Fear of flying
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Fear of flying is a fear of air travel. Commercial flight has become an important, for many essential, part of life, and yet the seeming unnaturalness of human flight continues to cause a significant proportion of the public to feel anxiety before, during, or while thinking about flying--this despite that driving in an automobile is statistically many times more dangerous.
There are many things that cause one to fear flying, including a fear of closed in spaces (claustrophobia), such as that of an airplane cabin; a fear of heights (acrophobia); a feeling of not being in control (since a passenger is not driving the plane and can't get out at will); previous traumatising experiences while in flight; fear of hijacking or terrorism; fear of deep venous thrombosis; fear of turbulence; etc. While most people who are afraid of flying but to whom flight is a convenient way to conduct necessary business manage their fears well enough that they are able to fly, they may spend considerable time and emotional energy thinking about the dangers that may befall them during flight.
A few people are nearly incapable, however, of getting on a plane, and must use cars, trains, and ships – all of which are slower and usually less safe than airplanes – to achieve long distance travel. One major factor in many people's fear of flying is the sensationalist attention the media give airline crashes (and the high casualty rate per incident), in comparison to the scant attention they give the massive number of isolated automobile crashes.
Notable people who have had a fear of flying
- Isaac Asimov
- Dennis Bergkamp
- Doris Day
- Aretha Franklin
- Jackie Gleason
- Kim Jong-Il
- Stanley Kubrick
- Li Ao
- Loretta Lynn
- John Madden
- Alan Price
- Matthew Sweet
- Billy Bob Thornton
- Agnetha Fältskog
- Wayne Coyne
- Lars von Trier
Fear of Flying is the title of a novel by Erica Jong.