Am I wrong for not letting my 8 yr old fly...ALONE?  

I wouldn't. Right now my daughter is only 4. But the 1st time I flew alone I was 14. And nowadays even that may not be safe. PEOPLE are crazy, I agree with you. Probably isn't good enough. Sorry. You'd have to give me a definetly with 100% Mom satisfaction guarantee. Why don't you see if you all can compromise. Meet 1/2 way. That seems fair to me.

At that age I would not put my child on a plain by herself. That is just me. I have a friend that has been doing that with her son for a few years and he is now 10. It just depends on the parent.
As for who would take care of her that would be the job of the stewdess. She would take care of her throughout the flight.

Of course your not wrong. Dad is being a little selfish and only thinking about himself. He needs to keep his little girl in mind and put out of his mind that the drive is too long. The drive may be long but it should be well worth it for him so he can see her. If he wants her to take a plane instead than he should fly there to get her and than fly back with her. It would be different if your daughter was a teenager and could take care of herself. I know if i was 8 years old and on a plane alone I would be frightened. I think it's absurd that your ex would even suggest this. I think a court would agree as well. ANd you are not being over protective, any parent who has a shred of common sense would think that the whole idea of an 8 year old, by herself on a plane is just crazy.. hopefully your ex will come to his senses and see it how you see it

I don't think you are crazy... but i think your husband is definitely crazy... an 8 year old travelling alone in a plane is a no no for all families... maybe if she is like a teenager and can handle herself independently then let... but for now, the 4 hour drive will do... don't listen to your husband... follow what your motherly instinct says... or better yet why not just ask him to go to your daughter instead...

My son will be 9 soon and there is no way that I would let him fly alone. People who allow their young kids to do so are crazy! I can just imagine how panicked he would be if something were to happen.

ok, so i read all of your post and I can understand the fear and anxiety of putting a child alone on a plane.
My daughter will be 12 years old this year. She has been flying unaccompanied for the passed 6 years on average 3 times per year.
She enjoys it very much because of all the attention from the staff that she gets. Yes I do adore my child and would die if anything happened but at this point. I cant deny her a trip to her father. He lives in Colorado. In the passed 7 years we have lived in Georgia, Texas and in Kentucky now. The cost is the main thing. I can definitely say there are some airlines that handle the ua (unaccompanied minors) better than others. Delta.. sucks. They are rude to the parents and to the kids. Do not allow her to fly delta.. I seriously thought I was going to kill the chick when I picked up my child. 2. American Airlines... they are always friendly, helpful, respectful and understanding of my fears. They are comforting to my daughter and this is the one she flies. Do I think that I am irresponsible in allowing her to fly alone.. no. However sometimes life gives you situations that you can not control. So you have to make the best of a bad one and sometimes you do have to do things you wish you did not have to.
If it is something you can not feel comfortable with and it is not absolutely necessary than dont do it. If it is something you would like to test. See how she feels. You know your child better than anyone. Is she mature enough for it. But look at it from her point.. not from a mom point of view. Sorry hope this helps.

I work at a major airport, so here is my advice. Is it a direct flight? If so, list her as an unaccompanied minor. It might cost a little extra (make him pay it), but you can walk her to the gate, per TSA guidelines. An airline employee will meet you there and take her onto the plane. At her destination, an airline employee will take her off and check the id of the person picking her up, who will be allowed to the gate to meet her. I would let my kids fly under those circumstances. HOWEVER - if there is a connection or plane change, then under no circumstances would I let my kid fly. You're depending on a stranger to escort your daughter through an airport. I have worked too many cases of 'escorted' passengers that have been lost by airline employees. Direct flight, yes. Plane change or layover - no way!

I don't think you are wrong at all. I wouldn't let my daughter go even if she was twelve. That is your baby, your precious cargo, and you are right, if god forbid something were to happen the first thing on your mind if you were ther would of course be her, even before yourself. No one other than yourself has that, its a motherly instinct to protect their children..
Besides you would probably make yourself ill with worry about it...

I know a lot of parents do this kind of thing with their kids, leaving it up to the airline stewardess to watch over them. But who cares what they do; your right it won't be your child! Father dear is not thinking clearly or he is so focused on what is best for him he is forgetting what is best for his little girl! Maybe all you need to do is remind him of the horrors your little girl could face alone on an airplane. Did he not see the news last week when a women was molested. h here is one more to the point...http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=3637 ,,,, this are the situaions that can so easily and quickly happen. We do not take chances with our childs life if we can help it.

No you are not wrong, you are very correct and sensible. You see anything can happen anytime so why risk something that is invaluable to you? If suppose you had a vary valuable and costly gemstone or something like that, would you ever let it lose, open, among strangers? So why your daughter specially when human life and dignity is indispensable & invaluable? And (God forbid) if something does ever happen the loss will be yours all the more coz you are the mother. So cling on to your princess till you are absolutely sure that she can take care of herself reallly well and dont lend a ear to who says what.