Newark to Jacksonville

Just over 40 years ago on June 10 1986, I took a flight from Heathrow to Newark New Jersey. I had been accepted as an International Scout on the Camp Shands site, near Gainesville in Florida. When I got to Newark, I found an awful, soulless airport for my three hour wait before the Jacksonville leg. I have mentioned before that it’s the worst airport I have ever visited and I have done it twice now, the second time in 2015. That’s another story though.

The plane was delayed due to storms on our route and, much to my irritation, the wait at Newark stretched to about 6 hours. When my flight was finally announced as ready for boarding I was extremely happy, but, as they used to say on Horrible Histories, not for long! We hit turbulence about an hour into the flight, or should I say it hit us. For what seemed like hours, but was probably a fairly short time in the greater scheme of things, we were buffeted and thrown about by the most severe conditions I have ever flown through. It was genuinely terrifying and when the plane was facing the worst parts I was convinced we weren’t going to get out of it unscathed. When we got through it and left the turbulence behind I was relieved but by then it had already left it’s mark on every subsequent flight.

Prior to June 10 1986 I looked forward to flying. After that date I was left dreading every flight I ever get on. Given the amount of travelling the family has done as a result of my job I have had no option but to regard it as a necessary evil. That’s why, to this day, I hate airports and only feel like my holiday has started when I get to the destination.

There is a ray of hope though. On our way back from Kraków we hit turbulence and I started my deep breathing which is now so natural thanks to my Calm App, and it kept my nerves in check. As I said I will always dislike flying but from now on it may be less traumatic.