Edinburgh airport to run ‘fear of flying’ course to help nervous travellers

A fear of flying can stem from many different phobias - claustrophobia, the fear of crashing, the fear of falling and other such worries.

For those who are especially nervous fliers, Edinburgh airport is welcoming a course from easyJet that aims to tackle these worries and cure you of your fear of flying. If it sounds like something that might help you, here’s everything you need to know.

What happens on the course?

The course is designed to help those who have a fear of flying conquer their phobia. It is made up of two parts - the ground course and the experience of flight.

Does this sound like the perfect course for you? (Photo: Shutterstock)

The ground course will last three hours (including a break) and will cover the common misconceptions you might have about flying, including:

- Understanding take off and landing

- A special focus on understanding turbulence

- Explaining “what are all those funny noises”

- Aviation security and safety

The ground course will also teach you a series of coping techniques and strategies to help you with your fear of flying, including:

- Proven techniques to be able to delete negative looping thought patterns

- How to interrupt fear

- How to stop a panic attack

- Different strategies for claustrophobia, fear of heights, fear of being out of control and the fear of having a panic attack

- Breathing techniques

The experience flight will last up to an hour and will allow you to experience a normal commercial flight. It’s a dedicated flight for course participants and there will be a group relaxation session before take off.

The aircraft used will be a fully crewed easyJet aircraft, either an Airbus 319 or an Airbus 320, which would be the same plane you would be on if you were taking an easyJet flight to a European destination.

Where and when is it held?

The course will take place in Edinburgh on Saturday 16 November 2019.

The ground course will take place at 10am and will last around three hours, with doors opening at 9:45am.

The experience flight will take off and land back at Edinburgh airport at 3pm in the afternoon.

It will be held at DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, Edinburgh Airport, EH28 8LL.

Cost

The full cost of the course is £199, and you are able to upgrade your ticket to include a companion for the experience flight. Attending the course with a companion costs £289.

The companion needs to be aged 18 or over and be a confident flyer. You are only allowed one companion.

If you’re looking to buy tickets for the course, just head over to the Fearless Flyer Easyjet website where you’ll be able to book them online.

Requirements

Those hoping to attend the course will need a form of photographic ID (such as a driving licence or a passport) in order to take part in the experience flight.

The course has been tailored to focus on an adult audience, but the course website does state that the style of presentation would also be suitable for children aged 13 and above. All children under the age of 16 will need to be accompanied on the course by a paying adult.