Conquering Your Fear of Flying At the Airport

Locations in this article:  San Francisco, CA

If you’re afraid of flying, don’t worry…you’re not alone. The good news is there are workshops to help conquer phobias—and in many cases, it’s happening right there in the airport.

Pre-9/11, fear of flying classes were a lot more experiential, with visits to cockpits and hangars.

These days, a lot of work is done in the classroom, but a reputable program will usually end with a real flight.

At the General Mitchell airport in Milwaukee, courses are available in February and October.

Led by an aviation psychologist and certified flight instructor, classes are $175 and end with a short flight on a commercial aircraft.

The Fear of Flying Clinic in Northern California offers three sessions a year at San Francisco International Airport.

Classes include conversations with professionals like pilots, flight attendants, aircraft mechanics, and air-traffic controllers.

Participants also get to tour an air traffic control tower and a commercial airliner. Why all the meetings and tours?

Because for many, the fear of flying comes from not understanding how a plane works, and what causes strange noises in the air.

And in Westchester County, New York, the six-session Freedom to Fly workshop includes individual meetings with a counselor and ends with a flight from New York to Boston and back … hopefully phobia-free.

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