Fear of Flying Help

Do You Have a Fear of Flying?

By Tracy Ann Clarke
Are you:
• Concerned that something may go wrong with the plane?
• Worried about being trapped?
• Worried about not being able to get out?
• Afraid of panicking and “losing it”?

Do you:
• Hate turbulence and the changes in the sounds made by the plane?
• Have problems with not being in control?

Does this sound familiar:
• Wedding this year? Holiday booked in Mexico, but terrified of flying?
• Use air transport for business throughout the year but still get horribly wound up?
• Not seen the family in 2 years, live abroad, but can’t bear the thought of flying?

Fear of flying is usually not a ‘fear of aeroplanes’ but a fear related to a ‘loss of control’.

Flying is known to be the safest form of transport, is a fundamental part of modern life and vital to the travelling public, whether it be business trips or holiday destinations.

The fear of flying is a well-known phenomenon. Statistics show that 500 million people worldwide are afraid to fly! So you are certainly not along.

Individual fears can include heights, turbulence, bad weather, and things happening to the plane, including terrorism, or fears of something happening to the person themselves – worries about claustrophobia, agoraphobia, making a fool of oneself, and having a panic attack are part of this group of fears.

Going on holiday is always a hot topic of conversation, people readily admitting it isn’t exactly their favourite part of a journey. Curiously enough, many of these people simply put up with their problem unaware that fear of flying is a difficulty for which there are a number of effective treatments.

So confront your fears and learn how to focus and control those issues around flying – and enjoy your journey.

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Fear of Flying Help

Fear of Flying from the perspective of a seasoned Fighter Pilot.

I grew up around airplanes, graduated from the Air Force Academy and enjoyed a wonderful 14 years flying fighter jets for the USAF.  I’ve dealt with emergency procedures, near misses, air-to-air combat, ejected from an out of control jet and countless other death defying experiences.  However, one morning sitting on a commercial airplane it hit me. Panic!  There was nothing rational about it.  In my mind I knew it was silly to be afraid of flying, yet my emotions were on a totally different journey.  I experienced increased heart rate, profuse sweating while second guessing the safety of the airplane and proficiency of the pilots. In my jet I was in control, sitting in seat 11C on this commercial airplane, I was not.  Fear of flying is real.  However, it is not about the countless reports concluding air travel is safer than walking or driving.  It is truly about a real emotional fear stemming from not having control.

It is estimated that 1 in 5 people suffer from fear of flying.  The fear of flying is also referred to as Aviophobia and, less commonly, aviatophobia.  The fear of flying is a well-known phenomenon.  Statistics show that 500 million people worldwide are afraid to fly!  So you are certainly not alone.  There are many variables that contribute to fear of flying.  Some of these fears  include heights, turbulence, bad weather, things happening to the plane,  terrorism,  fears of something happening to the person themselves – worries about claustrophobia, agoraphobia, making a fool of oneself, and having a panic.

If you or someone you know suffers from fear of flying, there are some remedies.  Personally, I would avoid any quick fix infomercial or product that claims miraculous results from relaxation techniques for $19.99.  Additionally, do not poison your body with drug upon drug just to endure the flight.  These are all superficial approaches; much like putting a Band-Aid on a serious injury.  You need to discover the root cause of your emotional triggers.  Once you have identified these triggers, you can repair them and have long lasting relief. 

SOAR was founded in 1982 by Captain Tom Bunn, an airline captain and licensed therapist.  He has helped over 5,000 people overcome fear of flying.  It is the only program proven highly effective by independent university research.  Fear of flying treatment from SOAR establishes protection prior to flight that works automatically during flight.

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