A course for people with a fear of flying gets off the ground on Sunday – and the Shropshire Star is offering one lucky reader a chance to overcome their phobia for free.

The one-day Virgin Atlantic Flying Without Fear course at Birmingham Airport normally costs about £230 and includes a 45-minute flight.

The course features talks and workshops from current Virgin Atlantic pilots, specially devised relaxation sessions and is capped with a flight in a specially chartered plane.

Course director Richard Conway said: “There are at least 10,000,000, which is one in six, people in the UK who fear flying and that’s why we now run from 10 UK airports, helping thousands of people each year to overcome their fears.”

To stand a chance of winning all readers need to do is write and tell us why they should go on the course.

Entries must arrive before Friday. Your full daytime contact details should be included.

Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Without Fear programme has a success rate of more than 98 per cent and is one of the most successful of its kind.

A number of places for Sunday’s course are still available.

More information can be found at www.flyingwithoutfear.info or by phoning (01423) 714900.

To stand a chance of winning a place on Sunday’s course write with details of your phobia to Features Desk, Shropshire Star, Waterloo Road, Ketley, Telford TF1 5HU or e-mail starfeatures@shropshirestar.co.uk

Picture: Flying Without Fear team – Sir Richard Branson, centre, with course directors Paul Tizzard, left, and Richard Conway.