For generations, fear of flying has kept some people from taking dream vacations or even visiting family and taking up work opportunities.
Survey after survey identifies it as the most common travel-related fear while one estimate found that more than 40% of the U.S. population is afraid of being in the air to a lesser or greater degree.
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Tapping into this common passenger fear, one pilot with a major U.S. airline launched a service in which someone can spend 15 minutes talking to a real pilot about these worries.
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Afraid Of Flying? This Is How You Can Dial-A-Pilot
Going only off his first name to avoid drawing attention to his employer, Kyle told Travel + Leisure that he launched "Dial A Pilot" after realizing that he was spending a lot of time answering his sister-in-law's questions about flying.
"It hit me that there's a lot of people that are, one, afraid of flying, and [they] just don't quite understand it," he told the travel magazine. "And there's a lot of people on the other side of that. The pilots that understand it well love talking to the passengers and would be happy to make themselves available."
Along with posting short videos explaining common travel fears on TikTok, Kyle also got together a network of pilots who take time to answer common flying-related questions.
@dial_a_pilot Helping people understand flying is the name of our game. Travel fearlessly. #aviophobia #fearofflying #flightanxiety #travel
♬ Don't Let Me Go - Lane 8 & Arctic Lake
Charging $50 for a 15-minute chat, "Dial A Pilot" lets customers pick from designated time slots or, if those do not work, schedule a time in advance. One can also pick pilots who fly a specific type of plane — from the Airbus (EADSF) -) and Boeing (BA) -) models used for popular cross-country flights to smaller commuter jets.
The pilots, in turn, use it as a way to supplement their income and feel a closer connection to passengers that is often not possible when one is locked up in the cockpit.
Flying Fear 'Comes Down to a Lack Of Understanding,' Pilot Says
"Turbulence is certainly the number one, and it comes down to a lack of understanding of why the turbulence is happening and what's causing it," Kyle said when asked of the most common fears and questions brought up during the calls.
Many of Kyle's TikTok videos about flying fears have gathered hundreds of thousands of views while one talking about the service is now almost at one million.
While Kyle is currently keeping his last name quiet to not draw attention to the airline if he goes viral, there is potential for "Dial A Pilot" to potentially partner with airlines to promote the service for anxious passengers.
Along with regularly answering questions under his TikTok and Instagram posts, Kyle and "Dial A Pilot" are also currently working on a feature for those looking to ask questions specific to delays or what to do during travel disruptions.
"Early morning is typically a little bit smoother going into Las Vegas!" they wrote under a video of an airplane driving down the tarmac to the gate.
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