Free Group Phone Counseling With Capt Tom Wednesday 10 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time

Note: if you have trouble getting in, try using a cellphone or different regular phone, try pressing each key longer, and try using * rather than #.



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The SOAR Library -- Open And Free



Articles for you on aviation and flight anxiety are at www.fearofflying.com/wordpress/

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United Is Inviting You To Meet The Captain



For more information click here.



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Videos On YouTube



Our videos are at http://youtube.com/user/CaptTomBunn.



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Want  To See A 777 Put Together?



See this link.



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Report On A Long Flight



After our clients do a short flight, the idea of a long flight still causes concern. That concern, however, vanishes once a long flight is accomplished. Here is a report on a flight from Boston to Tokyo.



Hi Captain,



I'm back from a week-long trip to Japan and would like to share a few in-flight experiences.



I was somewhat uneasy about taking such a long trip, as I had never done a trans-pacific flight before. In fact, I booked the trip as BOS-LAX-NRT in order to make the longer leg as short as possible and put in an overnight layover at LAX to make sure I was rested for the 11-hour flight.



It turned out that all those preparations were pretty unnecessary. The transcontinental 757 had a bit of turbulence, but it didn't really rattle me. (I switched  on the "Take Me Along" segment on turbulence for a while, which helped).



The 777 ride to NRT (AA) the next day actually turned out to be one of the most enjoyable flights I have ever taken. I got an upgrade to business class, and there is something about the gleaming interior of the cabin that inspires very high confidence in the plane. I kept thinking that these were the airline's best planes, probably flown by their best pilots. The in-flight entertainment also helps, especially the channel that shows the plane's position, speed, and altitude (I think I only looked at it for five minutes, but just knowing it was there was good).



The return trip on the 777 was similarly enjoyable despite sustained "chop" for a couple of hours that may have briefly crossed into the "moderate" turbulence category. I found that I was no longer worried at all about the plane's ability to handle turbulence, but I was instead worried about getting airsick if the turbulence continued. (I didn't)



In the whole trip there were only a couple of times I was moderately nervous - one was an during an hour-long intra-Japan flight in a JAL -300 - I originally hadn't planned on taking that flight, and so all I remembered about the -300 was the case where the rudder fell off in wake turbulence. (Tom's note: The rudder did not actually fall off, but was broken by the pilot. All pilots in the U.S. had been trained to use the rudder aggressively, and that led a pilot to use the rudder of an A-300 more aggressively than the built-in protection was designed to handle; though the A-300 is the only plane currently in use in the U.S. that does not have full rudder protection, all U.S. pilots have been retrained to use the rudder less aggressively on all planes. )



The other time I got nervous was actually during the final hour of the final flight (757 AA LAX-BOS). Despite having gotten through all the other flights well, in that last hour I felt very impatient for it to end (and had run out of in-flight entertainment) so I had brief bursts of imaginary fatal scenarios running through my mind.



However, that was one spot where I realized how true what you've said about separating imagination from reality is. As my imagination started to run away and we prepared to land, I realized I couldn't find my headphone case. Somehow that thought shifted me back to the "real" task of rummaging around my seat to find the case, and all the imaginary scenarios vanished. (This may be the same principle that makes the 5-4-3-2-1 technique work - focusing on something real even if it is trivial.)



I still have some details to work through before saying I'll feel confident on every flight, but this trip has definitely convinced me that I can bear and even enjoy a flight to even the most far off destination.



Thanks again for SOAR and best regards,



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You, Too, Can Fix The Flying Problem Now

Get started with the program that works. SOAR was established in 1982 because no programs existed which could help people with moderate to severe difficulties. Even today, no other program offers help that is effective except for mild difficulties. No matter how difficult flying is for you, we can help.



Full Length Course



We have the full length SOAR Video Course on 11 DVDs and we have the accelerated FastTrack course. The full length course provides the maximum help possible. More info.

FastTrack



FastTrack is for you if you have a flight coming up soon, even tomorrow! It includes three hours of the most important video clips from the full length course. More FastTrack info.

Get started now. The SOAR FastTrack program can be on your computer's screen in two minutes.

• Fast Track is inexpensive.
  


• Fast Track gives you the most help possible in the shortest time.
  


• A twenty-minute private session and unlimited group counseling sessions are included.
  
  


• What you pay for Fast Track is 100% transferable to the complete SOAR Course DVD or CD.

iPod Or Other Media Players

Complete a compact (about five hours) version of the SOAR Course on the go. Download it to your computer. Play it on your computer, iPod or other media player. More info.

Which To Choose

If you are unsure which is best for you, please call me at 877 332-7359 so we can talk it over. You will feel better as soon as you decide to act.

We are always here to help. As you go through the program, call or email whenever you have a question or a concern.

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Do You Own A Web Site?

If you own a web site, consider becoming a SOAR affiliate. Place a SOAR ad on your website and earn a commission on sales the ad generates. Interested? See this web page.

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One Of The Best Sites



AirSafe.com is run by Dr. Todd Curtis, PhD., a former airline safety analyst with Boeing. Todd thoroughly analyzes safety data and presents statistics on his web site which can help you choose an airline wisely.



Todd will be happy to send you information of aviation safety. Subscribe to his service at www.airsafe.com/services/subscribe.htm.



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Patrick's Column This Week



Why does Southwest rank number one in passenger satisfaction? Patrick breaks the code at this link.