European Aviation College welcomed the first new “recruits” to its inaugural Fear of Flying course which took place at Waterford Airport.The one day course was developed to help people overcome their fear of flying, a condition that affects one in five people.
Gillian Chiavacci, Head of Training at European Aviation College, congratulated the recent graduates on completing the course. She said, “We are very proud of our first graduates of the Fear of Flying course and hope that this allows them to have more pleasant flying experiences in the future. 20% of the population suffer from aviophobia or as it is more widely known, fear of flying. Although it is quite a common phobia, it can be restrictive and debilitating particularly to those who need to or want to travel abroad.”
“Our first group of course participants all experienced varying degrees of aviophobia. Some found flying uncomfortable and often nerve-wracking, while others were simply unable to get on a plane due to stress and anxiety at the prospect of flying.”
“What we gathered is that the biggest factor in the fear of flying is the fear of the unknown. Another common condition was claustrophobia as many of our course attendees felt uncomfortable at being in a confined area for several hours on a flight.”
The practical course examined topics such as what causes a fear of flying, how airplanes work, behind the scenes at an airport and ways to reduce anxiety before flying.
The course is delivered by experienced airline pilots. Waterford pilot Sean O’ Griofa, Course Instructor with EAC, commented “By the end of the day, all of our participants had a real grasp of how to overcome their fears, through a simple understanding of how planes work, and how to deal with stress and anxiety.”
“By familiarising our attendees with the workings of the aircraft, the causes of turbulence, an explanation of in-flight noises, dealing with anxiety and flight preparation the fear associated with flying became less insurmountable.”
If you would like to find out more about the European Aviation College’s next Fear of Flying course, visit www.europeanaviationcollege.ie, call051 843436 or email info@europeanaviationcollege.ie.