Self-help apps and 'support pigs': Five ways to get over your fear of flying

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy “You’ve got more chance of dying in a car accident than a plane crash, you know.” Anyone who’s voiced a fear of flying will have heard this response countless times, but it doesn’t make taking to the skies any easier. It’s writen by a pilot, Captain Tom Bunn, who worked on Pan Am’s first Fear Of Flying programme and aims to help you permanently control your flying anxiety through simple exercises. BA’s one-day Flying with Confidence programme includes an explanation of the technicalities of flying and a session on dealing with anxiety, culminating in a 45-minute flight aboard a real aircraft. Part of a growing trend, particularly in the US, of cute critters being used to calm flight anxiety – emotional support animals are allowed under the country’s transport rules.