Afraid of flying during takeoff? Why it can feel unbearable

In brief

• Takeoff is an intense time, with lots of sounds and sensations that can increase anxiety and stress
• The anxiety at takeoff is often short-lived as the plane quickly settles at cruising altitude
• If you know takeoff is a triggering time for you, it’s important to plan – developing strategies and techniques to keep you calm

Why takeoff can trigger anxiety

Takeoff is a common anxiety trigger as the moment combines unfamiliar sounds and sensations with the realisation that you are leaving the air. The sound of the engines, the speed of the roll, the sensation of leaving the ground and the disorientation that can come from banking can all increase stress. 

Takeoff may be intense, but it’s short. It also follows a well defined process, which means you can plan for it.

Understanding what happens during takeoff is vital at reducing anxiety. When you recognise takeoff is a trigger, you can develop ways to deal with it – including preparing breathing, grounding and mindfulness exercises. 

Understanding the sounds and sensations during takeoff

Takeoff may feel stressful and chaotic to you, but to pilots, cabin crew and frequent flyers, the process is pretty standard. 

• Boarding and safety briefing: Before you takeoff, you’ll have a safety briefing from the crew and, on most flights, will get a bit of information from the pilot about flight conditions, the time of the flight and anything else they think you might need to know.
• Pushback and taxi: Once everyone is safely seated, the plane will be pushed back and begin to move toward the departure runway.
• Lined up for departure: The plane will 
• Engine spool up: Pilots will power up the engines before the brakes are released and the plane begins to move.
• Plane begins to roll: The plane will rapidly pick up speed as it moves down the runway. The cabin is usually quiet, and is filled with excitement and anticipation as the plane approaches takeoff velocity.
• Rotation and lift‑off: Once the pilot is ready and the plane is going quickly enough, they will lift-off.
• Climb: The plane will rapidly gain altitude. You’ll hear a clunk when the landing gear is retracted.
• Engines spool down: Once the plane has left the ground and started to climb, pilots will reduce thrust. This can feel like the plane momentarily falls.
• Banking and turning: The plane may bank (turn) several times, depending on the destination and the rules and regulations in place at your departure airport.
• Settling into cruise altitude: After around 15 minutes, the plane will have reached cruising altitude and the plane levels out. 

Once the plane is at cruising altitude, takeoff is over. You can now sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. 

If you want a more detailed breakdown of what happens, read our detailed guide on what to expect during takeoff. (We also cover what happens during landing and when your plane experiences turbulence.)

How you can cope with takeoff anxiety

Takeoff is a common anxiety trigger. If you find takeoff stressful, you’re not alone. The Fly Above Fear System provides a structured way to help you deal with your fear of flying. It starts with understanding what’s happening – and why. Then you can use proven techniques to help restore calm and composure when you need it.

Understand what’s happening

Information is powerful when it comes to dealing with fear of flying. Anxiety often appears when we are surprised by a new sound, sensation or feeling – and that can happen frequently during takeoff.

Our Fear of Flying section is packed full of guides that can help you understand what’s happening when you fly. Start here:

• Afraid of flying? What to do when fear takes over
• What causes fear of flying?
• What is aviophobia and how common is it?
• Airplane noises explained
• What’s happening during takeoff, landing and during turbulence

These short, simple and clear guides provide information that can help you manage every stage of the flight. 

Simply understanding what’s happening isn’t enough to cure fear in most people, but it’s part of a comprehensive plan – and the next stage is having anxiety-reducing tools you can use when you need them.

Practice breathing exercises

Breathing exercises are a great way to reduce anxiety and restore calm when you need it. You’ll find breathing exercises are particularly effective during moments of acute stress, like takeoff where you find yourself being pulled into panic mode.

Box breathing is a great technique to use during takeoff. It’s simple to do and can be done without drawing attention to yourself. 

Here’s how to do it: 

1. Inhale through your nose for 4 counts.
2. Hold for 4 counts.
3. Exhale through your mouth for 4 counts.
4. Hold for 4 counts.
5. Repeat for several cycles.

There are several techniques you can use, and you can find details of the in our guide to breathing exercises.

Restore focus with grounding

During takeoff you can find you disappear into your thoughts, which can lead to stress and trigger the fight-or-flight response. 

There’s evidence that grounding works to reduce anxiety, bringing you back to the present. By restoring your focus on what’s actually happening – not what you imagine could happen – grounding can reduce anxiety. 

There are several grounding exercises, but one of the easiest to remember – and most effective – is the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. 

Here’s how you can do it:

• Think about five things you can see
• Think about four things you can feel 
• Think about three things you can hear 
• Think about two things you can smell
• Think about one thing you can taste 

You can learn more about grounding and mindfulness in our detailed guides.

Prepare positive affirmations

During times of anxiety we can develop a negative internal voice that can increase anxiety. Every new sound and sensation can be perceived as dangerous. Positive affirmations are short sentences you can say to yourself to refocus your mind and restore calm. 

When a negative thought enters your head, you can counter it with something like:

Millions of planes takeoff safely every year – and this is one of them

Or

Takeoff is short and we’ll soon be at cruising altitude

Some people find positive affirmations hugely beneficial, while others don’t. You can learn more about self-affirmations, how to use them and why creating your own is most powerful in our in-depth article.

Embrace acceptance

Accepting anxiety is a hugely powerful strategy. If you know that takeoff is a trigger – as it is for so many of us – you can tackle it head on. 

Acceptance is about acknowledging the feelings of anxiety. Instead of ignoring negative feelings and attempting (and often failing) to suppress them, you accept them and move on.

It’s a hard concept to grasp, but the concept is that anxiety is often caused by our attempts to ignore anxiety triggers. We explore what acceptance is and how it can reduce anxiety in this article. 

Need some extra support for takeoff?

Takeoff is a short, but intense, part of flight. As well as anxiety you’re also likely to be excited, too. Flying in a plane is an incredible experience and can be fun, too. 

Understanding what happens during the takeoff process is hugely powerful. Instead of being taken by surprise by a new sound or sensation, you can mentally tick them off – providing reassurance that everything is running as it should.

You can find a range of breathing, grounding and mindfulness exercises in our Calm Flight Toolkit. It’s completely free to download and you can use it on your phone, tablet or laptop – or even print it if you want to.

Please share this article with anyone who might benefit from it.

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