I was the UK’s first travel editor to go flight-free – this is why I’m getting on a plane for the first time in six years

Helen’s flight-free pledge inspired her first book, ‘Zero Altitude’ - (Helen Coffey/The Independent)

Something strange happened to me after I quit flying: flights started haunting my dreams. My unconscious would frequently throw up recurring sequences involving planes and airports. Always, something felt deeply wrong; I’d be guilty, anxious and tense without knowing why... until I woke in a cold sweat and remembered, “Oh! I don’t fly any more. I gave it up.”

Although bizarre, this wasn’t as unique an experience as I initially presumed. Anna Hughes, the founder of the charity Flight Free UK, revealed to me that she has these dreams occasionally, too – despite not having set foot on an aircraft for two decades.