The web is full of advice for fearful fliers. Pilots say “knowledge is power." They believe, perhaps naively, that if a people understands how safe flying is, their fear will disappear. But this view ignores that fact that any situation where a person is not in control and escape is blocked causes huge anxiety.



Mental-health professionals aren't much…

On February 20, as crews were still struggling to raise the fuselage AirAsia flight QZ8501, Indonesia's top transportation official said the aircraft climbed at an extreme rate just before it crashed. The accident investigators have had time to study the flight recorder; we can assume they now know what went wrong on the…

One of the safest things you could be doing right now is flying. According to solid research, 3 miles on an Interstate highway puts you at the same risk of fatality as does a coast-to-coast flight. Every time you drive 3 miles on an Interstate highway (or about 1.5 miles urban) you have placed yourself at the same risk as taking a flight.

This…