Anyone who has a fear of flying will be particularly sensitive to the sounds on board an aircraft. And it’s true to say that there are many noises in the course of a flight.  Because the sounds are unfamiliar and they occur unexpectedly, the anxious flyer will associate them with danger. 

Remember that as an anxious flyer you will always be in a state of heightened awareness, so the noises on board will seem to be exaggerated, you should always try to remember that the noises are appropriate to what is going on during the flight.

Our 4 CD set or instant downloadable help will provide you with over 4 hours of help and explanations including full explanations and examples of inflight noises.We also have a rrange of noises to familiarise yourself with right here on this site - go to our aircraft noises.

When you first get on board the there will be a background hum from the various pieces of equipment which are supplying electricity and air-conditioning.  The aircraft has its own ground supply of these things from its auxiliary power unit which is a small jet engine usually located at the back of the aircraft. 

When these supplies are connected disconnected there will be additional sounds as the air-conditioning and electrical circuits change from one source to another.  All of this is perfectly normal so keep reminding yourself of this.  It will be useful to acclimatise yourself with sounds by listening to the audio and video examples on this site.  Then when you hear them for real, they won’t seem so intimidating, and your fear of flying is on the way to being overcome. You can also check out the free videos we have online.

When the pilot is ready to start the engines some supplies will be disconnected and you will hear the air-conditioning noises reduce.  The modern jet engine takes a long while to start and during that time the lights will flicker on and off and you will hear other pieces of electrical equipment stopping or starting.  This will happen again as other engines are started until they are all running and all the systems are functioning from the aircraft engines.

While taxiing it’s likely that you’ll hear the noise of the motors that drive the flaps into position.  You’ll also hear the noise of taxiway lights as the nose wheel passes over them.  In flight you’ll hear the change of wind (airflow) noise as the aircraft changes speed.  You’ll hear the changing engine sounds as the power settings are changed.  Become familiar with these sounds and noises so that when you fly you’ll be able to identify them and reassure yourself that they are perfectly normal, and of course knowing that they’re normal will reduce your anxiety.