Overcoming pre-flight frights

Aviation writer Gordon Smith reveals how he put his fearful flying days behind him

GORDON SMITH UK-BASED AVIATION JOURNALIST AND FORMER EDITOR OF AIRLINER WORLD MAGA ZINE “Cabin crew: doors to automatic and cross-check.” For most frequent flyers it's a phrase so ubiquitous it blends into the white noise of pre-departure preparations, part of a reassuring rhythm alongside inflight safety demonstrations and warnings about smoking in the toilets. For me, it had the opposite effect. Hearing this benign instruction on the PA system would send my already jittery body into overdrive. It was the point of no return. Multiple studies suggest around a third of the adult population find flying nervewracking for one reason or another. Travellers in this category are unlikely to relish the experience, but it's not enough to stop them getting on board. The same cannot be said for those with aerophobia – a…

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Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition (Digital) - 1 Issue, November - December 2023

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