I was afraid of flying – I now sit in the same plane seat to make it less scary

A FREQUENT flyer has revealed the best place to sit on a plane to get over a fear of flying.

There are lots of different methods people use to calm down on flights, despite the fact it is one of the safest modes of transport.

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One of those was Maxwell Ryan, who founded the design resource Apartment Therapy. 

Last year he racked up more than 52,000 miles in the sky as he jetted about for both business and pleasure.

However, getting on planes so frequently used to be a terrifying idea for him, particularly after one very turbulent flight.

However, he realised that sitting in different parts of the plane can minimise the effects of turbulence, which made flying much less stressful.

He told BNN Bloomberg: “I used to have a fear of flying, and one day I was on a flight from LA to New York. I was in row 43 and was sitting next to this guy as we were bouncing out of our seats. And I was terrified.

“I was white as a sheet, and he was laughing. ‘That’s what it’s like in the back of the plane,’ he said. I had never realised that it was just like a car or a bus.

“So I started to fly in the front of the plane, wherever I could get to: the front of economy, the front of business. And now, when the plane bounces, it’s not a big deal to me.”

Flight attendants agree with Maxwell’s method, with one explaining to Sun Online Travel why turbulence is always worse near the back.

They said: “For anyone who is really scared of turbulence, my advice would be to sit as close to the front of the plane as possible because it acts like a wave.

“What starts as a slight bump at the front of the aircraft can feel much worse by the time it reaches the rear.

“Sometimes passengers at the front won’t even be aware of anything, while those at the back get really badly shaken up.”

Sharing some secrets of the skies, she explained what to do if get nervous or sick during turbulence.

Another flight attendant recommended a different seat to sit in for passengers who don’t want to feel the effects of the turbulence as badly.

Madeleine Doyle was a flight attendant for 20 years, working on both domestic and international airlines.

She told Thrillist: “The plane is built like a teeter-totter, and the most stable part is over the wings.

“Turbulence is worse in the back of the plane — it’s much bumpier.

“If you think you’re going to be sensitive to that, sit over the wings.”

If you’re a nervous flyer, you’re in for a rough time as it’s likely flights are going to have more turbulence than ever.

Here are some other plane myths which aren’t true, a flight attendant told Sun Travel.

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