Statistics

• Understand what the actual risk is to you as a flyer. Arnold Barnett, an aviation safety statistical expert, claims that if a person were to fly on an airplane every day, it would take 19,000 years before he would be involved in a fatal airline accident based on how often plane crashes happen. Based on mathematical probabilities of plane crashes in the past, there simply is not a high likelihood to be on a plane that crashes. According to a study published in USA Today, a person is 261 times safer flying to New York from Los Angeles than driving.
  
  In the period from 1988 to 2008, there was a total of 29 fatal air accidents on major commercial airlines. Over this time period, there were a total of 130 million flights in the United States.
  
  Although these statistics are telling, they do little to actually put a person at ease before flying. This is true because the fear of flying it is not a rational fear--it is an emotional fear. In addition to telling the statistics and understanding the small risk of being involved in a plane crash, there are other things people can do to help cure a fear of flying.
  
  

Tips

• Relax by using meditation techniques. This can be done by listening to relaxing music and breathing deeply while on a flight as well as while sitting in an airport prior to a flight. You also may seek professional help. If it is important for you to be able to fly to fulfill personal or professional responsibilities. Joining a self-help group or seeing a therapist may be worthwhile.
  
  Some people drink alcohol before a flight because they think it will help them relax while on the plane. It is not advised to drink alcohol because it does nothing to cure a fear of flying. It simply dulls a person's senses. However, it also could do the opposite and make you more irrational about fears of flying. If you drink too much before a flight, you can be denied the opportunity to board.
  
  When possible, fly on nonstop trips. Because most accidents happen during the takeoff or the landing, a nonstop flight decreases the number of takeoffs and landings involved during a trip. You can also gain safety assurance by flying on planes that are newer and carry more than 30 passengers. Larger planes and newer planes must meet increasingly stringent criteria before they can be used.
  
  When choosing a flight overseas, attempt to fly with a carrier that is based in a country like the United States, Canada, Britain or some of the other well-established companies in Western Europe. These countries tend to have more stringent safety codes for flights. Airlines in Asia tend to have slightly higher than average accident rates when compared to airlines in other parts of the world.