Pilot’s holy grail tips to overcome your fear of flying
A US pilot has shared her five top tips to help nervous travellers ease their pre-flight anxiety.
The 32-year-old captain said there are a few things passengers can do, such as picking the perfect time to fly and selecting your seat carefully, to make air travel a breeze.
The Boeing 737 pilot who calls herself “Captain Morgan”, said anxious travellers should always book a seat in the front of the plane.
“Try to sit more towards the front of the plane,” Morgan said in a TikTok video.
“You’ll feel the effects of turbulence less if you sit over the wing or towards the front.”
She also said that flying early in the morning is bound to make a flight easier.
“There’s usually less turbulence and airports and airplanes are less crowded, which gives you more personal space,” she said.
For solo travellers, Morgan suggested a no-brainer way to distract yourself in the air.
“If you can’t fly with a family member or friend, have someone on the ground you can text. Most planes have free texting. You’ll have someone for moral support and they can distract you from flying,” she said.
“You can turn your phone to Airplane Mode but turn on the Wi-Fi. Then you text over the Wi-Fi with either iMessage or WhatsApp for free.”
Morgan said you can mentally prepare yourself for what to expect by “learning the sounds the plane makes”.
“Familiarise yourself with the sounds of the airplane,” she said.
“For example, when you’re getting close to landing at the airport, the thud you hear is usually just the landing gear coming down.”
Morgan said her number one tip for anxious flyers is to “introduce yourself to the flight crew”.
“If the flight attendants know you’re nervous, they can check on you more during the flight,” she said.
“If you go talk to the pilots, they can tell you a bit more about the flight. For example, if we are expecting any turbulence. Just ask the flight attendant in the galley if you can meet and talk to the pilots. It might not be a long conversation but we can still chat.”
She added, “More than likely we will give you a tour of the flight deck and answer all your questions.”
Image credits: TikTok