Tonight Is Chat Night
Every Wednesday, SOAR hosts a chat on flight anxiety problems at http://www.fearofflying.com/chat.
Please join us. We will be on from 9 until 11 PM Eastern time.
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This Is Your Captain Speaking, 'There's Bad News And There's Good News'
A client called today about his last flight. As the plane was about to depart, the captain made an announcement, 'Hello, ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. I'm sorry to tell you that the weather is not good, and we are going to be in for a very, very bumpy flight. In fact, I doubt if any of you have ever been on a flight as bumpy as this one is going to be. And it is not going to be just a few minutes; it will be for the entire duration of the flight. And I know none of you will like this, and some of you will be really upset about this . . . but the good news is, I just saved fifteen percent on my car insurance.'
It was his little joke, about the car insurance ad on television. It did disarm people (other than those who wanted to strangle him), and the flight turned out to be one of the smoothest ever.
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Anxiety About 'Bad Weather?' What Can You Do?
It is essential to break your concept of 'bad weather' down. Try to recapture each of those thoughts and images you have had when starting to think of bad weather. Write them down. Then break them down into smaller pieces. How would you know the weather is bad? What would that mean? Delay? Danger? Bumpy? Or dark? Or are frightening and bad the same thing?
Using the Strengthening Exercise, go to the positive moment. Imagine a comic book. Have a cartoon character on the plane with everything fine, but over the cartoon character's head, there is the 'balloon' (where the cartoonist draws what the character is imagining). Put the 'bad' item there. Then instantly, to the positive moment.
You are building a dual situation: the cartoon character is fine, but imagining bad things.
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Do You Know The Strengthening Exercise?
The 'Strengthening Exercise' provides automatic control of high anxiety and panic. It stops both before either can start.
- SOAR is not just another fear of flying program offering relaxation and reassurance
- SOAR is advanced help and succeeds with the most extreme cases of flight anxiety
- SOAR was developed through twenty-five years of research, study, and experience
Which Way Fits You Best?
- The Guaranteed SOAR Video Course on DVD
- Learn the cause and how to fix it in 'Psychology of Flight Anxiety'
- Understand amazing backup systems that make flying safe in 'How Flying Works'
- Get automatic control of the feelings when you fly with 'Control of Anxiety'
- Take a virtual test flight of your new skills in 'At The Airport'
- The Guaranteed SOAR Audio Course on MP3
- Hear lessons on the web site - or download them to your computer or iPod
- Download the 'Take Me Along' audio tracks to your iPod or laptop
- It's like having your own pilot sitting there with you
Complete and comprehensive. Ten DVDs (appx. ten hours). View it on the internet as soon as you place your order. Your DVDs are shipped to your door by FEDEX or Priority Mail.
See guarantee and order at: http://www.fearofflying.com/store.shtml.
The same complete information as in the Video Course but condensed into five hours of audio. Plus one important extra: 'Take Me Along' audio tracks to use during the flight.
I'll explain everything that is happening - as it happens - so you will know everything is normal on the flight.
See guarantee and order here: Read More Now!
- A Counseling Session
A session customized to your exact needs. I'm both an airline captain and a licensed therapist. It is my specialty to work with the most difficult cases.
Even if your difficulty is extreme, I'm sure I can help. Please call so we can talk it over. This confidence is based on my success with over six-thousand clients in the past twenty-five years. The fee for a twenty-minute session covering the basics is $60.00, payable by MasterCard, Visa or American Express. Everything can be covered in forty to sixty minutes (fee prorated to time used).
Available 10 AM to 7 PM Eastern (New York) time. Outside the U.S. or Canada call: 203-258-4803.
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Not Ready To Order The Entire Program?
At least learn the Strengthening Exercise. It is fairly complex, but 'The Control of Anxiety' video (or MP3 audio) will lead you through your practice sessions step-by-step.
For automatic control of anxiety, one thirty-minute practice session daily for a week is ideal. If time is short, don't wait. Just two or three practice sessions can make a huge difference in how you feel when you fly.
Order 'The Control of Anxiety' ($195.00 on video; $49.95 on audio) at: http://www.fearofflying.com/store.shtml.
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File Under: Movies Not To Be Seen By IQs Over 85
In case you want to see the trailer to see how bad it is, go to: http://www.snakesonaplane.com/ .
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Here Is A Great Series Of Postings On The Message Board
Understanding you cannot speak for ALL pilots, what prevents a pilot from doing something, say, eratic, overzealous, or overconfident while flying an aircraft because of the same type of mentality we may all have had at some point or another while driving our cars on the road?
I mean, there are parameters and laws we are all required to abide by when we drive. If we don't, the consequences could be severe not only for ourselves but for others as well (1 casualty, or mass casualties). But on occasion I suspect we've all done something erratic on the road, got away with it, and suffered little, if any, consequence. And then, gave it little afterthought.
So can a pilot suffer from this same type of mentality? Can he/she get overconfident? Can they become complacent to an extent?
Or are we always in the safest hands possible?
That's really apples and oranges. We're talking about a profession here. This is not just driving around in the air, this is a focused and very, very, very structured environment where everything is done according to many sets of established standard operating procedures. We don't just 'try' things, or just do something out of bounds and do it out of the blue. Never seen that in my 20 years of flying, never even considered anything like that.
Complacency, that's the only thing that needs attention when it comes to flying, because you have done the same things a thousand times, and a thousand times at the same time, with the same results.
Strict discipline really is required to make sure complacency is avoided. This and other subjects are constantly being addressed, among many other subjects in our crew resource management programs, and we're well aware of those things. Another simple but very important thing to remember: there are always at least two of us up there!
I'll echo what PlasticTed has told you. Flying, and particularly professional flying, is a very disciplined endeavor. Procedures and policies -- both FAA and Company -- are followed very closely.
This contrasts with the scenario you describe -- that of drivers on the road. I've said on this forum before -- I feel most unsafe on the highway. Loose cannons and scofflaws abound. It seems (at least to me) that many people have obtained their driver's license (if indeed they even have one) from a cereal box.
By the time a pilot has been accepted for employment by an airline, he/she has been thoroughly scrutinized and (to use the current buzzword) vetted. Emotional and mental stability are a very major consideration.
Yes, you ARE in the safest hands possible.
Cheers.
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This Week's Hopefully Inspirational Email
Capt. Tom: I am a graduate of the SOAR course. I refused to fly until age 53, as I reported to you about three years ago. I took a sales job that was going to require limited travel and I made the decision that I was going to fly, come hell or high water. I also wanted to fly as my wife and I both love to travel. My first flight was in a small Cherokee. I had decided that at least I had some control over a small plane, as I could demand that the plane be landed at any time. The lift off was the most fearful thing I have ever done. The pilot was very gracious and talked me through the short flight, even while I was yelling sh--, sh--, sh--!
I have now flown about 75 times, most of it on commercial planes, and I have never enjoyed anything more. I joined a flying club just to get some air time with the local pilots. Two weeks ago, while sitting on the runway, the pilot took his hands off the yoke and the pedals and instructed me to give it full throttle and pull up the nose when we hit 75 knots. My hands gripped the yoke with a death grip. I got the plane into the air, although a little too steeply. I circled the airport and let the pilot land the plane.
I guess my whole point of this is too encourage even the most fearful of people that they can fly. I thought that I was the most fearful person who had ever lived and that I would never fly. Your course, a personal conversation with you at a Chicago SOARfest, and a ton of courage got me in a plane and off the ground. I was scared for maybe 8 or 10 flights, then got to the point that I couldn't wait to fly again.
Keep up the good work, and keep up the weekly emails. They are still encouraging after three years.
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Is Time Short? Don't Wait. Just call . . .
There is still time to make a HUGE difference in how you feel when you fly. We have everything you need to deal with flying.
- Get the help you need
- Call me on my cell phone toll free at 877-332-7359
- There is no charge to talk over the situation and learn what can be done.
Available 10 AM until 7 PM Eastern time.