The great majority of cases of fear of flying develop in people who already fly. What follows is general and based on 36 years experience with treating air travel fear and phobia:  

The fear of flying is a limiting fear which may effect severely the quality of life of the sufferer. Our figures indicate that approximately 64% of females and 36% of males disclose that they have the fear. When I started conducting fear of flying classes in 1973, almost 90% of the attendees had never flown before while 10% developed the fear while flying. Today, in 2007, the figures are reversed. Ninety percent of fearful flyers develop the fear while flying. This means that those of you who fly are at risk of developing the fear. If you have no fear, it might be a good idea to continue with this section on prevention.

1. Never rush to make a flight. Rushing causes anxiety which will not immediately disappear once you sit on the plane. The anxiety carries over to the plane and continues at a reasonably high level up to the takeoff. The takeoff is the most stressful part of the flight as the body is subjected to physical forces not commonly experienced. This adds a higher level of anxiety on top of an already existing level of anxiety from rushing. Get to the airport EARLY, I recommend on hour for domestic flights and two hours for international. Settle down and walk onto the plane in a relaxed manner.
2. Eat nutritiously before a flight (as well as always). Going long periods without eating causes release of adrenaline to maintain adequate levels of blood sugar in the body. Remember, BLOOD SUGAR IS NOT THE SAME AS SUCROSE OR WHITE SUGAR. If you are stressed, your body burns off blood sugar at a much higher rate than when you are relaxed. So, nutritious eating is eating anything that is NOT sugar and refined carbohydrates. Protein and unrefined carbohydrates are best and don’t let 3 1/2 hours pass without eating either a snack or a meal while you are flying. Caffeine acts on the body like adrenaline so avoid coffee and stimulants. We also recommend no alcohol, as it both supplies sugar and gives a sense of loss of control.
3. The presence of fear or anxiety DOES NOT MEAN THAT SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN. The anxiety can be, and is usually triggered by a number of factors, but people commonly fall into a trap that the experience of fear means something terrible is going to happen. In almost all cases, the worst thing that happens is that the person is experiencing anxiety. This can be controlled with relaxation training and other psychological maneuvers covered in my book, Fearless Flying: The complete program for relaxed air travel under C on the main menu.
4. A significant number of flying phobics develop claustrophobia, a fear of being closed in. You can prevent this by learning to breathe from your diaphragm. Hyperventilation and claustrophobia stem from breathing with the tense upper chest. When your chest muscles become tense from stress, they cannot shorten very much to raise the ribs to promote air flow. With this condition, the person has to fight the tension to get air. Breathing with the upper chest also causes interthoracic pressure on the heart which reflexively increases the heart rate. Hardly what you need if you are anxious on the plane. The alternative is to breathe from the belly, diaphragmatically. Place a pillow in the small of the back and recline the seat. Place a hand gently above the belly button. This hand should rise when you breathe in and settle when you allow the breath to flow out like air coming out of a balloon (i.e. let the air in your lungs do the work, not muscles to force the air out). Massage also helps to relax these chronically tense chest muscles which impair proper breathing. You can find out immediately whether your chest muscles are restrictingly tense. Find your collar bone at the point where a suspender strap or bra strap would fall. Trace the line down 3 fingers below the collar bone. Push in with your thumb and rotate the pressure. The muscle which hurts is the Pectoralis Minor. It runs from the collar bone to the 4th, 5th and 6th ribs. If it hurts, you have a "charley horse" in your chest. Continue to massage into the pain and the pain will eventually disappear. When you remove the pressure, you will feel a general sense of relaxation pass down you shoulder. Thereafter, you will feel that it is easier to breathe. With this maneuver, you will remove one of the strongest unconscious factors which promote anxiety under stress.
5. The last hint to prevent the onset of fear is practicing your ability to focus your awareness. A person starts to "loose control" when an emotion starts to drive the consciousness. Under no conditions allow your fear to cause you to obsess on the airplane. Relax according to the steps above then focus you mind on a pleasant scene such la lying on a beach watching the waves rush in and roll out in harmony with your breath. Should intrusive thoughts of the "what if" nature or catastrophic images occur, say, "STOP" take a slow breath in slowly, hold it a moment, then let it flow slowly - then shift your mind back to the beach. It could be any relaxing scene, but once you’ve selected it practice only that one.

By following these tips, you will ensure the ability to "fly through the air with the greatest of ease."

Under the topic C you will find out how to order the book Fearless Flying: The complete program for relaxed air travel.

The Institute for Psychology of Air Travel

Fear of Flying Survey | Fear Prevention Tips | What to do if you suffer... | Background Information Address List | Private Consultation | On-line Forum | Fear of flying info.