequately prove the absence of danger. But with information in the cabin limited, it is impossible to prove no danger exists. Stress hormones continue to be released. As levels rise, anxiety increases and the urge to escape becomes paramount. Since physical escape is impossible, panic may result, unless the person can escape psychologically, through denial, dissociation, or distraction.”

My ‘emotional control’ may fail me this week, and so the reason for this post. I won’t make too many jokes about it, my phobia doesn’t allow it. As I won’t be online much, excuse me if I don’t reply to your messages. I will be in a state of denial, dissociation, and distraction. A bit like these guys were back in August 2013…

"If you ever run across a marketer offering you an impromptu adventure overseas, you might first want to clarify whether it will entail you being kidnapped by clowns and dropped from an airplane. That was the terrifying fate of South African graphic designer Clint Jacobs, the final latest of four participants in Heineken's "Dropped" campaign from Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam… In the campaign's last instalment, a group of Heineklowns tosses the affable Jacobs into rural Poland and makes him hitchhike and tandem-bike his way to Germany, where he must host his own circus. This seems like the sort of proposition you'd have to be drunk to accept, so it works as a long-form beer commercial…” http://www.adnews.com.au/campaign/dropped-poland

Remember these clowns?

Okay, Tom Cruise, let's not get carried away now!

Isis in Cyprus?

Updated: Okay, this just in from 'Greek Reporter', now tell me my fears are not warranted?

"Authorities in Cyprus are on alert after receiving information from foreign secret services that Islamic State jihadists are planning to hijack airplanes in Cyprus.

A newsit report says that the airports of Larnaca and Paphos are on alert based on information by foreign secret services that IS jihadists plan to hijack a Cyprus Airlines plane and take hostages. The information says that jihadists plan to take the plane to an airport in Syria or Iraq that is under IS control and then use the hostages to negotiate with Great Britain.

The jihadists will use the hostages in order to demand that Cyprus will not allow Great Britain’s Royal Air Force to use the British bases in Cyprus to launch air raids against the areas in Syria and Iraq where jihadists have control.

According to the report, secret services say that the IS has similar plans for Greece and Great Britain. Cypriot Police have been put on alert in the airports of Larnaca and Paphos and are ordered to do thorough searches on all passengers and baggage.

The official alert was terminated yesterday, however police remain on alert as Cyprus’ secret services continue to gather information on suspects who are related to the jihadists. In both airports, passengers who are European citizens but are of Arabic origin are thoroughly searched. Secret services say that some of them plan to cross to the Turkish-occupied zone and cross to Syria from there."