Your Cart is Empty
Australia's only premium individual and group Fear of Flying course
Flight Experience, in cooperation with commercial airline pilots, have developed a structured course to help people overcome their fear of flying. After a brief telephone conversation with our reception staff (at no cost) it will be determined whether or not we can help. From this discussion you can decide if you wish to proceed.
Clients can elect to enrol in either an Individual or Group Course.
Those who experience a fear of flying often feel intense and persistent fear or anxiety when considering flying, as well as during flight.
Fearful flyers will avoid flying altogether if possible to minimise the significant distress that is caused. Generally, take-off, bad weather and turbulence are the most anxiety provoking aspects of flying.
Extreme cases can include panic attacks or vomiting that can be onset by just talking about air travel or seeing an aircraft. Professional help is sometimes required to treat fearful flyers, with cognitive behaviour therapy a popular treatment model.
A fear of flying can be onset from a number of triggers for different people with varying flying experience. Some of the most common reasons are outlined below.
Turbulence is a common trigger of the fear of flying for many who experience the condition. When flying, it is inevitable that turbulence will be encountered, highlighting the importance of understanding the safety measures aircrafts are designed with. Sitting in your seat with your seatbelt on is the safest option, but it should also be noted that planes are designed to withstand 150% of the worst weather or handling.
Claustrophobia is the fear of being trapped in an enclosed space, such as a plane, elevator or tunnel. A common condition, claustrophobia is often a misunderstood experience that not only feels dreadful but prevents people doing things many would take for granted. These feelings of entrapment are tied back to a very basic evolutionary, protective, brain hardwiring related to the ability to breathe.
Many patients that seek treatment for the fear of flying have already received professional treatment for alternative anxiety-related conditions, such as panic disorder. Through the monitoring of your surrounds, the way you feel, as well as looking out for warning signs only increases your alertness, ironically making it more likely your flight will be stressful. Overcoming the fear of flying can occur concurrently with other professional aid.
Interestingly, a large portion of patients experiencing the fear of flying are self-directed and hold leadership or supervision positions within their profession. They utilise intellect to achieve great results but fail to overcome a fear of flying and can actually make it worse. Many patients speak of the anxiety associated with ‘giving up control’ to strangers once they board the aircraft, which can produce great discomfort.
With our exposure program, you will be carefully guided by a former airline captain through a detailed three-hour presentation that will introduce to you the fundamentals of aviation, aircraft design and the comprehensive safeguards in place in modern airline travel. Combined with an in-depth discussion on the technical aspects of flying, our instructor will deliver individually tailored, cognitive coping strategies that will help you gain a better understanding of how to mentally prepare both before and during flight.
You will then experience taking to skies in our certified Boeing 737-800 flight simulator and gain exposure to the modern flying environment from the flight deck itself. Sitting alongside our instructor, you will be introduced to the aircraft and cockpit environment, the practical fundamentals of flying including take-off and landing, as well as adverse weather conditions and the precautions and considerations taken when such conditions exist. You will also gain firsthand experience in how pilots deal with common scenarios and ‘non-normal’ flight situations.
Post-course, our clients frequently report having a resounding ‘peace of mind’ when planning for and embarking on flights and that their anxieties associated with flying are greatly reduced if not eliminated entirely.
Get in touch with us via the form below, or call us on (08) 9228 8737 to enquire about our Fear of Flying exposure course.
“Being able to gain an understanding of aeronautics from an aviation professional – in his case, a former Cathay Pacific pilot – was the most valuable part of the experience."
“It’s as if the space in my head once taken up by blind terror is now occupied by a kind of personalised flight manual.”
See our Fear of Flying website for more.