After the recent United Airlines turbulence incident and subsequent news coverage, those with a fear of flying (plus those not afraid to fly!) have been wondering about the wisdom of flying. Especially when flying can lead to turbulence that injured 21 people.  A lot of people hate turbulence or fear it, so the email below from Toni is typical of those we received. Capt. Ron’s response follows.

So, I was just reading this CNN article….(dumb, I know).   Someone described: ”The plane kept falling out of the sky suddenly and would pitch left and right at sharp angles….”

Is it possible that it would just continue to fall?  Can a plane crash from turbulence?

Toni,

Unfortunately this is the truth about turbulence:  you must not take it for granted that just because you have never experienced this kind of sudden and unexpected turbulence, that it cannot happen.  ALWAYS keep you seat belt fastened.  Note that while some people were severely injured, the majority of those on the flight (approximately 270)  came through it unscathed.  Contemplate that…

The aircraft will not keep “falling” because it never did fall—the lift changed suddenly over various parts of the wings due to the turbulent air flow that they encountered causing it to be “thrust” upward and downward at a rate greater than what gravity could generate if it was simply “falling.”

“Falling” is a term that unknowledgeable passengers and reporters use to describe something foreign to them in an attempt to explain what they perceived happened.

When something so dramatic like this happens, it traumatizes both the people on board and those who have experienced similar events or been in lesser turbulence and imagined themselves in the position like those on the United plane.

It certainly would be traumatizing to experience what these people experienced.  But, if EVERYONE had been strapped in securely, we would have been reading only about the otherwise frightening turbulence.  And the airplane is designed and built to withstand this dramatic turbulent episode—witness the fact that the airplane came through unscathed except for where the passengers flying through the cabin came in contact with the interior and damaged it.

One of the comments on the article referred to an injured passenger pictured wearing a neck collar. “He’s an idiot. He should have had his seatbelt fastened,” the commenter said.

While that’s true that he should have been belted in, the fact that he was flying along without his seat belt  is similar to the problem we pilots have in remaining vigilant. When you fly frequently—either as a pilot or passenger—and everything remains so routine, one can become complacent about such mundane tasks as keeping one’s seat belt fastened. Then incidents like this due to turbulence can catch one by surprise causing harm and/or serious injury.

To chide someone after-the-fact seems to come from the same school of thought as telling a fearful flyer that “it’s all in his/her head.” I’m probably being overly sensitive because of my awareness of the problem of being afraid to fly and knowing that it IS all in our heads, but a fearful flyer acknowledging this doesn’t mean they are able to automatically get over fear of flying.

Jack Canfield taught me a parenting strategy once.  He said that often when our children misbehave we send them to their rooms instructing them to “think about what they did.” A better parenting choice would be to tell children to think about “what they could have done.”  The latter not only creates a consciousness that alerts them to the fact that their behavior is a choice but also provides them with help in making different choices (assuming we include that as part of the corrective action.)

I choose to believe that reminding someone who went through an experience like this (injured or not) that choosing to remain in their seat with their seat belt fastened as much of the time as possible is a better choice than shaming them for not doing so and will likely produce a positive change in behavior.

So take the lesson offered here so that you don’t become injured.  Know that discomfort due to turbulence will end eventually, and both you and the airplane will land together safely.  If no one had been hurt, in all probability the crew could likely have continued on to their destination.  FYI, the area along the front range of the Rockies where this plane encountered the turbulence can produce some of the most the most troublesome turbulence in the world.

Toni, try to put the CNN coverage in perspective and know that you will neither crash nor experience the kinds of injuries that these people experienced because you will be the SMART flyer who keeps her seat belt on!

Be Well,

Capt Ron

Related posts:

1. Fear of Turbulence and Pilot Announcements
2. Turbulent Flight Causes Injuries
3. Planes and Fear of Flying the Hollywood Way

During a recent layover in Philadelphia, I had an opportunity to step out of my usual place in the cockpit to fly as a passenger on a commuter flight to visit friends in Harrisburg.  Since I am used to piloting an Airbus 319, 320, and 321, this flight in a turboprop took me out of my comfort zone, and I could briefly identify with what it’s like to be a fearful flyer.

The transition from Captain to passenger is truthfully one that many pilots don’t like to make. Like fearful flyers, we aviators don’t like to give up control, but sitting in the back of a turboprop airliner means that I’m not in any kind of control. It has been almost  twenty years since I’ve flown this aircraft type, a De Havilland Dash-8, and, even after visiting the cockpit, it didn’t look all that familiar. By itself, this was quite a shock, and the young pilots flying the airplane looked every bit as young as I remembered being. I am grey, and they are not.

So, after the pilot-greeting event, which is a professional courtesy, I clambered into the the aft-most seat on the right side of the cabin, next to a window smeared with the remnants of that morning’s de-ice fluid application.

There wasn’t much to see as the cabin of the Dash-8 is quite small and not terribly long. (It was positively cavernous to me back in 1990!) The seats were comfortable, if somewhat upright. The airplane was well-maintained and clean for the most part. The overhead storage bins were large enough for a briefcase, but the carry-on rolling luggage that folks use these days all had to be tagged at the airstair door of the airplane and put into the cargo bin, which is aft of the cabin. (Another relinquishment of control.)

After the flight attendant closed and locked the cabin door, the airplane slowly came to life. The turboprop engine on the right side of the airplane began to make this electrical dynamo whine, and that great big propeller began to slowly whosh-whosh-whosh with increasing tempo, spinning up to speed. More engine and propeller noise followed as our Dash-8 trundled off the ramp and onto the taxiways.  I could see very little from my window and lost track of the airplane’s direction as we taxied toward the departure runway. Soon the other engine made the whine-whosh-whosh-whosh noise as it was started, and the wheel brakes made quiet noises of friction as the pilots used them to moderate the airplane speed on the taxiway. Mumbled announcements from the flight attendant could barely be heard. After a turn onto the departure runway, our aircraft made this great buzzing and rushing sound as it took off into the inky black but crystal clear air.

From my vantage point behind the wing, I could see the right main landing gear, a feat of mechanical engineering. Still, it was quite something to watch these doors open under the engine nacelle as the landing gear leg folded into multiple pieces before being drawn up into this impossibly small void under the engine’s tailpipe.  All this would have made a great amount of hydraulic noise, but we couldn’t hear much of it over the roar and buzz of the engines.

The Dash-8 is a good airplane, but it is not a jet airplane. The vibration of the slowly turning propellers provides a safe although not terribly smooth ride. The vibrations caused by the large propellers reminds me of  how fatiguing this airplane had been to fly compared to the airplanes I pilot today.

As we fly westward, our aircraft climbed to cruising altitude, which was probably twelve or fourteen thousand feet, or one-third of the normal cruising altitude of a jet airliner.  After a few brief minutes smoothly cruising, we began our descent for our landing.

The air was almost perfectly smooth, as it often is after sunset, and as we approached Harrisburg, we could feel the airplane slow, and the vibrations changed as the propeller speed changed. The flaps came down, followed by the landing gear, reminding me of a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. More flaps came down, and I could see the dirty smears of hydraulic fluid, engine oil, and the remains of de-icing fluid on most surfaces.  Grey smears over shiny paint–some things never change.

The flight attendant made a brief announcement that nobody could really understand, and a short two or three minutes later, we touched down smoothly onto the runway in Harrisburg, about 40 minutes after the flight began. The fan-like hiss of the propellers going into reverse helped slow the airplane. I watched with mild amusement as red-hot sparks from the metallic brake pads tumbled from the wheel brakes as the pilots braked the airplane down to taxi speed.   Yes, this is completely normal.  In a jet airplane, we sit above all the machinery and get to miss out on these additional amusements!

With more mumbled announcements from the fight attendant, we taxied to the gate area, and the pilots shut down the engines. We welcomed the sudden quiet before the door was opened. The passengers slowly walked off the airplane with a crablike pace and posture. Luggage was being off-loaded at the same time, so the passengers simply grabbed their bags before scurrying across the chilly ramp and up a staircase into the nearly deserted and brightly lit terminal.

What does all this mean for the fearful flyer, other than a pilot’s travelog? To begin with, I’d like to acknowledge and own my own apprehension about being a passenger on such a small craft with only thirty-seven seats. (Even though that was BIG IRON to me back in 1990!)  The smaller turboprop airplanes are not as quiet or a comfortable as the modern jet airliner, of any size. They sound different too, and the cabin comforts are spartan, by comparison to nearly any jet airliner. Flying in an airliner like the Dash-8, you, the fearful flyer, have the added stimulation of watching all the mechanical wizardry of the landing gear and the flaps, and your mind gets to wonder about all the noises that are different, but normal. Definitely more sights, sounds, and sensations to bother a fearful flyer in a turboprop!  However, turboprops are used only for shorter distance, commuter travel.

Some very important things are the same as on the larger aircraft. Perhaps most importantly, the flight crew of a Captain, First Officer and one Flight Attendant are every bit as professional as the flight crews flying jet aircraft. The maintenance is done to the same criterion. The rules we follow and the airspace we fly in are the same, as are the runways we use. I was completely confident of my safety on this flight.

Turboprop commuter airliners are a valuable asset to our transportation system. They do feel different, they are different, but they are still safe to fly on. I hope you overcome your fear of flying so you can enjoy the full benefits of our airline system, on an airliner of any size!

Today’s guest blogger is Capt. Ron’s friend, Capt. John.  He has been flying since 1983 and has logged 20,000 hours. He assists Capt. Ron in the live Phoenix classes when his flying schedule permits.

Related posts:

1. Another Routine Day to Fly
2. Fear of Flying and Flight Attendant TLC
3. Afraid to Fly? Then Meet the Pilots!

Takeoffs, turbulence, thunderstorms…fearful flyers worry about a lot of the same things. This week, Mother Nature delivered a new twist to the fear of flying worry list:  a volcano and volcanic ash from the eruption in Iceland.

Exactly what is the big deal with this big white cloud that has grounded so many passengers? What was it that made flying so bad that 95,000 flights were canceled and 29% of all air travel was affected? And maybe some are wondering whether aviation officials are just being a little silly–it’s only a cloud and planes fly through clouds every day.

No question that flying in a region of volcanic ash can be hazardous. This is for a variety of reasons.  The most obvious is that ash has a pumice-like quality. As such, it is very abrasive and can cause excessive wear on the engine parts—specifically the compressor blades (“cold” or front section of the engine) or the turbine (“hot” section where the combustion takes place). This can in turn change the properties of the airflow through the engine from its original design.  The worst case scenario would be to reduce performance and thrust and possibly even flame out. Other collateral damage can be the clogging of sensors both inside the engine and on the exterior of the airplane that feed into the computers.

This volcano in Iceland has been particularly problematic in that its location combined with upper air winds caused it to “clog” the North Atlantic air routes and hover over Western Europe, one of the most heavily traveled parts of the world. In addition, the ash cloud seemed to “hover” over Europe rather than be transitory at altitudes between 20,000 and 35,000 feet, which are the prime altitudes of turbojet airplanes.

Why can’t the airplanes fly above or below the ash?  Because flying above would require flying through it on ascent and descent.  Flying below would result in an inordinately high fuel consumption and significantly reduce the payload in favor of carrying more fuel.

Concern about airline management pressing to resume operations to salvage the “bottom line” would be valid were it left to them alone for the decision to allow airplanes to resume their operations.  But as is the case with so many aspects of airline operations, the airline industry is  highly regulated, and the decision belongs to a host of regulatory agencies, in this case, ones that are in several countries.  In addition to the regulatory agencies, the pilots who will be on board and have a healthy self-protective nature will not fly with any concerns for safety.

This whole incident just goes to show you that the airline industry has safety as its number one concern.

Every day somewhere on the globe exists a volcano erupting. For instance, Alaska alone has 130 volcanoes and volcanic fields, and those make up three-fourths of the U.S. volcanoes over the last 200 years. But, like so many other troublesome problems that come into the awareness of fearful flyers and the traveling public at large, without this latest occurrence, the average air traveler would not have given volcanic ash a second thought.

As the effects of the cloud lessen, aviation operations resume and weary travelers gladly board airliners. As the Iceland volcano becomes “yesterday’s news,” we’ll have to wait until the next crisis. Until then, don’t forget that flying is the safest way to travel on the planet—even when it means that a volcano has grounded a lot of flights.

No related posts.

Occasionally people have experienced a bad landing that stuck in their mind and made them fearful about that portion of the flight.

Earlier this week one of the people going on our Advanced Class flight to San Diego asked me about the takeoffs and landings that can be expected at the San Diego airport.  It’s been awhile since I’ve had the luxury of flying into or out of that airport, so I had to refer her question to Capt. Ron. Of course, those people going on the Advanced Class will get a full debriefing beforehand so they’ll know exactly what to expect on the flight.

However, when I came across this YouTube video, I realized that flying into the San Diego airport will be NOTHING like landing on this 1150-feet long runway in the Caribbean.  On our flight into San Diego, we’ll be flying in a much bigger plane with a much longer runway.

I don’t want to make light of your fear of flying. After working with fearful flyers for almost five years, I know that it is a very real and serious fear that can ground you and reduce you to a quivering mound of jello.  But since Capt. Ron is always saying, “Oh, lighten up!”  I wanted to lighten up your day with this video. So I invite you to come land with me–just don’t forget your swimming suit!

For the most part, fearful flyers tell us that landings don’t bother them. In fact, many of them say that a landing is cause for celebrating because the flight will soon be over. Perhaps that is why Capt. Ron and I like to sign our emails “Happy Landings!”

So what about you?  Do you agree that landings are the best and least scary part of flying?

Related posts:

1. Announcing Advanced Fear of Flying Class
2. Afraid to Fly? Then Meet the Pilots!

One of the things that you need to do to overcome fear of flying is to fly, and we advocate taking a short practice flight. People who have flown in previous Advanced Classes find that it is helpful to face their fear with other fearful flyers.

As a member of our Advanced Class, you will fly roundtrip from Phoenix to San Diego on a Southwest Airlines’ commercial flight. We flew Southwest Airlines last year and found them to be incredibly supportive of our group of fearful flyers. And the best news was that the flight over was so amazing that we didn’t leave anyone in California! Just after we landed back in Phoenix, one of the men in the class told Diane  that this was the first time he didn’t have to take the bus back from California.

Prior to our Advanced Class last year, Rachel hadn’t flown since 2002. After her successful Advanced Class flight to California last spring, we received this email from her as summer began:

” I am taking back the world.  I am scheduled to take 7 flights this summer.  My son and I are off to Costa Rica on the 6th of June.  I wanted to take Captain Ron on the flight with me (he he), but have decided to brave it alone.  Thanks for all the help.  I really feel like I’m ready to fly again.”

So if you’re ready to fly with us, read on!

We will take a group of up to 12 fearful flyers (plus coaches).  So…if you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired of your fear of flying, have we got a deal for you!  Currently Southwest is offering a one-way web-only fare of $49 each way, plus taxes and fees.  Of course, when those seats are gone, they’re gone, so you’ll want to book as soon as possible to get this cheap fare.  Yes, you will book your own ticket and have to practice the full experience of flying, from booking to returning.

Early on the morning of Saturday, April 17, we’ll fly as a group over to San Diego, have lunch, and then fly home.  Coaches are welcome to fly with you. Of course, Diane and I will be there to help.

Wing Your Way to San Diego With Us!

Included in the Advanced Class tuition fee of $150 is email support leading up to the flight, a webinar the night before the flight, and a pre-flight briefing the morning of the flight.  Coaches accompanying the fearful flyer are not required to pay this tuition  fee.

Wouldn’t it be nice to PRACTICE flying with a supportive group to San Diego in the spring so that when summer comes and the heat rises, you’ll be good to go–not only to San Diego, but to take a longer flight or two?

Are you ready to join Rachel and take back the world?

Click here to visit the page with flight details and the enrollment links.

Related posts:

1. Whether You Fly Or Not

If you have a fear of flying, it’s very possible that you spotted the story in the media over the weekend about the United Airlines flight ( Washington Dulles to Narita, Japan) that encountered turbulence resulting in passenger injury.

Sixteen people were injured on this flight after it encountered unexpected turbulence while flying over Alaska.  A quick review of this event makes several realities clear.

This encounter occurred on a Boeing 747-400, one of the largest passenger-carrying aircraft in service.  True, a larger airplane will often give you the smoothest ride, but a smooth ride cannot be guaranteed.

Although the sixteen passengers were thrown from their seats and injured when they struck the ceiling of the airplane, the rest of the 250+ passengers who were wearing their seat belts were unharmed.

Flight attendants are often injured while on the job.  Why?  They do lift the occasional heavy carry-on bags for the passengers who can’t; they handle their own bags too, and these are often quite heavy.  This causes many back and shoulder injuries.  The injuries that the chiropractor can’t fix almost always come from turbulence.  A large part of the flight attendants’ job involves passenger service, and to do these necessary tasks, the flight attendants must walk through the cabin, often pushing a service cart.  While in the galley, the flight attendants are standing in front of a coffee maker and sometimes several hot ovens.  When an unplanned encounter with turbulence occurs, anyone not sitting in their seats, with their seat belt fastened, is subject to finding the ceiling in an unexpected and injuring manner.

A couple of observations come to mind after this incident:  Most importantly, stay in your seat, and wear your seat belt when you are seated.  Doing this will protect you from injury.  Second, all aircraft are subject to encounters with turbulence, even jumbo jets like the Boeing 747.

It is absolutely true that turbulence is terrifying to the fearful flyer; perhaps doubly when the encounter causes injuries.  Remember that the airplane was not damaged by the turbulence, and the passengers who were seated with their seat belts fastened were not among those who were injured.

Our guest blogger for today was Capt. Ron’s friend, Capt. John.  You can look for Capt. John in the flight deck seated with his seatbelt fastened.  He has been flying since 1983 and has logged 20,000 hours. He assists Capt. Ron in the live Phoenix classes when his flying schedule permits.

Related posts:

1. Fear of Turbulence and Pilot Announcements
2. Can Planes Crash from Turbulence?
3. Fear of Flying and Flight Attendant TLC

Dana’s impression of me from seeing me in a video goes to show you how important the role of perception is in our lives.  Can’t build “trust” into keywords on the internet.  It comes from within, the same source that will eventually free you from fear of flying and provide you with easy air travel.

The good news is that fear of flying can be overcome; the bad news is that there’s no magic fear of flying pill.  I was surprised when I first learned how many people search on Google for a fear of flying pill hoping to find an easy way to fly without fear.  Even more surprising has been learning how much shame  many fearful flyers have over taking legitimate anti-anxiety drugs (Xanax, Ativan, Alprazolam, etc).  While no “fear of flying pill” exists per se, I advocate taking prescribed medication after consulting with your doctor as a legitimate and sometimes essential strategy while learning to overcome fear of flying.

Fear of Flying Pill?

The first issue that fearful flyer Dana and I worked on was for her to come up with a game plan that allowed her to integrate the use of her medication with other non-medical coping strategies.  In this way, she could develop a long-term plan for coping with her fear of flying with an eventual goal of flying drug free or at least less reliant on drugs to cope with her anxiety.

All the coping strategies in the world may be for naught if your anxiety causes your mind to race to the point that you can’t remember those strategies when you need them the most. I tell people that there is no prize for seeing how terrified you can become and still get on the airplane.

Conquering fear of flying so that you are free to take advantage of modern air travel isn’t always easy.  It’s a process like the old saying that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” So, until there is a bona fide fear of flying pill, we will have to make use of all the resources available–including the existing prescription anti-anxiety medications, education, coping strategies, self-help resources, and coaching services like those available here at Fearlessflight.com.

With some work and willingness to face your fear of flying, you will be able to become a fearless flying success story, just like Dana!

Related posts:

1. Quick But Strange Fear of Flying Cure
2. Pill-Popping Pilots–Are You Kidding Me?
3. What Puts the Fear in Fear of Flying?

I just ran across something about fear that resonated with me.  In conjunction with the new year, I’ve been doing a lot of reading on goal setting,  and I re-watched a five-minute video of a interview with Florida counselor Ken Donaldson that I saw a year ago that had helped me get my butt in gear and set SMART goals I was able to meet.

When I watched the same video this year, I heard Ken Donaldson say we shouldn’t let fear stand in our way.  Easier said than done!

Ken said instead of using the old acronym for fear, False Evidence Appearing Real, you should begin to tackle FEAR with the attitude of Face Everything And Rechoose.

I especially like this idea when I’m thinking of what I want to do in 2010.  Really, the thing that holds me back the most is my avoidance of things because of my fear.

Because I’m afraid of doing something, I avoid it or hold back or become stuck.  Kind of like what fearful flyers do in response to their fear of flying–they avoid flying or they fly only when they have to or they fly the same terrible old way they’ve been flying for years–scared and miserable.

So I asked myself what FEAR do I have that has caused me to avoid things.  Here’s my short list:  I’m afraid of technology.  I’m afraid of starting something complicated that’s going to take a whole lot of work or discipline.  I’m afraid of not being perfect or not doing something perfectly.

Keeping in mind Ken’s advice on tackling FEAR, I have come up with some goals for 2010.  (1) Increase our marketing of the newly designed downloadable Flight Harmonizer so that more fearful flyers will have the freedom to fly without fear with the help of this amazing audio product. (2) By June 1, finish and publish the book about fear of flying that Capt. Ron and I have been working on.  (3) Focus on continual improvement of our newly designed fearlessflight.com website so that it can be an even better resource for fearful flyers.  (4) I want to keep learning and using social networking tools to find and connect with fearful flyers such as our Facebook fan page.

These goals mean I’ll be facing my fear of technology and fear of trying something new and complicated.  I need to do some rechoosing in 2010 to meet the goals that I’ve set.  I’ll need to remind myself frequently that our mission and passion is to help people become better flyers and enjoy the freedom of flying.

What fearful thing do you need to face this year that requires you to rechoose?  Your fear of flying?  Fear of failure?  Fear of quitting a job you hate?  Fear of starting your own business?

Related posts:

1. Fear of Flying or Fear of Landing

Okay, so yes, I’ll admit it.  Airplanes do crash.  But the likelihood of it happening to the one you’re on is pretty slim.  The latest airplane crash statistics show that your kid has a better chance of growing up to be President of the United States than you have of dying in a plane crash.

So let’s talk for a moment about fearful flyers’ dwelling on the, shall we say, negative side of flying.

Show fearful flyers two newspaper stories–one about safety statistics and another one about a plane crash–and I can bet they’ll read the one about the plane crash and ignore the other one.

Perhaps you want more concrete evidence of their negative flying bias.  Here are two.  The traffic on our crash statistics page gets the most visitors…because of  fearful flyers and their crashing mentality.

My blog titles that are negative about flying get more readers than those with positive-sounding titles. Like the title of this post–did you decide to read it because of that dreaded “crash” word in the title?

Like I said, fearful flyers like to dwell on the bad side of flying–crashing and dying.

In our fear of flying classes, we tell fearful flyers that they have to do something different.  In other words, stop dwelling on the plane crashing and remember about how safe it is.  Capt. Ron is fond of saying, “Flying is the safest way to travel on the planet.”

So how do you change the channel of the airline crash channel that plays continually in your mind? If you need some reinforcement about the good parts about flying–the soaring and the safe takeoffs and landings, then I have just the place for you.

It’s called Flight Level 350. The best way to describe this site is that it’s like a YouTube of Aviation.  Video after video of planes doing what planes do best.  Planes of all sizes and shapes.

I just watched a video of a huge Qantas plane, certainly the biggest I’ve ever seen, takeoff.  It was a beautiful site.  As I watched the takeoff roll, I thought of all the times I’ve heard fearful flyers say, “How can that big piece of metal possibly get off the ground?”  This Qantas plane just gently lifts up off the ground and points skyward.   Without any hesitation or being like the Little Engine That Could “I think I can I think I can.”  This huge mass of an airplane just lifts up and off it goes.

If you have a trip planned and find yourself dwelling on crashing, dying, and turbulence, do something different.  Bring up this site and watch a few videos.  Marvel at the marvelous machines.  Then visualize your flight floating and soaring like the airplanes you’re watching.

And then repeat this mantra over and over: “I think I can, I think I can” and pretty soon you WILL become a fearless flyer!

Related posts:

1. Planes and Fear of Flying the Hollywood Way
2. Afraid to Fly? Then Meet the Pilots!
3. Today Wasn’t A Good Day to Fly

Like maybe all those tears and all that anxiety qualified you for an academy award or something.

Well, fear of flying is very real I’ve discovered in the four years I’ve been working with fearful flyers.  So when a former fearful flyer sent me the link to a Wall Street Journal video clip below, I wanted to share it with you.  Because in the movies, those airplanes you see aren’t real.  Not at all.  The airplanes may very well have been the work of the movie studio in this video link.

Too bad they aren’t looking for fear of flying extras.  And, too bad they don’t rent out their studio for fearful flyers to come in and crawl all over those fake planes in an attempt to become familiar with what scares them.

Going on an airplane that doesn’t go anywhere is what we do in our twice yearly Plane Truth class.  We board a stationary aircraft and give fearful flyers an opportunity to sit on a plane for an extended period, ask questions, and see the cockpit up close.  This is especially helpful for people who haven’t ever flown, someone with claustrophobia, or a fearful flyer who hasn’t been on a plane in several years.

Fear of flying isn’t a made-in-the-movies story.  It’s very real.  But it can also be overcome so that you can have a happy-ever-after lifetime of traveling by airplane.

Related posts:

1. The Crashing Side of Flying
2. Can Planes Crash from Turbulence?
3. Fear of Flying–No Men Allowed!