My Story of Flying from 17 to 71

How my fear of flying turned into love

Pene Hodge’s story shook me to my core. If that had happened to a flight I was on, I would have had one of two reactions: I would have never flown again or I would have thought what are the chances of being on another aircraft that crashed. I’d reckon pretty low.

My first flight alone at 17 was not so dramatic, but it scared me enough I caught the train home! It was an old Fokker Friendship prop jet. You can correct me if you know anything about planes, but it did have propellers. All I know is that I thought I was going to die every time we hit turbulence. I silently cried the whole way from Townsville to Brisbane.

I didn’t get on another plane for the next 14 years and then it was only to Sydney to embark on my very first cruise. I managed to drink a lot of gin squashes at the airport bar before boarding. I’m fine on a boat — I’m a strong swimmer — so enjoyed every minute of that cruise. It was my first taste of overseas travel and I loved it.

Another marriage and three more children later, an airline strike saw airlines introduce Mystery Flights. $29 return saw me take off for destinations unknown. I flew almost every weekend. I explored Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Townsville, and Cairns several times. I kept booking more mystery flights because I wanted to go to Adelaide and Hobart. I flew so often with no mishaps — not even rough weather — I conquered my fear of flying.

Now I was ready to take on the world! Fiji and Vanuatu were regular haunts until the kids were old enough, then we took them to Darwin, an 8-hour flight. Keeley was 6 and with the kids with me, any lingering fears I had dissipated. Maybe I rationalised if the plane went down, we’d all perish.

By this time, my three older kids were adults and could fend for themselves. So the three littlies flew with us everywhere: Perth, Fiji, Vanuatu, and even to Disneyland at Anaheim. On that flight, I spent a few hours up in the cockpit of the 747 chatting to the pilots. I felt like a bird! I couldn’t believe I was once so frightened of flying that I spent an entire flight in tears.

Three years later, I won a trip for the family to New York City. That was the longest flight I’d undertaken. Coming into JFK in shocking weather was pretty terrifying, especially when the girl sitting beside me flew this transcontinental flight often and it was the worst landing she had endured. But I remained philosophical, thinking if it was our turn to die, so be it. This was 2 years before 9/11.

Two years later, my marriage ended and I was earthbound for 2 years until I flew to Japan to visit my oldest daughter. The following year, I landed a job that required me to fly to Melbourne twice a year for conferences. Those late-afternoon flights back to Brisbane were always pretty hairy, but with free alcohol, I managed.

Then I discovered Europe! I’ve flown to various destinations in Europe seven times! I’ve barely been anywhere else in the last 10 years except to China and North Korea to tour with my youngest son.

Two years ago, I accidentally discovered business class, but that’s another story.