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Flying on a Plane Social Story
A social story that previews air travel from the airport door to landing: checking bags, the security machines, the gate wait, buckling the seatbelt, the loud engines and rumble of takeoff, and ears that feel funny high in the sky. Chewing, sipping, or yawning for the ears and headphones for the noise are built into the pages.
The story
Read the full story below. In the maker you can add your child's name, swap pictures, and print it as a booklet.
My Airplane Story
A social story about flying on a plane
- 1
An airplane is a way to travel somewhere far away, high up in the sky.Describes - 2
At the airport, my family checks our bags and walks to security.Describes - 3
At security, our bags ride through a special machine, and we walk through a doorway that checks for safety.Describes - 4
Then we wait at the gate for our turn to get on the plane. Airports have lots of waiting.Describes - 5
On the plane, I find my seat and buckle my seatbelt. The seatbelt keeps my body safe in the sky.Describes - 6When the plane takes off, the engines get loud, and I might feel the plane rumble.Describes
- 7
If the engine sound feels too big, I can wear my headphones or ear defenders.Coaches - 8
High in the sky, my ears might feel funny or popped. That feeling is normal on a plane.Describes - 9
Chewing, sipping a drink, or yawning can help my ears feel better.Coaches - 10
While we fly, I can look out the window, watch a show, or hold my favorite toy.Coaches - 11
When the seatbelt sign is on, I stay buckled in my seat.Describes - 12
When the plane lands, we walk off together. Flying is one way my family goes on adventures.Describes
When to use this story
Use this story starting a week or two before a flight, reading it every day or two so the sequence is solid by travel day. Bring the printed booklet in your carry-on for rereads at the gate. It fits first flights and children whose last flight was rough.
The two sensory events that ambush young flyers get their own honest pages: the engines get loud and the plane rumbles at takeoff, and ears can feel funny or popped high in the sky. Both are framed as normal parts of flying with a response attached, headphones or ear defenders for the noise, and chewing, sipping, or yawning for the ears. Pack gum or a chewy plus a filled water bottle after security so the fix is in reach at climb and descent.
Security is the step most likely to break a routine-dependent child, because bags and comfort objects leave their hands and ride away through a machine. The story describes exactly that, so the separation is expected and temporary. Rehearse it at home by sending a backpack down the kitchen counter and walking through a doorway.
Real trips include gate changes and delays, and the story's line that airports have lots of waiting sets that expectation gently. If your child needs more support, TSA Cares is a nationwide program that can arrange help through security, and some airports and airlines also offer practice-boarding for autistic travelers; look into both a few weeks ahead, and pair the story with the when plans change template if delays hit hard.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an airplane social story?
- It is a page-by-page preview of the whole flying experience, airport, security, gate, boarding, takeoff, cruising, and landing, written for a child to rehearse before travel day. This one keeps Carol Gray's gentle balance, mostly describing what will happen and coaching only where a strategy genuinely helps.
- How do I prepare my autistic child for a first flight?
- Read this story daily for a week or two before the trip, watch takeoff videos together so the engine sound is familiar, and pack the sensory kit the story rehearses: headphones or ear defenders, something to chew, and a drink for the ears. TSA Cares can arrange help through security if you contact them about 72 hours before flying.
- What helps with ear popping on a plane?
- Swallowing, chewing, sipping a drink, and yawning all help ears adjust to pressure changes, which is exactly what the story rehearses. The feeling peaks at takeoff and especially descent, so have the gum, chewy, or drink out before the plane starts down rather than after ears already hurt.
- What if the engine noise is too much for my child?
- The story presents headphones and ear defenders as the ready answer, so pack them in the carry-on, not the checked bag, and put them on before takeoff rather than after distress starts. A seat toward the front of the plane is quieter than one at the rear, and the takeoff roar fades to a steady hum within a few minutes.
- Will printing the airplane story cost anything?
- No. The complete story lives on this page, and the maker generates the printable booklet without charge, personalized with your child's name and photos if you like.
- Can I adjust the story for our specific trip?
- Yes. Open it in the maker to edit pages, swap pictures, or add details like the airline, the destination, or who is meeting you when you land. The more the pages match your actual itinerary, the more the rehearsal holds up under travel-day pressure.
- Who developed social stories?
- Social Stories were developed by Carol Gray in the early 1990s. The gentle version of this template follows her published guidance, including describing more than coaching, but Spectrum Unlocked is not affiliated with or endorsed by Carol Gray.
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Going to the Grocery Store Social Story
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Related guides
Social Stories were developed by Carol Gray. Spectrum Unlocked is not affiliated with or endorsed by Carol Gray; the gentle version of this template follows her published describe-more-than-coach guidance.