Debbie Adamson has overcome a lifelong fear of flying after spending 17 years avoiding airplanes, and she credits with BTS playing an important part in her recovery. The 67-year-old from Southampton, Hampshire, developed aerophobia after experiencing what she described as a terrifying flight from Budapest during her student years. The moment left her convinced that every future flight would result in disaster. Her flight anxiety became so severe that in 2006 she even tried to stop a family vacation to Orlando by hiding her passport at the airport. Despite her efforts, airport staff helped her board the flight, and she later remembered crying throughout the journey.
By 2008, the woman decided she could no longer face flying and completely stopped traveling by air for 17 years. In 2025, her choice started to change after Adamson learned more about planes’ operation from a friend who worked as a pilot. In addition, she joined a Facebook support group, which encouraged her to rebuild her confidence slowly. As she prepared to celebrate her 40th wedding anniversary with a trip to Santorini, Greece, she decided to test herself by booking a flight to Orlando.
During that journey, Adamson discovered that listening to BTS helped her stay calm, even when the plane experienced turbulence. She created a playlist with all of her favorite songs by RM, Jin, SUGA, j hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, which kept her focused throughout the flight. “I made a bulletproof playlist, every single track I love, so that I knew I’d keep listening,” she revealed, referencing the group’s name in Korean. In fact, BTS stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan (방탄소년단) which means “bulletproof boyscouts” in English.
“I shut my eyes during take-off, and I also held on very tightly too. Once I did that, I began to rationalize it. It just proved to myself that I gave myself permission not to be frightened anymore, so I wasn’t. All the pressure was put on me by my own mind,” she revealed.
