There have been some good posts on distractions. I won’t add to those. The only thing you need to remember to keep your piece of mind is “the pilot of the plane, is also in the plane”. Whatever might happen (and that would be rare enough), he has all the motivation on the world to make right. This is not a customer service rep halfway across the world. If he screws up, HE is screwed up.
I´ve flown a lot in my life. I´ve found that not thinking of being in a plane kind of helps. I do the same thing I would do on a long car or bus or train ride- I throw on some headphones and settle down with a book. It´s especially effective if it´s a book that I´m already partly through and so involved in that I can barely put it down.
Statistically, planes are way safer than cars.
Also, remember, you´ve got at least 3 brains controlling that plane. There´s the pilot, the co-pilot, and the automatic-pilot. All three of those work to make sure you stay safe, and do so quite sucessfully.
Good luck!
I never flew on an airplane until I was 22. Even since then, I’ve only been on a plane five times (the return flight of my maiden voyage, and then two round trips).
Flying always gives me low-grade willies. One thing that I had to get used to – and I wished I were warned about is that the plane can often feel like it’s falling – or that it’s unstable in some way. Frequent flyers may “tune” this out … but for occasional flyers like me, the effect is very noticeable.
I had a friend who was terrified of flying. We would get her good and liquored up, but that’s not an option for you.
One analogy that she liked was plane = roller coaster. Yes there are thrills and ups and downs and it can be scary, but ultimately, it’s extremely safe. There are over 28,000 commercial flights per day in the US alone! Cite. That’s how safe it is.
And I second the DVD player idea.
That was the biggest suprise for me, too. When you see a plane on TV, they act like it’s just a sort of steady room, like on a big ship or maybe a train, at least when the plane isn’t “encountering turbulence”. Instead it’s more like a bus, but also with the vertical motion that you mention. I haven’t been on a plane since I was a teenager, I was never really scared. I was always excited, and begging for the window seat, and I could never understand what the deal with first class was. It’s just a few hours, and you’re flying! Who cares if you get a fancy meal during those particular few hours? Of course, I was smaller back then so the seat size wasn’t as important as it might be to an adult.
learn and practice diaphragmatic breathing. It can help a lot with anxiety.
I ditto the idea of taking something (music, video, book, magazine) you can get engrossed in.
I have also found it helps to let the flight attendant know I am a little nervous (depending on if they look friendly or not), sometimes getting it out in the open like that helps neutralize it too.
This is pretty similar to my fear. I always say that if I got to sit in the cockpit I’d be okay. I wouldn’t be all claustrophobic and I could ask the pilot questions and see what was going on.
I’m simply horrified of flying, and I don’t get advice like “take a book, bring some music, etc”… I’m not bored, I’m too busy sweating and monitoring every noise and bump the plane makes and checking the wing for gremlins. I tried to read the Hobbit once to distract myself on a flight from Colorado to Phoenix and I got through 4 pages during the whole 2 hours. I remember how sweaty my hand were trying to hold the book.
I talked to my doctor last time about it and she gave me a small script for Valium - just 6 pills to mellow me for a couple flights. The only other thing that works for me is to get liquored up in the airport bar right before a flight, although it kinda sucks to keep having to get up to pee.
Airport bars are expensive! Though effective, at least for those of us who can/do drink. A drink or so helps me quite a bit.
I would call myself a nervous flyer; not extremely, but somewhat. I used to be a lot worse after a bad flight when I was 12 or so. (Phobic people are warned not to read the rest of this paragraph!) We were in a holding pattern over DFW and for some reason they routed us straight through what was apparently an unexpectedly-fast-developing thunderstorm. We bounced all over the damn sky! I don’t think we were in any real danger, but it was seriously scary. I’ve flown enough since then that I’ve gotten a lot better, but it’s still not something I much enjoy.
The biggest thing for me is to remember that the pilots and flight attendants all do this every day, multiple legs. So watch the attendants. They know exactly what’s going on and what any noise or motion is, and if they’re not worried, I don’t need to be. And I hate window seats, not just because if you have to get up you have to climb over everybody in the other seats, but because I do better if I don’t look out. I still get nervous when I’m in a plane and I know we’re turning, even though I know quite well that it’s safe. So if I can’t really look, I’m much happier.
Thanks everyone! All of the suggestions help. I may use all of them - except where alcohol and medications are involved.
Oh, do I ever understand how you feel!
Last year, Mouse_Spouse and flew home from Edinburgh. When the plane was getting ready to take off, a “check engine” light came on. We pulled back to the terminal (THAT term doesn’t help) and were stuck on the plane for two hours while the mechanics worked on the problem. Then, we went back to the runway. :eek: We’re going to fly a broken plane over the Atlantic Ocean! Also, this was a 6 seat wide plane so every bit of turbulance seem to shake the whole thing. I was holding on to Mouse_Spouse and unable to read, sleep or relax. Then, the coach section bathroom broke. I was convenced that we were going to die and burst into tears. My husband is a saint. He kept on telling me that everything was OK and that nothing was going to happen.
We were delayed overnight in New Jersey. I was exhusted and bordering on feral in behavior. The thought of another flight in the morning did not appeal to me at all.
Why not? It worked for me.
Although the OP will not be able to complete a pilot’s license before Sunday…
I have no advice, but CONGRATS! heh…Enjoy the last Hurrah! Of course, we said that when we bought the new HDTV that was on sale…“it is a good deal, and it will probably be the last nice thing we get before Little Brendon is here”
We said the same thing about the new couch…“well, our old one is falling apart - and last hurrah and all…”
We said that about the trip to Florida…“Well, we won’t be able to travel as much next year, and we aren’t paying for our room, just our drive - last hurrah and all…”
Those darn last hurrah’s are repetitive…
Brendon Small
Make friends with some air elementals and commune with them while you’re up there. Remember, if aluminum interferes with your intradimensional conversational abilities, just project through the plastic windows.
Or watch TV.
Eh, I got nothing - I like flying.
Heh, you must just become a Fledermaus Maven. Best wishes for your trip. 
Mouse you have a perception problem. You did not fly a broken plane over the Atlantic. You flew on a repaired plane over the Atlantic. There is a huge difference between the two. Think about it. car with 4 flat tires = broken car. Car with 4 new tires = repaired car. Which car would you rather take a 1,000 mile trip in?
About the bumps. The bigger the plane, the less noticeable the bumps are. Now if you went for a trip with me in my car, and the road had potholes, would you freak out? If the answer is no, why not? The car would be moving about the same amount as the plane will be in most turbulence. Think of turbulence as potholes in the sky. With very few exceptions it is like hitting potholes with your car. FTR I am a fairly frequent flier with over 600,000 miles just with United Airlines. I have seen turbulence worse than a bad road exactly twice in 15 years.
May I suggest you read this article written by a commercial pilot.
Here is a program for fearful fliers.
If offered, you might want to listen in to air traffic control on the headphones. If you pay attention, you will learn just how many people are involved in keeping your airplane from auguring into the ground at 500 MPH.
I don’t think it’s only Boeings, is it? Anyway, somewhere in the World Database of Airline Passengers is a notice beside my name that says ‘always seat her immediately behind the wing’. As a result, I usually get to watch the flaps and ailerons and the rest of the wing bits as the pilot manipulates them and I watch them emerge and retract from the wing while the ‘whirrrr whirrrrr thump’ is going on. I also listen for the thump of the wheels folding up and in. All in all, I think it’s pretty nifty.
So you might actually feel more comfortable if you do sit behind a wing since you can watch the nifty plane bits do their thing and you won’t be wondering WTF the sounds are.
I remember a pilot flying coach once speaking to a passenger near me who was worried about all the creaks and pops she was hearing. He told her ‘these things are built like battleships’. I thought that was apt. They’re not flimsy little things; they are quite well-built and sturdy.
Rick, quite the sig line you got there 
I went on a flight for the first time in ten years last winter. Thanks to madmonk28 I tapped the fuselage with my wedding ring, that helped.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=398962&page=1&pp=50&highlight=ring+fuselage
When I was taking off, I was pretty uptight, so I thought to count until we leveled off. I concentrated on the counting to distract me from the motion of the plane.
Technically, your description of adjusting the wing curvature has a lot of accuracy - however I’ve never heard of lowering or raising of slats and flaps described that way before.
Your description puts a smile on my face for some reason.
There are a number of reasons to fear flying. I have my own plane and I don’t like flying commercial for extended periods. For me its fear of enclosed spaces. Even though I fly a very small airplane I’m in control of it and I can see what’s going on. I enjoy it for that reason. I even enjoy taking off and landing in a commercial plane because I like airplanes in general. But get me up to altitude for more than 3 hrs and the walls close in.
I know the goal in this debate is to avoid drugs but I would consult your Baby Doctor to see if a natural hormone like melatonin is OK. I fully understand the need to keep the little one healthy.
I also understand irrational fear. I get claustrophobic dreams when I’m having trouble breathing and I’ve had to get up in the middle of the night, get dressed, and go outside because no room in the house is big enough at that point. That’s tough to do on a flight over the Atlantic.
If you are lucky enough to be just generally afraid of the plane then learn what’s going on during a flight. The one thing that keeps my mind occupied is watching and hearing all the mechanisms deploy. I think it’s amazing to watch the leading edges of the wing extend or the spoilers coming up or the flaps dropping down. The sound of the gears extending is something I WANT to hear.
Good luck. My heart goes out to you.
I didn’t fly for over thirty years because of a fear of flying. Then I decided just before I turned sixty that I’d rather die than live my life without seeing Paris. I bought those Bose headphones that cut out a lot of the noise and bought a relaxation CD to listen to – one of those where a soothing voice calms you.
The strange thing is that I really never did get nervous. That makes me wonder when I actually got over my phobia. I take meds all the time now and maybe that was what I needed all along.
Probably of no help to you, but I grew up with a lot of WWI/WWII adventure stories- often featuring the RAF- and engines catching fire or bits of the plane being shot away by German fighters were regarded as minor inconveniences at the best of times. 
If you play a lot of computer games- especially “Serious” simulations- you’ll discover that aeroplanes are surprisingly sturdy things, and have now evolved into flying buses more than anything else.
Since modern airliners are not usually expected to fly through flak barrages on approach to LAX or face Jastas of Me109s over London Heathrow, I agree with others here who advise taking a good book, talking to your SO, and getting a CD player with some nice, calming music. Many airlines have put LCD screens in the headrests now, with excellent movie and TV selections, which I also highly recommend.