In brief
- There’s no genetic cause for fear of flying, but anxiety can run in families
- Children can learn from adults that flying is something to be afraid of and in this way “inherit” a fear of flying
- We’re not born with a fear of flying, but fear responses are learned and that means they can be un-learned too
Does fear of flying run in families?
Fear of flying isn’t hereditary and, so far at least, scientists haven’t discovered fear of flying genes. However, fear of flying can be passed from a parent to a child by learning that flying is something to be afraid of. This can make it look like fear of flying runs in families.
While fear of flying may not be inheritable, there is evidence that anxiety can be genetic. Up to 30% of people will inherit anxiety from a parent and that can manifest itself as fear of flying.
So, while there’s no evidence that you can inherit a fear of flying, you may be more predisposed to being afraid of flying. It follows that, because fear of flying is a learned response, you can unlearn it.
What can and can’t be inherited
The good news is that you can’t inherit a fear of turbulence or crashing. But, as we’ve showed you before, what you can inherit is a tendency to experience:
- Higher physiological arousal: This means that when you’re under stress, your body revs up more easily.
- Anxiety sensitivity: If you experience a heightened state of arousal, you may notice stressful sensations sooner and interpret them as meaningful or dangerous. (This could be a lumpy takeoff, for example.)
- Intolerant about uncertainty: You might feel uncomfortable about uncertainty, and fill gaps with anxious thoughts.
What this means is that two people can experience the exact same flight but their responses are completely different. One person may ignore the sounds and sensations of takeoff as dangerous and the other as being something to worry about.
This doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong, just that your stress response is triggered more easily than someone else’s.
Why fear of flying may look like it’s inherited
If you’re afraid of flying and your parents are too, you might think that genetics have played a part but as we’ve seen above, that’s not necessarily the case.
While we can’t inherit a fear of flying, we can learn it.
A parent might express a fear of flying, which can influence our thoughts. They may not say they’re afraid, but show it through their behaviours.
They might grab hold of the arm rest or shake in fear. It may be more subtle than that, with them simply being nervous when talking about flying, at the approach to the airport or during check in.
This can trigger anxiety around flying that can cause a fear of flying to develop.
Parents will often do their best to hide their fear of flying, but it can often come out in unexpected ways.
People may be able to hide their feelings, but nervousness and fear may manifest itself through language, with parents using scary language to describe the feeling of flying. (“The plane dropped thousands of metres,” etc.)
All of these things can help inculcate a fear of flying in a child.
What to do if fear of flying runs in your family
If you find that fear of flying runs in your family, think about what might have caused it.
It could be that you have a nervous system that learns fast and reacts strongly to anxiety. You might also have developed a fear of flying through negative experiences. It may have been learned from flying with a nervous parent.
Some people will talk to you and try to rationalise away your fears. While you may understand the statistics around how safe flying is, it might not be enough to change your perception of flying as something that’s risky.
There are lots of things you can do to help with your fear of flying. You can use some of the self-help tools on our Help Desk and the breathing exercises in our Calm Flight Toolkit.
Self-care can help you to find ways that you can cope. If you find that your fear of flying is impacting your life and leading you to avoid flying or experiencing new things, then it’s worth exploring professional support.
You can speak with a medical professional, counsellor or therapist. Whatever you do, get the help that you need to ensure that you can enjoy the incredible experience of flying and the life changing joy of travel.
FAQs
If one of my parents is afraid of flying, will I be afraid of flying too?
You might, but you might not. Plenty of people whose parents are afraid of flying never develop a flight fear. Even if you do, there’s no reason why you can’t learn to fly calmly and with confidence.
If I fix my fear, will I prevent my child from developing it?
Children can learn that flying is something to be afraid of, so the logic stands that they can also learn it can be overcome. Together, you can enjoy flights (and the places you visit) positively.
However, children are shaped by their own experiences, their own brains and beliefs. The only thing you can do is to support them to
Should I get help with my fear of flying?
We’re not medical professionals and we’re not able to provide a personalised response to you. If you feel that your fear is impacting your life and that self help isn’t giving you the confidence you need to fly, then it might be worth speaking with a qualified professional or considering an airline-operated fear of flying course.
