How not to be afraid to fly an airplane: TOP working methods. How to stop being afraid to fly an airplane?
Coping with your fear of flying: the best ways
Now let's take a look at how to stop being afraid to fly an airplane. There are a great many ways, they are directly related to the reasons that we discussed above. Let's take an example of the most effective ways:
Pay attention to flight preparation
How do you like getting ready for the road? Collect a suitcase according to the list a month before departure or carelessly throw the first things that come across into your suitcase 5 hours before check-in? In fact, both methods are dangerous for your psychological state.
In the first case, the assembled suitcase will, as they say, “call out your eyes” for a long time, reminding you of the flight. In the second case, the fear of forgotten important things is added to the fear of flying.
What to do? A week before departure, write a list of necessary things, break them into blocks (for example, clothes, documents, medicines). Perhaps you will periodically cross out or add something to the list. Pack your suitcase 24 hours before departure. So you will be calm that you have everything you need with you, and the collected suitcase will not “terrorize” you.
Have complete flight information
Each of us has the flight number and the name of the airline in our hands. It is advisable to learn both. How does this help get rid of aerophobia?
Go through electronic registration, so you can choose the most comfortable seats for yourself. If you feel sick at the window and you are afraid to look out the porthole, choose a seat near the aisle. By the way, the aisle seats also create an inner sense of tranquility. This is explained by the fact that such places are closer to the exit.
If you are flying alone, do not choose a seat in the center. Sitting between two strangers, the discomfort will only increase.
Also, aerophobes are not recommended to choose places in the tail. It shocks a little more there, it is often stuffy. This contributes to the growth of tension and fear.
Arm yourself with leisure facilities
The book helps the best. Choose your genre carefully. It's ideal for women to take a light romance novel on the fly. So for the duration of the flight, the only thing that will concern you is the relationship of the main characters.
Men are encouraged to read literature about their hobbies. Publications about fishing, hunting, construction will ideally distract, entertain and add the necessary knowledge to the piggy bank. Reading “difficult” books, such as finance, economics, or nuclear chemistry, is not recommended. Such literature causes unnecessary stress on the brain, you may feel irritated, which will only increase the fear.
If your child is afraid of flying, then take a book you have already read on the plane for him. Why is that? It is not known whether the child will like the new book or the new toy. If the book does not arouse interest, the child will become restless, and your task is to captivate him. For the above reason, schoolchildren do not need to be burdened with reading textbooks or doing homework in flight.
If you have chosen to watch a movie for yourself, then it should be a light comedy, melodrama or something historical. No documentaries, thrillers, horror films or dramas. You already have enough of them in your head, right?
Crosswords, Sudoku are suitable for entertainment for 30 minutes. Further, it is again fraught with deterioration of health. You will be distracted, which means that you will again remember how high you are. Your task is to plunge into something interesting.
Pay attention to appearance
Fly to negotiations and immediately put on a tight skirt or an uncomfortable business suit? It's in vain. Surely, you will have an hour to check into the hotel, where you can change. Sportswear or oversized modern style clothing paired with comfortable footwear on a slight rise is ideal.
This will help you sit in your chair in a relaxed state. Uncomfortable clothing on the ground creates a lot of inconvenience, making us nervous once again, let alone the flight of aerophobes.
By the way, women do not need to use makeup. Have you noticed how famous people fly now? Social networks are full of pictures of famous people aboard planes, and patches from circles under the eyes flaunt on their faces. Why don't you do the same?
Relax, close your eyes, imagine how fresh and beautiful you will be going down the ladder. Or you may even dream that you are a famous socialite who is about to be met by fans. So let them worry, and you be calm.
Talk to loved ones before flying
“Put your phone in airplane mode” is a famous phrase of flight attendants. And then a stream of thoughts begins about what and to whom you forgot to tell. Anxiety, excitement, desire to land as soon as possible, and also an hour of flight lasts like a day.
Therefore, after registering, waiting for boarding, make a couple of calls, tell us where you are, ask about the plans of your loved ones for the near future. This way you will know what your family is doing and will be less anxious.
Pay close attention to diet and drinking
It is not recommended to unduly seize stress before the flight. An overflowing stomach, wearing a seat belt, will cause heaviness in the stomach, nausea and terrible discomfort. You will start to feel nervous and anxious again about the length of the flight. But you should not go hungry either, with strong excitement there is a risk of dizziness. Have lunch an hour before departure, and take a bottle of water with you (just drink it before checking your carry-on luggage).
Before the flight, many drink alcohol to let go of bad thoughts. If you do not drink at all, then you should not do this before the flight. If there are no contraindications, and you know how your body reacts to alcohol, then give preference to a glass of good brandy. This will dilate blood vessels, having a beneficial effect on the state of the nervous system.
Use theory
Many are afraid of air travel due to the fact that they subconsciously do not understand how a huge iron colossus can stay so firmly in the air. In order to overcome doubts, it is enough to study the theory.
By googling, you will find out:
- The plane is in the air just as good as the car is on the road.
- Turbulence, in other words, is movement through “rough air”, as if on a loose road.
- Controllers scrupulously plan the route of the flight, so the planes do not collide.
Study the statistics
Statistics are your friend, because, according to calculations, the likelihood of dying in a plane crash is extremely small (1 in 30 million). To heighten the effect, compare this hazard with other risks.
- For example, it is much easier to die from food poisoning than from a plane crash.
- The most dangerous vehicle is a car. The plane is about 6 thousand times safer.
- Right now , there are about 13,000 aircraft in the air, each of which has at least one frightened passenger. And he will be happy when the plane lands successfully.
Prepare for the sensations
Often panic rolls over the passengers of the planes because of the freshness of the sensations. Our body can react to changes in pressure, so find out in advance what will happen to the plane and your body during the flight.
- A slight change in well – being is the norm.
- High speed during takeoff and landing is the norm.
- The movement of the wings during flight is the norm.
- When you climb, it will seem to you that the plane has stopped, but it is not.
Find out how the airport works
It becomes calmer when you see how many people fly every day and how regularly aircraft are serviced. Visit the airport in advance and just watch its life.
- Once every 5 years, the aircraft undergoes a complete thorough inspection and repair.
- The aircraft undergoes a serviceability check before each takeoff.
- Interim full checks are carried out at least once every 3 months.
Fly more
People who are afraid to fly report that fear goes away if they do it more often. As soon as air travel ceases to be a significant event, the fear of it disappears.
Fly virtually
While this may not seem like a big deal to you, research has shown that flying in virtual reality can help you gradually cope with your fear of airplane travel. Therefore, if it is not possible to fly more often in reality, maybe it is worth trying to do it virtually?
What is aerophobia and who suffers from it?
Aerophobia or aviaphobia is an irrational fear of flying in airplanes, which can be caused by:
- Fear of aircraft malfunction or breakdown;
- Fear of pilot mistakes;
- Fear of being “locked” in the confined space of an aircraft, anxiety associated with the inability to leave the aircraft if one wishes to do so (associated with claustrophobia
- Fear of heights (acrophobia with vertigo reaction
- Fear of adverse weather conditions (especially in winter);
- Fear of water, fear of swimming (hydrophobia) (manifests itself when the passenger knows that the route of his plane passes over the sea);
- Fear of the first flight (fear of the unknown plays a role here);
- Fear of night flights (nyphobia) (a person assumes that since visibility decreases at night, the likelihood of a disaster increases);
- Fear of flying alone;
- Fear of many hours of flights;
- Fear of takeoff, landing and turbulence.
In general, about 15-30% of people experience fear of air travel, but only in a small part of the population it develops into a real phobia.
Attention! If you are a little nervous, anxious or uncomfortable before the flight, but in general you can handle the situation before departure, then you do not have aerobophia! You are simply afraid to fly.
What is aerophobia? This is one of the most common phobias that can affect everyone, but it was noted that it is most often affected by people for whom it is important to control everything, to keep everything under control, as well as those who have already experienced negative experiences associated with air travel. However, we will not generalize.
Symptoms of aerophobia can be physiological and psychological:
- Physiological symptoms: general malaise, tremors, sweating, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems, breathing problems, dizziness …
- Psychological symptoms: disorientation, irritability, difficulty making decisions, inability to think soberly, pessimism and sadness …
Feeling unwell, gastrointestinal problems, irritability, disorientation are just some of the symptoms of aerophobia
How to deal with aerophobia and can you get rid of it?
Each person is a whole separate world, therefore, in order to cope with the problem of aerophobia, it is important to take into account personal characteristics and personality characteristics.
How not to be afraid to fly airplanes? Every time an aerophobe needs to get on a plane and fly somewhere, he feels his inability to do it, a feeling of fear blocks him, and he realizes that he is simply unable to overcome it. In such a situation, it is necessary to seek help from a professional psychologist who will help identify the source and causes of this problem and begin treatment.
In psychological correction of aerophobia, hypnosis is used, but the most recommended are cognitive-behavioral therapy and exposure techniques or exposure therapy, in which a person is gradually exposed to a situation that causes a phobia. The goal is to learn how to control feelings of anxiety.
It is important that the aerophobe masters:
- Breath control techniques
- Methods of progressive muscle relaxation: so that a person understands how tense each of his muscles is and learns to gradually remove this tension.
- Distraction methods and techniques.
It is important for the aerophobic person to master techniques for breathing control, progressive muscle relaxation and distraction.
In addition, certain medications can help you relax and calm down. Caution! You do not need to self-medicate, but your general practitioner, your general practitioner, pediatrician, family doctor can recommend the appropriate drug and dosage that you can take in such situations (sedative, sleeping pills, etc.).
Various airlines offer courses for those who are afraid of flying to help them overcome aerophobia. In these courses, they talk about everything related to the plane and air travel, provide psychological support, explain how to stop being afraid to fly and how to overcome this phobia. Some courses suggest getting rid of aerophobia with a flight simulator so that people can feel the contact with the plane.
Where does aerophobia come from?
Aerophobia can be both an independent psychological disorder and part of some other phobia – for example, acrophobia (fear of heights) or claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces). Often, aerophobia does not arise without reason, that is, after a person has got into a real freelance situation on board. Well, or if his plane was in a turbulence zone. Usually, such fear haunts people prone to anxiety, but it can also appear in those who have a strong character, but are afraid of losing control of the situation. But looking for the causes of such a phobia in childhood is not worth it.
What to do on an airplane with a flight phobia?
Many people who are afraid to fly try to avoid traveling by air. But there are those who do not have a choice and on duty they are obliged to communicate with air carriers. The panic of an airplane can be overcome, or at least temporarily damped. To do this, you can:
- Get distracted. Read a book, listen to your favorite music, watch an exciting show or movie. Your brain at this moment will be busy processing other information and it will not have time to panic.
- Fall asleep. This method is often used by those who travel a lot. They can even shorten their sleep time (or deprive themselves of it altogether) on the eve of the flight, in order to get into a comfortable chair to relax and wake up already upon landing.
- Meditate, recite a mantra, or convince yourself that you have no fear of airplanes. If you have a short flight ahead of you, plunging into such a relaxed state will do just fine for your problem. Remember that the airliner was created by professionals, it is also operated by experienced specialists and your panic only harms you and does not affect the situation from outside in any way.
- Study the statistics and the mechanism of air transport. The plane is the safest form of transport and you shouldn't be afraid of it. The probability of a car accident is hundreds of times higher, and we use cars and buses every day. Having figured out how exactly the movement of a multi-ton metal structure takes place, you will feel calmer.
- Arrange a shopping or photo session before the trip. Considering purchases, sorting through photos and processing them, you will not even notice how the time of your flight will fly by without fear.
How aerophobia manifests itself
The main symptoms of aerophobia are increased irritability, which begins to manifest itself a few days before departure, the appearance of obsessive thoughts about the possibility of a plane crash, as well as searching for information about tragedies associated with plane crashes on the Internet and in the media. Once on board the plane, a person suffering from such a phobia experiences tremors in the whole body, feels tension in the muscles, and his breathing becomes difficult. At the same time, due to the tension that has arisen, the aerophobe can neither sleep, nor read books, nor watch films. It is not uncommon for people with this disorder to even refuse to fly a few minutes before departure.
Real-life advice from people who have conquered fear
People who have overcome their fear of flying on an airplane tell you different ways to stop being afraid to fly. It helps some to have a drink before the flight, this method is suitable for oblivion and relaxation. Others suffer because they have seen cases when the ship was wrecked, so it is very difficult to defeat the reasons for taking off after this. Also, many phobias are generated by ourselves. Tips on how not to be afraid to fly from real people will help you cope:
Try to fall asleep Choose a place that is near the porthole, closer to the tail. Passengers who have children are rarely put here, so the noise level will be very low. The armchair near the window is the most comfortable, you can lean against it by closing the curtain and removing unnecessary annoying light. Even if you are flying low-cost, you can add 10-15 euros, choose a convenient place to fly comfortably.
The seat needs to be reclined as much as possible, this position will relax the back, it will turn out to fall asleep much faster. If the neighbors are uncomfortable behind, ask for a blanket, roll it up with a roller so that the lower back is as relaxed as possible, then it will be possible to fall asleep quickly. The legs should be kept slightly bent, a support should be placed under them.
The inflatable pillow must be fixed between the chest and the chin, the chair is often quite ergonomic, you can sleep without a pillow. A correctly fixed chin will save you from sudden awakening if turbulence begins.
Important! Many people find it difficult to relax, so falling asleep can be difficult. Therefore, before the flight, spend a sleepless night, after which it will be easy to overcome the feeling of nervousness, the body will simply fall asleep by itself.
This method of fighting aerophobia does not help everyone, so it is better to drink green tea, which contains trace elements that help relieve stress.
Alcohol Many people benefit from drinking advice to overcome their fears of flying and reduce anxiety. This method of fighting aerophobia does not help everyone, so it is better to drink green tea, which contains trace elements that help relieve stress.
Food Overeating should be avoided, it is better to have a light snack.
Overcome jetlag in advance Jetlag is a jet lag syndrome that occurs after crossing long distances. It is felt worst of all if you fly to Asia, because daylight hours are shrinking, a person technically returns “back”. Flights to Europe are easier to transfer, because jetlag makes daylight hours longer.
If a long flight is ahead, the syndrome can be especially acute. To avoid this, you should walk as often as possible during the daytime for several days before the flight. This will help the body tune in the right way.
These are the main ways to stop being afraid of flying and safely tune in for an easy trip. Millions of people fly every day, although they too were afraid of the news, which is better not to watch. Everyone has learned to deal with their phobias, so you will learn too.
The first signs of a phobia
You can talk about an exaggerated fear of air travel if you observe a number of signs:
- It becomes scary at the thought of flying on an airplane, you start to be afraid a few days before the trip, sometimes even a month. You experience obsessive anxiety, and in your thoughts you paint terrible pictures of plane crashes.
- Symptoms, expressed in signs and manifestations of aerophobia, become more pronounced closer to the date of the trip. Symptoms when thinking about a trip: increased heart rate, high blood pressure, diarrhea, increased sweating, muscle tension, limb weakness, disorientation.
- You are not only panicky afraid of flying, but also have a panic fear of losing consciousness on the plane or dying of a heart attack. The fear of suffocation on the plane provokes attacks of suffocation, and you begin to suffocate after boarding the aircraft.
- Often, peak symptoms of aerophobia occur while flying in turbulent areas or when landing a liner.
When you are going to fly in an airplane for the first time, it will be hard to have a passenger with phobias next to you. Whether you are scared to be on board the ship sometimes depends on the environment. If other passengers are terribly restless, then the fear of flying can develop into pathological fear. [/ content-wide] People who are afraid of air travel limit their lives, so it is important to know how to overcome the fear of flying. Frequent stress leads to the onset of depression, and there is a possibility of provoking low self-esteem. But if you know how to get rid of the fear of flying on an airplane, then you can significantly improve the quality of life.
10 ways to overcome your fear of flying on an airliner
To get rid of aerophobia, you need to understand that any uncontrollable anxiety is due to the expectation of negative events in the future. It is necessary to find out what exactly the anxiety is connected with and where the fear begins. To do this, you can do the following:
- An effective way to overcome the fear of flying is to analyze the real facts about statistics related to the safety of air travel.
- Another method of coping with the approaching aerophobia is to study the positive aspects of air transport. Avoid reading materials about plane crashes, “illiterate” pilots and poor technical condition of aircraft. All the more often you can come across false information that exaggerates the scale of the problem.
- What to do to prepare for air travel if it is scary to fly in an airplane? Create the most comfortable conditions for yourself, eliminate additional worries. Choose a convenient time for your flight, go through online check-in to book a convenient seat (for those who are afraid of flying, the best seats are located in the bow of the liner and in the area of the wings), arrive at the airport in advance. Do not sleep much before the trip, so you are more likely to fall asleep in the cabin of the aircraft.
- A good way to overcome your fear of flying on an airplane is to think about the pilots and crew of the liner. They have made flying their profession, love it and are confident that they will do everything for your and their safety. Often a good mood and a calm, confident appearance of the crew contribute to a significant reduction in the passenger's fears.
- You can overcome your fear of flying with distraction. How a passenger struggles with unpleasant emotions finds an interesting activity: reading a book, watching a video, talking with a fellow traveler.
- You need to fly in appropriate clothing: as comfortable as possible and not restricting movements, so as not to experience additional discomfort, which intensifies the unpleasant sensations of the flight. Have warm clothes on hand. Cold increases tension.
- To improve your well-being and maintain fluid balance, take water with you on board the aircraft.
- Applications for mobile devices are a proven way to get rid of aerophobia. With their help, you will be able to navigate in space: monitor the speed of the liner, flight altitude and other technical parameters. You will feel like you are in control and you will find it fun to do.
- Many passengers have a particular fear of turbulence. This is a natural phenomenon that does not carry any obvious threats. Therefore, prepare yourself for the possible shaking on board the plane as for ordinary flight realities.
- If simple methods do not help, contact a psychologist. He will tell you how to overcome the fear of flying and stop giving up air travel for fear of flying.
The plane is the safest transport: what the facts say
If you are afraid to fly on airplanes, sometimes it is enough to familiarize yourself with the facts that can significantly reduce the fear:
- What is the credibility of the aircraft based on? Its technical condition is checked much more often than the condition of all other types of vehicles. Before each flight, the functioning of the airliner systems is checked at all airports in the world, failures and defects are identified. Before release, all aircraft undergo a series of tests, including those with a low risk of occurrence. For example, flying with one engine. Before the liner receives a certificate of operation, it will take a year to verify it. All aircraft systems are duplicated, and in case of engine failure, the aircraft is able to hold out on one engine for a considerable time. Landing is possible if both engines fail, when the liner is simply planning.
- Exceptional safety inside the aircraft. It uses solutions that cannot be found, for example, in cars. The seat upholstery and carpets are fire resistant and the seats are securely anchored to the floor. The design of the emergency doors makes them easy to open in case of danger.
- Airspace under surveillance. A common fear of flying an airplane is the fear of colliding with another aircraft in the air. Every day, about 25 thousand airliners fly over Europe alone, but the risk of collisions is minimal. Aircraft move along a strictly defined route, followed by dispatchers. They work 12-hour shifts, but every 2 hours of work are interspersed with a 2-hour break to maintain optimal physical condition.
- In human psychology, the fear of flying an airplane is sometimes associated with the fear of lightning hitting the plane. What happens when lightning strikes the plane of the wing? Most often, nothing – aircraft have lightning rods, special antennas that discharge electrical charges into the atmosphere. If the impact is very strong, it can leave a mark on the outer skin of the liner, which will be removed during the inspection.
- Turbulence is not that dangerous. The liner is capable of withstanding 5G overload, and in the event of severe turbulence, it is 1.6G.
Interesting! Arnold Barnett, a professor of statistics at the University of Massachusetts, calculated that a person would have to fly an airplane every day for 4 million years to die in a plane crash. The likelihood is extremely low.
Based on indisputable facts, there is a high probability of safely surviving a flight on an airplane, and aerophobia is only exaggerated fears.
5 ways to deal with fear while flying
To combat aerophobia, use two ways: correct behavior during the flight and rationalization of fear, which consists in reminding yourself of information confirming the safety of air travel. Your actions:
- Breathe deeply and calmly. If you notice the first symptoms of nervousness while flying, breathing correctly will help you calm down. Take a few deep breaths and exhales, breathe slowly, relax the muscles of your face, jaw, and relieve tension in your chest and abdomen. Also, relax your hands, which should be tightly pressed against the armrests, and your feet, which are the entire surface of your feet on the floor.
- Distract your thoughts. When you are scared, especially if you are flying an airplane for the first time, your thoughts are focused on every sound produced by the liner, you feel the slightest vibration of the car. The best cure for fear is the company of a loved one who is not afraid or is used to flying, let him convince you with arguments and remind you how to overcome the incipient aerophobia. If you are flying alone, your companion will not be able to help. Therefore, it is worth taking with you an interesting film, a book and, most importantly, thinking about the wonderful things that await after landing: rest, sightseeing or meeting with family and friends.
- The more you fly, the less you fear. When you have to fly many times, you think about it less. The aircraft becomes a mere vehicle, not a potentially lethal vehicle. Traveling by car does not scare you, because you drive almost every day, although statistically the probability of getting hurt in a car accident is much higher.
- Tell the flight attendant that you are afraid. If it is difficult to experience the fear of flying on your own, then the stewardess will tell you how to deal with aerophobia, pay special attention to you and help you feel safe.
- Eat something tasty during the flight. Sweets increase the concentration of endorphins and affect the emotional mood.
Important! The main thing is to learn to recognize the approaching panic at the very beginning in order to have time to cope with it. Don't ignore negative emotions. Your own fear must be accepted
What not to do
It is widely believed among those afraid of flying that alcohol can help. But does alcohol actually help get rid of aerophobia? If it becomes creepy at the thought of getting up into the air, will it be scary to fly an airplane, deceiving your psyche by taking a dose of an alcohol-containing drink? This method is deceiving. Although alcoholic drinks can help you relax, they dehydrate your body and increase fatigue. Better resist the temptation to grab a cup of coffee on the plane – it can heighten your fear of caffeine's effects While some passengers talk about the alcohol's help in overcoming their fear of flying, do not try to test the effects of this method for yourself. If you are afraid of air travel, choose other ways to overcome your fear of flying.
The nature of fear
The expert says that this is what makes aerophobia paradoxical: planes fall very rarely (and are considered the safest mode of transport), that is, the risk of death is minimal, but the fear from this does not diminish.
Aerophobes are often quite savvy in the field of flight, they themselves know all the arguments about safety, but cannot adequately perceive them in moments of fear. And against pre-flight excitement, according to flight attendants, being informed often helps.
“Night flights used to be more of a concern for passengers than day flights. Many thought: “How are we going to fly? You can't see anything! ” – says Anastasia Kuprievich. “But now the overwhelming majority of passengers know that pilots are guided by dispatchers, work with radar, that there is an autopilot, and are less worried.”
Can't be left to heal
Marina advises reading more about aviation and avoiding information about plane crashes and their consequences – which are often carried away by aerophobes. If you cannot cope with the problem on your own, contact a specialist.
In the center for the treatment of aerophobia, they confirm that the fear itself almost never goes away, and over time it only gets worse. But most of those who turn to them are cured.
How to be treated
Psychologist Sergei Enikolopov also emphasizes that alcohol is just a way to relieve anxiety. And someone, for example, takes anxiolytics (drugs that weaken fear), someone must definitely smoke.
According to the expert, often cases of brawliness on board are associated precisely with the fear of flying, as well as the inability to get rid of it in the usual way (when you cannot smoke or drink during the flight). Therefore, many people try to drink before boarding the plane.
If we talk about treatment, then experts first of all teach how to relax correctly. The technique is not so important: you can count to ten, breathe deeply, or, say, sing some mantras – as you like, if only it helps.
In certain cases, a clear understanding of what is happening on board is sufficient. This is helped by classes on a flight simulator, which is a full-size copy of a real aircraft. Anyone can “lift the plane into the sky” or “land”, adjust the weather and time of day, and make sure that the automatic control is reliable.
Lifehacks
Her colleagues recommend that those who are afraid of flying should not choose seats in the tail section of the aircraft – there is more shaking there.
“For friends and acquaintances with this phobia, I advise you to open one of the sites that show online airplanes that are now in the air around the world, and then pay attention to reports of possible flight accidents during the day. They will not be – everyone has landed safely! It often helps, “says Aleksey Kokhanisty.
Airblogger Artem Kashirin advises to arrive at the airport in advance and watch the plane being prepared for departure. He also cites the example of cases when in flight it was possible to help a person by talking to him and even paying attention to the view from the window, which, it would seem, should aggravate the fear.
“See more beautiful photos and videos about planes and from planes, fall in love with this beauty and fear will recede!” – Artem is sure.
Why are people afraid to fly an airplane?
There can be many reasons for this fear. And in each case they will be individual. Not everyone can cope with fear and panic, which already indicates the development of a phobia. There are several reasons for this behavior.
First, the fear of flying can be genetically transmitted. Perhaps one of the ancestors experienced such fear, could not cope with it in time. Fear may not disturb the passenger until a certain point. For example, it may appear after listening to news about a plane crash.
Secondly, self-hypnosis. Fear, which is developed precisely on its basis, is considered conscious. A passenger just needs to watch a movie about a plane crash or about the seizure of an airliner by terrorists, as he begins to drive thoughts in his head and imagine everything that he saw on the screen in reality.
Thirdly, many say: “I am afraid to fly an airplane because of unpleasant physical sensations.” And this is not uncommon. The plane takes off into the sky. The body at this time is experiencing certain physical activities. The passenger begins to treat everything with caution, the pressure rises, the pulse quickens, thoughts arise in the head that provoke panic. People who experience such sensations are predisposed to the development of aerophobia.
Some tourists have a fear of the first flight. And this is not surprising. The body does not yet know how to perceive it. And the psychological state is constantly at the limit. And here the most important thing is not to listen to the news about plane crashes. If your fears are not conquered during the first flight, they will develop into a phobia. It is much more difficult to cope with it.
Further, many have a disease such as claustrophobia or fear of enclosed spaces. Others are afraid of heights, which makes it difficult to enjoy the flight to the fullest. Someone else is worried when they are among a large crowd of people. In solving all situations, professional psychologists will come to the rescue.
Dispelling fears
Since many tourists are afraid of disasters, the structural features of the aircraft will help to dispel such fear. It is designed in such a way that even in the event of a breakdown, it can land safely. All systems are duplicated. Duplicates start working after the failure of the main system. The aircraft is equipped with the latest security systems.
Further, the professionalism of the aircraft crew is always at a high level. The staff knows how to act in a given situation. In addition, the health of the aircraft is the priority of the air carrier. This is the only way he can make good money on flights. Therefore, all systems and mechanisms are always checked after landing and immediately before departure.
Pilot Lyokha – he is also the pilot of the Pobeda airline Alexei Kochemasov – tells why driving by car and by train is much worse than flying by plane.
Let's fly. The plane chatters, but not much. A stewardess enters the cockpit and says that the passenger is hysterical. I ask you to bring her to me. The young girl is all pale, shaking. I sit her down next to me and just talk, explain that we are all right. 15 minutes of calm dialogue – and no phobia. This long-standing incident made me wonder – why are people afraid to fly?
So the pilot of the airline “Pobeda” Alexei Kochemasov, better known on the Web as the pilot Lyokha, began a meeting with passengers in Yekaterinburg. Those who adore the sky and those who adore Lyokha came. The Life correspondent was more likely to belong to the third group of those gathered – aerophobes who want to overcome this ailment.
Most people are afraid to fly because they do not know what is happening on the plane. Incomprehensible sounds, grinding, steam. For example, I myself am afraid of trains. I go by train, yes. But for long distances in my entire life (pilot Lyokha is 51 years old. – Approx. Life) I traveled only two or three times. I can't say that I have a panic about the train, but I feel uncomfortable, I consider trains to be dangerous transport, because they constantly go off the rails. And I do not understand the principle of operation – why the wheels do not fall into the rails, especially when cornering?
Phobia from ignorance is cured at once! It is enough to simply explain what is happening and at what moment.
The second group of people are those who are afraid because they do not control the flight. They say: I can't see where the plane is flying, I can't do anything, nothing depends on me.
But you are a passenger in a car! The driver has a steering wheel, pedals, and you have nothing. And now KamAZ flies head-on. What can you do? Nothing.
The third group is the most difficult – they need to see a psychiatrist right away. These are those who are internally ready to die. When they find out that they need to fly – in two weeks or a month – they start to eat themselves up. Recently, in Cheboksary, a plane skidded off the runway. Although there was nothing terrible there, the media began to promote: “Nobody died”, “No one was injured.” This information catches the eye everywhere, and the person winds himself up. Preparing to fly, he prepares to die. Thinks: planes have not fallen for a long time, which means that mine will fall. He comes aboard with a sense of doom.
Such people are very easy to recognize. Guys usually get drunk. And alcohol in the air is dangerous and insidious. With the rise to a height, a person experiences oxygen starvation and alcohol in the body does not break down, that is, assimilation does not occur. Therefore, if 150 grams of vodka drunk on the ground is nothing for a healthy man, then at a height he is already blown away.
Women are even easier to identify. She will yell at the taxi driver, at check-in she was given the wrong place, her luggage was put in the wrong place, she enters the plane and insults the flight attendants. The woman begins to scandal.
I realized that it is useless to say something to such passengers, and I do not know how to deal with them. They are dangerous. The plane chattered strongly – the alarmist jumps up and runs to open the doors. Other passengers who were not ready to die succumb to panic and also help open the door. Flight attendants often stop at the door those who want to “get off” in flight.
“As the classics said, knowledge is power,” adds Alexey. That is why, in the 2000s, he began to maintain his blog of the pilot Lyokha. He helps people to understand the intricacies of aviation, gladly answers all, even provocative, questions and does everything to make passengers stop being afraid to fly. For example, after the flight, you can ask Lyokha in the cockpit. So be sure to listen to the name of the captain, and if there is Alexei, then go to the light.
In the meantime, he tells the audience about the most popular fears and myths about flying.
Take-off landing
Why are takeoff and landing the most difficult and stressful moments in flight? Due to the proximity of the land. This is a lack of time. The plane runs along the runway, the speed grows and grows, but it still cannot take off, there is still not enough lift. There comes a moment when the plane no longer “runs”, but does not fly yet, then the separation – and still it flies, but the speed is low, it only accelerates. And if something happens, the margin of time is minimal – you need to react instantly. It's one thing when an airplane flies at an altitude of 12 thousand meters, it will fall to the ground for 20 minutes – there is a carriage time. And on the ground, everything will happen in 20 seconds. And statistics say that accidents most often occur during takeoff / landing. The cases when the plane fell from above can be counted on one hand, and there have always been some external factors – terrorist attacks.
During takeoff and landing, a roll (tilt) of the aircraft of 30 degrees is allowed. Moreover, I will surprise you, but in the instructions for flying Boeing aircraft it is written that you can perform a “barrel” on them. Of course, this is not normal practice. Boeing writes that when your plane is banked more than 90 degrees (nose lowered or falls somewhere), you do not need to take it away, turn the barrel and fly on. By and large, the plane does not care how you fly – even upside down.
Turbulence
Not all companies in the world in principle bypass the “bumpiness” – Asians always fly directly. Most of the videos of trays and baggage items falling are from Asian airlines. Probably, it's a matter of mentality – they believe in reincarnation.
No kidding, imagine a large glass ball. Let's put the mouse in there and put it in a stream. It floats, it shakes on the current. What will the ball be? Nothing. And what will happen to the mouse? Nothing too, but she will be chatting. The plane flies in an uneven environment – there are air currents. Between Greenland and Canada over the Baffin Sea (there is about 800 km, an hour flight) the wind blows on average 300-400 km per hour. It always shakes there. Sausage from the heart.
Why do you need to buckle up? So that your head does not hit the ceiling, but nothing will happen to the plane. Therefore, the issue of turbulence should not be at all. Shakes and shakes.
Old plane
How does the passenger assess the aircraft? He enters and sees: a new chair, carpets, a pleasant smell – this means that the plane is new. But the aircraft cabin is not an indicator of its technical condition. When there were heavy traffic to Egypt (for some reason, violent passengers flew in this direction all the time), in the new cabin, after several flights, the back of the chair was torn off, chewing gum was stuck, the inscriptions “I love you, Masha”, a word of three letters. If a pocket on a seat has been torn off, it is necessary to dismantle the entire row of seats, and the plane should leave in one and a half to two hours. They simply do not have time to fix it.
The age of the aircraft and its reliability are very weakly related to each other. There are still several airlines in the world that operate the Douglas DC-3. They stopped producing it in the middle of the 20th century, but they still carry passengers. American Airlines has one of the oldest fleets in the world: the average age of aircraft is 17 years. The youngest is at Pobeda: our planes are not two years old.
I have flown airplanes of both very ancient design and very fresh. And it turned out that new ones break more often. Surprising but true. It's like a car: when you take it from the factory, there are “childhood illnesses”, and here, too, some small dirty tricks come out all the time.
Alexey's words sound convincing. Sometimes he switches to technical details, draws diagrams, writes formulas, operates with words that I do not understand. There is no doubt about his professionalism. And he, in turn, vouches for the rest: an inexperienced person will never be put at the helm of an airplane. And in general, it is much more dangerous to smoke at the entrance in the spring. Icicles fall more often.
Identify your phobia
Finding out what triggers your fear is an important first step towards overcoming your fear of flying. Different aspects of flying can trigger different fears depending on the person. For example, one person may be afraid of turbulence and nervous during a perfectly normal take-off, while a person with germophobia is more concerned about the spread of germs in a confined space. You must be able to pinpoint the exact cause of your fear before taking the next step.
Where does the noise come from?
You are about to land and the plane rattles as if both wheels are about to fall – is it time to panic? No, carry-on luggage and seat-back tables shift slightly – just like every time an airplane takes off and lands. Sometimes, all it takes to combat anxiety is a little information. Read about noise that can occur during flight. It also helps to understand how strict the security measures are for aircraft.
Back in 2010, AOL Travel gave an excellent account of everything an aircraft must pass before it is deemed safe, including the ability to withstand one and a half times the maximum load it will ever carry and withstand extreme environmental conditions such as like temperature -120 degrees and others.
Check the turbulence forecast
While turbulence is a perfectly normal part of flight – it happens when an airplane encounters normal weather conditions such as air currents or clouds – the idea of shaking in the air can be very unsettling. The more you know about the causes and when to expect turbulence while in the air, the less you will be afraid of it.
Take with you a photo of the place where you are flying
Destination visualization can be a powerful antidote to stress and help you focus on the prize at the end of the journey. You can do this with or without a photograph, but having a physical image to reference can help you ignore the flight.
Another way is to imagine yourself in a safe place where you feel comfortable and safe. Perhaps in your bedroom or on the beach. Come here with your eyes closed and relax. The idea is to take your mind off the little things that make you nervous in flight and focus on the positive aspects of your journey.
Don't drink coffee or alcohol
Psychologists say that both caffeine and alcohol should be avoided as they can cause feelings of dehydration during flight. Alcohol can also make it difficult for your body to adapt to air and cause an unpleasant attack of jet lag. Instead, opt for water and light snacks before your flight, and bring some nuts or an apple to keep you feeling full.
Distract yourself with something
In a nutshell, distraction works. Airlines now provide small home amenities such as televisions, music channels, and magazines to distract you from the noise and bumps in flight and make you feel at home on the plane.
One of the best ways to distract yourself while flying is to grab a book you've already started reading and are deeply immersed in, or a season of your favorite TV show. Psychologists say that if people associate televisions with home safety, and they have a television on the plane, they will experience similar familiar sensations of comfort.
Talk to the crew
You can have a little chat with the pilot while you board the plane, or get some extra attention from the flight attendants during the flight. If you are traveling with friends or family, talk to them about what makes you nervous so they can help relieve the tension, but don't let the conversation escalate into a competition over who has experienced the worst flight. It is enough to know that someone is around and knows about your problem to help control this anxiety.
Sources used and useful links on the topic: https://trip-dreams.ru/kak-ne-boyatsya-letat-na-samolete/ https://www.adme.ru/svoboda-psihologiya/12-prostyh-sposobov- poborot-strah-pered-aviapereletami-1525265 / https://zen.yandex.ru/media/cognifit/ia-boius-letat-chto-takoe-aerofobiia-i-10-sovetov-kak-ee-preodolet-59f83d848139ba701e8577ae https: //gudi1991.ru/strahi/strah-poleta-na-samolete.html https://zen.yandex.ru/media/aviabilet/kak-pereborot-strah-poleta-na-samolete-5c08e0fc8206c500afa4377b https: // ria .ru / 20180725 / 1525243248.html https://AviaWiki.com/samolet/pravila/kak-ne-boyatsya-letat-na-samolete https://life.ru/p/932067 https://zen.yandex.ru/media/tourexpert/aerofobiia-psihologi-rasskazali-kak-ne-boiatsia-letat-5c1bc3b5c8616002a1e247c0


