Fear of flying Dear friends and followers, welcome back to
my channel.
Today we'll be talking about a less technical subject and rather address a very common problem
that concerns at least one out of five passengers: The fear of flying!
This fear often comes with emotional effects such a phobias like claustrophobia or the
fear of losing control.
In this video I want give you a tips on how to overcome aviophobia, the fear of flying.
I'll teach you some techniques to enjoy the by far safest and fastest method of traveling:
flying!
To all my nervous flyers out there, pen and notebook for this one please, and let‘s
get started.
So here are 12 helpful steps in no particular order to reduce your fear of flying or to
at least make it a little easier for you to step into an aeroplane.
1.
Bring distraction The first thing you should consider, if entering
a plane makes you nervous is to bring some kind of distraction.
A good book or a few magazines for yourself to read whilst traveling.
Make sure to download your favorite movies and shows to your tablet or laptop in advance.
The flight will be over in no time!
2.
Don't fly alone Bring a friend or a family member, if you
can.
It will give you immediate comfort to look at a familiar face and to talk to a person
you know.
After all, most things become less scary if you're not alone to face your fear.
Have your own little family or friend „task force“ with you to calm you down.
3.
Sit in the front part of the aircraft Since your flight starts the moment you book
your ticket, it's important to choose your seat wisely.
Although pilots will do everything they can to actively avoid turbulence, the front part
of the plane is less prone to get shaken back and forth than the aft part of the plane.
The seats situated over the wings are also a good choice , so you could book these too,
but not the ones next to the emergency exits.
Getting instructions by the cabin crew on how to open the overwing exits in case of
an emergency won‘t calm your nerves for sure.
Therefore, make sure to get a seat that's situated in the front part of the plane to
enjoy a smoother flight in case of turbulence.
4.
Prevent motion sickness However, the fear of flying isn't the only
problem for some.
Just like people who start to feel unwell when riding a bus, motion sickness can occur
on a flight as well.
This happens due to mismatching signals your brain receives.
While your eyes see the interior of the plane which looks as if it’s not not moving, a
part of your ear called 'vestibular system' registers movement as you fly through the
air.
In order to avoid these opposing information, you should ask for a window seat.
That way you can make sure that your eyes will give your brain the exact same message
as your ears do.
You think you don’t get motion sickness, get on a fun fare ride with your eyes closed.
Good luck with that!
5.
Anti-fear training Another technique that might sound funny at
first is to pinch yourself in the back of your hand.
This technique is also used by psychologists and can be learned very easily.
In fact, you can start practicing it right now: I want you to close your eyes and think
about a situation that makes you feel really good.
Think about your partner, your kids, your last vacation, your graduation, it can really
be any kind of event that you enjoyed.
Picture it in front of your eyes and then gently pinch the skin of your hand between
two fingers.
I admit, it will take some practice, but after a certain time, your brain will link this
mild physical pain with happiness.
This is a great technique because it can help you go through any fearful situations.
Now you only need to pinch your skin like you always did, and it will make you automatically
happier.
6.
Positive thoughts Point number six is to gather positive information.
Therefore I don’t recommend binge watching air crash investigation reports the evening
before your flight.
You don’t watch a car crash compilation just before going on a road trip, do you?
You should rather ask yourself the following questions: What type of aircraft will we be
flying with?
What route are we going to fly?
Take a look at the map and draw a line between your departure and your destination airport.
By doing so you'll know approximately where you're going.
(If you want to know the route more in detail check in on flightradar24.)
Not only will this be reassuring, it's also interesting it keeps your mind of other things!
7.
Achieve small goals step by step Divide and conquer.
First try to fly shorter distances; fly from one city to another or choose holiday destinations
that aren't that far away.
I'll give you an example: Let’s say you're living in Munich and you plan to go see the
capital of Bella Italia, Rome.
A direct flight would only take you about an hour and a half.
After that trip you want to step it up a bit and go for beach holiday.
You could them try and fly to Mallorca, with a flight time of only two hours.
Two hours might sound like a lot for now, but if you follow my first advice and bring
a book or a movie, the time will pass very quickly.
After a few of these shorter flights you'll get more and more comfortable with the plane’s
environment, gain confidence when it comes to flying and you might be able to visit a
destination that's even further away.
This is a good way to face your fears step by step.
There is no need to rush.
Give yourself time.
And speaking of rushing brings me nicely to point 8.
8.
Travel stress-free Many airports give you the possibility to
check-in your baggage the day before your flight.
Use that opportunity to reduce your overall stress level on day of your flight, so you'll
have less to worry about.
Make sure to arrive early the next day, eat something, go to the bathroom, walk through
the shops at the airport.
Set an alarm on your phone so you know when to get to your gate on time.
In case you're traveling further and there's no direct flight, only book connections with
at least one hour in between the two flights.
Chasing your luggage and racing through airport terminals is not what you want as a nervous
flyer.
9.
Speak to the crew When entering the plane, talk to the cabin
crew about your issues with flying.
They are well trained to handle all kinds of situations including passengers with Aviophobia.
They will keep an eye on you throughout the flight and will check on you every now and
then.
If time permits, you might get to talk to the pilots as well.
In most cases you can ask them everything and they'll be happy to make your flight experience
more enjoyable.
Just a heads up from me as a pilot, if you want to speak to the pilots, be among the
first passengers who board the plane, so the pilots have time to talk to you during boarding.
Don‘t come in last and expect the pilots to have time for you.
Once boarding is completed it‘s go time!
Unless the pilot makes an announcement that the flight is delayed for an hour, then you
may ask the flight attendant if you could nip into the cockpit for a calming chat.
Or you can call me!
I’m not kidding.
Use the link in the description box below to schedule a zoom call with me.
I’ll make the time to answer all your technical questions, sounds you’ve heard that worry
you, are turbulence dangerous, etc.
I’ll be more than happy to enlighten you and calm your nerves!
10.
Sedatives A last resort for people who really experience
flying to be torture but have to fly for work occasionally or for holidays once a year with
their family, should consider seeing a doctor to get a prescription for sedatives.
However, this can't be a solution in the long run and should only be considered in case
can't do anything else.
While doing research for this video I came across many people that said, 'Just get drunk
before flying.'
Some real wise kids out there!
That’s the last thing you want to do.
Do not drink excessive amounts of alcohol before getting on an airplane.
It will not help!
Once the alcohol slowly wears off, you become an emotional „plane“ wreck, with mixed
feelings of fear, anxiety and sadness.
All the emotions a flight attendant and your surrounding passengers don‘t want you to
express!
You could become the nervous flyer that turned „unruly passenger“ during flight.
That headline writes itself!
11.
Aviophobia courses by airlines A much better solution that can help you for
future flight is to participate in a flight seminar about fear of flying.
Such courses are held by most major airlines.
So you'll find one near your location for sure.
Many of them claim they have a success rate of more than 90%.
I can promise you they will go through all the steps I‘ve just mentioned, often followed
by some guidance of a psychologist and a flight to practice all the mentioned methods.
And last but not least for number 12: Watch my Videos
On this channel you can find a lot videos that cover almost every topic related to flying.
From technical videos to cockpit recordings on how pilots perform certain procedures.
If you watch the technical videos you’ll get a better understanding for the plane and
all it’s redundant backup systems.
Feel free to watch them to gather valuable information prior your next flight.
Still unsure and worried, as I said before, book a zoom call with me!
Link is in the description!
That's it for today, thank you very much for your time.
I hope that my given tips are helpful for you and calm your nerves a little prior your
next flight!
Here is your checklist for today, subscribe to my channel, check, activate the notification
bell, check, follow my Instagram account, check, perform a touch and go at my website,
check.
And don't forget "a good pilot is always learning", wishing you all the best!
Your captain Joe