People know they're statistically safe when they go to a scary movie or a haunted house too. Fear is a primal emotion, not weighed to meaningful statistics.
Airline passengers are trapped in a cramped, shaking metal tube 30,000 feet in the air. I'm surprised fear of flying isn't more common.
Yes. It's completely rational for people to be scared out of their wits in an airplane, or higher than say twice the distance of a tree. No primate is in either situation, it's just not natural. What's different is the ability for many people to distract themselves, they have a more effective coping mechanism. There really isn't much distraction on an airplane for people who either do not read magazines/books, or watch tons of TV and movies. That's pretty much the only distraction an airplane has to offer.
Airline passengers are trapped in a cramped, shaking metal tube 30,000 feet in the air. I'm surprised fear of flying isn't more common.