How To Get Rid Of The Fear Of Flying

Aerophobia means fear of flying. It can take many different forms, but in the majority of cases it means that a person cannot travel. In this article, we talk about ways to get rid of the fear of flying.

Fear of flying: symptoms and causes

The fear of traveling by plane is more common than one might think: one in three passengers suffers from it. For this reason, many airlines offer courses (several free) to help people get rid of the fear of flying. This phobia can be a mere fear of flying (fear of flying an airplane) or it can be mixed with other phobias such as claustrophobia (the fear of a narrow place) or acrophobia (the fear of a high place).

Fear of flying gets more attention than other phobias due to its consequences. Many people with a fear of flying are unable to travel (if they have to fly there), visit relatives living in other countries or continents, or go on business trips, which is an obstacle to career advancement.

While flying is the safest form of travel, the problem for those with severe fear of flying is uncertainty about what might happen during takeoff, flight, or landing.

Anxiety is compounded by the fact that they are in the air.

Those who are afraid of flying may be afraid of e.g. the following things:

• “The machine falls”
• “I get a panic attack”
• “Can’t get out of the machine”
• “Anxious in tight places”
• “There is turbulence and strange noises during the trip”
• “I can’t get help if I have a heart attack”
• “We fly over water and at night”
• “The situation is not under my control”

Previous trauma can also cause fear of flying

Fear of flying may develop, for example, as a result of a person’s acquaintance or family member dying in an accident, there was a lot of turbulence or an emergency landing during the first flight experience, or the person has seen movies about plane crashes.

The media can also trigger a fear of flying by reporting on air accidents and the number of victims in a shocking way and just as if a plane crash were not just an isolated incident.

How to get rid of the fear of flying

People with this phobia, and especially if it prevents them from traveling to other countries, should seek therapy to get rid of the fear of flying. Some useful methods for expelling a fear of flying may include the following.

1. Get to know the planes

You do not need to be a flight captain or flight attendant to understand the operation of an aircraft.

Get to know the functions of the aircraft during take-off, landing and flight, what safety measures you can take in advance, what to consider during the flight, how many inspections the aircraft must go through before departure, etc. It can also be useful to know the operation of wings and other parts.

The aircraft are constantly undergoing inspections and maintenance. Before the machine takes off, everything must be in perfect condition. For every hour in the air, the machine must go through 11 hours of maintenance to ensure everything is working properly.

2. Compare aviation safety

It is true that in the event of a plane crash, most passengers die. But plane crashes are less likely to happen than car accidents.

See the stats for peace of mind. Although the news sometimes shows plane crashes, the media presents them in a light as if they were something other than unusual.

3. Prepare for normal machine movements

In many cases, the fear of flying is due to the fear of the unknown. What happens when there is turbulence? What happens during the ascent? Why do passengers have to wear seat belts?

When you start to feel insecure, we automatically think something bad is going to happen. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

For example, you should prepare for the following opportunities:

• Use earplugs (for changes in cabin pressure)
• Empty sensation in the abdomen (the plane accelerates quickly during take-off)
• Familiarize yourself with movements due to machine wings (changes of direction or wind)

4. Don’t worry about turbulence

You may consider turbulence to be the worst part of a flight, but in reality it is very common.

• If the flight takes more than 6 hours, at some point the plane will throw a little more.
• Turbulence occurs when the machine flies through a low pressure area and moves to a high pressure area. It’s similar to driving a car on a bumpy road.
• Passengers are asked to fasten their seat belts for safety reasons.

5. Control your anxiety

You have to understand that the flight is not up to you. So you don’t have to worry about someone who is out of your control.

You can practice relaxation or breathing techniques  before taking off or during a flight.

Imagine the destination in your mind, what you will see and who you will meet. Watch movies, read a book, listen to music, solve sudoku puzzles, or chat with the person sitting next to you during the trip. That way you don’t pay so much attention to flying.