{"id":36740,"date":"2019-05-27T06:58:19","date_gmt":"2019-05-27T13:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/?p=36740"},"modified":"2025-08-25T23:00:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T06:00:37","slug":"fear-of-flying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/fear-of-flying\/","title":{"rendered":"11 WAYS TO COMBAT YOUR FEAR OF FLYING, ACCORDING TO A PILOT"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you have a fear of flying? As a former pilot and airline employee, I\u2019ve taken thousands of flights during my lifetime. I love flying. For me there\u2019s nothing more exhilarating than being thrown back into my seat as the engines roar into action and the plane accelerates down the runway, lifting gracefully into the air like a bird.<\/p>\n

However, I understand that not everyone shares the same love for flying as I do. Simply reading the last paragraph could be enough to send you into a mild anxiety attack if you have a fear of flying. The good news is, you\u2019re not alone. Approximately 43% of the travelling public experience some level of nervousness when flying.<\/p>\n

\"11<\/p>\n

FEAR OF FLYING IS COMMON<\/h3>\n

This is exactly how my friend Becky, founder of We Are Travel Girls, feels about flying. Yes, even someone like Becky, who travels for a living, whose father is a Pilot and mother is a former Flight Attendant, can still have a fear of flying. Every. Single. Time.<\/p>\n

I recently flew with Becky to Morocco and while I would normally be enjoying every moment of take-off, sitting back with my headphones on and going into my happy place, Becky on the other hand, was quietly freaking out next to me! Each time the plane\u2019s engine sounds changed, Becky would glare at me with a frightened look on her face and ask \u201cWhat was that sound? Is that normal? Why did the engines just slow down? Are we falling out of the sky?\u201d<\/p>\n

If this sounds like you, then read on to learn some expert tips on combating your fear of flying from someone whose piloted hundreds of flights, to help you to best deal with the sometimes scary, but completely normal bumps and sounds onboard your next flight.<\/p>\n

Related Post: <\/strong>How To Overcome A Fear Of Flying by Becky van Dijk<\/a><\/div>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO GET A SEAT UP THE FRONT OF THE PLANE <\/h3>\n

Think of a plane like a seesaw. If the plane is being controlled from the front, any small movement made from the front is felt with much greater emphasis down the back. The full effects of turning, landing and any other bumps are worst felt behind the aircraft\u2019s centre of gravity. This is generally behind the wings or undercarriage.<\/p>\n

In other words, if you\u2019re sitting in the back of the plane, normal aircraft movements feel a lot more intense than when you\u2019re sitting up the pointy end. Especially if you\u2019re flying on a long-haul aircraft (the big planes with two aisles). I highly recommend doing whatever you can to get a seat up the front of the plane.<\/p>\n

Now most of us probably can\u2019t afford to buy a First or Business Class ticket, but obviously, this is the best spot sit in the plane. And not just because you\u2019re a nervous flyer. However, if you\u2019re stuck in Economy, be aware that airlines usually reserve the seats at the front of the Economy cabin for their frequent flyers, so this is just one of many good reasons to consider becoming loyal to a particular airline<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"we<\/a><\/p>\n

Most airlines nowadays have the ability to manage your flight online. As soon as you book, I recommend logging onto your airline’s website and reserve a seat as close to the front as possible. If you can\u2019t pre-reserve your seat, be sure to get online as soon as the flight opens for online check-in (usually 24-48 hours before) to nab a front seat before everyone else beats you to it.<\/p>\n

If all else fails, you can always try begging the check-in agent to move you somewhere up the front, but if the flight is full, it\u2019s likely that most of the front seats will already be assigned to other passengers by the time check-in opens. Use this option as a last resort!<\/p>\n

\"First<\/p>\n

Pay Less, Travel More eBook<\/h2>

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DISTRACT YOURSELF FROM YOUR FEAR OF FLYING<\/h3>\n

When Becky and I recently flew together, I was battling a bout of food poisoning and even though I was struggling to keep my food down, I was determined not to miss our flight to Morocco. During taxi, I wasn\u2019t feeling good and as soon as the plane lifted off the ground, I had to quickly reach for the comfort bag. Before we knew it, we were at cruise altitude and Becky didn\u2019t even have time to get anxious about all the bumps, turns and noises because she was too busy taking care of me.<\/p>\n

Now I\u2019m not suggesting that you try to find yourself a sick person to fly with… but any kind of distraction can help to divert your attention away from what\u2019s going on around you. Nothing makes you more anxious than constantly thinking about the thing you\u2019re anxious about.<\/p>\n

Perhaps it\u2019s a matter of putting on your headphones (noise-cancelling are best), listening to a meditation app or podcast, allowing your favourite music take you into a happy place, or reading a good book, or even having a chat with the person next to you. Whatever it may be, I recommend finding the thing that helps to distract you during the worst times of the flight to help with your fear of flying.<\/p>\n

\"Flying<\/p>\n

BOOK AN EARLY MORNING FLIGHT<\/h3>\n

As pilots, we love flying in the morning because the weather is almost always better \u2013 which means less work (flying around poor weather usually requires more concentration). As a nervous flyer, you\u2019ll probably prefer it also, as morning flights are generally much smoother.<\/p>\n

In the morning, the air is still cool from the night before and the earth hasn\u2019t yet had time to warm up. As the sun rises, the air near the earth\u2019s surface warms up and rises to mix with the cooler air above. This \u2018mixing\u2019 of air causes convection turbulence resulting in the \u2018bumps\u2019 you feel during a flight. The bumps are much less intense when the outside air temperature is cooler.<\/p>\n

For this same reason, flying in the tropics can usually result in more moderate turbulence than in cooler climates. You could try to avoid flying in tropical regions, however, there are other types of turbulence that affect an aircraft, such as a jetstream or flying around mountainous regions, so you\u2019re never going to be able to avoid turbulence completely. And would you really want to avoid going on a tropical beach vacation just to dodge the turbulence on the way there? Probably not.<\/p>\n

\"11<\/p>\n

REMEMBER THAT TURBULENCE IS ACTUALLY NORMAL, AND IT IS VERY SAFE <\/h3>\n

No plane has fallen out of the sky as a result of turbulence. Ever!<\/p>\n

While a sudden drop during the flight can be a little startling, especially for someone with a fear of flying, it is actually very common, 100% completely normal and poses no danger to an aircraft, regardless of severity. There is usually no struggle on the pilot’s end to control an aircraft when flying through turbulence. In fact, aircraft are so well designed to handle turbulence, they will generally continue to fly on auto-pilot the entire time.<\/p>\n

Also, aircraft are built with enough strength to withstand twice the amount of the most intense aircraft turbulence ever recorded. And the wings are bend tested to such a point where it\u2019s almost impossible for them to \u2018fall off\u2019. Don\u2019t worry \u2013 planes are built to last!<\/p>\n

\"Comfort<\/p>\n

LET THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A FEAR OF FLYING<\/h3>\n

Guess what? You\u2019re not the only person out there who are quietly freaking out onboard a flight. The flight attendants have probably dealt with hundreds or thousands of nervous flyers during their career. And unless you\u2019re really good a hiding it, they probably already picked up on your darting eyes, elevated mood and sweaty palms during boarding.<\/p>\n

It never hurts to have a quick chat with a flight attendant to let them know about your fear of flying. While flight attendants are not allowed to hand out any medication, even the over-the-counter stuff, they can certainly keep an eye on you. Their job is to take care of you.<\/p>\n

Often if something happens during the flight, or it\u2019s a particularly bumpy ride, the flight attendants will probably come and check on you to make sure you\u2019re doing okay. Sometimes this can be reassuring, especially if you\u2019re flying solo.<\/p>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

TRUST THE PILOT<\/h3>\n

Airline pilots train for years before they get to be in control of an aircraft that carries hundreds of passengers. Airlines know that the pilot is the most important person in ensuring an aircraft is flown safely. That\u2019s why they invest a lot of money in training their pilots before they are put in charge of an aircraft.<\/p>\n

Most airlines would go broke after a major catastrophe. It\u2019s in their best interest to put a huge emphasis on flight safety. Not to mention that airlines are also very<\/strong> heavily regulated by government and international bodies.<\/p>\n

When I was working for an airline, our pilots would undergo checks every 3-6 months and conduct training in a simulator every other month. Most of their simulator training involves going through every type of emergency situation possible, in a safe environment. And we did this religiously!<\/p>\n

Although emergency situations are very rare in a plane, when they do happen, the pilots are very well trained in how to deal with them. I know it\u2019s hard to do if you have a fear of flying but try to trust that your pilots know what they\u2019re doing!<\/p>\n

\"11<\/p>\n

IF YOU HAVE A FEAR OF FLYING, DON’T WATCH AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS!<\/h3>\n

Seriously, what\u2019s the point. Are you trying to torment yourself?<\/p>\n

The reason why shows like this exist is to provide drama and entertainment. They are ridiculously embellished stories with re-enactments added for dramatic effect. When in fact, many of the accidents that have occurred throughout history have paved the way for changes within the industry. Quite often, safety measures have been put in place to minimize the risk of these accidents ever occurring again.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a nervous flyer, you\u2019re probably very interested in these shows and might think that watching them will help calm your anxiety, but it can actually have a negative effect on your mental state.<\/p>\n

The same goes for reading about aircraft incidents in the news. Don\u2019t allow yourself to scrutinize over fear-mongering headlines like \u201cAircraft Forced to Make Emergency Landing at Dallas Airport\u201d that are designed to catch your attention.<\/p>\n

As a pilot I can guarantee, of the hundreds of news articles I\u2019ve read about aircraft incidents, the majority of the journalists get the facts completely wrong. They are not experts on flying planes! And they never write articles about the hundreds of thousands of flights that land safely without incident on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

\"Samsonite<\/p>\n

PICK AN AIRLINE WITH A GOOD SAFETY RATING<\/h3>\n

Not all airlines are created equal. Some are better than others. In Australia, our airlines have a near perfect safety record \u2013 with Qantas holding the long-standing record for the airline with the best safety record in the world. Just ask Rain Man. They have never had a fatality or lost an aircraft.<\/p>\n

But for anyone living outside Australia, choosing to fly on Qantas is probably not an option. The good news is, there are plenty of other airlines around the world with great safety records also. Here are some tips for picking a good one.<\/p>\n