I am still a little wary of flying, too, Aa777dr. I used to be petrified of it, because of a bad experience when I was a kid. We literally landed in a tornado. I'm not going to tell you where I was...
I've gotten much better about flying because of two things --
1. Frequency -- because I live ~500 miles from the rest of my family, I fly round-trips two or three times a year to visit the folks.
2. Knowledge -- forget the pulp books about air disasters and specific plane crashes -- go to your local library and find books on aviation such as "Your Flight Questions Answered by a Jetliner Pilot" by John Cronin. That particular book is a very basic, well written, clearly understandable discussion of all the different things people can hear, feel, or otherwise experience on a flight.
Another way to gain experience is to go to a nearby airport and watch planes. You'll see the taxying, landings and takeoffs and see from the outside what you feel when you're inside.
3. Understanding my own body -- Once I realized I would have to fly more often, I took a more objective look at why I was uncomfortable during flight. Here were the reasons for me:
a. Anxiety -- before I got on the flight I got myself all worked up, the "We're all gonna die!" mentality. So I just stopped thinking that way and bought myself a newspaper or something else to read while I was waiting for the planes.
b. Physical discomfort from clothing or lack thereof -- I now dress in clothing when I fly which my mother derides as "pajamas." Well, it's comfortable, and I feel much better when I'm not all trussed up in stiff or formal clothing. And I bring along a sweatshirt and a travel blanket in case the cabin gets cold. On long distance flights I walk around so my feet don't swell (long distance for me means anything more than an hour.
c. Location in the plane -- I feel best when I can see the wing and all the slats, flaps, spoilers, aerilons, etc. I warn anyone next to me, as soon as they're seated, that I'll probably get up to go to the restroom sometime during the flight, too (even if I don't really have to, that's better than saying "I just want to bump against you so my feet don't swell).
d. I FEEL EVERYTHING -- Nothing I can do about that, so I just remind myself that a little turbulence is normal, moderate turbulence is not uncommon, and feeling the plane sink or rise during a bank is also normal. I also now know the difference between a bad "thunk" and a good one (such as when the landing gear goes down).
Hey I know I've written a dissertation here, but I hope this will help you. I spot planes almost every day now...
BTW, we get *lots* of MD-80s here in Cleveland, OH, and I haven't seen one go down yet
Also, remember that the MD-80s are direct descendants of the DC-9 which has the highest angle of attack for takeoff of any plane, and some of the best takeoff performance in terms of feet per second. So, you're in for a "rocket" takeoff. Think of it as the reverse of a rollercoaster! Enjoy!
Cheers,
redngold