Conquer your fear of flying - help is at hand with our Q&A

The British Airways team worked wonders with my daughter. Can't keep her on the ground now.

I think I would be their ultimate challenge!
If I fly, I think I will die, I know all the statistics about safety but they mean nothing to me.
I think I have a true phobia.
I have tried flying but remain terrified for the duration of the flight and at my age this cannot be healthy.
Any suggestions?

Oldgreymare, I also have a fear of flying, but I do it anyway because I want so badly to go on holiday. My fear begins the moment I step on to the plane and my anxiety rises to a horrible pitch as the plane takes off. I have tried many things to overcome this, i.e. a good glug of wine whilst in the departure lounge, sedatives from the doctor, all to no avail. On one particular flight (in 1997) my husband mentioned to one of the friendly stewards on board of my fear. He disappeared for a while and then came back to tell me that the captain had invited me to visit the flight deck. I duly plucked up courage to walk to the front of the plane and entered the cockpit, the captain and co-pilot sat me in the jump seat where I remained for the rest of the fight, they were marvellous, explaining everything, captivating my interest and amazement, I even remained there for our landing at Heathrow and watched Concord taking off directly in front of us. It was awesome. However..... we then boarded a 747 for an onward flight to Canada, and yes, as soon as I took my seat all my old fears returned. I do fly, but like you I feel really scared until I feel the wheels touch the runway bringing my ordeal to an end, for the time being anyway. I think there may be a difference between a phobia and just being scared, perhaps you could go on one of these courses to see if it would help. Good luck

I do fly because I want to go to places outside the UK but I don't particularly enjoy it. It's not a big issue though...unless there is turbulence. Then I completely lose the plot. Can you suggest anything to get me through the bumpy bits?

katykat I hate turbulence too.

Hoping you can help. I was on a flight which made an emergency landing some years ago. Everyone was fine (I think it was mainly precautionary) but now I expect the worst every time I set foot on a plane. What's the best way for me to relax and move on from this?

Thanks Thistledo.
I would really love to visit so many places but can't bring myself to take the first step, katykat.
Funnily enough I will drive almost anywhere so I thought my fear may be to do with control. I think an aeroplane coming down is so final but there is a chance of survival, however small, with most other forms of transport.

I am fine once in the air, but am always scared on take off and landing. I deal with it by not looking out of the window at that time, and studiously reading something (anything!), making sure I carefully emphasise every word to myself (not out loud of course). Bit dilly, but it works for me. Come to think of it, I'm applying the principles of mindfulness!

I would also welcome any tips for not being scared during turbulence.

I fly quite a lot and over the years have become more relaxed about it. If your number is up - it's up, is my philosophy! I'm not too keen on turbulence but try to imagine I am in a car travelling down a very rough road. I am flying back to the UK this morning and even after a missed approach aborted landing last week, which wasn't particularly pleasant, I am not worried. I have faith in the pilot and crew; they are all highly trained and able to deal with most eventualities ......... aren't they?

My friend's son is a BA pilot. His argument is that he isn't aiming to due anyone soon so we are quite safe!! I was reassured until he told me about the time he found himself flying rather too close to the Rockies.

I accept that Gally and Kitty but still can't rationalise my fears

I hate flying with every fibre of my being. For several reasons:

- it is wrecking the planet. We have to move on from the idea that we can fly where we want when we want regardless of what it is doing to the world. It is a dangerous mindset that has dangerous outcomes.

- I detest the sensation of flying. I understand all the physics of aeroplane flight, but hate the feeling.

- human error whilst in the sky is far more dangerous than on the ground - e.g. in a train. And there is no way of eliminating human error.

- the comparison statistics between car and plane are spurious. Deaths and injury per mile are misleading - the crucial statistic is deaths per accident.

Mishap , bit doom laiden there , lighten up.

I quite like flying as it gets me to places I want to go, I take it as all of my holiday experience

I fly reasonably frequently for someone who still works (3 to 5 times a year) and do so on the assumption that the pilot wishes to live a little longer. I do however always sit at the back based on the knowledge that I have never heard of an airliner ever backing into a mountain. Do date that is!
Sorry!

Sorry Nonu but I am a big anti-aeroplane person! Still light here!

I am afraid I have no choice but to fly if I ever want to see my family. The only thing that bothers me is the boredom on my very long flights to New Zealand, and the lack of privacy. I am surprised that flying doesn't worry me, as I do suffer from a measure of claustrophobia in lifts, etc. but the one place where I am really trapped for many hours is in a plane and I never feel nervous or uncomfortable.
I think I heard that many more people survive aircraft accidents than you might think but it doesn't make the headlines.
I was once invited onto the flight deck with my young grand-daughter on our way back from Malaysia and I found the experience awe-inspiring- the view of the land below is quite different when viewed from the front.

Coincidentally, flying is just being discussed on QI and apparently most people prefer a cultured voice or a Scottish accent from the pilot!

Just back and, small world, I had the same pilot who aborted the landing last week; that was a bit of a worry but his No.2 was a woman so all was well

my friends daughter is almost refusing to fly. She did have sickness the first time she flew owing to bad food. Can one help her to get over this to give the family a chance to go away!

my friends daughter is almost refusing to fly. She did have sickness the first time she flew owing to bad food. Can one help her to get over this to give the family a chance to go away!

I spent a lot of my childhood flying in RAF planes - mostly Dakotas - to wherever we were posted in the Middle East. I was scared by the frequent turbulence but my mother was a nervous passenger so I used to grit my teeth and bury my head in a book. I didn't fly in a jet until many years later when I flew with a friend to Munich. I marvelled at the speed of the take-off and how quickly we reached cruising height. It suddenly dawned on me that my friend was clutching my hand and shaking with nerves. As I reassured her I realised it was the first time I had flown without being scared myself. I don't have any problems with flying now but can empathise with anyone who does.

There are three retired pilots and one senior flight attendant in my family. None of them knows how scared I used to be because I never let on. I'm so thankful I grew out of it because I used to regard it as a curse.

I didn't mind flying when I was younger, but since I've become petrified. DS is going on a plane for the first time next month - how can I hide my fear from him? And how can I distract him from the plane (and myself)?

Oh, he is 3yo and it's a short haul flight - so there won't really be any inflight entertainment.

This weekend there have been two catastrophic plane crashes in the news (San Francisco and Alaska I think) and now I am absolutely dreading going to Spain this summer. It's all very well saying only one in however many crashes but that's no comfort to the people on the one. Also I read various news reports saying how little flying experience on that particular aircraft the San Francisco pilot had. I appreciate everyone has to start somewhere but this hasn't helped my nerves. What if my pilot is a trainee? (and saying there are always experienced people alongside doesn't help. There were in this case too)

I once told a psychologist that I hated flying and he said it was the mark of a sane person!!

I am sitting ourside with my laptop and gazing over the huge blue sky and the beautiful view. Unfortunately I can also watch the clouds that accumulate in response to the aeroplane vapour trails!