Hello, and welcome to FlyingFear.net once again!

Today I want to talk to you about the lack of control you may experience when flying – and how you can combat that with relative ease.

According to recent studies, approximately 40% of fear of flying sufferers give a lack of control or fear of a panic attack as their main concern when travelling on an aircraft.

In future weeks I will cover panic attacks, but this is a simple tip for helping you feel more comfortable with not being in control. Ready? It sounds simple, but;

Meet the pilots before take-off.

If you are in a car, but you are not driving, you feel safe, right? The reason for this, is you know the driver. Even if you don’t (i.e. a taxi/cab/bus), you can still see that he/she is qualified for the job – and knows what they are doing.

The feeling of not being in control is greatly reduced by having trust in the person that is.

As I’ve already mentioned in previous articles, it’s recommended you ask to be boarded first. Doing so will enable you to ask the flight attendants if you can meet the pilots. Tell the crew you have a fear of flying and they will take you to the cockpit.

Tell the captain you are a nervous flyer, and he/she will talk through your fear with you. You will begin to see how highly trained, calm, and in control the pilots are. You may also like to ask for a basic explanation of how the plane flies, and what the various instruments do.

You may be thinking that this will not help you. But, through personal experience dealing with passengers such as yourself – it does. Once you take your seat, you will feel safe in the knowledge that there is a highly trained, and focused crew flying you to your destination.

Being able to match a face to the voice that comes over the PA during the flight, will help reassure you that all is ok.

So, on your next flight, make sure you ask to go and visit the flight deck crew. They will be happy to help you, so please do not be scared to ask.