| I was a very fearful flyer, couldn't stop visualizing possible accident scenarios while on an airplane, sweaty hands, grabbing the arm rest, all that. Today I rejoice the experience so much that sometimes I consider buying a ticked just for the sake of flying. I even get excited for simple short haul flights on economy, flying new airplanes, airlines etc. At the end, it all came down to three things: 1. Learning about aviation as a hobby As software engineer, it was very easy to get invested into learning about these wonderful machines and how everything around them works. As soon as you understand what is going around you, all the safety measures, redundancies etc., you feel more in control of your environment. Weird noises don't come as surprises anymore[1]. To help you with this I'd suggest following some aviation related channels on Youtube.[2] 2. Flying a lot I had to spend a couple of years flying 4+ times per month. Having a ton of positive experiences on airplanes does wonders to your uncouncious fears. 3. Flying upper classes This is a lot harder to do, depending on your financial condition. I do my best to pick a good seat for my flight, hunt for upgrades, use miles to get business/first tickets. Flying on upper classes does wonders to "soften" your experience. [1] Some examples: - Airbus flap actuators are usually very noisy and you can hear them if you sit close to the wings. - Hydraulic actuators on some Airbus models make a barking noise. - While sitting upfront on smaller planes, you can get some vibration right after liftoff due to the front landing gear spinning before it is retracted. [2] Suggested channels: Captain Joe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC88tlMjiS7kf8uhPWyBTn_A Mentour Pilot: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwpHKudUkP5tNgmMdexB3ow |