As visitors to Phuket prepare to board an aircraft at Phuket International Airport after their dream holiday, a small percentage will be afraid, very afraid. It’s called 'fear of flying', a phobia and form of psychological trauma that grips the individual with, usually irrational, fears that the aircraft they are boarding will suffer some catastrophic event.

But they should take some heart from statistics compiled by the United States Department of Transportation, which concluded that airline travel is 29 times SAFER than driving an automobile. However, perhaps statistics themselves don’t help, as fear of flying has little to with risk, as such.

For example, if the fear of flying was actually caused by the potential for an accident, then everyone who fears to fly would be more afraid – 29 times more afraid to be statistically exact – to drive or ride in an automobile (or on Phuket it's probably more like 80 times more afraid if you ride a motorcycle!!)

So what causes of fear of flying? Firstly, a lack of information about aviation procedures, secondly some sort of psychological trauma resulting from an aircraft incident and, thirdly, a symbolic transference of some personal conflict to the experience of flying. In other words, there's always some chance of an accident while flying, just as there is in any other activity.

In turn research has shown there are 'cognitive coping strategies' that trigger the fear of flying. Rumination, or thinking over and over again about the situation. Self blame, which refers to thinking a lot about mistakes you've made. Acceptance (or resignation), which refers to thinking that you have no option but to helplessly accept things as they are. And, catatrophising, which refers to thinking about how awful the situation is, or could become.

So despite the statistics, passengers can be forgiven for sitting frozen in fear while flying. However, they should take heart from two recent examples of how the experience and training of the pilot saved the entire aircraft from disaster.

These were the 'Miracle on the Hudson', where a US Airways pilot landed the aircraft safely in the middle of New York’s Hudson River, and a more recent one where a Qantas Airlines pilot calmly landed a giant Airbus A380 with its engine on fire at Singapore’s Changi International Airport. Both safe landings resulted from the fact that pilots today are highly trained to cope with such situations.

Still, these were unusual events. The simple fact is that man was not designed to fly. Consequently, whenever people with a fear of flying get into a 'flying machine' they confront their deepest fears of human vulnerability. It's not so much that flying is unnatural but that we find ourselves way up in the sky at 32,000 feet in temperatures of -40C outside and flying at speeds of up to 800 kmh, sealed in a machine with no escape if something goes wrong.

Well, actually, flying at 32,000 feet is probably the safest part of a journey. Most aircraft accidents occur at takeoff or landing, more often than not involving pilot error rather than mechanical failure.

Fear of flying is more about what might happen than what actually is happening. Contributing phobias include: heights, enclosed spaces, crowded conditions; having to wait passively, not understanding the reasons for unfamiliar actions, sounds and sensations around you, worrying about turbulence, depending on unknown mechanical things to keep you safe, depending on an unknown pilot’s judgment, not being in control, and more.

These fears can lead to a psychological reaction that causes muscle tension, tremors, heavy, laboured breathing, heart palpitations and chest pain, abdominal and intestinal discomfort, weakness, dizziness, dry mouth, and a flush, or pale, face. The psychological symptoms include impaired memory, narrowed perceptions, poor or clouded judgment and negative expectations.

Help! What a mess. So how do you overcome fear of flying? Here are a few suggestions. Obtain information about the principles of flight and flight safety, specially related to frequent occurrences such as turbulence. Seek courses on negative thoughts to treat the symptoms of fear of flying. There are clinics on desensitisation to help overcome phobias. Most people with a serious fear of flying undertake such courses. Some people look to their God for help.

As if that were not enough to cope with, many people also suffer from air sickness which is caused by the brain becoming confused by the messages it is receiving. This results, in flight, in something called aerophobia, which could be triggered by certain things like the sounds, smells, necessity to queue and large crowds at the airport.

Solutions? Book or request when checking in a seat near the aircraft wing, which is more stable to reduce the impact of air sickness. Use an i-pod or some other portable device to distract you, close your eyes and use the headrest to stabilize your body, avoid large meals and alcohol before and during the flight and eat things like ginger biscuits or mint sweets. Whatever it takes to reduce the impact of air sickness.

All of which makes for a very enlightening and happy column.

By Alastair Carthew, a Phuket based writer and communications advisor.
Tel: +66 (0)76 317929 Email: alastaircarthew@gmail.com