Aviophobia - The Fear of Flying

For some people, the fear of flying (or aviophobia) can turn vacation dreams into nightmares. If you're so scared of flying that you have to travel by road, rail or sea to avoid it, then there are ways to help you overcome your fear.

Fear of flying is a fairly common phobia, and can be experienced to varying degrees. At one end of the scale, flying is merely an uncomfortable experience, with vague feelings of anxiety; however, at its worst, the very thought of flying can lead to severe panic attacks. Along with emotional symptoms, fears can produce physical symptoms such as dry mouth, sweating palms and a racing heartbeat, and may even lead to hyperventilating, vomiting or losing all sense of control.

If you are afraid of flying you may experience some (or all) of the following symptoms:

Being unable to get on a plane at all - for vacations or business trips
Only flying when you have absolutely no other option
Worrying about the flight for days, weeks or even months in advance
Needing a drink or sedatives to be able to fly
Having feelings of nausea, hyperventilating and shakiness from the boarding gate for the whole duration of the journey
Feeling claustrophobic when the door shuts
Feeling uncomfortable when you hear certain noises, or when the plane takes-off, lands or turns in air

Fear of flying is often a learned fear - many people who are affected were confident flyers at some point. Your phobia may have been triggered by an incident that scared you, such as an aborted landing, a turbulent flight, watching a movie about a plane crash or seeing upsetting pictures of a real airline crash on TV.

Like all phobias, aviophobia is mainly irrational - flying is actually one of the safest modes of transport - far more so, in fact, than driving. However, fear of flying is the product of a complex combination of factors, including:

Fear that you are unable to leave the confines of the airplane, for example if you are ill.
Claustrophobia, where you feel trapped and fear suffocation.
Fear of losing control: that you're literally handing your life over to the skill of the pilot and crew.
Fear of heights, exacerbated by flying at altitude.
Fear of crashing due to bad weather, mechanical failure or terrorist attack.

Conquering your Fear

There are various ways that you can tackle your fear of flying:

Try visualisation, where you imagine yourself on the plane, exposed to the sounds and sights that panic or scare you. When you feel those anxious feelings, close your eyes and breathe slowly in through your nose, out through your mouth. Practising your flight many times before you do the real thing can be great preparation.
Practise some self-help techniques such as meditation or breathing exercises, both before and during your flight.
Take a course to manage your fear - many airlines run courses for those who are fearful of flying. The course is usually a day-long workshop, where members of airline talk you through the whole mechanics of flying - including the noises the aircraft makes and the reasons why they make them. This is called cognitive behavioral therapy, and is designed to help you understand the facts of what is happening, which can then help you to change your fearful reactions to them. The course will often end with a virtual flight in a simulator, or in a real plane. The pilot will talk you through the whole process, and you'll be encouraged to ask questions.
When you gain enough confidence to try a real flight, choose a trip you've always wanted to make, as it will help your motivation, but keep it short to minimize the time you're in the air. You can always build your confidence for longer trips.
Pack a travel bag full of magazines, books, MP3 player and so on, to distract yourself while waiting to board.
Try to eat a filling, nutritious meal - it will probably help you sleep on the flight and you'll feel better when you arrive at your destination.
However, you should avoid sugary snacks, tea, coffee or caffeine-filled drinks, as they may make you feel over-stimulated and more stressed.