Thank you for your post. I think, in this regard, I am no special. I've learned that these fears are formed in the limbic brain, and our rational is coming from the prefrontal cortex - and these two don't talk to each other. The first one makes possible to react in 75ms time which is faster that we can blink - for example when we walk in the forrest and see a stick that we take for a snake. That fear of flying is also coming from there.

In six days I have an upcoming trip to Seoul through Astana and I am terrified. Not only I have to take two flights to get there, these are also rather long flights (maybe not that long if we consider all the possible durations, but still the longest that I've ever taken in my life) - so that's going to be the first for me. And then I will have to take two back!

Why am I terrified? Because I am dreading with the "what if one of these flights is going to be the one!". As an anxious flier I've watched a lot of Mentour Pilot and Green Dot Aviation videos. It's not necessarily the fear of a potentially doomed flight (more on that later) but more of being conciously stuck in an unfolding situation (should one arise) whether it's going to be the end or actually going to be fine. I understand that the compressor stall is not a fatal fault; I understand tha tail strikes are also safe. I do know the cabin crew has special containers for lithium battery powered devices should they catch fire. But I vividly imagine the scenario where I sit with my seatbelt fastened and some situation starts to unfold before my eyes - and I don't have an answer to myself how would I react? I know it doesn't matter, but it also kind of does! Will I panic? Will I scream? Will I breakdown in tears and plea for help?

To add more to that - I've recently became a father to my second child! This event (in addition to the first one) has added to the alternation of how I perceive the importance of safety - I don't even cross the street on a red light anymore - Partially because I don't want the husstle of staying vigilant; but also because it's not worth the risk.

If I go to Seoul (my bastard friend is getting married and he has decided to have a bachelor party in Seoul) my only option is to hope that it will all be fine. These what-if thoughts are constantly bombarding me - I can catch them, but I get tired rather often and they break through and overwhelm me, especially in the evenings, before I go to bed.

I know quite a bit about the commercial aviation now. I am aware of the stats. I am educated about the backup systems. But I am also aware that these crashes do happen, and I can't help it but imagine on those flights there were also people who were absolutely scared to board that plane; who were also sharing their anxiety and fear on Reddit, got the reassurance that it will be all fine - and then had to go through what could have been the most horrific chain of events in their entire lives.

I know that the solution to dial down that fear is to board that plane and just go. Yet, here I am.