Reassuring facts about flying

Flying will never become my favorite hobby. Fortunately, I don't find it so scary that I won't get on a plane, but I walk through that jet bridge every time with trembling legs. And every time I think again as that giant takes off: I can't go back. If something goes wrong now, it's really bad. Then I'm dead. Because how likely is it that you survive a plane crash? It's really negligible, right? Yes, these are cheerful thoughts that go through my mind during such a flight. For a long flight, I therefore take a sleeping pill that I got from the doctor. In the best case, I sleep for a few hours; in the worst case, I'm heavily spaced out. Both are fine.

But just like everything I'm afraid of, or don't understand, I look everything up on the internet. And of course, you occasionally come across something you don't like or that only makes that fear worse, but fortunately, that's not the case with flying. Therefore, I present to you: reassuring facts about flying. They will definitely make your fear of flying a little less.

1. You are more likely to be killed by a donkey than to die in a plane crash.

2. It is virtually impossible for a plane to crash due to turbulence. Pilots see it more as something that just comes with the territory than as a danger. Still hate turbulence? Morning flights have less of it. And try to secure a spot in the middle.

3. Statistically, flying is still the safest mode of transport. The chance of dying in a car accident is one in 5,000 (that's still quite a lot!), the chance of a plane accident is about one in 11,000,000. In fact, you are even more likely to be struck by lightning (one in 13,000).

4. Planes can fly perfectly well with only one engine working and can land safely if all engines fail.

5. If your plane were to crash, you still have a good chance of survival. The American National Transportation Safety Board states that your chance is actually 95 percent to survive it. Worldwide, outside of America, that is 90 percent. Only the terrible horror scenarios make the news.

6. If you were to fly every day, it would statistically take 19,000 years before you experience a plane accident in which you die.