Today, articles appeared about the Southwest accident at Chicago's
Midway Airport which were confusing. Let's clear the confusion up.
The ...   more »

IT'S WEDNESDAY, SO THE CHAT IS TONIGHT

9 PM until 11 PM Eastern time.

Want to join us? Go to:

...   more »

A LITTLE NERVOUS DURING TAKEOFF, BUT NOTHING LIKE BEFORE

Hi Tom,

I've been meaning to email you for a while ...   more »

WE CAN FEEL WHAT ANOTHER FEELS

The autonomic nervous system has two parts: one that revs us up
when facing ...   more »

DEAR ABBY: I have been happily married for five years to a wonderful man I met on the Internet. He ...   more »

IT'S WEDNESDAY - HAVE YOU TRIED THE CHAT YET?

Every Wednesday night, from 9 PM until 11 PM Eastern time, ...   more »

DEALING WITH ANXIETY OF YOUR PLANE BEING THE ONE IN
TEN MILLION THAT DOES CRASH

When we judge things rationally, ...   more »

FIRST, IF HOLIDAY FLIGHT ANXIETY HITS, EVEN AT THE LAST
MINUTE, CALL 877 332-7359 OR 203 258-4803

If you call ...   more »

ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR HOLIDAY FLYING?

If not sure, call me at 877 332-7359 between 10 AM and 7 ...   more »

"RAINMAN" AND SOUTHWEST AT MIDWAY

This week, I've had to answer several message board postings and
emails about the Southwest ...   more »

THAT THIS WORKS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT

Hi Capt. Bunn:

I too still love reading all the "happy ending" stories from ...   more »

LIKE A SWITCH HAD BEEN TURNED OFF

Dear Tom:

I have been meaning to write you since I got back ...   more »

LITTLE OR NO OUTSOURCING AT AMERICAN AIRLINES

See:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/1310AP_American_Airlines_Labor.html

==========

MORE OUTSOURCING AT NORTHWEST

Since the start of 2001, Northwest ...   more »

PRIVATE PILOT ANXIETY (AS A PASSENGER), AUTOMATIC ANXIETY CONTROL

On the message board, a private pilot asked about anxiety when ...   more »

IT IS EMAILS LIKE THIS THAT KEEP LISA AND ME 'HOOKED' ON
RUNNING THE SOAR PROGRAM

It makes it possible ...   more »

WE GET LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF EMAILS PRAISING THE
SOAR VIDEO COURSE ON DVD

SOME REALLY MAKE MY DAY - THIS ...   more »

As a happily flying SOAR graduate, I would like to share with everyone another tool I have found very helpful ...   more »

DRIVING IN THE RAIN

It has been raining a lot here in Connecticut. Tonight driving home in the
rain, I ...   more »

Occasionally, on the SOAR Message Board and in Wednesday night Chat, there are questions regarding training requirements for airline pilots.

Minimum standards are set by the Federal Aviation Regulations. (FARs.) Different airlines have different training programs, but all must be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). At American Airlines (AA), for whom I fly, we attend recurrent training every nine months. Since I completed requalification training in the MD-80 last February, I am due for recurrent training in November.

And, in fact, today (October 20th) I received my recurrent training schedule. This will take place the 11th through the 14th.

The first day, I will deadhead (that is, ride as a passenger) to Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (DFW), where AA’s pilot training facility (the AA Flight Academy, but we call it the “Schoolhouse”) is located.

Upon arriving in DFW, I’ll ride a Company-provided Shuttle from the terminal to the Flight Academy (about a ten-minute ride). My first class will be at 1:15 in the afternoon – MD-80 Performance, in which we’ll review performance requirements for all phases of flight – takeoff, cruise, and landing. Performance pertains to the ability of the airplane to safely – and legally -- fly under various conditions of weight, temperature, and altitude.

Following that, I’ll attend a Flight Manual Briefing. This consists of a review of legal considerations (there are many!), as well as a review of AA’s Company procedures. For example, we’ll look at hypothetical weather conditions for a given airport and runway, and discuss whether or not it would be legal to take off under those conditions. Same with a possible landing scenario. We’ll review any new requirements or regulations that may have come up since the last time we attended training. We’ll review “hot items” – operational problems that may be occurring on a frequent basis. (For example -- Runway Incursions – inadvertent and unauthorized entering of runway boundaries by airplanes on the ground, have been a “hot” topic for several years now.) Tips on how to avoid this sort of thing are offered.

That will complete Day One. Nest morning, I’ll attend Systems Review, for four hours. This pertains to the MD-80 airplane itself – electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, fuel, flight control, engines, auto-flight, flight management system, navigation – the works. Four hours really isn’t enough to thoroughly go over everything – it’s a review. Systems training during initial airplane qualification takes three weeks. But, it’s an opportunity to ask questions that may have come up during line operations, and refresh oneself on details that may have been forgotten since the last training cycle.

Following that I’ll go to Security training, just for pilots. This will last an hour and a half. We’ll go over recent threats to airline operations, and review techniques and procedures to deal with possible threats.

Then, it will be Human Factors and Safety class, lasting two hours and forty-five minutes. This deals with possible threats (non-security-related) to a safe operation. Possible topics could be fatigue, bad judgment, inter-personal relationships (e.g., between the Captain and First Officer), and others. Case studies of recent problems will be examined and discussed.

Next day, it’s into the simulator. We (I and a First Officer trainee) will meet with our instructor at 5:30 in the morning (ugh) and spend two hours discussing what we’ll be doing. Then, we’ll actually go do it. This will be a general review of takeoffs, approaches, landings, and emergency procedures. A lot of the work will be done with an engine inoperative, or a system (e.g. hydraulic or flight control) non-functioning. The simulator session will take four hours (with, mercifully, a fifteen or twenty-minute break about halfway through the session).

Following the simulator session, we’ll have another security class, this time jointly with Flight Attendants. (This is a new format, so I haven’t yet experienced it yet. Makes sense, though – flight security is a joint effort, and the F/As are the ones stuck back in the cabin with any Bad Actors.)

Finally, the last day. Back into the simulator again, showing up at 5:30 AM once more. We’ll – again – spend two hours with the instructor discussing what will happen. This time it will be a simulated, real-time, line flight, from Point A to Point B. “Something” irregular will “happen” during the flight, and we’ll be evaluated on our handling of the situation. There won’t necessarily be a Right or Wrong way to do it; rather, we’ll be judged on how we react, how we follow applicable procedures, and so on.

This will be a two-hour session. Following a short break, it’s AGAIN into the simulator, for Advanced Training. Here we’ll practice windshear escape, takeoffs from high-elevation airports, terrain avoidance, extreme weather conditions (slippery runway, strong crosswind, etc.) unusual attitude recovery (perhaps we’ll be flipped over by the wake from a very large airplane in front of us). Stuff that probably won’t happen in the Real World, but which we nonetheless must be prepared for.

Finally, I’ll get to head for the DFW airport terminal and catch a flight home. And, just nine short months later, I’ll be back again.

Please note – what I just described is recurrent training for pilots already flying a particular type of airplane. For initial training on a new airplane, the course is five weeks: three weeks of ground school (i.e., classroom and computer-based training) and two weeks – ten sessions – of simulator training, including an evaluation at the end.

For that matter, my MD-80 requalification training last winter was exactly the same as for initial qualification on the airplane. I had flown the MD-80 before – in fact, had over 2,000 hours in it. But, I hadn’t flown it for four and an half years, so I was handled the same as someone who had never flown it before.

I hope all this may help to put peoples’ minds at least somewhat more at ease. We do NOT just climb into the airplane (the way people do into cars) and start flying. There is a lot of training and evaluation involved.

Best to all.

Steve

LEARNING TO DEAL WITH REASONABLE RISK

Others who work with flight anxiety base their work on telling people how
safe ...   more »

Since yesterday's newsletter, a few people have emailed or posted on the
message board that this information has destroyed their ...   more »

PLEASE READ THIS NOTE OF CAUTION

This newsletter is going to deal with issues that need to be addressed in
...   more »

EVEN IF YOU KNOW - LOGICALLY - THAT FLYING IS OK . . .

there can still be a problem ...   more »

FIRST, HAVE YOU VISITED THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT CHAT?

9PM UNTIL 11 PM (NEW YORK TIME)

Go to: www.fearofflying.com/chat

==========

THE ...   more »

First, the nose gear had to be aimed right as the plane went down the runway. Something happened to turn ...   more »

'INSIDE REALITY' AND 'OUTSIDE REALITY'

The Following Was Posted On The Message Board . . .

The message board is ...   more »

Hi all.

I have just recently arrived at this forum. This is my first post here. I have been posting on the SOAR message board for the past couple of years, and participating in the Wednesday night SOAR Chat for several years now.

I am an American Airlines MD-80 Captain.

I hope to assist in helping those with Fear of Flying issues, and just chat with those who are interested in all aspects of aviation, whether or not Fear of Flying is involved.

Best to all of you.

Steve

CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND DIFFICULTY REGULATING FEELINGS

Though fear of flying can be triggered by a bad flight, other passengers on
...   more »

WHO CAN YOU BELIEVE?

In spite of the fact that fearful fliers have trouble with trust, many tend to
blindly ...   more »

A few weeks ago in this newsletter, I described “getting ON with it,” rather than “getting OVER it,” and how ...   more »

Most of us know about the safety of modern flight; that didn't matter to me. My fears about flying had ...   more »

SOME BRIEF EMAILS . . .

Hi Capt. Tom, I took my trip to Vegas and both flights were BEAUTIFUL!!!
After showing the airline your letter, I met the pilots and they were just
great. They also bumped me up to first class.

Thanks for all your help.

-----

The dvds were great, really helpful. And my flights to and from S. Carolina
were fine. Even on the small aircraft...

Again, thank you for what you do. I really have so much more peace around
flying since I found out about SOAR.

Sincerely,

-----

I wanted to write to you & let you know what a great experience I just had
flying to Europe. I have always become very unsettled if there is any
turbulence. My husband & I took a 2 hour shuttle bus to the airport, the ride
to the airport was so bumpy it made me wonder if the plane ride wouldn't be
smoother. As it turned out the flight was very smooth, a little bit of rough air
currents but I was amazed at how relaxed I was during both flights. After
riding about in London on the underground tube & in Amsterdam on the
tram I am convinced that flying is so much smoother! Even though we were
in Europe when two of the recent air crashes happened, I felt very safe and
unconcerned on our return flight. We did fly on a major carrier.

The relaxation techniques and the support I have gotten from SOAR have
made an enormous difference. I can't wait to travel again. I now know that
I have the tools to be in control of my emotions.

Thanks so much for your continued support.

-----

Thanks so much for your email and I do still read your Newsletters but I have
to tell ya, I am cured! I don't think I've experienced ANY anxiety while flying.
I have thoughts but NO feelings. My thing was experiencing the 'anticipatory'
anxiety. Once I was committed to flying again, that was all she wrote! Since
I've been flying again, I've never looked back. What can I say?! You truly
made my life better and for that there is no money, there is no thanks that can
express my gratitude. I think the only thing I can do is pay homage to you
every time I fly. You are part of the proverbial wind under my wings my friend.

==========

ABOUT BEING ABLE TO KEEP THINGS IN CONTEXT

First An Email

I am a graduate of the “old” audio tape course and live 15 minutes from
Pearson airport. If this accident had happened before taking SOAR I’m
sure I would have never gotten onto an aircraft again. But now I’m
surprised at how much of a non-event this has become. Even the other
crashes have become events I will only look at in passing.

My Response - The Value Of Being Able To Keep Things In Context

Being about to put things into context helps; being able to organize the
'what if' thoughts helps. Why? Let me tell you a story. Years ago, I went
to Venice with a friend. You may have seen St. Marks Square in movies.
It is a huge square with outdoor cafes, a tower, and - at one end - the
Doge's (The Duke's) Palace and the Basilica.

If you go into the Basilica, and go up into the balcony, there is a doorway
that lets you out to a deck. The deck is elevated and from it you have a
magnificent view of St. Marks Square and all of Venice, the harbor. I took
her out there and suddenly she said, 'Get me out of here!' My first thought
was, 'What - we ARE out (because we were outdoors).' She started yelling,
'Get me out of here, get me out of here.'

Not knowing anything else - though it didn't make logical sense - I took
her back inside.

She said, 'You knew better than to do that.'

I said, 'What?'

She said, 'You knew better than to do that.'

I asked, 'What are you talking about.'

'IT'S TOO MUCH,' she shouted.

To me it was marvelous being out there, being able to see all of Venice.
I would look down at a cafe, at the pigeons, at people walking, at the tower,
at rooftops, at the harbor.

For her, it was too much; instead of seeing those things ONE AFTER
ANOTHER at a comfortable pace, she had them all hit her at once.

It was these various items which I saw one at a time, which overwhelmed
her because she saw them all at once.

Flight anxiety is like that. For some reason, we have trouble looking at one
'what if' after another at a comfortable pace; instead we look at the all at
once, and since each one releases a shot of stress hormone, all of them at
once causes multiple simultaneous shots of stress hormone.

All that is necessary to gain control over overwhelm is to learn to organize,
to put things into context, so we can deal with them one by one at a comfort-
able pace, a pace at which any stress hormones released has a chance to
be used up before going to the next 'what if' thought.

Accomplishing That Automatically

Under stress, being able to keep things in context may go out the window;
we found that - to be assured of protection against anxiety - the mind must
be trained IN ADVANCE TO DO IT AUTOMATICALLY.

That is what we do with the Strengthening Exercise: we train the mind to
AUTOMATICALLY deal with 'what if' thoughts one by one, and each one
in a context that does not cause the release of stress hormone.

Though you may have tried 'everything', you have not tried what works.

This does.

Ready to get started? Go to:

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

and order the SOAR Video Course on DVD, or at least get started with the
subset titled 'The Control of Anxiety'.

If you are not quite sure about getting started, please call me at
(877) 332-7359 or (203) 258-4803 if outside the U.S. or Canada
between 10 AM and 7 PM Eastern time (same as New York).

==========

PATRICK'S SALON BLOG THIS WEEK . . .

takes on the Associated Press in a never-ending quest
for truth and accuracy . . . and asks 'What's more dangerous, an in-flight
decompression, or reading about one?'

http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2005/08/26/askthepilot151/

==========

THE NORTHWEST SITUATION - THE FAA SITUATION

Again and again I've said, you can't depend on the FAA to insure your safety,
but you can depend on a captain, particularly when the captain is backed up
by a union if the captain's decision might be considered as erring on the side
of safety more than necessary from management's point of view.

Everything on the plane is checked by the pilots before flight. The pilot know
that every primary system is working and every standby system is ready to
step in, and every backup system is ready in reserve.

The mechanic's strike doesn't worry me because the pilots - themselves -
will know if the plane is right or not, and because the pilots at Northwest do
have a union to back them up, there is no way they will take an airplane if
there is any question at all about it.

The following is an article suggested by a newsletter reader.

http://www.freep.com/money/business/faa26e_20050826.htm

It discusses the Northwest situation and points out that the FAA does not
have enough inspectors to provide extra monitoring Northwest. In fact, the
FAA does not have enough inspectors to monitor U.S. airlines adequately
even when there is not a strike.

And when FAA inspections are done, they are inspections of paperwork
- not much inspection of the planes, themselves, is done anymore.

This is why I insist - more than ever - on the importance of choosing an
airline wisely, one with a long track record, its own maintenance facilities,
and unionized pilots.

==========

PROPOSED BLACKLISTING OF SUBSTANDARD AIRLINES

See: http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=380c41bb-5f01-4f5e-9bce-71c0d2144690&

Responding to crashes in France and Belgium are creating a
blacklists of risky air carriers, as the first step towards banning
certain airlines.

England has already banned airlines from Tajikistan, Swaziland,
Sierra Leone, Liberia, Equatorial Guinea and the Congo from
operating in Britain.

When a substandard airline crashes, it causes great difficulty for
anxiety and fearful fliers who tend to lump all airlines - and even
all kinds of flying - into one. It is important to understand there
is a great difference between airlines and it is important to learn
to know how to tell the difference and choose wisely.

==========

FLYING IS SAFE BUT IT DOESN'T FEEL SAFE . . . SO DO
YOU WANT TO CHANGE HOW ITS FEELS WHEN YOU FLY?

All the help you need is just seconds away. You can start viewing the
SOAR Video Course in just SECONDS.

We ship your order immediately, but as soon as you order is placed,
you receive an email telling you how to viewing the DVDs you ordered
on-line on your computer.

To get started, please just go to:

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

If you don't want to get all of them, order at least 'The Control of Anxiety'.
Get going with them and then call me and let me know how you are doing.
We will 'fine-tune' your practice of the exercise that provides automatic
control.

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE, CALL ME. I THINK YOU WILL FEEL BETTER
IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING.

I'm available from 10 AM until 7 PM Eastern Time (same as New York) at
877 332-7359. Outside the U.S. and Canada, call (203) 258-4803

Or email me at: tom@fearofflying.com

SOAR-FEST NEW YORK

5 PM UNTIL 9 PM - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2005

The next SOAR-fest will be in New York on Saturday, October 8th.

The restaurant - Calle Ocho - we used last year was a hit, so we will
return for this year's event.

WHAT IS A SOAR-FEST?

It is a get-together of people interested in flight anxiety.
(You don't have to be a SOAR client.)

SOAR-fests were started when some of the Wednesday night chat regulars
wanted to meet in person.

It is a joyful experience to meet delightful, intelligent, and creative people
feel the same as you do.

THE CUISINE

The cuisine at Calle Ocho is best described as 'Nuevo Latino'.

Appetizer Choices:

Calle Ocho Salad - field greens, baby spinach and eight fresh market
ingredients, or

Cuban Picadillo Salad -a piquillo pepper salad with Spanish cheese
fondu.

Entree Choices:

Pan Seared Tuna with Peruvian quinoa salad and grilled pineapple
relish, or

Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Latin fried rice and citrus mojo.

Side Dishes:

everyone will share are black beans and rice and yuca fries, and the
marvelous Calle Ocho breads.

Desert Menu:

Domino Pastelito - a dark chocolate layered cake with dulce de leche
mousse, or

Cocos - toasted coconut ice cream in a chocolate shell with pineapple
confit.

THE SCHEDULE

5 PM until 6 PM: we gather in the bar (upper bar area).

6 PM until 9 PM: We move into the room for dinner at 6 PM. We have use
of the room to socialize until 9 PM.

MAKING YOUR RESERVATION FOR THE NEW YORK SOAR-FEST

The price of dinner including tax and tip comes to $58.52 per person.
This includes use of the room for three hours.

You always hear the line, 'space is limited, so act now' . . . well, it is true;
the size of the room limits us to about twenty-five people, so if this is
important to you, plan ahead so you won't be disappointed if we fill up.

To make a SOARfest reservation, please use the form at the bottom.

Mail or FAX the form to me.

If you need to cancel, you will not be charged if you let us know at least
72 hours prior to the event.

Yours truly, Lisa Hauptner and Capt Tom Bunn

Questions? Email tom@fearofflying.com or call 877 332-7359

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

The web site is: http://www.calleochonyc.com/

Calle Ocho Restaurant is at 446 Columbus Avenue between
81st and 82nd Streets

HOTELS NEARBY

Riverside Tower Hotel
(800) 724-3136
80 Riverside Dr (at 77th Street)
http://www.riversidetowerhotel.com/

On the Ave Hotel
2178 Broadway (at 77th Street)
(212) 362-1100
http://www.ontheave-nyc.com/main.htm

Lucerne Hotel
201 W 79 St (at Amsterdam Avenue)
(800) 492-8122
http://www.thelucernehotel.com/

Hayden Hall Hotel
117 West 79th St (between Columbus & Amsterdam Avenues)
(212) 787-4900
http://www.haydenhall.com/

Excelsior Hotel
45 W 81st St (between Central Park West & Columbus Avenue)
(212) 362-9200
http://www.excelsiorhotelny.com/

Belleclaire Hotel New York
250 West 77th St (at Broadway)
(212) 362-7701
http://www.hotelbelleclaire.com/index.html
Milburn Hotel
242 West 76th St (at Broadway)
(212) 362-1006
(800) 833-9622
http://www.milburnhotel.com/

Web Sites For Major New York Attractions

http://newyork.citysearch.com/section/events
http://www.metmuseum.org/home.asp
http://www.moma.org


--------------- NEW YORK SOARFEST RESERVATION FORM -------------

Name (s) ______________________________________________

email address __________________________________________

Number of Persons Attending ______________________________

Credit Card Number _____________________________________
(MC, VISA, AX)

Expiration Date ____________ Phone _______________________

--------------------------- FAX TO: (203) 371-8682 --------------------------------

- OR -

----- MAIL THIS FORM WITH CREDIT CARD INFO OR A CHECK -----

------- TO: TOM BUNN, 4 SPORT HILL RD, EASTON CT 06612 -------