The Fearless Flier's Handbook: The Internationally Recognized Method for Overcoming the Fear of Flying

by Seaman Debbie and Debbie Seaman

Book Overview

As many as one in five people is afraid of flying. For some, the fear is so paralyzing that they have never boarded a plane. For others, flying is a necessary evil-they'll do it because they have to, but it's torture. They white-knuckle their way through the flights they have to take or avoid air travel and miss out on promotions, business opportunities, and the thrill of visiting new places with friends and family. This book provides a sensible,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1580080294
• ISBN13: 9781580080293
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 2.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

This book brought me relief!

I had never had a fear of flying until about five years ago. A bunch of occurrances...forgetting my husband't suit for a wedding (and having to run back home, and back to the airport with three minutes to spare), 9/11, a few very turbulent flights, being tired and dehydrated (which made me ill) before getting on a plane all added up to a paralyzing fear. Not only did I have a more than subconscious fear of a plane going down, I had a fear of forgetting something important, and of getting sick. The getting sick (yes, throwing up...a lot) was a vicious cycle, because I'd be nervous about getting sick on a flight, and I'd get so nervous that the nerves made me sick! I was a mess and my life was controlled by a fear of flying. If I had a flight planned, I'd wake up terrified (and ill) in the middle of the night with uncontrollable anxiety weeks before the flight. Just the thought of getting on a plane sent me into an emotional and physical tailspin (pardon the pun). I too, knew that it was irrational, but the fear was so viceral and so out of my control, I finally sought help. A therapist suggested that the anxiety and subsequent vomitting was due to an overdose of adrenaline, and that is about all the help she could offer. I bought this book after reading the other reviews on line. I read it in a day, and over the next three flights I took after reading it, each flight became easier and easier. The last flight I took I genuinely enjoyed and I didn't need to take any anti-anxiety medicine. The book teaches you that the noises you hear a plane make are the noises it *should* be making. I always used to fear that the planes engines were failing upon ascent because you could hear them "loose power." I had no idea the pilots had that much control over the engines and that sometimes, for example, they just need to slow down the planes to comply with neighborhood noise ordinances! The book teaches you about weather conditions, and turbulance, and how planes and pilots have astounding abilities to handle them both. Sure, I still might sometimes (only sometimes) get a little jittery before a flight, but I feel that, like anything else, fear stems from the unknown, and when I educated myself on how planes work and how flying works, my fear went away. This book really, really made a huge difference in my life.

I did it and this book helped!

I just returned from a five-flight voyage -- something I would have been terrified to do just a month ago. After years of panic attacks on airplanes, I set out to do something about my fear. And it was The Fearless Fliers handbook that helped me along!Between the advice about speaking with the flight crew prior to departure to the section on relaxation techniques to the explanation of plane sounds I learned so much about air travel and the air travel industry. Definitely recommened to those of you who have even the slightest fear of flying!

Very helpful!

I take this book with me every time I fly and re-read it as a "refresher" before each trip. Highly recommended!

Lots of stats to prove fear of flying is a *groundless* fear

Flying is too convenient and speedy to be scared out of it. Which is where I was headed. This book was a resource that did a good job of explaining the mechanics of flight. I had no idea there were so many back up systems to every aspect of flying. And after you read this book, you understand that if you are still afraid of flying, that particular fear really has nothing to do with the plane or flying.This book helped me pull the mask off this fear and did a lot to promote healing. Last time I boarded a plane, I walked into the cockpit and had a long talk with the [Southwest] co-pilot, who was *very* dear and understanding. He was funny, too. He showed me how things work and reiterated the incredible safety record of jet planes. I wouldn't have dreamt of walking into that cockpit until I read Debbie's book. Just knowing the man who was flying the plane helped tremendously.And during the flight, I told hubby everything that was going on. Because I had read this book so many times I knew everything that was going on. There are dozens, maybe hundreds of reassurances in this book about the safety of jets. For instance, did you know that the WING (there's only one wing on jet planes - it's a continuous piece of metal) can flex up and down over 20 feet before breaking? Planes can take an incredible beating and keep on flying. And the wing[s] act as shock absorbers so the fuselage maintains a more even flight. This really was a great book. Taught me an incredible amount of the how and why of flight.

The perfect book for anyone with a fear of flying.

Ms. Seaman's book is extremely soothing, easy to read and digest, and entirely entertaining at the same time. Amusing chapter headings and cartoons add zip, but the basic info. about the successful Qantas Clinic for fearful fliers is sound. The author is a "reformed fearful flier," and she knows whereof she speaks. Aside from her story, we meet other fearful fliers, each with his own story and his own victory. The most common fears are faced, head-on, with factual ammunition. Toward the end, there are helpful tips, charts, relaxation techniques, a quick refresher course, and lists of regional clinics. I even like the cover -- which is so upbeat, colorful and charming that the book would make a perfect Christmas gift for anyone afflicted with this modern ailment.