Many people wrestle with a fear of air travel. According to FlightFox, 40 percent of travelers suffer from a fear of flying.

For 40% of travellers these fears are real. While everyone experiences their fear differently - some with visions, others with in-flight panic attacks and most with anxiety - the fear of flying is something many people suffer from, but why?

For those who battle this phobia of getting on a plane, ignoring air travel all together might not be an option. Many people have to travel for business meetings or family gatherings. Yet, for those with a fear of flying, getting on a plane may feel like sealing your own fate.

If you experience excessive anxiety while flying, you're not only putting yourself through immense amounts of stress, but you're likely also disturbing those sitting near you.

To make your flight easier (and your co-passengers flights) , check out these five apps that are meant to help control a fear of flying.

SOAR (iOS & Android, Free w/In-App Purchases)

As one of the first apps in a wave of stress reduction resources, SOAR has a well-documented history of helping thousands of people overcome their fears when it comes to flying. The app passes on a lot of the knowledge that has made the SOAR school a prominent figure in the field.

In contrast to some of the other apps on this list, SOAR takes a more informative approach and provides passengers with detailed factoids about take-off procedures, turbulence and how aircrafts are maintained and kept safe.

Aside from featuring a G-force meter that "scientifically proves your plane is secure," video courses can be downloaded via premium in-app purchases.

Download: SOAR for iOS (Free) | Android (Free)

VALK [No Longer Available]

VALK describes itself as your "in-flight therapist" and is brought to you by the VALK Foundation, the world's first and oldest fear of flying treatment center. According to ABC News, it's the only treatment center that can claim a 98 percent success rate.

It features what you would expect in an app of this caliber — flight safety statistics, turbulence and weather forecasts, etc. — and has gained a reputation for alleviating anxiety levels in nervous flyers.

VALK boasts an in-built "panic button" that describes stress-reduction techniques on demand. The app doesn't need an Internet connection once installed.

ANA Takeoff Mode (iOS, Free)

This unique phobia curing app is based around the idea of distraction and is designed to take people's mind off the flight via immersive gameplay options. In this way, the app from ANA can be said to make the whole experience much more enjoyable, and it has attracted positive reviews with regard to its approach.

Less concerned with factual and scientific findings, the app relies on data gathered from surveys to inform its content and abilities. That said, it fills its niche extremely well, and many would be glad to have this app within arm's reach.

It measures the frequency, response, and amplitude of ambient noise within the carrier's cabin. Better still, a special animated message is triggered once the plane's engines achieve max throttle to reassure the passenger during what is arguably the most difficult phase of flying: take-off.

Download: Takeoff Mode for iOS (Free) | Android [No Longer Available]

Turbcast (iOS, $1.99)

Turbcast recognizes even though aircraft are precisely designed to navigate turbulence with ease, simply knowing that fact doesn't help the anxious flyers much, and the makers had this in mind when developing the app.

By using the app before boarding the plane and departing, passengers can view complete turbulence forecasts along their flight plan and rest easy knowing the app updates this information in real time.

This kind of accuracy allows nervous flyers to predict turbulent encounters and mentally prepare themselves. As a result, there are many positive reviews for the app from relieved fearful fliers.

In addition, makers translated the app for use in a number of different languages, including English, French, German and Spanish. However, it is only available for iOS devices.

Download: Turbcast exclusively for iOS ($1.99)

Flight Without Fear [No Longer Available]

Lastly, the aim of the app designed by Captain Miki Katz is to reassure users of a safe flight through the audio relaxation techniques that have been a mainstay of the developer's fear of flying treatment courses.

It takes the place of in-flight headsets, and while there are no in-app purchases to speak of, a range of companion apps like "Flying With Claustrophobia" can be downloaded from the Apple App Store for anyone exhibiting severe bouts of anxiety during air travel.

The app covers "those strange noises" heard at altitude and while taking off and landing and provides additional information about who your pilots are, and different flight information that are supposed to be reassuring .

Enjoy Your Travels More

There's no need to stress yourself out and limit the amount of enjoyment you get out of taking a trip to another state or country. Having the right resource in the palm of your hand can be the difference between a stressful flight and a productive flight.

For some additional relaxation resources, check out these apps on calming down.

Try out some of these apps to find which ones work best for you, so you can start getting more enjoyment out of your adventures abroad.

How do you combat your flight anxiety? Have you used any of these apps before? Do they work for you? 

Image Credit: Jay Mantri via FindA.Photo