Episode 2F08
Written by David Sacks
Directed by Mark Kirkland
Also starring: Pamela Hayden
Special guest voices: Anne Bancroft (as Dr Zweig), Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger, George Wendt (as the cast of Cheers)

Premise: After impersonating a pilot and endangering lives, Homer wins the family a free holiday flight. But Marge is terrified of flying. Why? Is it anything to do with her father - who was an airline pilot?

Features: Moe, Barney, Carl, Lenny, Smithers, Grampa, Bill from KBBL, Principal Skinner, Patty and Selma, Mrs Bouvier, Mr Bouvier.

Couch: The Simpsons rush in - and take centre place in a high-kicking, unicycling, elephant-acrobaticking showbiz extravaganza.

Trivia:

• Homer's favourite record of all time is It's Raining Men by The Weather Girls, and he has a terrible fear of sock puppets.

Homage: The title refers to Erica Jong's novel Fear of Flying, a bold and humorous exploration of female sexuality. There are references to Swarm (Irwin Allen, 1980), Home Alone (Chris Columbus, 1990), It's A Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946) - Homer's speech to Marge about getting out of Springfield, North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock, 1959) - Marge and her mother at the cornfield, Alive! (Frank Marshall, 1992), and Prince of Tides - Marge remembering her psychologist's name as Loewenstein. Homer enters the bar from Cheers, prompting a detail-packed re-creation of a typical episode featuring the voices of the cast, while Marge fantasises about sixties sci-fi series Lost in Space, with Marge as Mrs Robinson, Homer as Dr Smith and Lisa as the Robot ('Danger! Danger! My hooks are flailing wildly!').

Notes: Marge's father looks suspiciously like Moe. A good Marge-centric episode with plenty of clever set pieces - the tributes to Cheers and Lost in Space are fantastic.