Flying fears are not far from minds of the Gators.(The Orlando Sentinel)

GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ Shortly before 7 on Friday night, 45 members of the University of Florida basketball family will walk onto a tarmac at Gainesville Regional Airport and board a small jet chartered for Athens, Ga.

"I will say a prayer before we leave the ground," Florida senior forward Major Parker said, "and when we land, I will thank God for allowing us to."

The road trip to Georgia will be Florida's first since a plane carrying two Oklahoma State basketball players, six staff members and two pilots crashed Saturday night, killing all 10. The 11-seat King Air turboprop was headed from Boulder, Colo., to Stillwater, Okla., but the plane crashed in the snow 20 miles south of Denver.

"You can't help but think about it," Florida junior guard Teddy Dupay said. "Every time you get on a plane, you have some doubts."

At least three Southeastern Conference teams_Arkansas, Auburn and Georgia_have traveled in a manner similar to Oklahoma State, using three or four small planes for a trip. Florida typically travels on a 50-seater arranged for by the University Athletic Association.

"I feel confident that the UAA is putting us in a safe situation," UF Coach Billy Donovan said. "It's not to say that something couldn't happen to one of our planes, God forbid. It's a scary thought."

Greg McGarity, Florida associate athletic director, said he feels much more comfortable having teams travel on one plane. The university owns two small King Air planes_seating six and eight passengers_and they are used by the athletic department for recruiting visits or meetings such as SEC football and basketball media days. Occasionally, Florida's golf or tennis teams use the planes.