Fear of flying: what's happening with every noise and bump

If someone you love is scared of flying, send them this

Being afraid of flying isn't an overreaction or a character flaw: it happens to a lot of people. This page won't tell you 'don't be scared'. It will walk you, phase by phase, through what each thing you hear and feel actually is, so your body doesn't have to guess. If someone you care about is about to fly and finds it hard, send it to them before the trip.

Before takeoff

• Thumps and hums on the ground: bags and catering being loaded, cargo doors, the unit that supplies power and air to the parked plane. Routine on every flight.
• Hydraulic whine while taxiing: the pilots check the controls and extend the flaps, the surfaces that slide out of the back of the wing. You'll see the wing 'change shape'.

Takeoff

• Loud roar and being pushed into your seat: the engines are at takeoff power. That's exactly what should happen.
• Rattling on the runway: the wheels rolling over pavement joints. It stops once the plane leaves the ground.
• A thud and a noise underneath, a few seconds after liftoff: the landing gear is retracting and the doors are closing.
• Feeling like the engines 'cut out': shortly after takeoff the pilots reduce power to climb setting. The noise drops and it can feel like the plane sinks a little, but it keeps climbing.
• Whirring from the wing: the flaps retract as the plane picks up speed.

At cruise: turbulence

The FAA describes it as air movement that normally can't be seen and can happen unexpectedly, even in clear skies. It's caused by pressure changes, jet streams, air flowing over mountains, cold or warm fronts and thunderstorms. Think of it as waves for a boat: uncomfortable, but part of the medium.

What the plane is built for. US certification rules for transport airplanes require designing them for maneuvering loads of at least +2.5 g and −1 g, and also calculating gust and turbulence loads. Those are the limit loads: the structure must carry them without detrimental permanent deformation. On top of that comes a factor of safety of 1.5, and the structure must hold that higher load without failing for at least 3 seconds.

What is a real risk: not wearing your seat belt. The FAA warns that turbulence can throw passengers who aren't buckled up out of their seats without warning. That's why it recommends keeping your belt fastened at all times while seated, not only when the sign is on.

Descent and landing

• Engine noise changing: the pilots adjust power to descend and to hold speed. Rising and falling engine noise is normal.
• Whirring and vibration from the wing: the flaps come out again. Sometimes you'll see spoilers, panels that pop up on top of the wing to slow down.
• A thud and wind noise underneath: the landing gear coming down. Good: that's what you want.
• Loud roar after touchdown: thrust reversers and brakes. The plane is slowing down, not taking off again.
• If the plane climbs away instead of landing: it's called a go-around, a trained maneuver used when something isn't perfect for landing. It's startling, but it's the careful choice.

What the data says

IATA published its 2025 safety report in March 2026. The figures:

• In 2025 there were 51 accidents among 38.7 million flights: one accident per 759,646 flights. Most were not fatal.
• There were 8 fatal accidents. Over 2021–2025, the average was one fatal accident per 5.6 million flights; a decade earlier (2012–2016) it was one per 3.5 million.
• To be honest: 2025 was worse than 2024 for fatalities. Fatality risk rose to 0.17 per million flights, from 0.06 in 2024, driven by a small number of major accidents.

No one can promise zero risk, and we won't. But the numbers show an accident is a very rare event.

What you can do

• Keep your seat belt fastened the whole time you're seated.
• Slow breathing: breathe in through your nose, breathe out for longer than you breathed in. Keep going for a few minutes.
• Watch the crew: if the flight attendants carry on working as usual, everything is within normal.
• Tell the crew you're nervous. They're used to it and they help.
• Get professional help if fear stops you from flying or makes it very hard: a psychologist with experience in phobias, or the fear-of-flying courses some airlines and airports offer. This page informs; it doesn't replace a professional.

Knowing where you are helps too

For many people, seeing on a map that the plane is moving, which city is below and how much is left makes things feel less uncertain. Modo Avión is an Android app that, with your phone in airplane mode and no signal, uses GPS to show exactly that: your position, what's below, nearby airports, how much is left, which airspace you're in, and the weather you downloaded before leaving. Free, no accounts, no ads. It requires Android 8 or newer; it isn't on Play Store yet and you get it from mdavion.com/bajar.

You can check where your flight goes beforehand in routes. It is not a flight instrument or a treatment: just one more window to make sense of the trip.

FAQ

Sources

Checked on 19/09/2026 against these sources.

• FAA — Turbulence: Staying Safe
• eCFR — 14 CFR 25.337 Limit maneuvering load factors
• eCFR — 14 CFR 25.341 Gust and turbulence loads
• eCFR — 14 CFR 25.303 Factor of safety
• eCFR — 14 CFR 25.305 Strength and deformation
• IATA — 2025 Safety Report press release (09/03/2026)

More from the guide

• Does GPS work in airplane mode?
• How to see where you are on a plane without internet
• What is airplane mode and why do they ask for it?
• Which side of the plane to sit on for the view, the sunrise or the sunset