How to stop being afraid of flying?

What is the name for the fear of flying?

The phobia of flying is called aviophobia, or alternatively aerodromophobia. These two terms are synonymous: they refer both to the fear of flying and to the phobia felt at the mention of air travel.

The term aerophobia is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to the fear of flying. This designation is erroneous: aerophobia actually refers to the fear of fresh air or wind.

Where does it come from?

Like some phobias, it is a composite fear, or umbrella fear. Its origins vary greatly from one individual to another, making it impossible to establish a diagnosis common to all.

The phobia or fear of flying is triggered by the situation of air travel, but in reality it involves other fears or phobias. These are associated disorders that are activated by the situation of being in a flight cabin.

Some disorders associated with fear of flying

• Claustrophobia
• Aquaphobia (when flying over a body of water)
• Social fears
• Agoraphobia (and in particular the fear of not being able to escape)
• Acrophobia (fear of heights)
• Astraphobia (fear of lightning) and brontophobia (fear of thunder)
• Cumulophobia (fear of clouds)
• Emetophobia (fear of vomiting)
• Irrational anxieties
• Difficulties with loss of control
• Fear of death

Sometimes, a mild fear of flying is fueled by exposure to disaster movies or by a heightened sensitivity to news about aviation accidents.

In other cases, a bad experience during a flight can be the starting point of irrational anxieties: turbulence, a delay on the tarmac deemed abnormal and therefore worrying, a rough takeoff, a storm... The passenger will then extrapolate by filling in the unknowns with false beliefs. What is in fact a routine event that is fully under control becomes a reason for fear and anxiety.

Finally, in rare cases, fear of flying is linked to physiological dysfunctions that manifest during air travel. They may be related to physiological problems independent of aircraft. Answering a questionnaire about fear of flying or consulting a therapist may be necessary to establish a diagnosis.

More than any other phobia, fear of flying is different for each person. Identifying the origin of your anxiety is fundamental to understanding it and considering overcoming it, so that one day you no longer fear flying!

Quick tips to control your fear on a plane

Before discussing therapies and workshops to lastingly cure fear of flying, here are some easy-to-implement solutions to take the drama out of air travel.

If you experience low-intensity fear, these tips for overcoming flight anxiety could well help you.

In summary, these tips aim to reclaim the plane and the airport by turning them into welcoming places. They allow you to control the flow of your travel day: arriving early at the airport to have time to go through all check-ins and admire the ballet of planes at takeoff. Choosing your seat in advance to sit in your preferred spot (possibly an aisle seat for more freedom). Informing the cabin crew that you feel apprehensive about flying (they are trained for this and will know how to reassure you in case of turbulence). But the most important advice may be this: to prevent your mind from ruining the flight, eliminate false beliefs and negative thoughts by replacing them with reliable information about aviation safety.

Defusing misconceptions about aircraft and aviation safety

Defusing false beliefs is fundamental to overcoming flight anxiety. Often, anxieties are fueled by negative intuitions or misconceptions. One of the most widespread concerns air pockets. They supposedly cause turbulence during the flight. In reality, it is the opposite: air pockets do not exist. Turbulence consists of mini-jolts that have only a few centimeters of effect on the aircraft – equivalent to a pothole on the road, but far less dangerous.

Are malfunctions worrying you? In reality, they should not. Aviation safety is more advanced than ever. The more you know about aircraft, the fewer reasons you will have to worry. Every part of the aircraft undergoes double or triple checks before, during, and after the flight.

Aviation safety has learned enormously from past events. In 2018 alone, more than 38 million flights arrived safely at their destination. Flying is by far the safest mode of transport!

Educating yourself to stop fearing air travel

Strengthening your knowledge about aircraft and air traffic is one of the keys to controlling your fear or phobia. This prevents you from "filling in the blanks" by imagining the worst whenever an unknown event occurs during the flight.

This "cognitive" component is at the heart of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), on which Fofly.com workshops are based. The informational part is inseparable from the behavioral component; together, they form a proven and effective method for overcoming flight anxiety.