Outsourcing Group Lobbies Against Safety Measures
If I haven't made it clear enough that there are psychopaths running corporations who care not one whit about your safety, consider this article.
A political lobbyist group, the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA,), represents the companies that airlines are outsourcing maintenance to. It has petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration to exempt its contract employees -- who are doing this outsourced maintenance -- from mandatory drug and alcohol testing.
Drug and alcohol testing has been mandatory for years, not only for pilots, but for all aircraft technicians. Last year, the FAA made it clear that the drug and alcohol testing is required for any person who performs aircraft maintenance or preventive maintenance, regardless of whether they are employees of an airline or employees of a company that does outsourced maintenance, and no matter where the work is being done.
ARSA argues that drug and alcohol testing of the mechanics who work on your airplane is 'too expensive'.
This is another thing you may want to write your representatives in congress about.
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Barbara Benham's Travel Blog Is Up For An Award
Last month, I told you about an article on AOL by SOAR grad Barbara Benham. She is also the author of a travel blog at http://www.travelsweeps.blogspot.com/. She is a finalist in a contest for best travel blog. If you would like to vote for her, click here.
If you missed Barbara's article, you can find it by
clicking here.
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This Weeks Article On Flight Anxiety
This week's article on flight anxiety is too long to put in the newsletter. I'll send it to you as a separate email.
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An Email From Vietnam
Just picked (your) email up from Vietnam and want you to know that your tapes have recently helped me travel all over Bali and Vietnam practically stress free. I cannot believe it!!
Thank you so much. It is such a pleasure not to be so full of anxiety every time I get on a plane. I am on the last leg of our trip now which included flying 9 times!!! Don't know why I waited so long to order; but so glad I did.
I think I benefited the most from your chapters on the psychology of fear and control, and the parts on how the plane works. Excellent insight and advice.
Thanks again and again.
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Let Me Know If This Helps You, Too
Dear Captain Tom,
I wanted to pass on a small piece of information that I have been using when practicing my strengthening exercise that has helped me tremendously. I have always had difficulty screening everything else out when I practice. Noises from outside or in my home often interrupt my concentration and distract me.
However, I am of the MTV generation and my special moment has an empowering song associated with it -- 'Respect' by Aretha Franklin. I've started practicing the strengthening excercise while listening to that song on my iPod. Honestly, it has made a huge difference. It really puts me in the right frame of mind to complete my strengthening exercise and keep me in my special moment.
I don't know if this would be helpful for others, but it REALLY has helped me.
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The EU Plans To Ban Pakistan International Airlines Planes
As has been said in this newsletter repeatedly, aviation standards in some other countries are not the same as what we expect in the U.S. and other technically developed countries. Last year, the EU banned dozens of airlines, mostly airlines from Africa. This action resulted from public pressure to do something about substandard airlines. PIA is now being added to the banned list.
PIA was told on Saturday that most of its planes failed to meet international standards. All of PIA's 42 planes except seven Boeing 777s may be barred from landing in the EU.
To read more about this click here.
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A Passenger Bill Of Rights
Several people have emailed asking what I think about a Passenger Bill of Rights. I think it is a good idea.
The media made such a huge thing about the JetBlue fiasco that, undoubtedly, some of you now have an additional thing to worry about.
But why didn't the media highlight an infinitely more important rights issue: the loss of rights which could entrap us -- not in an airliner -- but in our own country?
Over the years, there have been military take-overs in countries such as Argentina, Cuba, and Brazil that wiped out democratic government. Posse Comitatus laws -- along with the Insurrection Act of 1807 -- limited the president's right to use the military within the U.S. to very specific situations in order to make a military takeover in this country impossible.
In October, Congress passed an enormous defense budget bill, apparently without recognizing that the budget bill included stealth legislation to wipe out Posse Comitatus and the Insurrection Act of 1897. The president now has the authority to declare martial law and to use military troops within the U.S. -- not only in response to a natural disaster or terrorist attack -- but for any other condition which the president chooses to use as a justification.
What happened on JetBlue is awful. But I don't lose sleep over it like I do about where the country has been headed, and has yet to be turned around.
Seems to me we are in trouble when our media plays up a Passenger Bill Of Rights and hardly -- if at all -- mentions the repeal of Posse Comitatus and the Insurrection Act of 1807.
Fret over the Passenger Bill Of Rights if you want to. But it would be better, in my opinion, if all of us -- media and citizens alike -- focused more attention on substantive issues. In aviation, some important issues are:
- Outsourcing of maintenance to facilities using unlicensed mechanics.
- Lack of FAA oversight of outsourced maintenance.
- Pilot fatigue due to excessive duty days which airlines like JetBlue have sought to extend even more.
- Runway incursions which the FAA has said -- for years -- is its number one priority and still does nothing.
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act
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Patrick Had A Different View On The JetBlue Fiasco
This is 'National Be Nice To Patrick Week'. Patrick just had a week from hell. In his Salon.com column, Patrick said he was not in favor a Passenger's Bill Of Rights. Within hours, he received almost two-hundred flaming emails. He was called an elitist, a Republican, and out of touch.
Please read Patrick's column and write him a nice email to let him know that, even if he were an elitist, a Republican and out of touch, you would still appreciate what he does to help you understand and, hopefully, feel better about flying. Or, if you, yourself are an elitist, a Republican, or out of touch, give him your appreciation for being like-minded.
You can read Patrick's column (after watching a brief ad) by clicking here.
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Want To Fly Comfortably But Believe Nothing Will Work For You?
Believe it or not, everything you need for complete success is available by clicking here
Think nothing will help? Most people who start -- and succeed -- feel that way when they start. It is just that they have the 'whatever-it-is' to try even if they are not sure of success. What about you?
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Which Way Fits You Best?
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- The Guaranteed SOAR Audio Course on CD
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- Download the 'Take Me Along' audio tracks to your iPod or laptop
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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.
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Wednesday Night Conference Call On Flight Anxiety
- 9:00 PM until 10:00 PM Eastern time
Join our regular 'chat' (where we type what we want to say).
10:00 PM until 11:00 PM Eastern time
Join in by phone on a conference call dealing with flight anxiety.
Instead of typing, we can just talk.
- Listen in to the discussion.
- Take part in the discussion.
- It's your choice.
Want to know more about:
- How flying works
- Turbulence, and why it is not a threat
- Controlling anxiety, panic and claustrophobia
We'll talk about this and more every Wednesday night
- Eastern Time: 10 PM until 11 PM
- Central Time: 9 PM until 10 PM
- Mountain Time: 8 PM until 9 PM
- Pacific Time: 7 PM until 8 PM
As simple as 1, 2, 3.
- 1. Dial 1-641-793-7500
- 2. You will hear, 'Thank you for calling the Conference Center.'
- 3. When asked, enter this pin code: 681956 followed by #
For Your Convenience The Following Info Is Also Displayed Where You Enter The Chat At:
http://www.fearofflying.com/chat.shtml