Meryl Getline is a captain for a major airline and author of The World at My Feet.
 

Five Tips for Fearful Flyers

If you are interested in Cap'n Meryl's seminar to help you conquer your fear of flying Click Here:

www.flyingfearless.com

Tip One:  DO NOT FEAR TURBULENCE! DO RESPECT IT!  What does that mean?  It means that when you hear the statement, Its always a good idea to keep your seatbelt fastened EVEN WHEN THE SEATBELT SIGN IS OFF, take it to heart!  Why?  Because injuries happen in turbulence almost exclusively to flight attendants who (because of their duties) are not buckled up, and to passengers who are not buckled up, and the WORST kind of turbulence is not always predictable.  So, RESPECT that seatbelt sign when its on, even if its smooth at the moment, and respect turbulence even when the signs off by keeping that seatbelt buckled up.  If you do need to get up (and you should during a long flight especially to help with blood circulation), then make sure that sign is off first.  In thirty years of flying I have NEVER had an incident of any kind regarding turbulence, although it is present on virtually every flight.  Turbulence is usually nothing more than the equivalent of a bumpy stretch of road.  There are exceptions, however, and being buckled up will almost completely eliminates any danger to you.  Turbulence may be uncomfortable, but its rarely dangerousso rarely that it really, truly is not worth worrying about.  By the way, if turbulence is a real problem for you (or if youre just curious) by all means ASK if you can meet your pilots before your flight.  This may sometimes be arranged and putting a face to your flight crew works wonders.

Tip Two:   YOUR CREW IS WELL-TRAINED! Pilots go through immense amounts of training and recurrent training.  Many airline pilots were trained by the military, and others came up through the ranks flying commercially for corporations or for commuters.  The FAA rides very close herd on pilot qualifications for commercial levels of flying, and you may rest assured that flight crews are extremely competent at their jobs.

Tip Three:  AIRPLANES ARE STRONG AND FLEXIBLE!  In certifying aircraft, they are tested for strength and flexibility almost beyond belief.  There is an old training video of the B-747 when it was first introduced and the wings were flexed to an almost unbelievable extent.  The amount of turbulence modern aircraft can withstand is nothing short of wondrous.

Tip Four:  DEEP BREATHING WORKS WONDERS! In interviewing many fearful flyers, one thing they seem to agree on is that deep breathing is relaxing and really does help soothe panicky thoughts.  Also keep in mind that panic is nothing more than perceptionit simply cannot hurt you and theres no need to tolerate the discomfort it causes.  There are plenty of places to go online if you feel you need professional help.

Tip Five:  FLYING IS TRULY A ROUTINE EVENT! Flying was once only for daredevils, but no more!  It has become as routine as any other mode of transportation, and continues to have an outstanding safety record.  The old adage youre in more danger driving to the airport than you are taking your flight remains true.  Nearly 3 MILLION people fly every day!