In brief:
- In this article, experienced journalist, engineering writer (and nervous flyer!) Lawrie Jones reviews his favourite fear flying books
- Books on fear of flying can be really effective for some people
- We’ve reviewed the best books on fear of flying to give you an insight into what’s inside and whether we’d recommend them
Can books really help fear of flying?
Yes, some people have found that fear of flying books have given them the confidence they need to get on a plane. They may not have been cured, and may still fly with some anxiety, but that’s progress.
That’s my experience. Books have been a cheap, convenient and highly personal way to reflect on my fear of flying. You’re not taking an expensive online course, or opening up to a therapist, you’re working quietly, calmly and privately through your fears.
The reviews here represent my personal experiences and opinions. What works for me may not work for you – and that’s OK. Books are a low-cost, low-risk investment.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small amount if you decide to purchase any of the books. Fly Above Fear is 100% independent, and this never influences our reviews or opinions.
Top 3 best books for fear of flying
1. SOAR
Soar: The Breakthrough Treatment for Fear of Flying our growing community.
- Written by airline pilot and trained therapist Tom Bunn
- Logically structured, clear and simple with practical exercises
- Effective programme that helped me gain the confidence to fly
3. Cockpit Confidential
Cockpit Confidential: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel: Questions, Answers, and Reflections
- Written by experienced pilot Patrick Smith
- Provides clear explanations about flying and turbulence
- Engaging read!
3. Flying with confidence
Flying with Confidence: The proven programme to fix your flying fears
- Written by therapist Patricia Furness-Smith and pilot Captain Steve Allright
- explains the causes of fear of flying and provides a solid scientific analysis
- 4 Rs framework is effective
Soar: The Breakthrough Treatment for Fear of Flying
Written by: Tom Bunn
Soar: The Breakthrough Treatment for Fear of Flying was the book that made the biggest difference to me.
Written by airline pilot and trained therapist Tom Bunn, SOAR provides arguably the most comprehensive explanation of what causes fear of flying – and tools and techniques to overcome it.
The book is logically structured, with the first part exploring the roots of fear of flying. Some people may find this hard going, as Tom does go into theory in detail, but it lays the foundations for what comes next.
The book then walks you through a series of exercises that can help anyone change their perception of flight and challenge their fears.
Does it work? It was hugely helpful for me and the reviews are excellent. SOAR, like all the books here, rewards time and investment. There are exercises you’ll need to do regularly to ensure they work, but it’s not hugely time consuming.
I’d rate this as the best fear of flying book that I have read and the one that has had the longest and most lasting impact.
View Soar: The Breakthrough Treatment for Fear of Flying on Amazon
The Easy Way to Enjoy Flying: The life-changing guide to cure your fear of flying once and for all
Written by: Alan Carr
Ever tried to stop smoking? Alan Carr has helped millions of people quit smoking, but I’m guessing his book has been less effective at helping anxious flyers.
Why? Because while logic may be the best way to stop someone smoking, it’s not the same for a more complex phobia like fear of flying.
The book is limited in size and scope. We learn that Alan Carr is (or rather, was) an anxious flyer but by understanding the mechanisms of flight, studying safety statistics and repeatedly flying he conquered his fears.
While SOAR provides a system, Carr provides stats and logic.
Personally, I found that the book was outdated and had little impact.
View The Easy Way to Enjoy Flying: The life-changing guide to cure your fear of flying once and for all on Amazon.
Cockpit Confidential: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel: Questions, Answers, and Reflections
Written by: Patrick Smith
Ever wanted to be a pilot? You might rethink after this warts and all exploration of life as a pilot. Experienced commercial pilot Patrick Smith describes his career flying passengers in a book that’s packed full of anecdotes and insights.
The main core of the book – and the most impactful for anxious flyers – is his explanations of things like turbulence.
Understanding how pilots think about things like turbulence, how they cope with the responsibility of safely transporting hundreds of passengers, and the processes of takeoff and landing are hugely reassuring.
When we fly, we won’t normally get a chance to see or meet the pilot. If they’re anything like Patrick, then we have nothing to worry about in the back.
This book isn’t going to cure your fear of flying, but read alongside a structured plan like SOAR, it’s hugely valuable. It’s a great read.
View Cockpit Confidential: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel: Questions, Answers, and Reflections on Amazon.
Flying with Confidence: The proven programme to fix your flying fears
Written by: Patricia Furness-Smith and Captain Steve Allright
This book combines the expertise of trained therapist Patricia Furness-Smith and experienced airline pilot Captain Steve Allright.
In the first part of the book, Captain Allright explains the mechanisms of flight (how planes fly, why flying is safe, turbulence and so on). In the second part, Patricia Furness-Smith explains the causes of fear of flying and provides a solid scientific analysis of the causes of fear.
I found the concept of the 4 R’s really useful. Furness-Smith explains how you can tackle fear of flying by reacting, regulating your breathing, relaxing your muscles, and rehearsing a positive scene.
While I don’t have generalised anxiety, I can see the detailed psychological exploration of what causes phobias – and the positive insights about how they can be overcome – would be hugely beneficial to some people.
View Flying with Confidence: The proven programme to fix your flying fears at the lowest price on Amazon.
Fear of Flying Workbook: Overcome Your Anticipatory Anxiety and Develop Skills for Flying with Confidence
Written by: Dr. David Carbonell
If you prefer a more hands-on and involved approach to dealing with fear of flying, this book could be for you. As the name suggests, it’s a workbook with practical exercises alongside theory.
Like the majority of fear of flying books, the principles come from CBT and are about changing your relationship to flying.
Where this book excels over others is its focus on anticipatory anxiety. If you find that your anxiety spikes in the run up to a flight, this book is particularly powerful.
It does demand a greater degree of engagement than others and time, but the pay off is that it can be very effective.
View Fear of Flying Workbook: Overcome Your Anticipatory Anxiety and Develop Skills for Flying with Confidence on Amazon.
Overcome Your Fear of Flying: A Structured Guide to Conquer Anxiety and Fly with Confidence
Written by: Ignacio Gallego-Marcos and Mark Silvert
In this relatively new book, Turbuli founder Ignacio Gallego-Marcos teams up with psychiatrist Dr. Mark Silvert to help anxious flyers.
Arguably, Turbuli has done more to increase anxiety for nervous flyers than most, so I was initially cynical, but the book is well written and structured.
The book is similar to others, with information on the causes of fear of flying, information on flights (and how safe flying is), how your body reacts to fear and ways you can tackle it.
It’s an engaging read, but to me it lacks the insights and authority that those written by pilots have. If I were to use this book, I’d pair it with Cockpit Confidential.
View Overcome Your Fear of Flying: A Structured Guide to Conquer Anxiety and Fly with Confidence at the lowest price on Amazon.
How to Overcome Fear of Flying – A Practical Guide to Change the Way You Think about Airplanes, Fear and Flying: Learn to Manage Takeoff, Turbulence, Flying over Water, Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Written by: Capt Ron Nielsen
Winner of the prize for longest title, How to overcome fear of flying is written by commercial pilot Ron Nielsen (who also holds an M.A. in Professional Counseling).
The book follows Captain Nielsen’s 3-step programme that aims to educate, disrupt and support fearful flyers.
Does the plan work? The programme has been operating for over 35 years and is hugely successful, but here’s the problem. Some reviewers (including this one) found that the book felt a little too much like an advert for the course.
Instead of providing a comprehensive support tool for tackling fear of flying, there are some gaps that are filled by other, more complete, fear of flying guides.
If you’re interested in Captain Nielsen’s courses, then it’s a great introduction.
View How to Overcome Fear of Flying – A Practical Guide to Change the Way You Think about Airplanes, Fear and Flying on Amazon.
Which book is best for you?
If you’re looking for the right book for you, but can’t decide, this can help:
- If you want the most complete programme, then SOAR is the best book for you
- If turbulence is your biggest fear, check out Cockpit Confidential
- If you want practical exercises, buy the Fear of Flying Workbook
- If you prefer psychology and CBT then choose Flying with Confidence
You can also find a huge amount of information on our Help Desk and in our Calm Flight Toolkit.
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