To ask if anyone has ever done a 'fear of flying' course?

[Bearcats]

I'm terrified of flying. It's steadily been getting worse the last few years, to the point I've made it a huge deal in my head and literally feel sick thinking about stepping on a plane.

I've never been a good flyer, always nervous. The last flight I did was about 18 months ago, and despite not being a panicky person in general, ended up in a ridiculous state as we were approaching landing. Felt like I couldn't breathe, cried, shaking like a leaf. I knew I was being irrational but I couldn't control myself.

Hoping to book our honeymoon for next year and don't want to ruin it by the dread of thinking of flying so have looked into a few courses. The Virgin one looks good and they have one fairly soon. However at almost £300 I want to make sure it's worth it!

Anyone done one, and did it help at all?

Anyone?

No personally, but I've sent work colleagues on the Virgin one based at Gatwick. They all now travel frequently on business and speak very highly of the course.

I haven't but I know people who have and they rave about it. Go for it.

I did the BA version of the course a few years ago and it was great. We had a class all morning that teaches you the science behind flying, some simple engineering, what the pilots do, what the flight crew do, and they talked us through sights, sounds and even smells!
Then in the afternoon they took us all up in a plane, talked us through everything, served a meal (won't get that these days!) and answered people's questions.

It really helped me. If you want more details feel free to inbox me.

Thanks for the replies, I'll probably take you up and inbox you toolong

Reassuring to know others found it helpful, it's obviously a lot of money to spend and I want to make sure it's worth it!

I did the virgin one about 10 years ago and found the course itself really interesting and informative. It was also good to meet other people with similar fears, I think there were about 100 attendees on the day. Unfortunately though it didn't help me, although lots of the others seemed almost evangelical after the trial flight. I didn't stay in contact with any of them though so not sure how it worked for them in the long term.
My fear has got slightly better in the last few years because I really want my children to grow up used to flying. Now each year I make myself do one short flight a year (2hrs at the very max) so we can have a holiday somewhere sunny. I have tried taking Valium or drinking a glass of wine before and during the flight. Both help a tiny bit but I am still very scared. The exposure seems to be helping me a tiny bit though, I don't panic as much in the weeks leading up to the flight, just on the day itself. hope something works for you

My brother did one a few years ago. It was 100% effective! He's completely happy flying now.

I'm booking one when I get paid. My last flight involved an ambulance being called for me at the airport because I had a panic attack.

I did hypnotherapy, CBT then EMDR.

Then I did Virgins fear of flying course in 2012. Hadn't been on a plane for 7 years and panicked if one even went over my house.

Have flown twice a year since without panicking.

I can't recommend them enough. The morning session is an engineering type approach with a pilot who answers your questions. The afternoon is a psychology based session. At the end there's a short flight where they explain all the noises and bumps etc.

90 people on our course, all terrified of flying. Everyone got on the plane and only two people panicked on board. It really is worth every penny!

I did the virgin one. I used to cry and hyperventilate. Hadn't flown for about 7 years before I met my husband. My ex always told me not to bother because they were only for people who didn't understand how planes work. When I met my husband he loved to travel and really wanted to go to Borneo. We had a disasterous flight to Finland where I asked " what's that noise? " every 30 seconds and I decided to do something about it. The course was brilliant, not just about how planes work but also about controlling your own fear. I actually enjoyed the trail flight and looked out the window for the first time on a flight. Everyone else was so supportive too we felt like excited little children again.
We went to Borneo! I've since been on loads of flights and have never asked what's that noise again.

I don't know, if it helps, but personally I tried the iPhone app SkyGuru. It was designed to help overcome flying anxiety. The app tells you, what is exactly happening during the flight, so you aren't afraid of unusual sounds and movements. If you'd like to try, you may find a more detailed description of the app here: www.cntraveler.com/story/new-app-skyguru-promises-help-for-nervous-fliers