10 Tips on How to Deal With Your Fear of Flying

If you're traveling any distance at all, flying can be your fastest, safest, most convenient and economical transportation choice. Nearly 3 million passengers worldwide fly every day. With very low airfares from widely available airline ticket discounts, more and more people are deciding to take to the skies.

Since 9/11, air travel has been a little more stressful, but there have been many improvements to the air transport system. If you are smart about your travel planning, chances are you will have a hassle-free, affordable and enjoyable experience.

If you find yourself a little nervous about flying, there are many helpful resources available. Treatment methods available include virtual reality sessions, private therapy, classroom study, books and tapes. There is also an online program created by an airline pilot. If you have the jitters when planning your flight it might be worth a try to visit the free online course. It can answer your questions about weather, turbulence, flying over water, claustrophobia, losing control (panic attacks), terrorism, etc.

Turbulence

It is normal to be concerned about turbulence; many people are, though even strong turbulence is harmless. For the most part, flying is very smooth. After all, you are riding on air! But the air can get disturbed and create a little bit of a bumpy ride.

Causes of Turbulence

It is normal to be concerned about turbulence, many people are. Even strong turbulence is quite harmless.

Wind flowing over obstacles such as mountains can cause turbulence. It's like water flowing in a river creating small eddies. A common wintertime turbulence occurrence is called "mountain wave". This is produced downwind of a mountain range when the jet stream is at a lower altitude. The air mass in the mountain wave will flow up and down a little bit like sea swells (no, it won't make you "seasick"!). This can cause turbulence and is typical east of the Rocky Mountains. Weather forecasters are very good at predicting this type of turbulence because they can easily track the location of the jet stream. Airliners may change the cruising altitude to minimize its affects.

Turbulence can also be caused by shifting wind currents in the sky. When you transition from one wind current to another current, such as crossing a warm or cold weather front, the air can get stirred up. Airplanes flying through these areas of transition will normally experience some turbulence.

One of the more common types of turbulence is caused by "convective" heating. As the sun warms the ground, the hot air rises and makes the air have a "bumpy" feeling. You may see evidence of this by small puffy shaped clouds. This type of turbulence is normally limited to lower altitudes.

You might feel "convective" turbulence for a short while after takeoff or before landing on hot sunny afternoons. It poses no danger and is rarely classified as anything but light or mild turbulence. Birds such as hawks and eagles use this rising energy of hot air to soar above fields. This way, they avoid having to flap their wings while searching for prey.

There are many sources of information about turbulence available to pilots. They get information from the National Weather Service, company dispatchers from ATC, other aircraft and from their own observations of sky and cloud formations.

Car vs. Airplane Turbulence

Have you ever driven fast over a bump in the road which caused you to come up off of your seat? It feels fairly violent, and the jolt would certainly spill any drinks you were holding. How large of a bump does it take to do this? Maybe a one or two foot bump in the road. Not very big, but it sure feels pretty bad.

Airplane turbulence bad enough to spill drinks and cause you to come up off of your seat is very rare, but even if you do experience it, just remember that the plane is not "falling" hundreds of feet. It just hit a bump a couple of feet high. The altimeters in the cockpit would barely register the bump. So try not to let your imagination get out of hand.

The next time you are driving on a bumpy road, imagine you were on a plane and how bad you would consider the "turbulence". Now take a look at the road. How big are the bumps that create this rough ride? The air is usually very smooth. But sometimes some small ripples can make it feel like "bad" turbulence!

So do like the pilots do - always keep your seat belt fastened while seated. Injuries can result from unexpected turbulence if you don't keep your seat belts fastened. Unfortunately, some flight attendants and passengers have been injured while standing during unexpected encounters with turbulence.

Top Ten Fear of Flying Tips

1. Turbulence may feel uncomfortable, but it is normal.
People often misunderstand turbulence. When encountering it, nervous passengers feel the plane is "falling" out of the sky. It is natural for them to only feel the "down" bumps. But for every "down" there is also an "up" bump. Next time you are driving on a bumpy road, imagine you are a passenger on a plane and how you would consider it to be "bad" turbulence. Now take a look at the road. How big are the bumps on the roadway that create the rough ride? The air is usually very smooth. But sometimes some small ripples can make it feel like "bad" turbulence!

2. The plane is strong, stable, reliable, and well maintained.
The FAA mandates that modern jet aircraft are designed and built with large safety margins. All aircraft and their equipment are built from FAA approved designs and manufactured under FAA approved systems. The planes are thoroughly flight tested before certification by the FAA. Structurally, these aircraft can withstand many times the stresses and forces which can be imposed upon them in flight. Remember, airplanes are MEANT to be in the air. That's where they're happiest!

3. Trust the well trained and experienced crew.
When you board the plane, mention to the flight attendants that sometimes you get a little nervous about flying, and ask if you may visit with the pilots. This is very important! The pilots are happy to have visitors, the flight attendants know this. You might be surprised at how receptive the pilots will be. Ask questions and mention your nervousness, they will understand and reassure you. The pilot's confidence is contagious. Now you have a friend up front who knows and cares about you! But remember, visits to the cockpit can ONLY be made on the ground, not during taxi or in flight. From the FAA Personnel to Air Traffic Controllers, Aircraft Mechanics, and the Flight Crew, there is no industry in the world with better trained, tested, skilled and motivated professionals than the people in the airline industry.

4. Trust the airline industry.
The FAA insures your safe and secure flying experience by monitoring, inspecting, drug testing, and certifying the people who work in safety related areas of aviation. Aviation is "black and white". There are no "maybes". Either it is 100% safe, or it is not done. You may have heard the saying, "Safety is no accident". Each worker takes pride in his or her own work and keeps an eye on others. Because we the importance of our work on the safety of others is widely understood, anything less than perfection is not tolerated.

5. Flying is routine, here's proof.
Many people take comfort in going to the local airport to watch all the planes takeoff and land. After a while you begin to see that the flight operations are indeed routine. Others like to study the ARRIVAL and DEPARTURE monitors in the airport terminal to see just how many flights operate safely. Did you know that nearly 3 million passengers worldwide fly every day?

6. Positive Thinking.
Always try to keep your thoughts in the present. Keep your thoughts positive. When you catch yourself thinking negatively, stop, and concentrate on the positive. Many people dwell on what might happen instead of what is happening. It can be easy to play a "disaster movie" in your mind in which you are the in the starring role! When you catch yourself starting the production of one of these imaginary disaster movies, turn off the projector. Try to occupy your mind with something more constructive, such as reading, doing a puzzle or striking up a conversation.

7. Tense Your Muscles.
Be aware of your body. When you feel muscles that are tense, you can relax them. Instead of fighting the tightness, show your muscles who's boss! You tense your muscles! You take control! Go ahead and tighten your stomach muscles or your leg muscles. Then pause and let go. You will be surprised at how your muscles feel warm and relaxed, and you once again feel in control.

8. Overactive Imagination.
Quite often, people who have a fear of flying also have a strong or overactive imagination. For example, they might hear an unfamiliar noise during the flight, and begin imagining what might be wrong with the plane to cause this noise. Or, they may believe in "signs" or "premonitions" that their plane will crash. For example, they might have a dream, or hear a song on the radio about a plane crash. Odds are, you are not psychic! Remind yourself of this fact, and focus on reality.

9. How to deal with nervous feelings.
When you feel afraid, your breathing quickens and your heart races. To calm yourself, first push your stomach outward. Take a slow, deep breath through your nose. Try to fill your lungs from the bottom up. Pause, and then exhale slowly. Do this a couple of times and you'll feel much better. Practice this controlled breathing whenever you can. Slow, deep breathing is the easiest and most effective method for calming yourself.

10. Even if you feel panicky, it cannot hurt you or cause you to lose control.
Remember that fear is a normal reaction to a perceived threat. Once you learn the threat really isn't dangerous, the fear naturally goes away. Fear itself is not harmful, it is meant to protect us. A panic attack will not make you have a heart attack, faint, or lose control. That is how we are programmed. Fear acts as our defense mechanism. It prepares us to fight or flee.

(Provided by the Fear of Flying Help Course and Fear of Flying Book: Wings of Discovery)