A GREAT SUCCESS STORY!

In order to have fear of flying, you need to be both
intelligent and imaginative. Intelligence is needed to
be able to think of dozens of things that (you believe)
could go wrong. Imagination is needed to make each
of these vivid in the mind's eye, and thus to trigger the
emotional control system to release stress hormones to
rev you up

Fortunately, we have found the way to use the talents
that get you into trouble to get you out of trouble.

This email is a great example since the writer's profession
depends upon exceptional creativity.

Dear Capt Tom,

I've been meaning to write since I returned from my
Christmas vacation, but, as you can ask my mom, I'm
just a really bad procrastinator when it comes to
writing thank you notes, even for the best gifts. And
the freedom from fear that you have given me is one of
the best gifts of all.

I don't have time to go in to the extent of my terror,
but let's just say that I cried when I read the
message boards -- because I identified with everything
the people who were afraid of flying wrote and I so
could not believe I would ever identify with the
people who wrote success stories. And here I sit, a
bonafied success story. My Christmas vacation was the
best I've ever taken because I was able to be present
every moment, instead of stuck in my head the whole
time anxiety ridden about having to get back on the
plane again.

Using the techniques and information you presented in
those amazing DVD's (especially the jello analogy and
54321) I was able to take the 6 hr flight from LA to
NYC with relative comfort and an anxiety level that
varied from probably a 1 to a two (instead of the
flooded 8-10 I usually experience.) AMAZING! In
fact, it was so amazing that the next flight in a PROP
PLANE in the snow and ice from NYC to Vermont was even
better (even though the flight was 'worse' by my old
standards.) And with each flight, I felt my
confidence in the techniques grow and grow and was
actually able to have an almost completely anxiety
free flight. I just kept thinking of you saying
you've NEVER had a 'bad' flight in all your years as a
pilot and I realized, maybe it was possible that I
might never have a 'bad' flight again. What joy! And
this from the girl who had a near panic attack after
just WATCHING the first DVD.

Not only has flying anxiety dramatically decreased,
but the techniques you teach have curbed anxiety in
other parts of my life as well. I'm a screenwriter by
trade, so I get paid to live inside the movie in my
head -- I had no idea how much I was doing it in my
everyday life. Imaging terrible things happening so
that my body believed it was happening. I had a
horrible automobile accident about 4 years ago and
have had anxiety driving ever since. But not any
more. Not a single panic attack since the DVD's.

You've helped me to live in the present, and for that
I'm forever grateful. I thank you, my family thanks
you, my boyfriend thanks you and even my therapist
thanks you. Although, my parents were a little
jealous at how you were able to get through to me when
they couldn't. I come from a long line of pilots,
including my dad, my uncles and my grandmother -- and
my mom was a flight attendant. They could never
understand my fear. But through the news letters and
the DVD's I realized I wasn't crazy and I wasn't
alone, and that there was a reason for what I was
feeling, and that made me realize that if there were a
reason, then maybe there was a reasonable way to deal
with the fears. And thank God, there was.

Thank you.

==========

GETTING STARTED DEALING WITH FLIGHT ANXIETY

Now that the DVDs have been out for a while, we are finding that
in many cases people can fly quite well after going through just
one set of the DVDs, 'The Control of Anxiety.'

'The Control of Anxiety' is a set of four DVDs. The first three DVDs
are counseling sessions with three volunteer clients.

Each of these three counseling sesssions covers the Strengthening
Exercise (which provides automatic control of anxiety), the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Exercise (which provides a backup and helps with anticipatory
anxiety), the Jello Exercise (to deal with fear of turbulence) and
an overview of the subjects covered in depth in the other DVDs.

So if you have been holding back because of the expense of buying
all ten DVDs, our experience so far shows that just this set of four
DVDs will give you are great deal of relief from anxiety.

To order, go to http://www.fearofflyingvideos.com/store_content.htm

==========

HOW SAFE ARE THE NEW DISCOUNT CARRIERS?

Q: How safe are the new discount carriers, like ATA and
JetBlue and Song?

Song and Ted are actually an integral part of Delta and United.
They use regular Delta and United pilots, mechanics and aircraft.
These are new brand names through which the major airlines
hope to compete with the discount carriers under a different
name so that fares on the parent company can be maintained.

ATA is not new; it has been around for years, has unionized
pilots and has an excellent safety record.

JetBlue is fairly new. In general, I advise the following: because
airline flying is so safe and accidents so rare, for statistics to be
meaninful, and airline has to operate several million flights.

A meaningful statistical record takes years to establish even when
flying a large fleet of airplanes. This means the statistical record
for an airline which is fairly new - or which has a smaller fleet - is
not meaningful. So, though JetBlue is accident-free, statistically
that is not meaningful; they have not produced enough flights to
have built a statistically meaningful record.

You can check statistics at www.airsafe.com.

I prefer an airline which has produced a solid track record, has a
pilot's union (which backs up decisions captains make in the
interest of safety), is based in a country which is technologically
advanced (would you buy a car from there, or feel confident having
a medical procedure done there?), and which has an investment in
its brand name (doesn't just change its name after an accident).

Q: Can they offer lower fares because they've hired cheaper, less
experienced/skilled crews and maintenance people? Or what?

Obviously, pilot and mechanics prefer to be hired by a major airline.
They join other airlines only when they cannot be hired at a major
airline. In some cases this is significant, and in some cases not.
In some cases they were not hired by major airlines because of
experience, but in other cases, they were not hired by major airlines
because major airlines were not hiring at the time employment was sought.

==========

IMMEDIATE HELP IS AVAILABLE, EVEN AT THE LAST MINUTE

Capt. Tom Bunn MSW LCSW is both an airline captain and a licensed
therapist. Call (877) 332-7359 or (203) 258-4803

==========

ARE YOU GETTING A NEW EMAIL ADDRESS?

If so, please email me so the newsletter keeps reaching you. Please send
old and new address to:

tom@fearofflying.com

==========

MESSAGE BOARD ON FEAR OF FLYING

Got to www.fearofflying.com and click on the 'message board' button.

==========

TO GET STARTED ON BEATING FEAR OF FLYING

To order any part of the SOAR Course or the Full Guaranteed SOAR Program,
go to:

http://www.fearofflyingvideos.com/store_content.htm

Or call Lisa at (800) 332-7359 or (914) 763-9603 if outside the toll
free area (US and Canada).

==========

JOIN OUR REGULAR WEDNESDAY NIGHT CHAT FROM 9 UNTIL 11 PM EASTERN TIME

At: www.fearofflying.com

Just click on “chat”.