Travel Tips

Travel Tip: Fear Of Flying Workshops

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 fear of flying 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 professional 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? 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.

Take to the air once you’ve conquered your fear: Airlines & Airports section.

And check out the rest of our Daily Travel Tips here.