British pilot shares TikTok full of tips for anxious fliers in popular TikTok

Murray advises passengers to watch videos about takeoff, select a certain seat and limit their drinks to calm their nerves. Photo / TikTok

If your stomach drops at the thought of enduring a long or bumpy flight, British pilot and Tiktoker Harrison Murray has some advice.

Pilot Harrison Murray shared a video on Tiktok explaining ways to combat a fear of flying.

Under the profile name @pilot_geeza, Murray responded to a comment made by a viewer who was 'terrified' something would go wrong during their flight from the UK to New York.

1. Focus on what you can control
"First thing I'd recommend doing is writing a list," Murray said. "Write down everything that makes you worried anxious or scared, then cross out absolutely everything that you have no control over."

2. Get familiar with the processes
Then, Murray said, it's important t familiarise yourself with what will happen on the day.

"I'd go on Youtube, I'd watch some videos on 'how do planes fly', understanding the basics I think will help," he said.

By watching videos of takeoff and landing from the view of the cockpit, Murray explained, passengers seated in the back will have a better idea of what is going on.

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3. Book a seat
Selecting the right seat, Murray said, could also calm one's nerves.

"If you're are an anxious or claustrophobic person, I'd recommend going for an aisle seat, that way you've nobody blocking you in and when the seatbelt sign is off you can get up and go for a walk."

4. See a preview of the cabin
For first-time fliers, getting a picture of the aircraft cabin beforehand could also help you feel more at ease, Murray said. "So when you step on board it's not the first time you've seen it, and it'll make you feel it a little bit better."

5. Limit the horror stories
While on Youtube looking up how planes fly, Murray said nervous fliers should stay away from clips about plane crashes.

"Limit the air crash invest videos or any vid or films with plane crashes in them," he said.

The pilot added that when it came dying in a crash, you were far less likely to be in the sky than on a road.

Following up with some facts, Murray said the likelihood of being hit by a car or dying in a car crash was far higher than in a plane.

"It's one in 17,000 you're likely to have a fatality in a car, it's one in 287 million flying in a plane. Lightening is one in 90 million," he said. "The odds are pretty good."

"Every 24 and 48 hours, the aeroplane is checked is for certain service items," Murray assured viewers later in the video. "They are very well maintained and we are very well trained."

6. Additional Tips
While it was okay to have a drink or two on the flight, Murray said passengers should be cautious, as the altitude makes people more susceptible to the effects of alcohol.

Aside from distracting yourself from anxiety by watching films and listening to music, he also added that people could also take 'fear of flying' courses.

The video has been viewed almost 154,000 times and many viewers appreciated the advice.

"I have been on hundreds of flights globally and this is some of the best advice I have seen/heard. brilliant!!" wrote one viewer.

"I'm a bad flyer but watching your videos got me through my flight to New York last week." wrote another.