Background: Visitors to www.Fearless-Flight.com were invited to participate in an online research survey. More than 500 people responded to the survey, answering 29 questions about their fear-of-flying experiences.
Survey Highlights
- 507 people participated in the Fear of Flying Research Study
- 70% of participants were female, 30% male
- 65% of participants were aged 18-39, 31% were 40 or older
A profile of the most "typical" fear of flying (FOF) survey participants
| Became aware of FOF aged 18-29 | 53% |
| Has strong FOF symptoms | 71% |
| Strong | 40% |
| Very strong | 31% |
| Will fly when necessary | 54% |
| Whenever has to | 45% |
| Whenever wants to | 9% |
| Has flown 10 or more times | 62% |
| Experiences FOF symptoms just contemplating plane trip | 52% |
| Symptoms have become stronger over time | 65% |
| Most prevalent moderate/strong symptoms: |
| Heart/chest problems (palpitations, pain) | 87% |
| Stomach symptoms (butterflies, nausea) | 80% |
| Sweating | 76% |
| Inability to focus | 69% |
| Generalized panic/anxiety | 68% |
| Flight elements producing moderate/strong symptoms: |
| Experiencing turbulence | 95% |
| Take-off | 90% |
| Hearing airplane noises | 84% |
| Aborted landings | 83% |
| Landing | 69% |
| Boarding | 58% |
| Cabin announcements (take seats, etc.) | 55% |
| Learning of flight delay | 51% |
| Most prevalent persistent thoughts: |
| Plane will crash | 75% |
| I am going to die | 59% |
| Situations that significantly increase FOF symptoms: |
| Rough flight | 97% |
| Poor weather | 96% |
| More than one leg | 81% |
| Flight over 2 hours | 77% |
| Hectic pre-flight conditions | 71% |
| Flying alone | 69% |
| Night flying | 64% |
| Crowded cabin | 56% |
| Flight delay | 54% |
| Has taken measures to overcome FOF | 85% |
| Talked to family/friends | 69% |
| Read material about it | 60% |
| Situations that significantly relieve FOF symptoms: |
| Friendly cabin attendants | 82% |
| Seeing/talking to pilot | 80% |
| Knowing more about planes/flying | 80% |
| Taking a tranquilizer | 77% |
| Movie/music distraction | 72% |
| Meditation/breathing exercises | 65% |
| Talking to people on plane | 59% |
| Interesting reading material | 57% |
| Feels FOF can be overcome to some extent | 76% |
| A little | 31% |
| A lot | 29% |
| Completely | 16% |
| FOF symptoms have developed over time | 58% |
| Over short time | 30% |
| Over long time | 28% |
| Main contributors to onset/intensification of symptoms: |
| Seeing crashes in news/movies | 70% |
| Bad personal experience on plane | 38% |
| Onset of panic attacks | 38% |
| Spouse/partner is supportive | 90% |
| Very supportive | 48% |
| Somewhat | 42% |
| Experiences significant fears when not flying | 69% |
| Acrophobia | 40% |
| Claustrophobia | 25% |
| Panic attacks | 24% |
| Snakes/spiders/animals | 18% |
| Feels overcoming FOF would be important for life | 87% |
| Important | 34% |
| Very important | 53% |
| Biggest problems associated with FOF for individual: |
| Disappointment with self | 29% |
| Fewer vacation options | 27% |
| Complicates visiting friends/family | 25% |
| First action if overcame FOF: |
| Vacation travel | -- |
| Fly more often | -- |
| Visit family/friends | -- |
| Just enjoy the relief | -- |
| Feels most important factor behind FOF is: |
| Flying is inherently dangerous | 27% |
| Dislike handing over control | 26% |
| Believes FOF is irrational | 56% |
| Mostly irrational | 41% |
| Completely irrational | 15% |
Notes on Fear of Flying Research Study participant population
The 507 participants of this online survey do not constitute a randomly selected sample of the American population. They are a volunteer sample, self-selected from visitors to a fear of flying website.
As such, one cannot claim that these survey results reflect the attitudes and experiences of the American public. They may do so or they may not do so—we cannot know, since a random-sampling technique was not employed.
Does that mean the survey results have no value? Not at all. Because the number of participants is quite large (500+), we can assume that the responses do represent a large segment of the population. Which segment? At the very least, the segment that identifies itself as experiencing fear of flying, will visit a website for information, and will volunteer to participate in a research study.
For example, does the 2.3/1 female/male split mean that there are far more women than men who experience FOF? Or, does it mean that women are more likely to take a survey? Does the dominant participant age group (18-39) mean that is the prime age for FOF, or only that this group is most likely to surf the web for information?
The dominance of female participants does have impact on at least some of these results. We did a few cross references to compare responses by gender. (We had 355 female participants, 152 male participants.)
- More females experienced severe FOF symptoms
(77% had strong/very strong symptoms; 56% for males)
- More females felt they might significantly overcome FOF
(47% for females; 38% for males)
- More females experienced symptoms early in the travel process
(56% just contemplating trip; 41% for males)
- More males saw work travel as the biggest FOF problem
(20% for males; 5% for females)
- On the other hand, females/males were fairly similar on:
- Measures taken to overcome FOF
- Judgment of rationality of FOF
- Supportiveness of spouse/partner
Therefore, when presenting results, context is key. The makeup of the participant pool (website visitors, volunteers) should be detailed up front. Once that is made clear to the audience, it will be fair to say that these results do represent the attitudes and experiences of the "survey participants."
One further note: One needn't be overly apologetic about this survey's participation pool. To put the numbers in context, pools of just 800 individuals have very accurately predicted the outcome of U.S. elections. Researchers do employ sophisticated statistical models to weight responses to reflect the U.S. population, but one can see that a survey participant population of 500 is a relatively large sample, large enough to provide a solid information base for the purposes of this study.
1. What is your gender?
| Gender of Participants |
|---|
| Male | Female |
| 30% | 70% |
2. What is your age?
| Age of Participants |
|---|
| 17 or less | 18-39 | 40-59 | 60+ |
| 4% | 65% | 27% | 4% |
3. When did you first become aware of your fear of flying?
| Age of Fear Awareness |
|---|
| Always | Under 18 | 18-29 | 30+ |
| 11% | 14% | 53% | 21% |
4. Currently, how severe are your fear of flying symptoms?
| Severity of Current FOF Symptoms |
|---|
| Very mild | Mild | Moderate | Strong | Very strong |
| 3% | 6% | 20% | 40% | 31% |
5. How often do you fly?
| How Often Participants Fly |
|---|
| Whenever I want to | Whenever I have to | Avoid except in extreme cases | Cannot fly
due to FOF | Other answer |
| 9% | 45% | 26% | 15% | 5% |
6. How many flights have you taken in your lifetime?
| No. of Flights Taken by Participants |
|---|
| None | 1 | 2-3 | 4-10 | 10+ |
| 4% | 4% | 7% | 24% | 62% |
7. Typically, when do your fear-of-flying symptoms start to become very bothersome to you? Choose one answer.
| When Symptoms Become Very Bothersome |
|---|
Thinking
about trip | Making reservations/ packing | On way to/
at airport | On airplane | Never very bothersome |
| 52% | 12% | 15% | 19% | 2% |
8. Has the severity of your symptoms changed over the past five years?
| Change in Severity of Symptoms? |
|---|
| No | Milder | Stronger |
| 24% | 11% | 65% |
9. If the severity has changed, please describe the causes (if any) that you think may have contributed to the change in your fear of flying symptoms.
| Terrorism/9-11 | 97 listed |
| Bad personal experience on a plane | 55 listed |
| Media (news, movies) coverage of crashes | 36 listed |
| Change in family (child, marriage, etc.) | 33 listed |
| Getting older/feeling more vulnerable | 22 listed |
| Lack of flying exposure | 11 listed |
| Onset of panic attacks | 9 listed |
10. How strong are the physical effects of your fear of flying? Please think about your last flight and select a level for each factor below.
| % Experiencing Symptoms |
|---|
| | None/mild | Moderate | High |
| Sweatiness | 24% | 43% | 33% |
| Heart/chest symptoms | 13% | 35% | 52% |
| Stomach symptoms | 20% | 40% | 40% |
| Headache | 72% | 20% | 8% |
| Breathing symptoms | 45% | 33% | 22% |
| Vision symptoms | 86% | 10% | 4% |
| Light-headedness | 67% | 24% | 9% |
| Inability to focus | 30% | 38% | 31% |
| Generalized panic | 32% | 36% | 32% |
| Crying, emotional distress | 54% | 22% | 25% |
11. If you experience additional significant symptoms, please describe them here.
| General anxiety | 12 listed |
| Diarrhea, etc. | 10 listed |
| Insomnia/nightmares | 10 listed |
| Shaking/ muscle tension | 9 listed |
12. Which part(s) of the flight produce significant nervousness, and to what extent?
| Flight Elements — % Experiencing Significant Nervousness |
|---|
| | None/mild | Moderate | High |
| Security check | 82% | 13% | 5% |
| Boarding plane | 42% | 36% | 22% |
| Take-off | 10% | 24% | 66% |
| Landing | 32% | 36% | 33% |
| Hearing plane noises | 16% | 36% | 48% |
| Turbulence | 5% | 19% | 76% |
| Flight delays | 49% | 30% | 21% |
Cabin announcements
(take seats, etc.) | 45% | 31% | 24% |
| Aborted landing | 17% | 15% | 68% |
| Waiting to deplane | 80% | 12% | 7% |
13. When on a typical flight, what are the main thoughts that keep going through your head? Check all that apply.
| Persistent Thoughts While Flying — % Experiencing |
|---|
| Plane will crash | Plane too big/ heavy to fly | Pilot unable
to handle | Why am I doing this? | I can't
handle this | I look foolish | I am going
to die |
| 75% | 31% | 30% | 48% | 47% | 15% | 59% |
Other thoughts (29%), most common:
| Flight is unsafe | 35 listed |
| Feel trapped | 30 listed |
| Fear of death/leaving family | 12 listed |
| Pray for endurance | 8 listed |
| Fear lack of control | 8 listed |
14. Do you think the situations below would significantly increase your fear-of-flying symptoms, and if so, by how much? (Skip any that do not apply to you.)
| Flight Situations — % Experiencing Symptom Increase |
|---|
| | None/slight | Some increase | Big increase |
| Rough flight | 3% | 21% | 76% |
| Multiple flight legs | 19% | 40% | 41% |
| 2+ hr. flight | 23% | 31% | 46% |
| Crowded cabin | 44% | 29% | 27% |
| Hectic pre-flight conditions | 29% | 37% | 34% |
| Long security line | 66% | 25% | 10% |
| Flight delay | 47% | 34% | 20% |
| Flying alone | 31% | 28% | 41% |
| Unfamiliar destination | 63% | 23% | 14% |
| Flying with your children | 65% | 16% | 19% |
| Poor weather | 4% | 20% | 76% |
| Night flying | 36% | 39% | 25% |
15. If there are additional factors that significantly increase your fear of flying, please describe them here.
| Turbulence | 10 listed |
| Fears about pilot/mechanical issues | 7 listed |
| Small plane | 7 listed |
| Security alerts | 6 listed |
| Flying over open water | 6 listed |
16. What measures have you taken to try to overcome your fear of flying? Check all that apply.
| Measures Taken to Overcome FOF |
|---|
| None | Talked to friends/family | Read material | Took course | Talked to counselor |
| 15% | 69% | 60% | 6% | 13% |
Other measures taken (25%), most common:
| Take medication | 64 listed |
| Take alcohol | 14 listed |
| Pray | 12 listed |
| Hypnosis/meditation | 12 listed |
17. Do you think that the conditions below would help to alleviate your fear of flying, and if so, to what extent? (Skip any that do not apply to you.)
| Flight Situations — % Experiencing Symptom Increase |
|---|
| | No/little effect | Some improv. | Big improv. |
| Extra time getting to airport | 80% | 18% | 2% |
| Talk to people on plane | 42% | 46% | 13% |
| See/talk to pilot | 20% | 39% | 41% |
| Friendly cabin attendants | 18% | 42% | 40% |
| Pre-boarding | 74% | 18% | 8% |
| Knowing route | 53% | 28% | 19% |
| Reading material | 43% | 39% | 18% |
| Movie/music | 28% | 45% | 27% |
| Bringing food | 63% | 26% | 11% |
| Alcohol before/during | 52% | 24% | 24% |
| Tranquilizer | 23% | 30% | 47% |
| Meditation/breathing exercises | 35% | 42% | 23% |
| Knowing more about planes, flying | 20% | 31% | 49% |
| Able to smoke | 84% | 5% | 11% |
18. If there are other specific coping techniques that have worked for you, please describe them here.
| Visualizing good, safe trip | 14 listed |
| Praying | 10 listed |
| Watching calm people | 6 listed |
| Walking/stretching | 5 listed |
19. Deep down, do you believe that something you learn or do can help you overcome your fear of flying?
| Can Overcome Fear of Flying? |
|---|
| No | Yes, a little | Yes, a lot | Yes, completely | Not sure |
| 10% | 31% | 29% | 16% | 15% |
20. Did your fear of flying come on suddenly or did it develop over time?
| Symptom Development |
|---|
| Suddenly | Over
short time | Over
long time | Not sure |
| 25% | 30% | 28% | 18% |
21. What elements may have contributed to your fear of flying (either setting it off or significantly intensifying it)? Check all that apply.
| Birth of child | 13% |
| Death of loved one | 9% |
| Divorce | 2% |
| Bad experience on plane | 38% |
| Seeing crashes in media | 70% |
| Knowing someone in crash | 7% |
| Traumatic event (illness, accident) | 10% |
| Onset of panic attacks | 38% |
| Nothing I can think of | 12% |
Other contributing element (17%), most common:
22. How supportive of your situation is your spouse/partner? (Those without spouses/partners are excluded.)
| Support of Spouse/Partner |
|---|
| Very supportive | Somewhat supportive | Not supportive |
| 48% | 42% | 11% |
23. When you are not flying, do you ever experience any significant fears? Check all that apply.
| Other Significant Fears — % Experiencing |
|---|
| None | Claustrophobia | Agoraphobia | Acrophobia | Spiders/animals | Panic attacks |
| 31% | 25% | 2% | 40% | 18% | 24% |
Other significant fears (14%), most common:
| General anxiety | 13 listed |
| Falling | 7 listed |
| Water/boats/sharks | 5 listed |
| Storms | 3 listed |
24. If it were possible to overcome your fear of flying, how important a change would that be in your life?
| Importance of Overcoming FOF |
|---|
| Unimportant | Not very important | Neutral | Important | Very important |
| 1% | 3% | 9% | 34% | 53% |
25. What do you see as the biggest problem associated with your fear of flying? Choose one answer.
| Biggest Problem with FOF |
|---|
| Complicates visiting family/friends | Fewer vacation options | Complicates career, job travel | Embarrassment at admitting | Disappointment with self |
| 25% | 27% | 9% | 2% | 29% |
Other significant fears (7%), most common:
| Stress, lack of enjoyment | 15 listed |
26. If you were able to overcome your fear of flying, what is the first thing you would do?
| Vacation travel | 166 listed |
| Fly more | 7 listed |
| Visit family/friends/go home | 52 listed |
| Enjoy the relief | 45 listed |
| Boast about it | 8 listed |
| Travel for job | 4 listed |
27. If you had to guess at the single most important factor behind your fear of flying, what would it be? Choose one answer.
| Most Significant Factor Behind FOF |
|---|
| Flying isinherently dangerous | Terrorism | Dislike handing over control | Visualizing crashes | Bad personal experience on plane | Don't know |
| 27% | 6% | 26% | 14% | 11% | 6% |
Other, please specify (9%), most common:
| Generalized other fear | 13 listed |
| Crashes in media | 8 listed |
| Turbulence | 4 listed |
28. Overall, how rational (based in fact) or irrational (based on emotion) do you consider your fear of flying?
| Rationality of FOF |
|---|
| Completely rational | Mostly rational | Half/half | Mostly irrational | Completely irrational |
| 2% | 8% | 34% | 41% | 15% |
29. Please use this space to comment further on your responses (such as how this fear impacts your life) or to suggest additional research questions.
(Responses not categorized)
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