A class is likely one of the most successful methods for overcoming your fear of flying fast. An in-person class may take a few days, while online classes offer a quick solution for those that are looking to get over their fear of flying quickly.
Online Classes
Fortunately there are several online class options available. One of the most successful and recommended programs is the SOAR Conquer Fear of Flying program. This program has been around since 1982, has helped thousands overcome their fear, and was created by a former airline pilot. You can read our review of the program by following the link below.
The TakeOff today program has since been discontinued, despite other sites like FearOfFlyingPhobia.com continuing to offer it. The program was distributed on a platform that it is no longer affiliated with. A roughly 60-page or so sample is available through this link, which still has some useful information that pertained to the original program. A review of the original program can also be found here.
Additionally, several other classes can be found online by doing a simple search.
In-Person Classes
If you live near a major city or airport, there are typically fear of flying clinics available for a similar price to the online classes. Many of these classes have been around for awhile, like the San Francisco Fear of Flying Clinic that’s been around for over 40 years and continues to have several classes and workshops throughout each year.
The largest benefit of doing an in-person class is it done at the airport you are most likely to fly out of and typically includes a short ‘graduation’ flight. It also provides a sense of community or commradery, as you are not the only person to have a fear of flying.
If you’re unable to find an in-person class near you, a call to the closest major airport is usually helpful. Some airports offer them, and even if yours doesn’t, they may be able to offer additional resources to aid in overcoming your anxieties.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport recommends the Cleared For TakeOff class for those in Arizona and Southern California areas.
AnxietyCoach.com offers a Fear of Flying Class in Chicago. Users take a very short flight from Chicago to St. Louis or other surrounding area to practice and implement skills for dealing with flight anxiety.
Virgin Atlantic offers specific courses for adults, children, and even C-Suite executive and celebrities.
British Airways, offers courses for those who’ve never flown, get nervous while flying, were once previous flyers and have stopped because of anxiety, or simply want to help someone else fly. This is an excellent course for readers located in the United Kingdom.
What is the Best Fear of Flying Course?
There are a number of excellent fear of flying courses on the market, but we believe that two are the most effective and comprehensive while providing the most value: the SOAR fear of flying course and The Takeoff Today! Program. Both tackle the two main components of the fear of flying:
- Learning to trust the aircraft and crew
- Learning to control feelings of fear, anxiety and panic.
Additionally, both course authors are considered experts in the field of air travel safety and both programs have received a good deal of positive reviews and accolades in the media. To help decide which may be the best option for you, see the brief overviews below.
SOAR
The SOAR fear of flying course was developed by Captain Tom Bunn, a pilot and licensed therapist.
The SOAR fear of flying course was developed by Captain Tom Bunn, a pilot and licensed therapist. So he not only has the perspective of actual flying experience, but also the mental health aspects of fearful flyers covered.
The SOAR course delves into the roots of the fear of flying, and of course, treatments and techniques to overcome it. It also goes into detail about how flying works and what to expect at the airport, which are specific concerns for many people who are scared of flying.
One handy feature of the SOAR program is the ability to purchase segments separately. If you want to focus on the anxiety section, you can just order that. If you just want to know what to expect during a flight, those videos can be purchased alone.
Or you can get all 11 videos in a package. It’s like picking which fear of flying classes you want to attend. A unique feature is the ability to get counseling from Captain Tom. You can get this in a package with the videos or separately.
The Takeoff Today! Program
REVIEW UPDATE: The Take Off Today program is no longer provided by the publisher. Users interested in the program should refer to the similar, SOAR, program to overcome his or her fear of flying. The review page will remain for historical and archive purposes.
The Takeoff Today! Program was developed by Rich Presta, an expert on the phobia of flying and former fearful flyer. The course is in multimedia format—video, audio and PDF format to read and/or print out. The main fear of flying pdf course is 121 pages, but for me, I didn’t find it a difficult read at all—I was basically hanging on every word.
You also get this information in audio format to listen on the go.The Takeoff Today! Program was developed by Rich Presta, an expert on the phobia of flying and a former fearful flyer. The course is in multimedia format—video, audio and PDF format to read and/or print out.
The main PDF course is 121 pages, but for me, I didn’t find it a difficult read at all—I was basically hanging on every word. You also get this information in audio format to listen on the go.
Additionally, there are two hours of video designed to be viewed after reading or listening to the main course. Finally, there is a “tactical kit” included with print and audio versions of anxiety-stopping techniques that you can use leading up to or during a flight.
There are also two hours of video designed to be viewed after reading or listening to the main course. Finally, there is a “tactical kit” included with print and audio versions of anxiety-stopping techniques that you can use leading up to or during a flight.
Summary
As I stated earlier, both of these fear of flying ebook and multimedia courses are excellent for those that fear flying. They both provide great information to help you overcome your fear and learn about aircrafts, plane crash statistics, and the the airline industry as a whole.
In my opinion, the Takeoff Today! Program is a better choice for those with a light to medium fear of flying. It covers everything many people would need to overcome their fear of flying in a more compact format than SOAR.
The SOAR program caters to people with a bit of a higher degree of fear and anxiety. The complete SOAR program has more material along with counseling from Captain Tom.
If you haven’t done so already, I would advise going to the official site of each program to learn more and see if either is a good fit for your needs. If a fear of flying online course seems right for you, I would highly recommend either of these programs.
Affiliate disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning we will receive compensation, at no extra cost to you, if you choose to make a purchase of a recommended product or service. We are independently owned and vet our partners thoroughly.
