Fear of Flying: Seven Ways to Overcome

According to the Gallup organization the #1 fear of Americans is snakes (51%) followed by public speaking (40%) followed by fear of heights (36%). The fear of flying came in #8 of fears at 18%. That's not a particular large percentage although it does equate to millions of people.

Now here's the thing, there's nothing inherently wrong with being afraid of something... According to Family PracticeNotebook.com less than 12 people / year die of snake bites in the US. That's not many. Perhaps the number is so few exactly because we're afraid of them. It's a healthy fear. Our fear of snakes isn't based on some knowledge that millions of people die by snake but rather it's based on the fact that some snakes are poisonous and can kill or seriously harm us. We're not exactly sure which are dangerous so we stay away from them all.

FLYING DEATHS

According to the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) in 2008 there were -0- deaths on scheduled airlines in the United States and almost 500 on private general aviation planes (most of which are pilot error). For most of us it's easy to stay off a private plane but many of us must fly on airlines for business and other reasons.

Most of us who fly know that airline flying is perhaps the safest mode of transportation in the world. The last time the number of airline deaths worldwide was in the triple digits was 2001 when four airliners were crashed by terrorists.

In the seven years since 2001 (2002-2008) the average deaths per year worldwide have been only 16. Airliners take off nearly 11 million times every year. Assuming an average of 100 passengers/plane that equates to 1.1 billion passengers every year (not different passengers though). So, 16 out of 1,100,000,000 people die every year from flying in an airliner or 0. 0.0000015%. I am sorry to inform you that your odds of dying on an airliner, if you fly at all, is greater than your odds of winning the Powerball grand prize (If my math is close to being correct) but nearly zero is still nearly zero.

OVERCOMING FEAR OF FLYING

Now back to the fear of flying. First of all don't mistake the fear of flying with the hatred of flying. Some people hate to fly and avoid it as much as possible because of motion sickness, overcrowding, discomfort, and so on.

Second, there's nothing inherently wrong with the fear of flying. If you don't need to fly then don't; problem solved. Don't listen to people who say you should overcome your fear just for the sake of overcoming it. If your fear of flying doesn't adversely affect your life then leave it alone.

However if your fear of flying is disrupting your life and the lives of other people or you just have the desire to overcome the fear then perhaps you should try to overcome that fear. So, how do you do that? Well, people have used various techniques.

1. Learn to fly an airplane: I know and know of people who were afraid of flying until they learned to fly. It's an expensive way to overcome the fear but certainly a good method. I learned to fly years ago and enjoyed it. I felt safer than being in a car.

2. Gain a better understanding of flying: This is what's done when someone learns to fly. If you don't' want to go that route then take a course. Go to Fear of Flying Courses and check out the offerings for yourself. Talk to and fly with people who fly on a routine basis.

3. Try to Fool Yourself: I know some people preparing to fly try to talk themselves into believing different things such as they're getting on a big car or bus or going into a movie theater; things like that. If you're good at fooling yourself you might try it.

4. Talk as you're boarding the aircraft: I get a little nervous on occasion and so as I'm boarding I talk to people. When I step onto the aircraft I asked the pilots (if I see them) or the greeting flight attendant, "Everybody okay today? Are the pilots feeling good this morning?" Also remember that the pilots are the most important people on the aircraft.

5. Be sedated: My father knew a businessman who had to fly nearly every week. The fellow arrived at the airport a couple of hours before take-off and got drunk before the flight. Not a recommended method but your doctor may be able to prescribe you a safe sedative to help you relax. If you're prone to motion sickness (like me) then try Dramamine or Bonine; both sometimes cause me to be drowsy depending on how I feel and so forth.

6. Think about all the dangerous things you do every day: Seriously, if you drive a car you're living more dangerously than an occasional airline flight. Do you ride in elevators or on escalators? Oh boy, dangerous. Uh, no offense but do you smoke? Again, living on the edge. What else can you come up with?

7. Pray: Honestly, after I sit down in the aircraft and buckle up, I pray. I pray for my safety and the safety of everyone on board. I ask God to get us all safely to our destinations. I pray for God's blessing on everyone on board.

Well that's my advice from my own experiences and experiences of people I know. Everyone is a little nervous about flying at some point in life or on some flights. It's natural. Again, if you don't need to fly or don't want to and your fear is not disrupting anyone then don't worry. If not, go ahead and, forgive me, take that flying leap.