Pilots are trained to handle all sorts of nerve-racking situations, but that doesn't mean that they don't get scared—especially in these real instances, told by the pilots who experienced them, of serious in-flight fear.
If fear of flying sneaks up in the middle of a flight, Allright has a few tips to combat it: Breathe. “When you feel anxious, hold your breath, then a long deep breathe in, followed by a long deep breath out. Continue long deep breathing.
Answer: Pilots are trained to remain calm and deal with abnormalities or emergencies. The training is intense and intended to stress a pilot candidate, making sure he or she can make decision and execute tasks and checklists under pressure.
The biggest fear that pilots have is probably the fear of crashing or having a mechanical failure while in flight.
They are Highly Experienced
Well, first of all, they are highly trained professionals. They have years of experience and know exactly what to do in any given situation. This experience helps them to remain calm under pressure.
However, a fear of heights is very different to fear of flights! Pilots with a fear of heights aren't uncommon and in fact, the majority of people who are afraid of heights aren't affected by flying in an aircraft.
Nervousness is a natural part of the flight training experience, particularly when it comes to your first solo flight. However, there are many techniques to minimize the nervousness that any sensible student pilot feels the first time he or she goes up alone.
Takeoff and landing are widely considered the most dangerous parts of a flight.
While a clinical diagnosis of aviophobia — a fear of flying — is pretty rare, only affecting 2.5 percent of the population by some estimates, general anxiety about flying is far more common.
Pilots have a unique viewpoint while flying private or commercial aircraft. They get an unobstructed view of stunning natural sights, such as pink lakes and rectangular-shaped icebergs. Some have reported seeing UFOs, while others have flown over swirling hurricanes.
"If a plane is flying along at a constant speed and height, then suddenly the headwind reduces, or it enters a descending column of air, this can cause the aircraft to suddenly descend," Gratton explained.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ), formerly called Attention Deficit Disorder ( ADD ), and medications used for treatment may result in cognitive deficits that would make an airman unsafe to perform pilot duties.
The FAA encourages pilots to seek help if they have a mental health condition since most, if treated, do not disqualify a pilot from flying.
Many people are afraid of flying in airplanes, but they shouldn't be. Flying is actually one of the safest ways to travel. In fact, when measured per mile, flying is actually farsafer than driving, or travelling by train. Not only is flying the safest mode of transport, but it is also the fastest.
Fatigue is particularly prevalent among pilots because of "unpredictable work hours, long duty periods, circadian disruption, and insufficient sleep". These factors can occur together to produce a combination of sleep deprivation, circadian rhythm effects, and 'time-on task' fatigue.
Face your fear, repeatedly but in small doses
That could mean less anxiety in the long run. "You're basically moving up a ladder of fear," says Marques. Before you move to the next level of exposure, make sure your fight-or-flight response is less active.
Aerophobia is most common in people between the ages of 17 and 34. This is a time in life when significant changes occur, such as graduation, marriage or childbirth. People may be scared that flying jeopardizes their life at such an important time.
“Accidents are rare in aviation. There were five fatal accidents among 32.2 million flights in 2022,” Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said in a statement. “That tells us that flying is among the safest activities in which a person can engage.”
Fear of flying afflicts as much as 40 percent of the U.S. population. The nation's armrest-grippers may be heartened to know that “aviophobia” is perfectly normal, and easily treated. Only about 5 percent of Americans have aviophobia so severe that they cannot fly.
Because the wings provide the plane's stability, the seats closest to them will offer a smoother ride. If those seats are not available, the next best place is towards the front of the plane. It is best to avoid the back if turbulence will cause you distress, as it is the most susceptible to bumpiness.
Nonetheless, a TIME investigation that looked at 35 years of aircraft accident data found the middle rear seats of an aircraft had the lowest fatality rate: 28%, compared with 44% for the middle aisle seats. This logically makes sense too.
“Also, some people experience an overall sense of discomfort with the entire flying experience: airport procedures, crowds, turbulence, unappetizing food, cramped space and long flights.” Anxiety is fueled by irrational, worst case scenario thoughts, and confined spaces are breeding grounds for this process.
Pilots really do deserve your trust. If you're anxious about the pilots on your flight, ask the gate agent to let you board early.
The pilot can sleep for no more than 40 minutes, and must wake up at least half an hour before the descent for landing. They get the first 15 minutes after the nap to fully awaken, during which they can't resume actually flying the plane, unless they need to help deal with an emergency.