About 40% of Americans feel some fear at the thought of flying, and between 2.5% and 6.5% of people in the U.S. actually experience a phobia of flying. If you'll do almost anything to avoid reaching cruising altitude, these tips can help.
Aviophobia is very real, and it adversely affects a large percentage of the population. More than one-third of all people experience some form of fear or anxiety when it comes to flying. Between 2.5% and 5% of those are considered clinical cases (this means they cannot go without specialized therapy and/or medication).
Many people are afraid of flying in airplanes, but they shouldn't be. Flying is actually one of the safest ways to travel. In fact, when measured per mile, flying is actually farsafer than driving, or travelling by train. Not only is flying the safest mode of transport, but it is also the fastest.
It's not just your imagination – flying in an airplane can zap your energy, dry your skin and make various body parts feel different or weird. How come? “The pressure, temperature and oxygen levels in the cabin fluctuate, and the humidity level is lower than it is at sea level,” says Matthew Goldman, MD.
Turbulence, which causes planes to suddenly jolt while in flight, is considered a fairly normal occurrence and nothing to fear. The movement is caused by "atmospheric pressure, jet streams, air around mountains, cold or warm weather fronts, or thunderstorms," according to The Federal Aviation Administration.
Basically you and the airplane are both in a steady climb and when the aircraft levels off you continue to move up faster so it (via the seatbelt) keeps you at its same level and decelerates your own personal vertical climb. It is just like the feeling you get in a roller coaster.
While a clinical diagnosis of aviophobia — a fear of flying — is pretty rare, only affecting 2.5 percent of the population by some estimates, general anxiety about flying is far more common.
Fear of flying afflicts as much as 40 percent of the U.S. population. The nation's armrest-grippers may be heartened to know that “aviophobia” is perfectly normal, and easily treated. Only about 5 percent of Americans have aviophobia so severe that they cannot fly.
Causes of Aerophobia
² Most commonly, people fear flying because they feel that they have no control over the situation and their safety. The longer a person avoids flying, the more this fear may increase.
It's almost unheard of for turbulence to cause a crash, but it can lead to costly repairs for carriers. Usually, the damage is to cabin components like seats and overhead bins when luggage falls out or people hit them. Turbulence-related damage, delays and injuries cost airlines up to $500 million per year.
Takeoff and landing are widely considered the most dangerous parts of a flight.
Answer: The sensation of slowing down is really one of slowing the rate of acceleration; this is due to reducing the thrust after takeoff to the climb setting. The sensation of “dropping” comes from the retraction of the flaps and slats. The rate of climb is reduced, causing it to feel like a descent.
People with aerophobia might feel intense anxiety before or during a flight. This condition can interfere with your ability to travel for work or pleasure. If aerophobia is affecting your quality of life, talk to your healthcare provider. With psychotherapy, most people can conquer their fear of flying.
Pilots are trained to handle all sorts of nerve-racking situations, but that doesn't mean that they don't get scared—especially in these real instances, told by the pilots who experienced them, of serious in-flight fear.
The average age of onset of fearful flying is 27 years. Fearful flyers often report that their anxiety developed after the birth of a child.
Airplane ear happens when there is an imbalance in the air pressure in your middle ear and the air pressure in the environment. This may happen when you're in an airplane that is climbing or descending. A narrow passage called the eustachian tube regulates air pressure in your ear.
An average commercial jet accelerates to between 120 and 140 knots prior to liftoff. To do this in 30 to 35 seconds requires a good sustained acceleration.
You do not feel speed, you only feel acceleration, or other forces, like those from the wind on your face - and you cannot feel that in a plane. So you do feel something when the plane is accelerating, taking off, sometimes when it banks, or in bad weather.
If you've never flown on an airplane before, it can be a bit scary. After all, human beings don't have wings and aren't used to flying thousands of feet above the ground. Some people have a fear of flying. This fear is called by different names, including aerophobia, aviatophobia or aviophobia.
This shaking is caused by turbulence. While this might make some uneasy, there is nothing to worry about as modern airplanes are designed to withstand all types of turbulence.
The short answer is no, and rest assured that the pilots know how uncomfortable turbulence can make passengers feel. And know that no aircraft has ever crashed because of turbulence. "Turbulence has not caused an airplane to crash," Biddle said. "Airplanes are built very sturdily.
“Pilots use preflight weather briefings to detect turbulence along their route of flight. Once airborne, pilots will receive 'ride reports' from other aircrew who encountered rough air, so they have time to coordinate a path around the turbulence,” he explains.
If a pilot doesn't plan the flight properly, gets into bad weather, or doesn't anticipate issues then airplane crashes can happen. Occasionally pilots become disoriented, especially while operating in clouds, under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). Pilot disorientation can lead to stalls or spins that lead to crashes.
During turbulence, planes might feel like they're shaking from side to side or move like a car going over a bumpy road.