Fear of Flying
There are tons of reasons why some people do not travel and one of them is fear of flying. I will show you why you should not fear it to encourage you to travel regardless any fears you may have. It really is safer than driving and as an added bonus, no congested traffic .
Although I know it is safe , I must admit, I am still uncomfortable flying. I keep reminding the following tips to make my trip as comfortable as it should be. This is what I do to remind myself of the safety of flying and how I will visit so many more countries in my life. Nothings stops me with my passion on travel.
Statistics
When you stop to check your flight, ever notice how many flights are scheduled to fly or is flying every minute? This is in just 1 city in a matter of 5-10 minutes interval ! Can you imagine this schedule of daily flights in all the cities of the world? Do you know there are over 102000 flights per day around the world ? That is over 37 million flights a year!!! Pretty amazing statistics so does it not make you wonder what are the chances?
If you are a driver you are risking every time you get in a car. There are 1.3 million people who die annually around the world with car crashes; that’s over 3200 per day! I believe fear of flying comes also with the realization that it is not natural for humans to be over 40,000 feet up in the air. It is uncomfortable, unnatural and we do not understand aeronautics to fully accept this. The concept of how this monster can stay up in the air versus a drop of a pin is beyond any logic. The magic and mystery of aeronautics, just trust it.
Turbulence
Turbulence is a scary feeling indeed. It is estimated that an aircraft can drop a maximun of 50 feet and this is enough to keep you nervous & uneasy during the rest of your flight. An aircraft will never ever drop or turn over during turbulence. According to pilots, it is more of an inconvenience than a safety issue. A pilot once described to me that air turbulence is same concept like sailing over the ocean. Oceans have waves that may be high or short like in the air where air pockets exist . Planes are engineered to withstand a lot of stress and pilots are trained to monitor this for our own comfort.
It’s Not Always About Flying
There are many anxious people out there and many walk around living day to day life without knowing the cause of their anxiety. I am no psychologist but I have learnt to understand anxiety stems from the fact of losing control. An anxious person usually wants to control everything that is external so they can feel safe in their world. If this sense of control is lost or threatened, anxiety is triggered. In an airplane, these people have zero control but have to trust this external environment, this causes fear. Fear of losing control than flying itself can start from the arrival at airport.
There can also be fear of closed spaces, fear of heights or fear of bacteria, which all stems from loss of control. Once you learn to let go on the need to control everything, your anxiety will lessen. Once you learn to control your inner world, your other world becomes fearless.
Drink
That’s right , drink ! Whether you like strong alcohol or wine, 35000 feet up in the air, the sensation is enhanced. Turbulence becomes a passing ride , you feel safer and flying is a little bit more tolerable. So drink up and cheers to your happy travels and wanderlust.
I believe we all have fears but it’s up to us to either face it and conquer it or live in anxiety. It’s your choice. This is one of the best and favourite quotes I love on fear is “ God placed the best things in life behind fear” . Had I never faced my fear of flying, I would never have seen glaciers in Iceland with seals swimming in the icy waters nor the magnitude of Norway’s majestic fjords or simply tasting the best chocolates ever in Belgium. The world is full of wonders and adventure and I plan to see as much of it as I can.
So be fearless; what are you waiting for?
Statistic Photo 1 credit Cluttersnap by Unsplash
Love it Sonia! Very encouraging!