IT'S WEDNESDAY, SO THE CHAT IS TONIGHT

9 PM until 11 PM Eastern time.

Want to join us? Go to:

http://www.fearofflying.com/chat/

or just go to:

http://www.fearofflying.com

and click on "chat".

Make us some fictitious or fanciful name to call yourself and just
hang out and see what others say, or ask questions of your own.

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"PLASTIC TED" ON TURBULENCE

Plastic Ted is a UAL pilot who frequently posts on the SOAR message
board, and his recent posting on turbulence is the best thing I've read
to help an anxious passenger understand what it is and why it is just
a non-problem (Hollywood notwithstanding).

Here is his post in response to a question about turbulence:

Air moves: it swirls and twirls, it moves up and down, moves one way,
then the other. What moves the air? Energy, solar energy to be precise.
It's a bit like when you go up to the mountains and sit by a stream and
watch the water move around and above the rock and stones: the water
moves in all kinds of patterns and if you let a little paper-boat go down
the stream, it rocks and moves, depending on what the water does.

Move all this to 3 dimensions: the air moves: it moves up and down
because of heating and cooling, it moves in waves and turbulent paths
because it has go move around and above mountains and terrain,
large masses of air, from different origins on the planet, with different
temperatures and directions and moisture content meet up and all
kinds of interactions develop along their boundaries.

Turbulence is felt when an airplane flies through all this and all the
different movements and directions of the air, constantly affect the
aerodynamics of the plane such that there is movement felt.

Fly from a small area of air moving up vertically into another where
the air moves or, or just doesn't move up as fast as in the previous
area, and you'll feel this as 'bumps' : turbulence.
That's it:

Can you see turbulence: no, not directly, but we can look at clouds
and we know if turbulence or smooth air usually is assiociated with
that kind of cloud, and we add to that the weather tools we have, like
wind speeds and directions at various altitudes and how the jet-
streams move and the underlying frontal activities and there are other
tools that give us an indication of how stable or unstable an airmass
is and what that might mean to us.

The atmosphere (and occasionally above) is where we work at, so
we get to know it pretty well.

Yes, we want to avoid it, but that's not always possible.

Just last night we flew into Dallas Fort Worth airport. we had a report
from an airplane ahead that they encountered some moderate turbu-
lence and so we asked the flight attendants to pack up everything and
take their seats and told the folks about it and exactly when and where
we expected it, it bumped us around quite a bit. A few minutes later we
were out of it, and while most people later agreed that it was a better
ride than most of what Six-Flags has to offer, nothing came out of it.
The airplane doesn't care, I finished my coffee before we got bounced
around, so my shirt is still white and the crew and the passengers were
in their seats, so that there wouldn't be any chance for injury. THAT is
our main concern with turbulence: avoidance of injuries, especially the
flight attendants are at risk because having one of those heavy carts
fall onto your ankle is not a good thing!

Yes, it might feel scary to you when you bounce around and you can't
see why and what is happening, and all the Hollywood stereotypes
come to mind, impending doom and falls of 'thousands of feet' and
what not:

Well, remember: it ain't so(!!!)
It's not a big deal for your flight crew at all, and it shouldn't be for you
either.

And: yes, meet the crew, by all means!!!

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" . . . BUT NOTHING WORKED UNTIL I CONTACTED YOU."

Dear Tom
 
I first contacted you in 2002, after trying numerous ways to relieve my
growing anxiety when it came to flying, I was to say the least starting to
think along the lines that I may not be able to travel abroad again, when
I boarded a plane I had the urge to run straight back of it again. My fear
was growing with each flight and I was a nervous wreck in the weeks
and months leading up to a flight. I tried counselling, I tried courses that
British Airways run, I tried hypnotherapy, I tried searching the internet
and reading books to get the facts about how safe flying was but nothing
worked, until I contacted you.
 
I have flown a number of times since we first spoke on the telephone in
2002 and I have never looked back. The reason I believe your course
works and the rest don't is because you used to be an airline pilot and
you understand the industry inside out and you are also an extremely
good counsellor. When I tried counselling and hypnotherapy it didn't
work because they simply couldn't answer any technical questions about
the aviation industry, and as fearful flyers know, this is a must if your to
overcome your fear. The courses that British Airways run are good but
in a room full of people you are reluctant to ask the questions that bother
you because you don't want to sound silly, and looking around you can
just tell that other people are dying to ask a question aswell but they
don't because in a room full of people it is quite daunting.
 
When we spoke I was able to ask these questions and get all the answers
I needed, I the relaxation and strengthening exercises you gave me
worked wonders, cousellors back here in England tried similar techniques
but without knowledge of what scares a fearful flyer it simply doesn't work,
but Tom's knowledge is outstanding, not only on the ailrine industry but on
how to control and reduce fear of flying. You even gave me your mobile
phone number on the first occasion I went abroad after starting your
course, it was like having a friend at the end of the telephone that I could
call should I start to panic, though I never needed to call you it was nice
to feel that I could have done at any time.
 
After searching for years to try and find a way of overcoming my fear, I'm
glad I found you, each flight gets easier, and i even quite enjoy a bit of
turbulence on a flight and I never thought I would say that. In my eyes
this course is untouchable.
 
One final note, the information you provide if the is an airline safety issue
that gets in the news or when there is an airline crash is both honest
Informative and extremely useful to me, the knowledgable, practical and
realistic way you assess any of these events helps me deal with them,
when it used to strike terror into the heart of me whenever I used to hear
an event in the news.
 
Keep up the good work guys, it's been simply life changing for me to say
the least and I will be forever grateful.
 
Kind Regards
 
==========

DOES PRIDE STOP YOU FROM ACCEPTING EFFECTIVE HELP?

Years ago, we realized there are twin fears that can stop a person from
getting help with flying: one fear is that the help won't work and that will
mean disappointment. I suppose if one tries their best and fails, it may
be worse than not giving it ones best shot and failing; that way we can
cushion the blow to the ego that might be greater if we did our very best
and failed. Still, I've found that in the long run, I've felt better about failure
when I did do my very best and failed than when I didn't do my best and
failed. I knew if I had tried harder - instead of protecting my ego - the
results may have been good. My ego stood in the way of success.

And the other fear is that the program will work, and that means doing
something you shouldn't do. We don't push anyone to fly. We want you
to know how flying works; we tell it like it is. And once you know really
how it is, you usually will agree that it is OK. After all, pilots know how
it is and you don't see pilots leaving the job due to thinking it is too
dangerous.

In fact, we get life insurances cheaper than others do because the
insurance companies know we are a better risk. One trip from New
York to Tokyo is equal to a trip by car of 5.4 miles. While a pilot is
doing his/her flight, people in other jobs are driving multiples of 5.4
miles.

But back to pride. Sometimes it is hard to accept help. Sometimes we
would rather fail on our own than accept help from someone else and
succeed.

Maybe this will help. If I was baking brownies and had done that for
twenty-five years, and had come up with a great recipe, wouldn't I be
smart - if I wanted to cook a really great chocolate cake to - instead of
spending twenty-five years developing it - swap my really great
brownie recipe I had spent twenty-five years developing with some-
one who had spent their twenty-five years developing a great cake?

If wouldn't mean I was a lousy cook to accept their recipe, would it,
particularly if I already had some skills I could be proud working on
something else?

We spent twenty-five years developing what we have to offer you. We
swap it with you in return for some dollars, but if you do have a great
recipe, let's talk.

So, if it took us all these years working with thousands of clients to
get where we are, why should you feel bad if you can't make it work
with just one client (yourself, obviously) in just a few years.

Isn't now as good a time as any to get started? Go to:

http://www.fearofflying.com/store.shtml

If you are not sure what to order, start with "The Control of Anxiety" or
call me at 877 332-7359 or 203 258-4803 between 10 AM and 7 PM
Eastern time.

==========

PATRICK'S BLOG THIS WEEK IS BACK-TO-BASICS

How high are we?
Why are we so damn afraid?
And what the hell is that *noise?*

http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2006/01/20/askthepilot170/

(Readers may gain free access to Salon.com by watching a short
advertisement. Look for the "Site Pass" option. When the ad is
finished playing, an "Enter Salon" link will appear.)

==========

WANT TO TRAVEL SOMEPLACE WARM?

Start now and the results you get will be solidly in place for your trip. We
get good results in just a few days, but excellent results when you have a
couple of weeks to practice the exercises that provides automatic control
of high anxiety and makes panic impossible.

To get started, please just go to:

http://www.fearofflying.com/store.shtml

For almost everyone, the best set of DVDs to get started with is 'The Control
of Anxiety'. If you would like to talk it over first to be sure what is right for you
please call me at 877 332-7359 or 203 258-4803. I'm available from 10 AM
until 7 PM Eastern (same as New York) time.

==========

LAST MINUTE HELP IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE

Even if you are flying TODAY (!!!) we can provide a lot of help. Don't risk not
being able to take the flight.

Just call. It will help. 877 332-7359 or 203 258-4803. Available 10 AM until
7 PM Eastern (same as New York) time.