It's time to conquer your fear of flying
It's time to conquer your fear of flying The good news is that air travel is back. The bad news? For some of us, so is our fear of flying. Standby, the GQ Life Coach can help with early boarding… Jacqueline Hurst If you are anything like me then control is an important topic. Control in everyday life is easy, right? It is up to us to control the number of hours we work, the number of evenings we choose to socialise, the amount of time we want to spend on tech. But what about those times in life when we literally have no control?
As the world returns back to some sort of normality, we have been allowed to travel again and I have been hearing of more and more people whose fear of flying has grown worse since lockdown. I've therefore wondered, could it be because we had total control sitting in our homes and as we venture back into normal life our control issues are, well, getting out of control?
If you have read my book you will know how important it is to get our mindset right, our thinking right, so that we can take control of our feelings, actions and outcomes. However, when it comes to a phobia, such as a fear of flying, it seems all logic flies (excuse the pun) right out the window.
When you think about a fear of flying, it can be excruciating considering it even starts right at the start of your journey as you enter the airport (for some, even days before the actual flight). Think about the words… First you have to go into a "terminal", there are "final calls" and if that wasn't bad enough, when you get on the plane and sit in your seat knowing you are about to take a trip in a metal tube 36,000 feet up, you then have to listen to the pre-flight safety procedures. Every part of you is heightened and that is just from listening to a few words.
I was thinking about this as I boarded an aircraft last week and as I sat down I started to chat to a lovely chap next to me called Matthew and discussed this irrational fear. As luck would have it, Matthew happened to be a pilot – lucky for me, not so much for him. He got a grilling about how the whole flight worked, with noises and bumps and dings, and as we went through our trip he talked me through what was happening every step of the way. Honestly, it was a game changer.
As a pilot they spend many hundreds of hours 36,000 feet up above the clouds, so for them flying is like taking the underground for us mere mortals. They have no fear and only pure joy for the job. So here are a few points (thanks Matthew!) to help you on your next flight…
1. Pilots have an office like no other – a multimillion-pound office
They have computers showing everything from weather and wind speed to where the other flights are around you and the weight of the plane… and that is just in human form. The autopilot has many, many modes. There are backups of backups of backups. The onboard computer can analyse hydraulics, the terrain, the weather, the electrics... And did you know the nose of the plane has a weather radar?
2. All those 'bings' and 'dings' you can hear mean different things
It could be Tim talking to John at the back of the plane. It could be the pilot telling the crew it's time to land. It could be there isn't enough beer at the front of the plane so Joanne needs to bring some up. It is basically just a way the crew communicate. In other words, don't let your imagination run away with you.
3. Flying a plane is three-dimensional
Everything we do in our life is two-dimensional, such as walking, driving, but very few are three-dimensional. When it comes to something such as takeoff, we think it's the pilot just pushing forward on a throttle, but so much more is going on (as with every part of the flight). A little bit of power goes in to make sure everything is stable and normal and then, as they increase the thrust to take off, the clever auto throttle establishes the exact percentage of thrust that is required for that particular takeoff. There is a whole lot of physics and mathematics going on to keep you safe. Every base is covered and every piece of information has pretty much five backups going on. It is totally and utterly under control.
4. Unless you are a serious meteorologist, pilots know more about the weather than you
We often think pilots don't care about the weather as they love their job and turbulence is part of it. Matthew tells me this absolutely not true. They have a weather system showing everything going on and ranging in intensity from green, yellow, red and magenta. There is even a turbulence mode in white. There are clouds you can't see with the naked eye called embedded clouds, as they are hidden within clouds, but not if you're a pilot – it's all on the computer.
5. Turbulence is basically the movement of air, not a trigger that your plane is going down
Imagine little pockets of air on either side of the plane moving around up and down at different speeds – this is how air works around the plane. Imagine it like a liquid – in other words you are not flying in nothing, it is more like you are flying in a jelly. There are different types of airflow going on, such as convective activity near the ground (so the heating up of the ground), the movement of the wind over the ground or near mountains. Whether we have mountain wave turbulence or there is clear air turbulence into the jet stream, there is so much going on – hence why the plane will jiggle about – but remember that while turbulence can be uncomfortable, it is 100 per cent safe.
As we started our descent into London there was more noise. Matthew explained about how the plane uses its flaps and slats depending on whether it needs to get on or off the ground quicker, depending on whether it's a short runway or a longer runway. If it's a long runway they might use flap one for a longer and faster takeoff and climb more quickly and efficiently or flap four for a shorter one. The mechanics of the plane also have full emergency procedures that if there is an engine failure or any "serious" issue, it tells them exactly where to go and what to do to be able to figure out the next plan of action. The pilots have information handed to them every second of the flight.
It is also really important to remember that pilots get vigorous training and are in the sim typically every six months. When some pilots didn't fly during the pandemic, they went to the sim every month. They do takeoff, landing and engine failure procedures over and over again in the sim so that they keep current. They have strict guidelines to keep to stay current and there is no ducking out of that.
Flying really is the safest form of travel and hopefully this article gives you a little more knowledge. And, as I always say, knowledge is power. It really is safe to sit back and relax on your next flight. These well-trained pilots, alongside the million-pound machinery, really have got you covered.
How To Do You: The Life-Changing Art Of Mastering Your Thoughts And Taking Control of Your Life by Jacqueline Hurst is out now.
Now read
Five ways to stop taking life so seriously
How to stop being impatient (and why it's important)
The online therapy course that is like hot yoga for your mind
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