Tips For Overcoming Fear Of Flying

Aerophobia  is the fear of flying. This phobia can take a number of different forms. But in most cases it means that you are not able to travel by plane. We give you some tips for overcoming fear of flying.

In this article we tell you more about what exactly is a fear of flying. We also show you how to treat it.

The Symptoms and Causes of Fear of Flying

The fear of traveling by plane is more common than you might think. One in three passengers has a fear of flying.

That is why many airlines have developed courses (with many airlines they are free). The idea is for people to confront their fears and overcome their phobias. Finally, you may have a phobia of flying (in an airplane) or a combination of other phobias such as claustrophobia (the fear of enclosed spaces) or acrophobia (fear of heights). These courses will help you overcome fear of flying.

Fear of flying gets more attention than any other form of fear. That has to do with its consequences.

Because many people with a fear of flying do not go on holiday to places where they have to travel far (this is about places that they cannot reach by land or sea). So they cannot visit their relatives who live in another country or continent. These people also cannot undertake business trips. This sometimes means that they are not making progress in their professional career.

Air transport is the safest mode of travel.  The problem that people with a severe fear of flying have is that they are not sure about what might happen during takeoff, flight and landing.

The fact that they don’t have their ‘both feet off the ground’ increases the anxiety.

People with a fear of flying face different types of anxiety:

• “The plane will crash.”
• “I will have a panic attack.”
• “I’m not going to get off the plane.”
• “There will be turbulence and strange noises.”
• “I am going to experience a claustrophobic feeling.”
• “They won’t be able to help me if I have a heart attack.”
• “I will fly over water or during the night.”
• “I won’t have any control over the situation.”

Past trauma can also cause fear of flying 

For example, you can develop this phobia if you know someone or a family member who has died in an accident. Or maybe there was a lot of turbulence or the plane had to make an emergency landing when you took the plane for the first time. You may have seen some movies about plane crashes.

The media can also provoke a fear of flying. News reports often show plane crashes. They also mention the number of victims in a shocking way. In addition, they do not show that it is an isolated incident.

Tips for overcoming fear of flying

Fear of flying can prevent people from traveling to distant places. Those people should seek a therapy that will help them overcome the fear of flying.

These are some methods that can be a great help in overcoming fear of flying.

1. Gathering knowledge about aircraft

You don’t have to be a pilot or flight attendant to understand how an airplane works.

Learn how takeoff and landing works. Find out what happens during the flight. Also learn which safety measures you can take in advance. What should you take into account during the flight? How many checkpoints does a plane have to pass before it takes off, and so on?

It can also be useful to check how the wings and all other parts of the aircraft function.

Aircraft are also constantly checked and maintained. Because before the pilot takes off, everything has to be in perfect condition.

In addition, for every hour that it is in the air, an aircraft must undergo an 11-hour maintenance. This is done to ensure that everything is working properly.

2. Comparing aviation safety to driving a car

It is true that most passengers die in a plane crash. But you are less likely to have a plane crash than a car crash.

Look up stats to calm your nerves. We may see on the news several cases where a plane has crashed. But the media definitely portrays them as common occurrences rather than something exceptional.

3. Prepare yourself for the normal movements of an airplane 

In many cases, fear of flying is caused by things we don’t know.

What happens in turbulence? What happens during takeoff? Why do they ask us to fasten seat belts?

When our sense of security changes, we automatically think that something bad is going to happen. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case.

You can prepare for the following things:

• Wear earplugs (against the change in cabin pressure)

• You may experience an empty feeling in your stomach (because the plane is moving very fast just before takeoff)
• You feel the wings of the plane move (to change direction or to compensate for crosswinds)

4. Don’t worry about turbulence

You may think turbulence is the worst part of the flight. But actually this is quite common.

• If you travel for more than 6 hours, the plane will move a little more at some point.
• This happens when the aircraft flies through a low pressure area and then passes through a high pressure area. You can compare it to driving on a bumpy road or on a road full of holes.
• For safety reasons, passengers are sometimes asked to fasten their seat belts.

5. Control Your Anxiety Feelings

You must realize that the flight does not depend on you. This means you don’t have to worry about anything that is out of your control.

You can do relaxation exercises or breathing exercises in the moments before take-off or during the flight.

Think about the place you are going. Imagine the places and the people you will see when you get there. Watch movies, read a book, listen to music, play sudoku or talk to the person sitting next to you.

That way, you won’t pay as much attention to what’s going on around you.