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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Twitter
When there is an accident, or other news you want to understand, I'll put a quick note on twitter.
- go to www.twitter.com
- sign in
- click on "Find People"
- search for this term: flightwit
- enter, and you will find me
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Mystic SOARFest June 6th.
See details at the end of this newsletter.
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Air France
Regarding the Air France accident. When someone asks what happened, there is no value in speculation. Airliners are so safe today, with so many backup systems, with so many safety systems, that it becomes difficult to even understand why an accident can ever happen. So when one does, it is hard to understand.
The second thing to say is that the media has been as disciplined as a bunch of kindergarteners on Twinkies. The statements made are so absurd that even the stupidest of them should know better. Apparently, with the decline of the newspapers, reports are even stupider than the captain who crashed in Buffalo, whose stupidity was indeed colossal. He deserves a monument. And the reports are worse!
They say the plane was hit by lightning. Whoa. Wasn't this plane out over the Atlantic where there was no radar? Was there someone in a boat looking up and seeing this? No. They just made it up. Why? If there is anything to learn from this, is that what is reported is not to be believed. But shouldn't we have learned that about WMDs? And how Iraq caused 9/11? Will we ever learn that reporters will say anything?
So, was it hit by lightning. Who the hell knows? I don't. You don't. They don't. But if you want to say it or believe it, be my guest.
Was it turbulence? The press wrote about the dreaded ITCZ -- the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Look, gang. I used to fly trips from JFK to Rio once a week. I did that for years. I crossed the ITCZ hundreds and hundreds of times, and yet, I noticed nothing unusual -- ever!
I looked at the weather maps for this flight. Nothing unusual. Other planes were on the route. Nothing to report. At least, nothing from professional pilots. But the professional press has lots to report. Good luck when reading their stuff.
Third, I got lots of emails like this:
"This particular scenario has always been my worst fear . . . .
and:
" . . . it's exactly this horror that we fearful flyers do imagine."
But wait. This accident is an exact match of a person's worst fear. How is that possible when we don't know anything about this accident?
This leads me to believe many people have pre-fabricated terror "movies" in mind and that these movies are just waiting to be activated by anything with the least similarity.
But there were other emails, like this one:
I learned this lesson already thanks to you...I have been meaning to share this story with you but haven't had the time...I guess now is as good a time as any.
This past Feb I was flying home from Newark to Lansing MI, VERY early in the AM immediately following the late evening Buffalo accident that left from Newark, the same airport I was scheduled to depart. As I was getting ready in my hotel room I had the news on where both the local (I was staying in NJ) and national news covered the story and for about 20 seconds I panicked. Then I shut off the TV and said to my self, there is no use imagining the "final" seconds...that is dumb. Stop thinking about it and think about how many flights will leave safely from that airport today. Well I did it and a few other exercises and I actually had a decent two leg flight back. Thanks you so much for your program.
This past Feb I was flying home from Newark to Lansing MI, VERY early in the AM immediately following the late evening Buffalo accident that left from Newark, the same airport I was scheduled to depart. As I was getting ready in my hotel room I had the news on where both the local (I was staying in NJ) and national news covered the story and for about 20 seconds I panicked. Then I shut off the TV and said to my self, there is no use imagining the "final" seconds...that is dumb. Stop thinking about it and think about how many flights will leave safely from that airport today. Well I did it and a few other exercises and I actually had a decent two leg flight back. Thanks you so much for your program.
Fourth. If you can look at the news and then not think about the accident again and again, fine. If you can't look at the news and then let it go, don't look. Why? If you repeatedly imagine what happened, you will make it up in your mind that what you imagine actually happened. It didn't. You imagined. You repeatedly imagined. You memorized your imagination, and it became fact.
Fifth. Other emails say this accident has made them worry about their flight. It is interesting how the mind works to connect things where there is no connection. There is no umbilical cord between the Air France plane and your plane. There is no magical link between the two planes. There is no relationship between the two planes.
What is the relationship. The word: "plane". That is the connection. There is no connection at all - much less a causal connection. Yet, in the mind, one crash out in the Atlantic connects to yours.
Are you going to connect the word plane with crash when one plane in five million crashes, but not connect plane with safe flight for the 4,999,999?
You are back to square one because you are not examining your own thinking; you are just throwing connections together based on plane and plane are the same word. One plane crashes, so your plane will crash. Come on.
Of course it is traumatic if you don't distinguish between imagination and reality. That is the key. Take a look at the articles on psychic equivalence in the SOAR Library.
Statistics don't help. Because you don't know in advance if the one in five-million that crashes is going to be yours. The image of the one sticks in the mind; the 4,999,999 don't.
There was a movie when I was a kid called "The Big Carnival". A loser of a journalist happens to be in a town where a child gets stuck in an abandoned well shaft. He realizes he has hit the jackpot because one child is easy for people to identify with; a dozen children less so. So he milks it for everything he can, even delaying the rescue, to get more stories published. So it is the one that makes it hard.
What is the relationship. The word: "plane". That is the connection. There is no connection at all - much less a causal connection. Yet, in the mind, one crash out in the Atlantic connects to yours.
Are you going to connect the word plane with crash when one plane in five million crashes, but not connect plane with safe flight for the 4,999,999?
You are back to square one because you are not examining your own thinking; you are just throwing connections together based on plane and plane are the same word. One plane crashes, so your plane will crash. Come on.
Of course it is traumatic if you don't distinguish between imagination and reality. That is the key. Take a look at the articles on psychic equivalence in the SOAR Library.
Statistics don't help. Because you don't know in advance if the one in five-million that crashes is going to be yours. The image of the one sticks in the mind; the 4,999,999 don't.
There was a movie when I was a kid called "The Big Carnival". A loser of a journalist happens to be in a town where a child gets stuck in an abandoned well shaft. He realizes he has hit the jackpot because one child is easy for people to identify with; a dozen children less so. So he milks it for everything he can, even delaying the rescue, to get more stories published. So it is the one that makes it hard.
Sixth. The key is to quiet the mind enough to be able to think clearly. Practice the strengthening exercise. If you don't know it, go to www.fearofflying.com and get one of the programs that teaches it, so the anxiety gets controlled.
Seventh. If you still think turbulence did it, have a look at this test on the 777 wing on the wing at Boeing and then search youtube for "hurricane hunters".
Eighth. Are foreign-made airliners crashing more? No. Here are stats from
www.airsafe.com (number of fatal accidents per million flights):
A-300 0.54
A-310 1.27
A-320 0.13
Compare that to the 737 at 0.36, the 757 at 0.30, the 767 at 0.40.
Based on those numbers, the A-320 compares favorably with all the
Boeing-built planes. Comparing the A-330/340 0.0 (obviously this
accident is going to change that rate) with the 777. Until this
accident, the A-330 was fatal accident-free. The 777 has had an
accident but not a fatal one.
Bottom line: focus - at this point - on this accident is pointless.
www.airsafe.com (number of fatal accidents per million flights):
A-300 0.54
A-310 1.27
A-320 0.13
Compare that to the 737 at 0.36, the 757 at 0.30, the 767 at 0.40.
Based on those numbers, the A-320 compares favorably with all the
Boeing-built planes. Comparing the A-330/340 0.0 (obviously this
accident is going to change that rate) with the 777. Until this
accident, the A-330 was fatal accident-free. The 777 has had an
accident but not a fatal one.
Bottom line: focus - at this point - on this accident is pointless.
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Emotional Development
Early
relationships are absorbed by the developing mind. The nature of those
relationships shape the mind's ability to regulate emotion. To see how
important the mother is, watch this video about the work of Ed Tronick,
Ph.D.
relationships are absorbed by the developing mind. The nature of those
relationships shape the mind's ability to regulate emotion. To see how
important the mother is, watch this video about the work of Ed Tronick,
Ph.D.
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"I Feel So Liberated"
Hi Capt. Tom - I did it AGAIN!!! Yah! After flying to Boston last month, I flew to Las Vegas this past weekend and had a wonderful time! My husband and 3 teenagers continue to be amazed at how calm I do on the flights and beforehand with little to no anxiety. I have written to you over the years since taking your course in 2002 and I feel so liberated each and every time I fly now (it had been 14 years since I had flown before I found your class in 2002) - I would have never been able to do this had it not been for your course so a whole new world has been opened to me. This time coming back from LV, I looked out the window almost the entire time from LV to Orlando - I truly enjoyed seeing the countryside - very interesting watching the desert and seeing the mountains and then watching the landscape turn into lush green and seeing the farmlands. When we hit turbulence I noticed my water cup on my tray was barely moving if at all and just thought of myself as driving down a country road. As always I met the pilots beforehand and they were nice as can be.
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First Flight In Thirty-Nine Years
Tom- I just wanted to say " Thank you!" This past weekend I flew for the first time in thirty-nine years. I was somewhat nervous on my first flight from NY to St. Louis, mostly with anticipatory anxiety. But, you're right. Once I was on the plane I was really fine. I couldn't believe that I actually didn't think about the trip back once while I was away. Getting on the plane to come back to NY was no problem at all.
I actually thought I was beyond help and would never be able to get on a plane but now I can't wait to make plans for another trip. Unbelievable! Thank you again.
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" . . . Your Program Works."
My flight was good. A lot of turbulence coming home but I just remembered what your cd's said about that and no problem . Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I leave for Hawaii in a week and feel like I will be ok. I will tell anyone that has had a bad experience with flying or is scared to fly that your program works.
You can use me for a testimony any time. Thanks again for your time talking to me and for the requested material. You were a prayer answered and am so happy I found your website.
You can use me for a testimony any time. Thanks again for your time talking to me and for the requested material. You were a prayer answered and am so happy I found your website.
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SOAR Will Work For You Too
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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This Should Come As No Surprise
The FAA has proposed a 1.3 million dollar fine of Gulfstream International, a regional airline based in Fort Lauderdale, for allegedly falsifying crew records so as to squeeze more work out of pilots than law allows. See story at this link.
The story says, "Pilots often didn't object out of fear that they would get written up and have the careers ruined.
Could it be that the FAA is actually starting to do its job now that there is a new administration?
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Mystic SOARFest Hosted By Lisa Hauptner
Lisa is hosting 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.
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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)
