Articles – Page 7 – Flying Fear

Capt Tom’s 5-4-3-2-1 Exercise To Stop Anxiety And Panic

Panic is frightening anyplace, but nowhere is panic worse than on an airliner. I’ve worked on this for twenty-eight years both as an airline captain and as a licensed therapist. A quick way to get relief is with the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise. Focus on some object in front of you. Say “I see” and then name […]

January 27, 2009
Fear of Flying in Bad Weather: Snow and Ice

Snow and ice can cause havoc for an airline, and we all have our part to play in ensuring the safety of our passengers in these weather conditions. With regards to snow, most airports are well prepared, and manage the situation efficiently whilst minimising delays. There are always a few airports that are not ready […]

January 26, 2009
Fear of Flying in Bad Weather: Wind

Seems like a good time to write this as I’m sat in my house listening to gale force winds hammer the windows outside! Makes me want to go flying! Strong winds can cause some ‘exciting’ take-offs and landings. At lower levels, wind can cause the aircraft to sway back and forth, but the pilots are […]

January 21, 2009
Fear of Flying: Bird Strikes (Video)

As a follow on from my recent comments regarding the US Airways incident in New York a few days ago, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss the implications of bird strikes on commercial aircraft. I’ve previously mentioned that bird strikes are relatively common. Although I’ve only experienced it once in 3000 […]

January 18, 2009
Where To Find Fear of Flying Courses

Image by Getty Images via Daylife As a fear of flying sufferer there is plenty of help available to you. There are many websites out there with help & advice (the best of which is this one obviously ;-)!). Some of you, however, may prefer more ‘hands on’ help with your phobia. Whereas I can […]

January 11, 2009
Scared of Flying? Let’s Put Things in Perspective

I’m not going to insult your intelligence by implying that accidents do not happen. We all know they do. But, when I tell you that flying is safe, I do so with confidence. Firstly, I would like to share with you some statistics from the very informative The Flying Book: Everything You’ve Ever Wondered About […]

January 2, 2009
Medical Emergencies On-Board

Another ‘trigger’ for a fear of flying appears to be the possibility of having a medical emergency during the flight. I’ve had many questions on this subject, so I thought I’d cover it here. A medical emergency is obviously not a good thing – whether you are airborne or not. Let’s say we have someone […]

December 30, 2008
Why Media Obsession With Plane Accidents Causes a Fear of Flying

Love them or hate them, the media will always be around. They will continue to tell you personal details about the ‘celebrity of the week’, and covering all the bad events from around the globe. Good news isn’t news I guess……. What really upsets me though, is the media obsession with any incident involving an […]

December 24, 2008
The Fear of Flying: What is a Rejected Take-Off

Many people’s fear of flying stems from a previous bad experience whilst flying. I had an email conversation with a reader yesterday. This person had not been on a plane for 12 years due to what she described as an emergency on her last flight. Naturally, I wanted to hear the details to enable me […]

December 22, 2008
What to Expect When Flying: Pre-Departure (Part 2)

Yesterday I began to describe the events and noises you can expect to see and hear before take-off. So, let’s continue….. Other noises you may hear at this point will be mainly hydraulic. The pilots will be working through their initial pre-flight checks and this may involve use of hydraulic systems. When the luggae hold […]

December 16, 2008