My godfather told me about his flying instructor who, during his initial training course, had to deal with a couple of students who were terrified about performing their first solo.
Evidently he took them around the side of the hangar, squeezed them by the throat and, with the addition of a kaleidoscope of abusive language, threatened to beat them raw unless they mounted the craft and found themselves airborne within 5 minutes. Apparently this tactic was largely effective!
Regarding vertigo in flight, never had it, even with the doors off many thousands of feet agl. But .. put me atop a tall building or a cliff edge and I am most uncomfortable.