Is this an official aerophobia test?

No. It is a free self-check written in plain language: ten statements about how you react to flying, four answers each, and one of three levels with the reasons behind it. Only a clinician can diagnose a phobia.

What counts as a phobia of flying?

Many people dislike turbulence or take-off. It looks more like a phobia when the dread starts days before a flight, when you avoid flying or only get through it with a drink, a pill or white knuckles, when it has lasted months, and when it costs you trips, family visits or work.

Can a fear of flying be about something else?

Often, yes. For some people the problem is the crash they imagine; for others it is being shut in, feeling panic rise with no way out, or not being in control. The statements cover the fear, the avoidance and the cost, and the result lists which ones counted, so you can see which part is doing the work.

Are my answers private?

Yes. Your answers are saved only in this browser, so you can come back to them; nothing is sent to us. "Start over" deletes them.

Fear of flying test

Ten plain questions about how flying affects you, from booking to landing. Takes two minutes and is not a diagnosis, just a clear picture and next steps.

How this test works

Ten statements about flying: how you feel when you are facing them, whether you go out of your way to avoid them, and whether the fear costs you anything in daily life. For each one you pick how often it is true for you: never or almost never, sometimes, often, or almost always.

The result is one of three levels: mild, moderate or marked. The page then shows what set it: how your answers came out on the whole, the statements you answered "often" or "almost always", and two rules that override the average. Avoiding the situation often counts as at least moderate. The fear often costing you something counts as marked.

Why there is no score: a number out of forty looks precise but hides what matters. Two people with the same total can be in very different places, one who feels afraid but goes anyway, and one who has quietly stopped going. A level, the statements behind it and the rules in plain words tell you more than a figure would, and they are honest about how rough a ten-question check is.

Fear or phobia?

Fear is a normal alarm. It fires near a real drop, in real turbulence or in a stuck elevator, and it settles once the situation is over. A phobia is the same alarm gone out of proportion: it fires at the thought of flying, well beyond the actual danger; you avoid the situation or get through it in distress; it lasts for months rather than days; and it costs you something, such as a plan, a job or a relationship. That is how the NHS describes phobias (opens in a new tab), and it is the line this self-check is built around.

Frequently asked questions

Is this an official aerophobia test?: No. It is a free self-check written in plain language: ten statements about how you react to flying, four answers each, and one of three levels with the reasons behind it. Only a clinician can diagnose a phobia.
What counts as a phobia of flying?: Many people dislike turbulence or take-off. It looks more like a phobia when the dread starts days before a flight, when you avoid flying or only get through it with a drink, a pill or white knuckles, when it has lasted months, and when it costs you trips, family visits or work.
Can a fear of flying be about something else?: Often, yes. For some people the problem is the crash they imagine; for others it is being shut in, feeling panic rise with no way out, or not being in control. The statements cover the fear, the avoidance and the cost, and the result lists which ones counted, so you can see which part is doing the work.
Are my answers private?: Yes. Your answers are saved only in this browser, so you can come back to them; nothing is sent to us. "Start over" deletes them.

Last updated 2026-09-18. A self-check for reflection, not a diagnosis; if fear is affecting your life, talk to a doctor or a therapist.