Chat Wednesday 9 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
Free Group Phone Counseling With Capt Tom Wednesday 10 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
- dial (712) 432-3900
-
when asked, enter the conference ID 9352101 followed by the # sign
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Mystic SOARFest June 6th.
See details at the end of this newsletter.
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Airliner Have Cleaner Air Than In Public Buildings
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The Dog Ate My Homework
Now airlines have a new excuse when your luggage is lost: the plane ate it. Someone ran a baggage cart too close to the operating engine of a JAL 747 at Los Angeles, and the engine sucked in one of the baggage containers. The flight, of course, had to be canceled. Here is a link to an article and video.
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Won Six Trips And Now Able To Take One
Hi Captain Tom, and my SOAR friends,
I have just returned from a one week, all expense-paid company trip to beautiful Half Moon Resort in Jamaica. This was not only my first time to the Caribbean, but the first time I have gone on one of my company's Presidents Club trips! I have won six of these types of trips, but have never gone, because of my fear of flying. Of course, it was always embarrassing, at the company awards dinners, when it would be announced, that as one of the top producers, I had won a fabulous trip to Bahamas, Punta Cana, etc., and knew, as did everyone else, that I would not be going!
Anyway, after your course, and some real soul searching, I was able to participate in joining my colleagues for some fun and relaxation in one of the most gorgeous places I've seen so far, and I expect to see many more!! I cannot thank you enough.
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Posted Today On The Message Board By "Skeptic"
You can read it at this link.
Thank you, thank you, Leslie and One Ant for tracking my flight from NYC to Arizona. Wow! Exactly right, turbulence over the midwest. You guys are the best!
However, I am COMPLETELY speechless. The purpose of this trip was to attend a military funeral for both my father and uncle -- I was and am inconsolably (at the moment) SAD. And yet, even if with turbulence, I felt only mild anxiety -- almost abstract anxiety. I don't know what to make of this because I only did part of the Rapid Relief. I totally have to process this before I can be more articulate.
Three things I know right now:
(1) Capt Bunn's explanation (& my pre-visualization) of turbulence gave me an almost unshakeable sense of physical safety in the air;
(2) the pilots (who I made read Capt Bunn's letter) were INCREDIBLY sensitive, smart, encouraging and TRAINED; and
(3) I don't know if the Strengthening Exercise works, but on my return flight, I kept falling in and out of almost sleep (believe it or not!), and I kept having dreamlike images of my anemic moments of connectedness as well as the stock images in the video -- all of it and more, new images kept flashing behind my closed eyes.
What in the world will happen to me once I complete the actual full program -- which I plan to begin IMMEDIATELY???? I still remain your loyal Skeptic, but I must admit, I do have hope! Look out, OneAnt, here I come .... (maybe).
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SOAR Will Work For You Too, Skeptic Or Believer
SOAR was established in 1982 because no programs existed that 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.
- Call me at 877 332-7359 between 10 AM and 6 PM Eastern time or
- Set up a time online at http://soar.genbook.com
- No Charge. No Obligation. Just get the information you want.
Or Enroll Right Now And Get This Over With
You will feel better as soon as you make the decision.
You will feel better as soon as you make the decision.
- Accelerated courses give you the most help possible in the time you have available.
- A twenty-minute private session and unlimited group counseling sessions are included.
- What you pay is 100% transferable to the SOAR Video Course 11 DVDs.
Start viewing on your computer screen in two minutes.
- Get a compact version of the SOAR Course.
- Load it on your laptop, iPod or other media player. More info.
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Unsure 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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Buffalo Crash Hearings
As I have commented here before, it is difficult to comprehend how the captain of the Buffalo plane could have performed in an unimaginable way. It has become a bit easier as information has been released that he had failed checks five times in his short career, and that the airline gave him no hands-on simulator training how to respond to the Bombardier Q400 stick-pusher system (which noses the plane down if the pilot flies too slow).
In an excellent article at this link for The Buffalo News, staff reporter Michael Beebe reports that fatigue builds up from continual short flights, irregular hours and long-duty days is on the agenda will be examined during the hearing.
Chairman of the hearings, Mark V. Rosenker, has described pilot fatigue as widespread and has said the "laws, rules and regulations governing this aspect of transportation safety are archaic in many cases."
The FAA, which represents both the flying public and the airline industry, has failed to act on the issue of pilot fatigue. "Pilots are routinely pushed into sacrificing needed rest to help their companies survive during economic downturns and bankruptcy," John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, said.
There is concern, no doubt, that the pilot of your plane might be as inept of the pilot as this one. From my point of view, it is hard to believe that ANY pilot would be so inept, which also suggests - to me at least - that few if any pilots that limited remain both alive and working for an airline. An accident like this removes one person from the cockpit who had not business being there. We would hope -- though it clearly is not always the case -- that check rides would remove incompetent pilots from the airline, if not the profession. Years ago, when competition was greater for airline jobs, and it took years of experience to be hired by an airline. With so many years of flying before an airline would hire a pilot, accidents were counted on to remove incompetent pilots before they find their way into an airline cockpit. As you may have heard, "There are old pilots, and bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots." The same goes for competence.
Another factor is pay and working conditions. You may remember that Captain Sullenberger was quoted as saying he would never recommend one of his children become an airline pilot these days. The pay is too poor. The working conditions -- that is the extremely long periods on duty, and the lack of rest between flight -- are like something out of a Dickens novel.
Also, consider the "wash out" rate. In the military, a multi-million dollar aircraft is going to be turned over to a pilot when he or she finishes training. The military finds it cost-effective to remove every trainee who is in the least substandard. In fact, they even remove trainees who could, if given a bit more time, develop into good pilots. But, no, you are slow, you are out.
Contrast this with civilian training. Flight schools want business. They certainly will not "wash out" a slow student, and may not "wash out" an incompetent one who is paying good money for all that training.
My roommate in Air Force training was a civilian pilot with considerable experience before he went into the Air Force. Yet, the Air Force "washed him out". Even with all his experience flying, he was unacceptable to the Air Force. He was entirely acceptable as a private pilot, or as a commercial pilot, and no doubt he got an airline job after the Air Force got rid of him.
It would be nice if the airlines could still attract top talent. A few years ago, medicine attracted the top talent. Then law school. Then business school. It is going to be a long time, it seems, before highly talented people choose flying as a profession.
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Mystic SOARFest Hosted By Lisa Hauptner
Join me for a New England get together in Mystic, Connecticut, on Saturday, June 6th. Reservations have been made for the SOARFest at the Daniel Packer Inn in downtown Mystic. It is located on the Mystic River within walking distance of historic Mystic's quaint shops and areas of nautical interest, including Mystic Seaport Museum.
We will meet in the Captain's Room at 5:30 p.m. for cocktails, and the dinner will be served at 7:00 p.m. We will provide a cheese and fruit selection during cocktails, but all drinks before the dinner are cash bar only.
The price for the dinner, which will include red and white wine, is $75.00 per person. Space is limited, so reserve as soon as possible.
Check out the menu I've put together for us:
Mystic SOARFest Menu
~ ~ First Course ~ ~
New England Clam Chowder
or
D.P.I. (Daniel Packer Inne) Salad - Red leaf lettuce topped with dried cranberries, pistachios, cucumbers, and gorgonzola cheese and drizzled with a raspberry vinaigrette
~ ~ Entrée ~ ~
Lemon Peppered Chicken - A Packer Inne Tradition. Egg-battered, pressed in coarse breadcrumbs with zest of lemon and cracked pepper, then pan sautéed and finished in the oven. Sliced and served with lemon beurre blanc.
or
Black Jack - Choice cut sirloin strip dusted in seasoned ground peppercorns, pan seared, and finished on a hardwood grill. Served with a wild mushroom and Jack Daniels demi-glace.
or
Stuffed Salmon - Fresh Chilean salmon filet stuffed with a baby spinach, Alouette cheese, and roasted tomato pesto, topped with herbed panko crumbs and baked to a golden brown.
Finished with a Limoncello sauce over wild rice.
or
Vegetable Napoleon - Marinated garden vegetables grilled and stacked high with mozzarella cheese and topped with fresh basil Marsala marinara. Served over linguine.
~ ~ Dessert ~ ~
Granny Packer's Homemade Apple Pie - Fresh granny smith apples prepared with cinnamon and sugar, surrounded by our flaky crust and baked golden brown - a la mode if you wish.
or
Xango - Banana cheesecake wrapped in a flour tortilla, deep fried, and rolled in cinnamon and sugar, then drizzled with a warm caramel sauce.
or
Brownie Sunday - Freshly baked chocolate fudge brownie, topped with vanilla ice cream, drizzled with fudge sauce, and topped with whipped cream.
~ ~ Coffee and Tea ~ ~
~ ~ Red and white wine included and served with dinner ~ ~
Several hotels, motels, and inns are available, including Hyatt Place Mystic, Best Western Mystic Hotel, Howard Johnson Mystic, and the Whaler's Inn. Use www.expedia.com or www.hotels.com to get an idea of availability.
Please e-mail me at lisa@fearofflying.com if you have questions. Again, space is very limited, so make your reservation now!
Hope to see you in Mystic!
Lisa
Lisa Hauptner, MS LMHC CASAC
VP/Director
SOAR, Inc.
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Discuss Or Schedule An Individual Session -- Call 877 332-7359
Call between 11 AM and 6 PM Eastern Time (same time zone as New York)
You'll reach me easily. The toll-free number rings my cell phone.
Call between 11 AM and 6 PM Eastern Time (same time zone as New York)
You'll reach me easily. The toll-free number rings my cell phone.
- find out how I can help you with flying
- discuss the possibility of a counseling session
- set up a time that fits your schedule
Outside the U.S. and Canada call 203 258-4803
- a twenty-minute session is $60.00 if not enrolled in a course.
- one twenty-minute session is free if enrolled in any course.
- additional twenty-minute sessions are $60.00.
- two one-hour sessions are included in the SOAR Guaranteed Program
Schedule An Individual Session Online
Note: Times Listed Are Eastern Time (same as New York)
