“Overcoming fear of flying” is a constant topic for me, as I’ve been working for many years on being able to fly more relaxed. It’s interesting that most people search Google for seminars or pills for fear of flying. But there are also little tips and tricks on how to make flying more relaxing without necessarily having to swallow pills or spend a lot of money on seminars.
My fear of flying was suddenly there, even though I’ve been traveling a lot by plane for years. And so I had to somehow live with this new fear, because I wanted to visit all the beautiful places in the world. Not getting on a plane was out of the question for me. But believe me, my fear of flying was very pronounced and, over time, became very exhausting and nerve-wracking.
Today, I have my fear of flying much better under control again. How did I achieve this? Through a really long and intensive “self-therapy.” In the following article, I would like to encourage you and at the same time take away some of your fear.
- Fear of Flying Podcast
- 1. Symptoms of fear of flying
- 2. Causes of fear of flying
- 3. My therapy for fear of flying
- 4. Statistics and knowledge about flying
- 5. YouTube as a constant activity
- 6. My tips for overcoming fear of flying
- 7. Flying isn’t so stupid after all
- 8. Overcoming fear of flying
Fear of Flying Podcast
We have also recorded a podcast episode on the topic of “Overcoming fear of flying” and chat about it in detail in a relaxed atmosphere. Feel free to listen!
Click on the button below to load the content from www.podbean.com.
Load content
1. Symptoms of Fear of Flying
I always felt really bad before a flight! And by that, I mean “REALLY BAD.” A few days beforehand, I’d already have sweaty hands just thinking about the flight. The day before departure, I had stomach pain, an uneasy feeling throughout my body, diarrhea, and fatigue.
Going to the airport only got worse. My goodness, I feel strange thinking back on it. That was a really bad time with lots of ups and downs. I was always very restless and nervous, fidgeting around, and could hardly sit still.
As soon as the plane started moving, my heart was pounding in my throat and I was barely responsive. My breathing became faster, and my appetite disappeared until landing. I could never get anything down—if I could, it was a glass of Coke or water. Do you know those feelings? Do you feel the same way, or have you had the same problems before?
2. Causes of Fear of Flying
I kept asking myself where this unbearable fear of flying came from. Why was I suddenly so tense? I mean, I never really enjoyed boarding a plane, but it was never as physically bad as it was at that time. The wildest scenes were always playing in my head. Storms, bad experiences, emergency landings, strange noises, turbulence?
On my return flight from Johannesburg to Frankfurt on the Lufthansa A380, the plane shook for an hour. That was the first time I felt really bad, and I think I’ve had a fear of flying since that day. I was probably overwhelmed by the huge A380 anyway, so everything just came together that day.
Everyone was sleeping soundly, I sat bolt upright in my seat, staring at the monitor. I’ve never been able to sleep during a flight. I prayed to God that the plane wouldn’t crash! We were somewhere in the middle of nowhere over Africa, over jungle and desert. The pilots were chilling in auto mode, some were probably even asleep. I kept looking at the monitor, counting the hours, minutes, and seconds.
“Still 8 hours! I’m going crazy! I have to get out of here!” My girlfriend tried to calm me down, eventually giving me tranquilizers. Luckily! I didn’t wake up until 4 hours later and saw on the screen that we were back over Europe. That calmed me down! I have to say, there was no turbulence at any point. It was just the wind knocking against the plane from left to right. To me, it was almost like a plane crash! With every subsequent flight, I had the following horrific thoughts:
“I hope this plane doesn’t crash today! Why is it shaking so much? Why is the wing swinging up and down so far? Is there a terrorist on board? Is someone about to go crazy?”
You don’t trust technology, do you?
As soon as there was even the slightest shake, I got nervous again and my heart started racing. I thought to myself, the wings were breaking off, the pilot had fallen asleep, we were caught in a storm, or a tornado was heading our way. Completely stupid, I know. Do you have thoughts like that? You understand me, right?
I just kept imagining the worst possible scenario. For a while, I even started drumming my fingers and panicking. I simply hated the time up in the air! Absolutely! During one flight I even had to go to the bathroom to empty my stomach! Awful!
To be honest, I never trusted the technology and never understood how such a huge and heavy aircraft could fly in the air. All the noises were foreign to me, and I never trusted the pilot anyway. You fly kilometers high and you simply have no control anymore. Do you feel the same? You can probably guess which sentence I hated the most, right?
Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts. Turbulence is coming!
You wouldn’t believe how much I hated those words! And I don’t like those words today either, but who does? PS Turbulence always sounds so intense. When I talk about turbulence, I really only mean a slight shake of the plane.
As I mentioned, many people are afraid of flying because something has happened. My dad, for example, has never boarded a plane and never will. He says he’s terrified of it, even though he’s never been on one! Crazy, right? That shows you where the fear begins and what effects it has. Some people will never be able to see many parts of the world because they are completely consumed by their fear.
3. My Therapy for Fear of Flying
Things didn’t get any better in the following months. Naturally, the world trip also meant a lot of flights for Marco and me. I was fed up with always feeling so bad before a flight. It robbed me of my strength and desire; I would have preferred to travel everywhere by car, train, or bus. A solution was needed – and fast! What could I do to be more relaxed while flying and get my fear of flying under control? What was the real problem? I became aware of where my fear came from and what symptoms I was experiencing.
And I’m also familiar with all the great online posts with tips and tricks for overcoming my fear of flying. It’s kind of strange that I, of all people, am writing such a post! I used to only read these “he has no clue” posts. I was sick of these smart-ass texts because they didn’t help me at all. I must say, though, that I never let myself get involved with them back then.
The fear just kept getting stronger! But I wanted it so badly! I wanted to live and fly without fear again. So I started self-therapy and began to explore flying, airplanes, and pilots. And since it helped me so much, I’m writing these lines now to help you a little too.
4. Statistics and knowledge about flying
I know the clever statistics that more people die on the highways than in airplanes. Flying is the safest mode of transportation there is! By the way, I don’t think driving is cool either, because you always have to expect other people’s stupidity. Sooooo much happens on the roads every day because some people simply lose control, speed, make mistakes, are drunk, or even drive without a license.
How often do you hear about a plane crash? And if you do, what was the cause? I asked myself this question often in the months that followed. Every year, more than 3.7 billion people fly from A to B by plane. In 2025, there were just 72 fatalities, making it one of the safest years in aviation history. By comparison, 2,839 people died in car accidents on German roads alone. From 1945 to 2015, there were just 3,000 plane crashes, which equates to just 43 accidents worldwide in 2016. On German roads alone, there are 2.42 million car accidents per year. Take a look and let these numbers sink in. So? Do you still think flying is really that unsafe? And you know what? More than 80,000 planes are on the move around the world every day. So? Do we hear anything about crashes and disasters? Actually, almost never!
5. YouTube: A Constant Occupation
Now I wanted to know more about it and started watching all the documentaries about pilots, airplanes, airports, and aviation technology. Pretty interesting once you get started. I finally wanted to understand how it all works and how a jumbo jet can take off. YouTube became my constant occupation, as did the news about flying. I kept watching airplanes on Flight Radar and eventually became familiar with the different machines and models.
Aviation fascinates me! A lack of knowledge about it is often the trigger for a fear of flying. And that’s exactly where I started. Over the months, I gathered more and more knowledge and interesting facts about it, and now I understood how an airplane can take off. I also understood that an airplane can withstand so much more than a passenger.
And let me tell you something? I’ve boarded a plane countless times to this day, and nothing has ever happened! Never! We did encounter turbulence a few times, but it was really harmless. Even pilots say it’s very rare for a pilot to encounter truly serious turbulence in their entire career. I love the phrase, “Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts. We’ll be landing shortly.” Those are the crew’s best words, aren’t they? But what can you do about fear of flying on board?
6. My tips for combating fear of flying
6.1 Book a window seat
Many say that a window seat isn’t good for those with a fear of flying. I, on the other hand, would freak out if I couldn’t sit by the window. I need this seat because it calms me down. As long as I can see that the world isn’t ending outside, I’m fine. It calms me down, and I also like looking out the window. If it starts to shake, I look out and see that everything is okay. No fire! No broken wing! No tornado! Marco always told me:
“If it shakes again or something seems strange, ask yourself what exactly is scaring you.”
And that’s exactly what I always do. Then I immediately realize there’s no reason to worry. It’s just the wind whipping against the plane. So? Has a plane ever crashed because of that? In the air, it’s like on the roads. Sometimes there are good, well-maintained roads. Sometimes there are shaky roads that seem a bit bumpy. No reason to get nervous. Air pockets are uncool, but they’re part of the experience, and that’s also why a plane has never fallen from the sky.
6.2 Camera or cell phone is a distraction
During the worst times, I initially used the camera for takeoff and landing. I always filmed everything. So I was busy getting the shot, and suddenly we were up in the air and through the clouds. Then I took a few more photos, observed the landscapes, and tried to breathe calmly and, above all, to stay calm. I breathe in and out very slowly and deeply. That’s part of it and really brings me back down from my horror trip.
Update: Nowadays, I always count to 200 before takeoff. It relaxes me, and besides, we’re usually above the clouds afterwards, having gotten through the “most unpleasant” part.
6.3 Sweets and water are good for you!
I know you’re probably not hungry for anything. But a little sugar is good for your circulation, trust me. It gets your levels back up, and you’re not quite as weak. You should also drink a lot so you don’t faint.
Anyone with a really bad fear of flying knows the feeling. You feel so weak that you could collapse at any moment. To avoid an emergency on board, you should drink plenty of fluids. Water is best. Your body is so down from the ups and downs of emotions – please do something good for it!
6.4 Give myself courage and listen to music
As soon as things get strange and the plane starts to shake, I give myself courage. I also cover my ears (so that no one can see, of course^^) and hum some relaxing tunes. It calms me down enormously. This happens especially often during landings, because the clouds often rock a lot. You’re probably familiar with that, right? So you should have music with you and turn it up loud when the plane shakes around. Close your eyes and say positive things to yourself:
The pilot, as always, knows what he’s doing, we’ll land safely soon. Or: The wind is just acting up, but we’ll be done soon! Or: It’s shaken so many times before, but nothing ever happened! It’s just wind and clouds!
Pro tip: I always have my noise-cancelling headphones from Sony* with me. With them, you can hardly hear anything. I love them and wear them especially when flying and taking the train.
6.5 Forget your disaster movie
Fear of flying is normal, and at least 70% of people don’t like getting on a plane. But now you should forget about the disaster movie on TV. Crew and pilots are prepared for accidents and know what to do. They never fly through severe storms, preferring to take a detour. Pilots may fly on autopilot, but they always check the situation and keep everything under control.
Where is the nearest airport? What’s the weather like? How much fuel do we have left? Is everything on board working? So don’t panic! The plane won’t just fall from the sky, catch fire, or break apart. But Hollywood blockbusters like to show us that, right? Please forget your disaster movie!
6.6 Seat near the wings
They say that a seat near the wings is good for people with a fear of flying. Apparently, you’re supposed to feel the turbulence less there. The swing of the wings isn’t as noticeable there as if you were sitting further back or forward. I honestly can’t tell you whether that’s true or not. Every time I fly, I forget to pay attention to that. Do you have experience with this and know if it’s really true? Feel free to write it in the comments.
6.7 Educate yourself
And as described above, you should start by acquiring knowledge about airplanes and flight technology. It really helped me enormously! Ignorance is the biggest culprit when it comes to fear of flying, and this is how you can definitely actively counteract it. With the necessary knowledge, you’ll understand how an airplane flies, what noises it makes, what happens in the cockpit, and so on. There are hundreds of documentaries on YouTube.
Just search for “aircraft documentaries” there; you’ll be able to fill many evenings with it. I also visited the Airbus factory in Hamburg Finkenwerder. It was amazing to see how the jumbo jets are manufactured. A really interesting insight into aviation, we can only recommend it.
Here are a few interesting documentaries:
- Super Airliners – Airplanes for the New Millennium
- How does an airplane fly? – simply explained
- In the middle of it all – Frankfurt Airport – all episodes
- Tips for fear of flying – What the expert says
- Overcoming fear of flying – Facts and tips from a flight attendant
- Fascination of the Airport – The big airport documentary
- Turbulence when flying – logo! explained – ZDFtivi
- Turbulence when flying; (Aviation explained in an understandable way)
6.8 Tablets for fear of flying
There are also tablets for fear of flying; I have tranquilizers from Ratiopharm. You can get these over-the-counter at the pharmacy or on Amazon. Just ask for “travel tablets.” It’s best to take one about an hour before departure. I find that these pills always calm me down and also make me a little tired (they also help with nausea, dizziness, and vomiting).
This helps me sleep much better on the plane. I can highly recommend these tablets, especially for long-haul flights. I wouldn’t necessarily take one on short-haul flights because you’re so tired. But it depends on the dosage.
7. Flying isn’t so stupid after all
You really have to actively work on your fear of flying. You’ll notice that you’ll feel better over time. Since I fly often, I’ve been able to work on my fear repeatedly. If you only fly once a year, your fear of flying certainly won’t improve. Unfortunately! You’re only exposed to your fear very rarely, and so you’re not fighting it. At least, that’s what I think.
Today, I feel good about flying and hardly have any of the symptoms mentioned above. I look forward to traveling these days and even enjoy flying! Cool, right? My fear of flying is still there, but I have it very well under control and would say it’s almost cured. Every flight takes me to new, beautiful places, and that’s all that matters. There’s no point in stressing yourself out! Marco always tells me:
“You can worry enough if something happens! As long as nothing happens, relax and enjoy the luxury of flying!”
He’s absolutely right. Why bother getting so worked up beforehand? Look out the window, enjoy the view, the sky, and the sun. Listen to your favorite music, type on your laptop, watch a movie, try to sleep, or read an exciting book. And just like that – the plane lands, and you’ve done it!
8. Overcoming fear of flying
“Overcoming fear of flying” doesn’t happen in a few hours; it’s a long process. It took me years. The important thing is that with every flight, you bring back the positive experiences of the last flight. Remember how good the last flight was, how relaxed and problem-free. Remember how wonderful your last vacation was and how safely you got from A to B.
The world is always beautiful up there; nobody wants anything from me, and I have peace and quiet. Use your next flight actively for yourself. There’s hardly any other place where you’ll be left in peace like up there in the air. Unless there’s a snoring man or a screaming baby sitting next to you!
But no matter how you do it, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you and I know exactly how you feel. If you find yourself in an awkward situation on the plane, remember all these words and try to stay calm and actively work on your fear. You can do it! Absolutely!
Don’t want to miss any more information?
Feel free to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. You can also reach us with a personal message there. We always try to respond as quickly as possible. Otherwise, you can always reach us by email.