A pilot shared her advice for apprehensive fliers, including what to avoid doing before a flight if you are anxious. Shibani Kaur Gupta of London, who currently works as a Line Training Captain for Wizz Air, has highlighted what concerned fliers should and should not do during their journey. The pilot, who received her private pilot’s license at the age of 17, claimed that she has spoken with many passengers over the years and always gives them valuable advise.
Speaking to Metro, she stated, “It really helps if you can talk to the crew.” Definitely the cabin crew, but if you have the opportunity, speak with the pilot.’ The 35-year-old stated that chatting to nervous flyers beforehand ‘calmed them down’, and that hearing that everything will be OK ‘from the horse’s mouth really makes a difference.’
She went on to say, ‘I need to tell them that I know what I’m doing and that I’m not going to jeopardize the flight’s safety because it’s also my life at stake. So, I believe talking about your nervousness is a wonderful trick. Shibani, who is frequently mistaken for cabin crew, also provided tips on what to avoid doing before a flight if you are concerned.
She advised avoiding drinking alcohol before or during a flight to try to relax your worries. Shibani Kaur Gupta of London, who currently works as a Line Training Captain for Wizz Air, has revealed what concerned fliers should and shouldn’t do during a trip. She went on to say, ‘It’s also a good idea not to smoke before a flight; it’s a documented fact that smoking makes it more difficult to breathe on a plane because you’re at a much greater altitude, so avoid it.’
The pilot advised drinking plenty of water because the cabin was quite dry, and said that reading a book would be a nice distraction. It comes after another pilot mirrored Shibani’s advise and described how you should prepare for turbulence. Steve, an American Airlines pilot who goes by the social media handle @aapilotsteve, offered some advice in a recent TikTok video.
He opened the movie by emphasizing that there are many people who are afraid of flying, and you are not alone in your discomfort. In fact, according to a 2023 report in The Hill, over 40% of the US population is afraid of flying. The pilot, who earned her private licence when she was just 17 years old, claimed that she has spoken with a number of passengers over the years and always provides her vital advice.
‘A lot of people have a fear of flying, and it’s generally due to turbulence,’ Captain Steve remarked at the start of the video. However, he assured viewers that experiencing turbulence is ‘no big thing.’ ‘I want you to see turbulence like a river,’ he continued. ‘A river has currents; sometimes it’s quite smooth, like a lake; sometimes it’s a little more rapid, when the water picks up speed; and occasionally it’s extremely rapid, like whitewater rafting,’ he explained.
According to the pilot, the same phenomenon happens with the air currents. ‘They gain up speed, and sometimes they get a bit bumpy, and that’s when you feel that disquiet in the back of the jet, when the plane begins to bump,’ he continued. Captain Steve then suggested an approach that could alleviate your concerns: talk to the pilot before taking off.
‘Next time, before you take off and you’re boarding the plane, do this: ask the flight attendant if you may go up and visit the pilot,’ the American Airlines captain said. ‘Ask them about the path of flight, tell them you’re a scared flier, and they’ll put you at rest by explaining the route of flight and any bumps,’ he said. “That reassurance will make all the difference next time you fly a jet airliner.”