How Youtube, Airlines and an App Can Help You Overcome Your Fear of Flying

You might be surprised to learn that even avid travelers are not always happy with flying (including myself after my scary flight in the Philippines), but Youtube, airlines and an app are some of the modern tools available to help you overcome your fear of flying.

If you’re reading this article you’re probably an avid traveler or are soon to hop on a flight (perhaps your first one) and don’t feel as comfortable in the air as you are on land. After all us humans are meant to walk and sometimes swim, but most definitely need a machine to fly. Loosing control of being in the environment that surrounds us is one of the main reasons that cause fear of flying, and as passengers our lives are in the hands of the crew and aircraft we are in.

We have all been told that flying is safer than traveling by car, that breathing hard will relax you and in extreme cases a good dose of drugs and alcohol will hopefully make you pass out during the trip. With technology, however, there are new options that can help you deal with this feeling present in one out of every four individuals according to some studies (indeed, you’re not alone). Fear can be conquered- let’s take a look at three tools that can help you.

Youtube Videos

Youtube is a great source for many things, and little did you know, it can also help you overcome your fear of flying. A recent video by British Airways in which pilot Steve Allright explains some of the factors that involve this fear (sometimes panic!) has become very popular, and there are several others that do a great job too. These are some of them:

This video by Howcast is good fun and provides some great tips (seats where the wings are enjoy the smoothest flights- don’t forget this!), and you’ll be happy you’re not paying first class.

Another video by British Airways.

And perhaps the most comprehensive of them all which in 12 minutes takes you on a flight, explaining every noise and bump you’ll probably feel ( by Virgin).

Fear of Flying Airline Courses

Most big airlines have courses that can help you deal and often overcome your fear of flying. At around 400-500 USD  they may last from one to several days, and include mechanical explanations that explain why and how planes fly, psychological reasons that are often the cause behind this fear and how to deal with them, and they usually include a 45 minute flight at the end of the course to test the results.  These course have a 95% success rate and some of the airlines that offer them are Birtish Airways with their Flying With Confidence course, Spain’s airline Iberia and Virgin with their Flying Without Fear course.

App for Smartphone

“Afraid of Flying? Finally there’s an App for That” is the motto the creators of Valk are using for the launch of their most recent app. “The ‘Flight App VALK’ was developed as a result of 23 years of scientific research and treatments by the Dutch VALK Foundation” , a collaborative venture by the University of Leiden, KLM and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Transavia.com, Martinair and ArkeFly set up in 1989 and is devoted to treating fear of flying. From their website “The Flight App is designed to help relax passengers before and during flights. It informs users about aerodynamics, flight safety and turbulence, sounds and sensations during departure, flight and landing. Practical audio exercises help lower flight stress. When the passenger’s flight stress reaches a panic level, users of the application can access the special panic button, which provides audio and written aid to decrease the stress level immediately. The Flight App can be used during the flight in the airplane mode. Once downloaded, the program does not require internet connection in the air.”  It is available in Itunes and Android, and costs around 3USD.

With the advent low cost airlines flying is easier than ever today, with prices being sky high in many carriers because of fuel surcharges but not even close in many airlines. While fear of flying can certainly be a burden when it comes to long distance travel there are many tools and resources that can help you make it a thing of the past.

And now it’s your turn:

Are you afraid of flying? How do you deal with it? Do you have any tricks up your sleeve? Please share them with us in the comments section below, as well as the videos and tools mentioned in this article, and don’t forget to share it if you think others might find it helpful!

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