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

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The Blame Game

The Air France flight 447 crash blame game is well underway. Air France is lawyered up. Airbus is lawyered up. Both have PR teams. Everyone has lawyers but the pilots. So guess who is getting blamed? Fortunately, someone is speaking for the pilots. Jean-Louis Barber of the Air France pilot's union, said, "Every day there's a new leak. It is inconsistent, it is scandalously damaging and it is preventing investigators from doing their work."

Leaks to influence the public will continue because it may cost Air France or Airbus millions when blame is established. Airbus has said the plane had no malfunction. Yet, there are indications that the crash was caused by faulty pitot tubes, which caused erroneous airspeed readings. Should the pilots have recognized the readings as erroneous and acted accordingly? Should Airbus have called for the pitot tubes to be changed? Air France has said they were waiting for advice from Airbus? Should Air France have changed them on their own?

In any case, the pitot tubes have been changed. If you are going to fly on the A330, you could not make a better or safer choice.<>
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The 5-4-3-2-1 Exercise

I have rewritten the 5-4-3-2-1 information. Here is the latest version.


Stress hormones are released when the amygdala notices anything non-routine. This serves a useful function. The stress hormones force you to focus on the situation. Hormones continue until,
1. you complete an assessment (is it an opportunity, irrelevant, or a threat),
2. you decide on a plan of action (or inaction), and
3. you commit to the decision.
Upon commitment, a signal is sent to the amygdala to discontinue stress hormone release. Once a decision has been made and committed to, there is no need for you to be forced to focus on the matter.
Anxious fliers are often unable to make the commitment that would end the anxiety-producing stress hormones. Ambivalence, or the need for a guarantee that the plan will produce the desired result, makes commitment impossible. Without commitment, continued release of stress hormones forces the person to focus on the unresolved situation, on reasons for indecision, and on what might go wrong. This causes even more stress hormones to be released. Anticipatory anxiety increases.
The 5-4-3-2-1 exercise is a way to take control by focusing for two minutes on things that will not trigger stress hormone release. While doing the 5-4-3-2-1, no new stress hormones are released, and hormones already in your system are used up.
The 5-4-3-2-1 temporarily ends anticipatory anxiety. It allows you to focus your mind where you choose, rather than where the stress hormones force you to. When the non-routine situation again comes to mind, it will again trigger stress hormone release. Use the 5-4-3-2-1 again. This will shortly make it evident that you have the means with which to control anticipatory anxiety, if you choose to do so.
Use the 5-4-3-2-1 for anticipatory anxiety. If you have done the SOAR Course, you have learned the Strengthening Exercise (which provides automatic control of anxiety during flight). Use the 5-4-3-2-1 as a backup.
If you have not done the SOAR Course, consider enrolling. Though in-flight anxiety can be controlled by doing the 5-4-3-2-1 constantly, it is a lot of work. It is much better to control flight anxiety automatically. Click here for more information about enrolling in SOAR.
The 5-4-3-2-1 Exercise
Sit or recline comfortably. Focus on some object in front of you. Keep your focus on that throughout the exercise. (If you eyes drift off, just bring them back.) Do it out loud first. Then, try it silently. See if one works better for you than the other.
Maintaining focus, say the words "I see" and then name something in your peripheral vision.
Then say "I see" and name something else in your peripheral vision. Continue until you have made five statements.
For example: I see the lamp, I see the table, I see a spot on the lamp shade, I see a book on the table, I see a picture on the table.
Maintaining focus, say the words "I hear" and name something you hear. Then say "I hear" and name something else you hear. Continue until you have made five statements.
NOTE: you will have to repeat something if there are not five different things you can hear. For example: I hear the computer running, I hear a car outside, I hear my breathing, I hear my voice, . . . (running out of things, repeat one of them), I hear the computer running.
Maintaining focus, say the words "I feel" and name something you feel (not internal, like heart pounding or tension, but external). For example: I feel the chair under me, I feel my arm against my leg, I feel my left foot on the floor, I feel my right foot on the floor, feel the shirt on my shoulder.
That completes one cycle. It takes intense concentration. That is exactly what we want. As you concentrate on non-threatening things, the stress hormones that were in your body when you started the exercise get burned off. As they get used up, you get more relaxed.
See, you don't have to MAKE yourself relax; as the old ones get used up, you just get more relaxed.
What about the next cycle? If you always made five statements, you soon could do the exercise WITHOUT intense concentration, and your mind could drift back to "bad" thoughts.
To keep the concentration intense, we make one change each cycle . . . instead of doing five statements again, we do four statements. Then, in the next cycle, we do three statements. Then, in the next cycle, we do two statements. Then, in the next cycle, we do one statement. Then, in the next cycle, we go back to five, etc.
Is it OK to name the same things? Sure. Same or different is fine . . . just whatever comes to mind.
When do you stop? When you are as relaxed as you want to be, just stop. If you want to be more relaxed, or to fall asleep, continue.
If you lose count, that is a good sign because it means you are getting so relaxed that you are losing count.
Pleased don't do this when driving, or as they say, when operating heavy machinery : -)
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Really Did Work For Me!


I just wanted to add my voice to the chorus praising you and the SOAR program. Your program really did work for me! In the past, I either did not fly at all, or I would spend weeks in anticipatory dread and the trip itself would be ruined by my fear of the return flight. All that is gone. This year my mother fell ill and passed away, and I was able to travel frequently to visit her in Florida during this period of time. And I recently returned from a trip to France to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday. I'm planning to fly to Europe again next year, and it no longer even occurs to me to worry about the flight. That's not to say I'm completely relaxed during the flight. Honestly, it's still hard for me to be up in the air. But the overall experience is such a positive one compared to the hell I used to put myself through! And I really do credit you personally and the SOAR program. Many thanks for all your help!
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SOAR Will Work For You Too

Even if you are doubtful, SOAR nevertheless works. This is because we, with the help of brain scan research that showed us how the mind works, broke the code on flight anxiety, claustrophobia, and panic.

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.

Full Length Course

The full length SOAR Video Course on 11 DVDs provides the maximum help possible.
More info.

Accelerated Courses

Flying tomorrow or the day after? Be ready to fly in 90 minutes with Rapid Relief.

Flying in three to ten days? Get comprehensive help with SOAR Complete Relief.

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.

Everything to you need is just a click away. Start viewing on your computer two minutes from now.

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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. Or set up an appointment for us to talk by clicking this link.

We are always here to help. Every course includes at least one counseling session. As you go through the program, call or email whenever you have a question or a concern.
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Patrick's Column
Domestic tranquility? Not exactly, but Patrick has switched from flying trips to exotic cites around to world to places here in the U.S.A. It's a big change, but it's all about seniority. The more senior a pilot is, the better his or her position to choose where to fly. When there are cutbacks, your choices get cutback. It's interesting to understand more about how the job works. See Patrick's report at www.salon.com/technology/ask_the_pilot/
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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.

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.
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additional twenty-minute sessions are $60.00.
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