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I am afraid of flying on an airplane, how can I overcome my fear of flying on an airplane?
Some are afraid of rats, some go crazy in the elevator and in confined spaces in general, some are afraid to swim...
These are human phobias - an increased reaction, neurosis due to some situation in which a person does not want to get into by all means and means.

I'm afraid to fly. I have aerophobia.
Yes, that's it.
We’ve seen in films how it’s customary to get acquainted when joining the Alcoholics Anonymous Society: a person realizes and admits his addiction to firewater. So now I will try to sort out this aerophobia and throw it in the trash.

A short digression: I started flying airplanes when I was an adult.
And he immediately began to fly a lot: throughout the USSR, and later abroad. But no more than 3 hours on the plane. I didn’t feel any fears.
The turbulence at altitude was amusing; the seat belt was dangling unfastened throughout the flight.

In those days you could still smoke on airplanes. The flight time flew by unnoticed, walking around the cabin between feedings and meeting new people. In the back of the IL-86 that carried shuttles to the UAE there was a descent, for some reason there was a wheel lying there on which cups with cigarette butts stood and were rolling around on the floor empty bottles from under the whiskey...
It was a fun time.

Then smoking was banned on board airplanes. First on flights of Western airlines, and then Aeroflot gave up.
I would like to note that there was no such feature as a screen with films and a choice of music on airplanes back then.
And when smoking was banned throughout the flight, I began to feel free time. And in your free time, when you are being driven and nothing depends on you and there is nothing to do, willy-nilly, you begin to listen to sounds, vibrations and generally begin to control the process of movement - and this is the beginning of fears.

Moreover, my fear was selective: I was afraid of take-off, then of turbulence during the flight at flight level, and as soon as the plane began to descend, the fear disappeared.
I explain this with a bearded anecdote about Vasily Ivanovich and Petka during a long parachute buckle: “... V.I.! There are 2 meters left to the ground! Pull the ring! What are you doing, Petka! Didn’t you jump from a Russian stove?”

The main reason for the fear of flying: a lot of free time when being in a confined space and, as a result, boredom and doing nothing.
At this time, being deprived of free communication with people; the realization that a plane is not a bus and you cannot ask the driver to stop to warm up; and during night flights over the ocean, the inability to check the usual ground-to-sky coordinate system through the window... all this is alarming.
And then physiological factors: the release of certain hormones into the blood, increased heart rate and, as a result, everyone sleeps like a cute little thing, and you sit like a fool and control the autopilot.

Medicines for aerophobia

Now that the reasons for my fear of flying have been found, all that remains is to find a cure for aerophobia.
This medicine may be:

- interlocutor (also awake at night) and this the best option
- an interesting book that is difficult to put down
- a film with a dashingly twisted plot that makes you empathize with the characters and thus turns off the nasty control device in your head
— quite loud music that drowns out this device and sleep overcomes it
- some neutral activity that allows you to pass the time in an uncomfortable seat: feeding on board, delivering drinks, processing photos on a laptop
— going to the toilet or getting water also allows you to take up time during the flight
— Internet WiFi on board - allows you to work, create and forget about everything

How to sleep on board an airplane

The second remedy for in-flight anxiety is sleep.
If I can’t sleep, then I tire my autopilot with music, and the more rhythmic and louder it is, the faster sleep will come.
Rhythmic and deep breathing with pauses can help. How they teach in yoga.

You can try sedatives, which are now sold in pharmacies - they are marketed specifically for sleeping on an airplane.
I haven't tried it myself, I don't know.
But at the Vinsky Forum you can.

Some people rely on alcohol, but I don't want to recommend this method: drink yourself into unconsciousness and fall asleep.
This threatens those who fly a lot or sit a lot due to their occupation - thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities... .

Knowledge of how an airplane works

Another pill for the fear of flying is knowledge of the basics of aerodynamics and design features airplane.
Airplanes were born to fly. In order for a plane to forget how to fly, you have to try very, very hard.
Well, then - what are they afraid of! You voluntarily entered it, entrusting your safety to the pilots and fear you will not help them hold the helm.
Modern airplanes are automated so that they can land themselves.
And the fact that sometimes during a flight an airplane flaps its wings—that’s why birds flap their wings, and that’s why they fly.

Feel the flight yourself
The last option: find the flying club closest to your home and (preferably a jet club) while the pilot is performing aerobatics.

After this, you will definitely no longer be afraid of flying on passenger planes, which, after taking a stool, will seem like silent limousines to you.
You will feel that the strength of the aircraft’s structure exceeds the strength of your spine, and turbulence on board a Boeing or Airbus with tea and macaroni smeared on the seats and walls of the cabin is just baby talk.

Fly in business class

For long distances it is better to fly first or business class.
There, lying with a pillow under your head and good headphones, you will have pleasant dreams.
But it costs money and those who can afford it don’t need my recommendation - so they fly.

Links for independent travelers:

Air tickets are cheaper than everywhere else - with the help

Often it is from people who do not want to travel further than their summer cottage, you hear the excuse that I'm afraid to fly on an airplane! What to do in this case and where do such phobias come from?

Airplanes are the most popular, most common and most comfortable way to travel in modern world of people. Air travel allows you to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible.

Moreover, the comfort of a flight cannot be compared with a long journey, for example, by bus or train. The helpfulness of the crew, comfort and the ability to move quickly captivates even those who panic at the sight of a steel bird.

Most of those who use air travel, flying on business trips for work, to warmer climes for vacation, or to visit distant relatives, have repeatedly thought “will the plane crash?” But the need to use this type of transport and natural optimism discard these negative thoughts in time.

But there are also people who, when they step onto the plane, are torn with the desire to turn around and run away. What is it - aerophobia or short-term illness? panic attack against the backdrop of watching movies and news about plane crashes?

Aerophobia disease

Determining whether you really have aerophobia or just anxiety is very simple. Of course, being in a steel enclosed space, even an ordinary person who has flown dozens of times can experience discomfort and some excitement. Especially, for example, during turbulence.

But if at the same time your consciousness remains under your control, and the anxiety dissipates after a few seconds, then you are lucky. And we can congratulate you: aerophobia has nothing to do with it.

But if you shudder just at the thought of the upcoming flight, when entering the plane, a cold sweat breaks out in you, during the flight your consciousness turns off, and the time spent in the air passes as if in a fog, then cast aside all doubts, you don’t just have a fear of flying, and disease: aerophobia. And here you need to resort to the help of medicine.

How to overcome fear

Well, if you still have a normal fear of flying, then consider a number of recommendations that will help you avoid a state of panic. Such passengers should know and remember what they are strictly prohibited from doing during the flight.

1. Don't drink! Under no circumstances should you drink alcohol, even for “bravery.” After all, many people think that this helps to drown out fear, but this is not so. The effect of alcohol may be reversed, and fear may only increase.

2. Information vacuum. Before a flight, you shouldn’t look for information about air disasters and study the model of the plane you’re flying up and down in order to find some kind of flaw in it.

3. And the third rule: no need to look out the window. Having seen the flight altitude, thoughts about how such a piece of iron can float in the air and how long you will fall, if anything, are inevitable.

Put a dark mask over your eyes, close the window shade, or better yet, take a seat near the aisle.

Rules for fear of flying

Now let's talk about what you should especially pay attention to when flying. These rules will make it easier to stay in the air.

1. The most important argument in favor of air flights: the passenger must know and realize that the plane is the most safe way movement. And here you can look at the statistics to confirm this fact.

2. Special calming pills for flights will also be useful. But do not forget to consult your doctor first.

3. Remember that the crew serving you is qualified. He goes through a strict and serious training school. And the idea that airplane pilots always fly drunk is wrong.

And the crew members also have families. And, believe me, everyone wants to return to their home after work. 🙂

4. Also, do not forget that before the flight, each aircraft undergoes a serious technical check. If any problem is noticed, the plane will never be allowed to fly.

We don't focus on the flight

The most effective distraction is relaxation during the flight. Everyone has individual methods and things that calm them down.

You can turn on peaceful and calm music, watch a comedy, read your favorite book.

Many people find comfort in their favorite foods. Take a delicious cake on the plane and wash it down with a soothing herbal infusion.

While flying, think about the good, about how many positive emotions the trip will bring you. For example, career in connection with a business trip, or relaxation and enjoying the flavor of the country to which you are flying.

Learn to look in everything positive points! Moreover, you have plenty of time during the flight. 🙂

Talking or playing games with family members will help you pass the time on the plane unnoticed. After all, a few hours in the air will more than make up for the lack of communication that we experience in everyday life.

Pilot Lyokha - also known as Pobeda Airlines pilot Alexey Kochemasov - tells why traveling by car and train is much scarier than flying by plane.

We're flying. The plane is chattering, but not much. A flight attendant comes into the cockpit and says that the passenger is hysterical. I ask you to bring her to me. The young girl is all pale and shaking. I sit her next to me and just talk, explaining that everything is fine with us. 15 minutes of calm dialogue - and no phobia. This old incident made me think - why are people afraid to fly?

This is how Pobeda Airlines pilot Alexey Kochemasov, better known on the Internet as 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 disease.

Most people are afraid to fly because they don't know what happens on the plane. Incomprehensible sounds, grinding, steam. For example, I myself am afraid of trains. I travel by train, yes. But over long distances in my entire life (pilot Lyokha is 51 years old. - Approx. Life) I only went two or three times. I can't say what I have panic fear in front of the train, but I feel uncomfortable, I think trains are dangerous transport, because they constantly go off the rails. And I don’t understand the principle of operation - why don’t the wheels fall inside the rails, especially when turning?

Phobia from ignorance is cured in one go! It is enough to simply explain what happens and at what moment.

The second group of people are those who are afraid because they do not control the flight. They say: I don’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 and pedals, but you have nothing. And then KamAZ flies head-on. What can you do? Nothing.

The third group is the most difficult - they need to immediately see a psychiatrist. These are those who are internally ready to die. When they find out that they need to fly - two weeks or a month in advance - they begin to eat themselves. Recently, in Cheboksary, a plane rolled off the runway. Although there was nothing terrible there, the media begin to promote: “No one died,” “There were no injuries.” This information catches the eye everywhere, and the person screws himself up. As he prepares to fly, he prepares to die. He thinks: planes haven’t fallen for a long time, so mine will fall. He comes on board already with a feeling of doom.

Such people are very easy to recognize. Men usually get drunk. And alcohol in the air is a dangerous and insidious thing. As one rises to altitude, a person experiences oxygen starvation and alcohol is not broken down in the body, that is, absorption does not occur. Therefore, if 150 grams of vodka drunk on the ground is nothing for a healthy man, then at altitude he is already blown away.

Women are even easier to identify. She yells at the taxi driver, she was given the wrong seat at check-in, her luggage was put in the wrong place, she gets on the plane and insults the flight attendants. The woman begins to make trouble.

I realized that it was useless to say anything to such passengers, and I didn’t know how to deal with them. They are dangerous. The plane shook violently - the panicker jumped up and ran to open the doors. Other passengers, who were not ready to die, panic and also help open the door. Flight attendants often stop at the door those who want to “exit” during the flight.

“As the classics said, knowledge is power,” adds Alexey. That is why he started his pilot Lyokhi blog in the 2000s. He helps people understand the intricacies of aviation, gladly answers all questions, even provocative ones, and does everything so that passengers stop being afraid of flying. For example, after a flight you can ask Lyokha to come into the cockpit. So be sure to listen to the captain’s name, and if Alexey is there, then come in for a look.

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 earth. This is a time crunch. The plane runs along the runway, the speed increases and increases, but it still cannot take off, there is still not enough lift. There comes a moment when the plane is no longer “running”, but is not yet flying, then it takes off - and still it flies, but the speed is low, it only accelerates. And if something happens, the time margin is minimal - you need to react instantly. It’s one thing when a plane flies at an altitude of 12 thousand meters, it will take 20 minutes to fall to the ground - there’s a wagon of time there. And near the ground everything will happen in 20 seconds. And statistics say that disasters most often occur during takeoff/landing. The cases when a plane fell from above can be counted on one hand, and there were always 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 operating instructions for Boeing aircraft it is written that you can perform a “barrel roll” on them. Of course, this is not normal practice. Boeing writes that when your plane turns out to be banked more than 90 degrees (the nose is down or is falling somewhere), you don’t need to take it away, turn the barrel and fly on. By and large, the plane doesn’t care how you fly - even upside down.

Turbulence

Not all companies in the world, in principle, bypass the bumpy plane - Asians always fly directly. Most of the videos of trays and items falling from luggage compartments are from Asian airlines. Probably it’s a matter of mentality - they believe in reincarnation.

Jokes aside, imagine a big one glass bowl. Let's put a mouse there and let it run into the stream. He floats, he is rocked by the current. What will happen to the ball? Nothing. What will happen to the mouse? Nothing either, but she will be chatted. An airplane flies in an uneven environment - yes air currents. Between Greenland and Canada over the Baffin Sea (about 800 km there, flight hour) the wind blows on average 300-400 km per hour. It's always shaking there. Sausages from the heart.

Why do you need to wear a seat belt? So that your head doesn't hit the ceiling, but nothing will happen to the plane. Therefore, the issue of turbulence should not arise at all. Shakes and shakes.

Old plane

How does a passenger rate the plane? He comes in and sees: a new chair, carpets, nice smell- that means the plane is new. But the cabin of the plane is not an indicator of it technical condition. When there were intensive flights to Egypt (it was on this route that for some reason rowdy passengers flew all the time), in the new cabin, after several flights, the back of the seat was already torn off, chewing gum was stuck on, the inscriptions “I love you, Masha”, a three-letter word. If a pocket on a seat is torn off, the entire row of seats must be dismantled, and the plane must take off in one and a half to two hours. They simply don't have time to fix it.

The age of an aircraft and its reliability are very loosely related. There are still several airlines in the world that operate the Douglas DC-3. They stopped producing them in the middle of the 20th century, but they still carry passengers. American Airlines has one of the oldest fleets in the world: average age aircraft - 17 years. The youngest is at Pobeda: our planes are not two years old.

I have had the opportunity to fly on airplanes of both very ancient design and very recent ones. 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 diseases”, 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, uses words I don’t understand. There is no doubt about his professionalism. And he, in turn, vouches for the others: an inexperienced person will never be seated at the controls of an airplane. And in general, it is much more dangerous to smoke near the entrance in the spring. Icicles fall more often.

Many travelers have a fear of flying, and they are forced to seek psychological help to treat aerophobia.

There is nothing unnatural in the feeling of fear itself. It is normal, healthy fear that is often the “lifeline” in a difficult situation. But when the fear of flying on an airplane turns into a phobia that interferes with life, it is necessary to get rid of it.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to cope with such a complex obsession as aerophobia on your own. Experts in the field can help a person overcome an ingrained fear of flying:

Neurology.
Psychotherapy.
Psychology.

It is believed that symptoms of aerophobia arise between the ages of 25 and 30. Often unprepared for the onset of painful symptoms, a person has no idea what he should do.

What are Russians afraid of?

The greatest fear among Russian travelers is the recent increase in plane crashes.

About 40 percent of Russians are afraid of a plane crash.
Many people (about 25 percent) are alarmed by the lack of parachutes and other personal means of survival on board.
About 11 percent of Russians are afraid of airplanes only because they do not understand how such a colossus stays in the air and at the same time flies.
10 percent of travelers do not trust the ship's crew.

Russians whose activities involve frequent flights understand that phobia must be fought.

About 50 percent of travelers try to switch their attention to music, videos or games. 28 percent of passengers drown out the fear of flying with alcoholic drinks. 2 percent of Russians take potent sedatives and hypnotics.

The main causes of aerophobia

Statistics say that 55 percent of Russians experience panic before flying on an airplane. Russians are afraid to fly and refuse not only holidays abroad, but also high-paying jobs.

For people who have never flown on an airplane and have no intention of doing so, this fear is irrational. It arises because after each plane crash, journalists often savor the tragedy, publishing terrible photographs and interviews with grief-stricken relatives of the dead people.

But there are also people who are lucky to survive a plane crash. If their activities involve frequent flights, aerophobia can bring them a lot of trouble.

Recent studies show that only 20 percent of Russians have never experienced fear of flying.

About 30 percent of travelers begin to get very nervous and panic once they are in the cabin. Representatives of the fair sex are afraid of panic, which may engulf passengers and themselves, and men are afraid that the situation will get out of their control. Some representatives of the stronger sex admit to acrophobia - fear of heights.

In addition, people suffering from claustrophobia experience a serious fear of air transport. In this case, one phobia is “overlaid” on another.

The first signs of a phobia

For many people, the primary symptoms do not appear in the aircraft cabin, but long before the flight. A person begins to scrupulously collect information about the airline, carefully study the “affairs” of employees and try to calculate the likelihood of a disaster. A person preparing to travel by air becomes nervous and tense.

Often against this background he experiences insomnia. Dreams become fragmentary and disturbing.

Sometimes a person develops painful symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Have less anxious people Nervousness only manifests itself at the airport. The person becomes irritable, withdrawn and absent-minded.

Mechanisms of aerophobia

Most strong fear A person suffering from aerophobia experiences it during takeoff and also during landing of an airplane. It is at this moment that air transport and the travelers in its cabin experience extreme stress. As soon as the plane grinds, shakes or tilts slightly, a person begins to experience painful symptoms.

It all starts with anxiety. Then the person who is afraid to fly on an airplane tries to calm himself down and get the frightening thought out of his head.

But, like all obsessions, the thought “what if?” It just takes root and becomes brighter. The imagination immediately looks for bright pictures. I remember previously watched films, news footage, books read.

After this, as with any other neurotic condition, symptoms such as increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, tremors of the limbs and darkening of the eyes appear. Sometimes this condition is accompanied by nausea. Some people feel faint or faint.

The symptoms do not disappear even after the plane gains altitude. A person suffering from aerophobia will always find something to be afraid of in the air. Some passengers feel as if the plane's wings will fall off, and many smell burning smells.

Sedatives usually do not help, and alcoholic drinks only worsen the condition.

How to overcome your fear of flying

In order to decide on a treatment strategy, you need to observe yourself and determine what nature the fear is. If what a person takes to be a phobia is ordinary anxiety, then you can overcome the fear on your own.

What the facts say

A person who wants to overcome aerophobia that is preventing him from living must understand that the most safe transport is precisely the airplane. This is an axiom. Largest quantity All accidents and terrible deaths occur in motor vehicles. Statistics say that for 16 million km of distance traveled, the proportion of deaths is:

1.5 drivers of cars and trucks;
42 motorcyclists;
150 passengers.

About 30 thousand people die every year in Moscow accidents alone. Proportion of deaths per railway is 0.9 passengers per 16 million km.

In 12 months, about 5 billion passengers manage to use the services of air carriers. Statistics say that only 1 person in 10,000,000 may die. Only those who board a random flight every day can become a participant in an air disaster.

Perhaps the following facts will help people who have a fear of flying to overcome aerophobia:

Each system is equipped with 2 - 4 duplicates.
The aircraft has numerous modern systems.
The plane has 2 engines (simultaneous failure is almost impossible).
If one of the engines fails, a modern aircraft can fly for 120 minutes and land softly.
Before taking to the skies, each vehicle undergoes a thorough inspection by a team of highly qualified specialists.

Some people are helped to cope with aerophobia by realizing that every year air accidents are reduced by 15 percent, and passenger traffic increases by 10 percent.

Interesting video. Advice from a psychologist on how to stop being afraid of flying.

A plane crash usually results from not one, but a whole “bouquet” of reasons. Each reason is carefully analyzed in order to prevent a repetition of the tragedy.

How to help yourself

A person who has realized that his “phobia” turned out to be ordinary anxiety always wonders how to stop being afraid of flying without going to a psychotherapist and taking strong sedatives. It is recommended to do the following:

arrive on time for check-in and boarding;
ask for a place where turbulence is least felt;
drink tomato or pumpkin juice during the flight;
get carried away by an interesting book or solving a crossword puzzle.

For some people, being in a sterile area helps them calm down. In the huge window of the airport you can always see the “iron birds” taking off and landing safely. A person who does not know what to do with his fear should think of air transport as a routine. After this, aerophobia usually loses its position.

Don't keep fear to yourself. Some people find it helpful to talk to a neighbor. If you complain to a fellow traveler about the painful symptoms, he will find words of consolation or engage the person suffering from aerophobia in an interesting conversation. After this, the symptoms may also subside.

If neither being in a sterile area nor communicating with a neighbor helps to improve the condition, then you need to start doing light breathing exercises.

Breathing should be slow and deep.

What not to do

A person interested in the question of how to stop being afraid of flying should know what not to do during a flight.

It is not recommended to “drown out” fear by drinking alcohol. Alcohol exacerbates feelings and the condition of a person suffering from fear of air transport can only worsen. Some doctors believe that a drop of alcohol will not cause harm. But in practice, unfortunately, the matter cannot be solved.

Help from specialists

For some people, aerophobia is so deeply rooted that relief comes only after a psychotherapeutic session. In the most severe cases, the course of treatment for this phobia is 3–10 sessions.

Treatment regimen for phobia

Modern psychotherapists argue that treatment of aerophobia will be successful only if it is built according to a clear pattern. Fear of heights usually consists of the following disorders:

Aerophobia.
Claustrophobia.
The need to exercise control over the situation.
Panic attacks.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Treatment of aerophobia when the disease is on initial stage, involves timely elimination accompanying pathologies. Unfortunately, some of mental disorders, such as OCD, can only be temporarily suppressed.

The second stage of treatment for this phobia is “educational education”. A person suffering from aerophobia will learn interesting details about aviation, safety systems and aerodynamics. The main task of the specialist is to teach the patient to control his emotions - the physiology of fear, and not to control what he a priori cannot control.

At the third stage of treatment, a person suffering from aerophobia is asked to take a virtual flight in a special room.

Medicines are used in the treatment of this phobia, but do not play a major role. If the situation requires it, the specialist may prescribe the patient to take beta blockers and antidepressants.

If the treatment was timely and correct, then recovery occurs in 85 - 90 percent of cases. Some doctors are confident that if aerophobia is not accompanied by severe mental disorders, then overcoming fear occurs in 100 percent of cases.

It’s normal to feel nervous before a flight, especially when you don’t fly very often. Even among experienced travelers, there are those who clench their will into a fist before the next step on board the ship. Of course, there is also real aerophobia, when no amount of will will force a person to board a plane. Such difficult cases Only working with a psychologist or psychotherapist will help. We have prepared several simple tips for those who, although they are afraid, still fly.

Study information about flights

Stop replaying frightening scenes in your head and crush fear with bare statistics. For example, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) calculates how many incidents occur each year in passenger aviation. This number is then compared to incidents on other modes of transport. So, for several years now the airplane has been called the safest transport for traveling long distances. And in 2015-2016, the number of plane crashes decreased significantly compared to previous years. In 2016, some 3.8 billion travelers traveled safely on 40.4 million flights. Life-affirming statistics, isn't it? More numbers and information on aircraft safety from IATA.

Another good remedy To understand that everything in the sky is superbly organized, take a look at the website flightradar24.com. Here you can see in real time all the planes that are currently in the air. Do you see how many there are? Almost every second at least one lands and takes off. And no incidents.

Arrive at the airport on time

On the day of the flight, it would be good to be as nervous as possible in principle. Therefore, it is better to avoid stress due to being late for a flight. To avoid running around the airport with your tongue on your shoulder, leave home in advance (especially if this is your very first flight). usually starts 2 hours before departure.

By arriving at the airport early, you can get used to your surroundings, calmly find your check-in counter, deal with your luggage and other procedures. In the end, you'll end up doing duty free. The regularity of all these actions will prevent you from turning into one huge bundle of nerves.