Airplane Safety: Overcome Your Fear of Flying

There is nothing natural about being propelled hundreds of miles per hour 33,000 miles high in the air. The airplane is something that has made that unnatural statement a reality. Although many people say we were born without wing for a reason. I say that god gave us the minds to create our own wings. I have been flying ever since I was 1 year old. I feel completely safe and comfortable in an airplane. However, I know there are millions of people in this world who do not. My sister in law is deathly afraid to fly. This is quickly becoming a problem because in three weeks we leave to fly to Nashville. To help her overcome her fear, I decided to do some research on the safety of airplanes. What I found was amazing. Airplanes are significantly safer than other tasks in our lives we consider mundane.

Media Coverage
The media has a lot to do with the amount of airplane phobias in this world. Fatal car crashes occur every single day. Although these crashes get news coverage, it is nothing compared to an airplane crash. Airplane crashes get between 150-200 times more front-page coverage than other types of death that are more common. For example, the news coverage on September, 11, 2001 was constant. There was a period of about a month when the only images we saw on television or in the newspapers was death. I don't know how many times I saw those planes crash into the World Trade Center, but it was too many to count. Then, four years later, audio recordings and cell phone calls were aired on the television from the plane crash victims. We were, and are bombarded with airplane crash news each and every day.

Probability
When trying to convince someone not to be afraid, statistics rarely help. However, I found some statistics and examples that really put those statistics into perspective. The probability of being involved in an airplane accident are only 1 in 11 million. However, the chances of dying in a car crash are actually 1 in 5000. This means that you are at a greater risk driving to and from the airport than you are once you make your flight.

You might think, "I have more control over my own destiny when I drive a car. In an airplane I have no control." This is only partly true. In an automobile you do have control over your own driving. However, you have no control over the drivers in the lane next to you or in oncoming traffic. They let any idiot get a driver's license. They don't let just anyone operate a passenger jet. Pilots and co-pilots are extremely smart and skilled individuals. They don't even let someone that is colorblind fly an airplane. The rules are that strict!

Did you know that the experts say, you would have to ride every single day in an airplane for the next 15,000 years to be involved in an aircraft accident? Those are how slim your chances are of being injured or killed.

I understand that phobias and really scary issues cannot be solved by reading just one article. However, I know that those of you on the brink of letting the fear go will find some solace in the facts. Hard core facts indicate that riding in an airplane is absolutely safer than taking your family on a road trip.