Fear of flying is more common than you think - and there's a way to fix it

Are you afraid of flying, or do you know someone who would prefer to keep their feet on the ground? It's called "aviophobia" and you're not alone. One in six people have a significant fear that prevents them from flying, and about one in five regular flyers use alcohol or prescription drugs to "help" them through a flight, according to Victoria's Department of Health (DoH). But don't let it get you down (pun intended). If aviophobia is stopping you from visiting loved ones, taking that job opportunity or travelling, the experts say it can be overcome.

DoH says some people have no problem with flying until they experience an event like severe turbulence that makes them apprehensive. The health authority also reports some people are OK with flying until they become parents.

CEO of the Australian Psychological Society, Dr Zena Burgess, says people who fear flying are afraid of a range of things, from the plane crashing to being out of control and fearing the unknown.

"The real stats are that planes don't crash that often. You wouldn't drive a car if you heard about every time a car was in a bingle," she says. And while it may seem like a good idea at the time, having a few drinks is "one of the worst things if you're anxious".

Dr Burgess recommends eating healthily, exercising and abstaining from alcohol before your flight. Exposure therapy can also help. For some people, breathwork and having a plan to entertain themselves on the plane is all they need. For others, practising driving to the airport with their luggage can be the first step, followed by taking a short flight such as from Sydney to Melbourne.

"For a number of people, the best thing they can do is consult a psychologist to look at what's behind their fear of flying, and that is often incredibly successful," Burgess says.

Sydney Phobia Clinic clinical director and clinical psychologist Dr Corrie Ackland says claustrophobia, social phobia, germ and vomit phobias are also reasons preventing some people from flying. "Anything that would be hard on the ground seems to be harder in the air," she says.

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Flying fear can range from "low-level nervousness all the way up to full-blown panic attack" and coping mechanisms can include avoiding flying altogether, as well as "taking medication, drinking alcohol, specific seat selection, airline specificity, and some pretty interesting rituals or even superstitions". Sydney Phobia Clinic works with Sydney Flight Experience to help people overcome their fear using flight simulation. The program includes sessions with a psychologist, flying education, a Q&A session with a commercial pilot and a flight simulator experience where guests can choose from 24,000 airports around the world to practise flying in and out of.

If you're flying with Virgin Australia, the Nervous Flyer program recognises and assists nervous flyers. "Every year, several thousand guests participate in this program," a Virgin Australia spokesperson says.

Guests are asked to identify themselves as a nervous flyer by calling the Guest Contact Centre on 13 67 89. Virgin will contact them before departure, offering tips to manage in-flight nerves, and flight attendants will check in with them during the flight.