I’m glad that you guys found my information useful and hope that you continue flying!

If you haven’t read my review yet, read it below!

I remember the first time I got on a plane. Everything was fine as we took off but then I made a mistake; I looked out of the window! As I looked down and could barely see the ground the terror started and I couldn’t breath. I started to sweat and felt like I was in a flying tin can that would crash down to earth any minute. The anxiety and fear I felt was unbelievable and possibly one of the most unpleasant experiences of my entire life. I think I might have been about eight or nine years old and I can tell you from that point on I never went on another plane.

When the question of a holiday came up between myself and my partner I always persuaded him to drop the idea, I’d get so upset at the thought of going on a plane that I’d work myself into near hysterics over it. The only time we ever tried to go abroad on holiday, I was prescribed Ativan and even then I got as far as the boarding gate and completely broke down. This was the last time that a holiday abroad was mentioned in our relationship.

Up until this point I had tried a couple of things to get over my fear of flying. I bought several books online that didn’t help me, I went to see a hypnotist and while it was relaxing still did nothing to cure my flying phobia, then I tried meditation and yoga that did nothing for me but give me a sprained back. I had given up hope, until something in my life changed my whole perspective and made me even more determined to cure my flying phobia.

My partner proposed to me one evening, completely out of the blue and unexpectedly. I was overjoyed and wanted nothing more than to be with him forever – he did ask me one thing though. Could I try just one more time to get over my fear of flying, so we could go on honeymoon. I didn’t know if I could, but I would try!

This is when I discovered Rich Presta’s Takeoff Today Programme. I found his website on google one night while I was frantically surfing trying to find the holy grail – a cure for my fear of flying. His site was very informative and he seemed to think that the best way of overcoming the fear of flying was to actually learn as much about planes as humanly possible and then to work on conquering your fear. This was an approach that I hadn’t seen before in other self help books, so I was intrigued and bought the course on his site that evening.

Click here to look at Rich’s site yourself

So what was the programme like? Fantastic is the only word I would use to describe it. I got a 100+ page manual explaining the course in easy to follow chapters, a two hour video that reviews the course and goes over what steps you can take to try to solve your flight phobia a bit at a time, the entire programme in MP3 format so I could listen to it wherever I was and finally the tactical kit.

The program walks you by the hand through all of the major things that can be causing your fear of flying. At this point in time I probably know more about planes than a lot of the airline staff do, it really tells you that much! Once I learned all about the planes, the infinite safety measures in place, all the controls that keep everything working the way they should I already started to feel better. In fact, that’s an understatement – I started to feel quite sheepish that I’d ever been afraid in the first place.

Once I got through this part of the course I was on the home stretch. Rich’s system then started working through what causes our fear of flying and gives some fantastic techniques to quieten down, if not stop completely these fears. As the day loomed of our wedding and honeymoon, I realised I was behaving normally – Like a normal bride only concerned with the wedding, not the fear of the plane!

The only downside of Rich’s programme is that you get so much information that it seems a bit overwhelming to begin with. Once you have sat with the materials for 10 minutes or so though, things start to fall into place and you can start your incredible journey into the realm of those not afraid of flying.

Finally the day came – I had an amazing day and the most beautiful wedding that you can possibly imagine. The night before the wedding I had packed my ‘tactical kit’ in my carry on bag to take on the plane. We went to the airport… guess what? Nothing – no concern whatsoever! Not when we went to board, or entered the plane – not a thing!

Once we got in the air I started to feel a little anxious so I grabbed my tactical kit and started reading. That was really it. I had seemingly crossed over to the other side – I had very mild anxiety on take off but apart from that I felt fine, finally I had overcome the fear of flying!

Overcome the fear of flying today – Click here

There was one occasion where I got as far as the boarding gate in the airport then completely freaked out. My anxiety was just too strong and I ended up a tearful, crazy looking mess. Everyone around me was looking at me as if I was some kind of mental case. Through dealing with Rich I found out that he had gotten further than I had – he had once managed to get on the plane before he freaked but by then it was too late and he was in the air!

I couldn’t imagine anything worse, being trapped on a plane for countless hours, the whole time having strangers look at you like you were a crazy person. I decided at this point that if he had been brave enough to get on the plane even with his fear of flying then so could I.

If you’d like to have a look at Rich’s programme then feel free to check his site.

Whenever I did my research I found out that the main sufferers are women and it seems to be a fairly common phobia. The worst thing that I found about my own flying phobia was that I had nobody I could talk to about this paralyzing terror I faced even going near an airport. My boyfriend while listening to me and sympathising really didn’t understand it and it made me feel so isolated. Nobody in the world understood what I was going through, not even the love of my life.. I’m sure you know how it feels trying to cope with this horrible phobia and having no-one to turn to, for me, was definately the worst part.

All of that is definately behind me now though. My wedding and honeymoon were definately the best days I’ve ever had in my life and I know that I have this thing beaten. Even if you’ve already tried various ‘fear of flying help’ courses I want to re-assure you can beat this and really get your life back!

If you’d like to see the course that helped me click here

So what causes a fear of flying to begin with? It can be somewhat unique to everyone, but some people with anxiety about flying may have had a bad experience on a previous flight, such as going through severe turbulence. Others may have never had a bad flight or any other specific reason for their anxiety while flying in a plane, yet their fear being “trapped” at cruise altitude causes them to feel anxious or have a panic attack while flying. Still others may not trust the skills and abilities of the pilot or other flight crew, or may not comprehend the physics of how planes fly, so they fear crashing.

It is important to remember that regardless of the ultimate cause of the anxiety about flying, there truly is nothing to fear. Even those that had a bad experience with flying were almost certainly in no real danger at any point during the flight. Commercial planes can withstand much more turbulence than is typically seen during flight, and even situations that seem incredibly dangerous, like the rare occasion of an engine failure, are really quite safe due to pilot training and redundant systems.

Anxiety and panic attacks while flying can feel very uncomfortable and make fearful fliers sometimes think that they will lose control or that the fear will escalate to a point that psychologically overwhelms them and puts them in danger, but this simply doesn’t happen from anxiety. Even extreme anxiety in the form of a panic attack on board an airplane presents no real danger, although they can be very frightening.

The best way to overcome a fear of flying is to approach treatment from a systematic approach that covers not only the safety of flying itself, but that teaches you how to modify your reaction on board so you gain the skills and knowledge that will allow you to put an end to your anxiety or panic on the flight. The Takeoff Today Program teaches all this and more, using written, audio, and even video material, for a fraction of the price of its competitors. You can even get an extensive amount of complimentary material, including the poplar “Flight Crew Q&A Report” which answers the most common questions fearful fliers have via interviews with pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, mechanics, and others in the aviation industry.

Fear is a normal, healthy reaction to something that threatens us. It has been around virtually since the dawn on man to protect us and keep us alive. Fear is a GOOD thing.

However, anxiety is the fear of what MAY happen, not of what really IS happening, and it can be much more problematic and even destructive such as with the fear of flying.

Back in the days of caveman, fear and even a certain amount of anxiety was normal and beneficial. In todays world, and especially while flying, there is seldom anything to be legitimately afraid of or to feel threatened by. Our world and simply a very safe place and on board a commercial plane is one of the safest places to be. Evolution hasn’t caught up with our rapid advances in safety however, so we still hold onto that old, outdated fear reaction that we did when we roamed the world with saber toothed tigers.

When you experience anxiety while flying, the first thing to do is ask yourself if you’re afraid of what IS happening or what MAY happen. You’ll find that what is truly bothering you on the plane probably isn’t reality, but the thoughts and feeling you’re creating. Get yourself back into reality and resolve to live in the moment, where you are perfectly safe and secure on board the plane.

Deep breathing may also help, as will progressive muscle relaxation, both of which are skills you can easily learn to help you cope with your fear of flying. If your fear of flying is mild, this may be all you need to help you feel better when you fly. If you have concerns about the plane being involved in an accident or crashing, you may find relief by learning about flying and the aviation industry in the free report available from the Takeoff Today Program website. It explains in great detail, in an easy to understand, simple language, how planes fly and why you should feel good about putting your trust in the flight crew.

If your anxiety is more severe, if you avoid flying, have anticipatory anxiety about an upcoming flight, or have panic attacks while flying, it is recommended that you learn to control your reaction of anxiety while flying. This can be easier than you think with the right approach, and the full Takeoff Today Program offers an easy to follow, step by step, affordable way to conquer your fear and anxiety while flying.

Very commonly, those with a fear of flying will be concerned about “air pockets”. I have news for you, air pockets are about as real as the tooth fairy! The myth is that if a plane is unlucky enough to fly through one of these mythical air pockets, it can suddenly fall hundreds of feet. This simply isn’t possible. There is no place in the sky that is a “pocket” without air. Have you ever been walking down he street and suddenly couldn’t breathe because you walked through an air pocket? Of course not, because the notion is absurd. Air pockets do not exist.

Another common fear is that planes are really very fragile and that turbulence can cause great damage, is a threat to the safety of the passengers and crew, or can even break the wings of the plane. In reality, commercial airplanes are meant to withstand far more turbulence than you would ever experience on a normal flight, and no amount of turbulence you would typically encounter can damage the plane at all much less break the wings. Turbulence is far more an annoyance than a danger, and the planes strength is in it’s flexibility. The wings of an airplane are actually extremely pliable, and can bend and flex with the wind, just like a blade of grass gently bends while an inflexible oak tree may break and topple. Turbulence is a comfort issue, not a safety issue.

Another pervasive myth whose origin is one of misunderstanding, is that a plane will tumble out of the sky if the engines quit working. In reality, even without engines, a plane can glide for a very long time, up to 100 miles from cruise altitude, just like a giant paper airplane! Planes simply don’t “fall”, in fact, gliding without engine power on landing is quite common in order to save fuel. If you are afraid that your airplane will fall from the sky, you can put that worry behind you, it simply isn’t possible.

There are many, many more myths about flying that can cause unnecessary fear and anxiety flying, we’ve only scratched the surface here. The more information you have about flight and how planes work, the less you will be afraid. I recommend you get the popular free report on the Takeoff Today website to learn exactly what enables a plane to fly safety and will allow you to put many of your fears behind you.