How often should I do a chairflying exercise?

Exposure works through repetition, so it helps to chairfly several times in the days and weeks before a flight rather than just once. Many people do a calm run-through every day or two as the trip approaches. Each relaxed rehearsal makes the next one easier, so the feared phases — takeoff, turbulence, landing — gradually trigger less anxiety.

Does the PassengerGuard app do chairflying?

Yes. PassengerGuard’s Mental Flight module is guided chairflying: it leads you through every phase of a flight — boarding, takeoff, cruise, turbulence and landing — with narration and calming breathing. It removes the hard part of guiding yourself, and because it works offline in airplane mode, you can use the same rehearsal on board during the real flight.

Can I do chairflying without actually flying?

Yes — that is the whole point. Chairflying is done entirely on the ground, from a chair, without booking or boarding a flight. You rehearse the flight in your imagination, which is exactly what makes it a safe first step of graded exposure. It is a way to prepare and build confidence before you ever set foot on a plane.

What is the difference between chairflying and a mental flight?

There is no real difference — they are two names for the same exercise: mentally rehearsing a flight from a seated position. “Chairflying” is the term pilots use for rehearsing procedures in a chair; “mental flight” describes the same imagery exercise for fear of flying. PassengerGuard’s Mental Flight module is simply guided chairflying.

Is chairflying a replacement for therapy?

No. Chairflying is a self-help preparation and practice technique, not a substitute for professional treatment. It applies a CBT principle — graded, imaginal exposure — in a form you can practise yourself. If fear of flying severely limits your life, see a doctor or psychotherapist; structured CBT remains the method of choice, and chairflying can support it.

Chairflying: A CBT Exercise to Overcome Fear of Flying

Direct answers

What is chairflying and does it help with fear of flying?

What is chairflying?

Chairflying — also called a mental flight — is the practice of mentally rehearsing an entire flight while sitting in a chair on the ground. You vividly imagine each phase in order, from boarding and taxi through takeoff, cruise, turbulence and landing, while keeping your body calm. It is mental rehearsal applied to fear of flying.

Does chairflying actually work?

Yes. Chairflying is a form of imaginal exposure, a core technique in cognitive behavioural therapy for specific phobias. By rehearsing the feared flight calmly and repeatedly, your nervous system learns that the situation is survivable, so the anxiety response weakens. Germany’s S3 anxiety-disorder guideline names CBT with exposure as the first-line treatment for phobias.

Is chairflying the same as a mental flight?

Yes — chairflying and mental flight describe the same exercise: rehearsing a flight in your imagination from a seated position. Pilots use chairflying to rehearse procedures; people with fear of flying use it as graded exposure. PassengerGuard’s guided Mental Flight module is exactly this exercise, narrated step by step with calming breathing built in.

Step-by-step

How to do a chairflying exercise

1
Find a quiet spot and sit down comfortably
Choose a calm place where you will not be interrupted and sit in a comfortable, upright chair. Close your eyes if that helps you concentrate. The goal is to recreate the seated feeling of being on a plane while you stay completely safe on the ground, so your body can learn that this situation is manageable.
2
Visualise each phase of the flight in order
Walk through the whole flight in your mind, in sequence: boarding, taxi, takeoff, cruise, a patch of turbulence, the descent and landing. Picture the sounds, the seatbelt, the engine noise and the bumps as vividly as you can. Going phase by phase, in the real order, is what makes chairflying a structured exposure exercise rather than just daydreaming.
3
Add slow, deep breathing at each phase
As you reach each phase, pair it with slow, deep breathing — for example breathe in for four counts, hold briefly, and breathe out for longer. Staying calm while you picture the feared moment is the key: it teaches your nervous system a new, relaxed response to takeoff, turbulence and landing instead of the old panic response.
4
Repeat regularly or let the app’s Mental Flight guide you
Repeat the exercise several times in the days and weeks before your flight — exposure works through repetition, and each calm rehearsal makes the next one easier. If guiding yourself is hard, let PassengerGuard’s Mental Flight module lead you through every phase with narration and breathing, including offline in airplane mode on board.

Why it works

Why chairflying works against fear of flying

It is graded exposure — the evidence-based core of CBT

Avoiding flights keeps fear of flying alive; facing the feared situation in small, controlled steps reduces it. Chairflying lets you face the flight safely in your imagination first. Germany’s S3 anxiety-disorder guideline (AWMF) names cognitive behavioural therapy with exposure as the first-line, method-of-choice treatment for specific phobias such as fear of flying.

Mental rehearsal retrains the anxiety response

Imaginal exposure — vividly rehearsing a feared scene while staying calm — is a recognised CBT technique. Each calm run-through weakens the link between flying and panic, a process psychologists call habituation. Because you control the pace, you can pause, breathe and repeat any phase, so takeoff and turbulence gradually lose their power to trigger fear.

It was evaluated in a study at Ruhr University Bochum

The PassengerGuard training that includes the guided Mental Flight was evaluated and accompanied in a study by the FBZ (Research and Treatment Center for Mental Health) at Ruhr University Bochum — around 150 people with fear of flying, concluding with a training flight at Düsseldorf Airport. The university evaluated the training; it did not co-develop the app.

Important note

This page explains the chairflying exercise and offers general self-help information; it does not replace medical or psychotherapeutic advice. Chairflying is a preparation and practice technique, not a treatment on its own. If fear of flying or panic attacks weigh heavily on you or restrict your everyday life, please have your symptoms assessed by a doctor or psychotherapist.

Frequently asked questions

Guided chairflying — your Mental Flight, even offline

PassengerGuard’s Mental Flight module is guided chairflying: it leads you calmly through every phase of a flight, with breathing built in and working offline in airplane mode on board. Combined with CBT-based fear-of-flying training for iPhone and Android.

Discover the App

Chairflying: A CBT Exercise to Overcome Fear of Flying

What is chairflying and does it help with fear of flying?

What is chairflying?

Does chairflying actually work?

Is chairflying the same as a mental flight?

How to do a chairflying exercise

Find a quiet spot and sit down comfortably

Visualise each phase of the flight in order

Add slow, deep breathing at each phase

Repeat regularly or let the app’s Mental Flight guide you

Why chairflying works against fear of flying

It is graded exposure — the evidence-based core of CBT

Mental rehearsal retrains the anxiety response

It was evaluated in a study at Ruhr University Bochum

Frequently asked questions

Guided chairflying — your Mental Flight, even offline

Related Topics

What is fear of flying?

Fear of flying app

The PassengerGuard fear-of-flying study

Panic attack first aid