One in eight Americans is afraid of flying. But flying can be 29 times safer than driving and most of us don't think twice before getting in a car. It is possible to overcome your fear and learn to live with flying.
I will be the first to admit that I think being 38,000 feet off the ground is unnatural. It gives me the heebie-jeebies just looking up at a plane flying over and realizing I have been that high up in the air. Fear of flying is one of the most common phobias. But, if I can do it, anyone can do it.
My fear of flying goes way back to second grade. I was a young child from a Chicago suburb on a field trip to O’Hare. I remember my class getting on the plane and being afraid it was going to take off and take me away from my family. Of course, it didn’t but I suppose the fear somehow embedded itself into my mind. I also dislike carnival rides as the feeling of suddenly falling makes me ill. Combined with the fear of heights, flying was just completely out of the question. I almost flew once for a work seminar, but chickened out at the last minute, much to the dismay of my boss, who scrambled to find a replacement for the already purchased ticket. I was perfectly content to spend the rest of my life earth bound until I fell in love. My boyfriend of two years was moving to the west coast and driving out to see him was not a possibility. So, I decided if I loved him, I needed to bit the bullet and get on a plane.
If you are going to get over the fear, or at least learn to live with it, information is probably your best defense. The more you know about checking in and what to expect while flying, the less likely you will be frightened.