Pilot Training

You don't have to be special to fly a plane ... just cautious and sensible

Pilot training is the most comprehensive training that any professional person will experience. As you might expect, the selection criteria are formidable, but this is not a reflection of the difficulty of the job, but rather the numbers of candidates for so few vacancies. Most would-be pilots hold a degree and many qualify in other professions before becoming pilots. For those who find a job it's the best career in the world.

International standards require pilots to be at least 21 before holding a Captains licence, although no-one ever takes command with this licence unless they also have thousands of hours flying experience as well.

After selection, a pilot will progress through more junior licences and become qualified to fly multi-engine planes, to fly at night, to fly on instruments and to be able to operate a plane in the controlled airspace that airliners fly in. The highest licence, the Airline Transport Pilots License will allow its holder to be a captain of a flight carrying fare paying passengers on aircraft of a certain size.

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Turbulence

Turbulence for fearful flyers

If you worry about turbulence, you are not alone. Even experienced travellers can get upset and alarmed by it. Turbulence isn't dangerous if you're securely strapped in but it can feel very uncomfortable.  It's often compared with driving over a bumpy road, but the difference is that you are travelling ten times as fast in a plane ... so the bumps are going to feel a lot worse.

Turbulence in flight

You can read about the movements of a plane here. The weather that causes it is explained elsewhere on this site, but it's always worth reminding you that it is the movement and collisions of air streams that cause the bumps. The obvious comparison is with the meeting of rivers where currents and eddies form as the rivers meet. The on line course will explain in greater detail why turbulence occurs and why it isn't dangerous. The pilots will have weather maps showing areas of turbulence and will plan to avoid the areas concerned when possible. Despite what you think you may have experienced, pilots are not allowed to fly closer than a certain distance from the centre of a thunderstorm.

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About noises on board

What are all those noises on board a plane?

One of the reasons our  Fear of Flying Course is so effective in overcoming the fear of flying is that you have the chance to hear those worrying noises and sounds, over and over again until you get used to them. As you know, anyone who has a fear of flying is very sensitive to the sounds on board an aircraft.

It's also true to say that there are so many noises in the course of a flight that you can be forgiven for being alarmed. Because the sounds are unfamiliar and they occur unexpectedly, the anxious flyer will associate them with danger.

• Unfamiliar noises are perceived by humans as dangerous.

• Aircraft make noises that are unfamiliar to you (but not to the crew).

• Noises in flight are normal and are not dangerous.

Remember that as an anxious flyer you will always be in a state of heightened awareness, your senses will be tuned into everything that is going on. It's hardly surprising that the noises on board will seem to be exaggerated. You should always try to remember that the noises are appropriate to what is going on during that particular stage of  your flight.

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Air Traffic Control

The job of Air Traffic Control is to keep aircraft away from each other

In the same way that there are myths about flying, there are also myths about ATC. The biggest one is that they can talk aircraft down to a safe landing. That is not the role or responsibility of ATC. The captain of the plane is responsible for the flight but has to obey ATC instructions if his/her plane is operating under those rules. A controller  instructs a pilot to fly at a certain height or speed and direction but it is up to the pilot to do it.

 

However the captain is required by law to follow those directions unless doing so would put the plane, passengers and crew at risk.  It is important to know this because it fits in with all the other myths about what ATC can and cannot do.  ATC just issue instructions to keep aircraft away from each other while they are travelling between airports. That is the 'control' part of their name. They do not 'control' the plane itself. They are unable to talk planes down. - See more...

Aircraft engineers

Aircraft engineers ... the most dedicated group of people you'll ever find

Of all the enthusiasts in aviation, the engineers are probably the most devoted to their jobs. Who else would want to work and enjoy working, in the cold or rain? And yet in all my years in aviation I never met one engineer who ever complained about working on a plane. And often you'll find them giving their expertise to private pilots or the restoration of old aircraft on their days off.

Engineers are responsible for the airworthiness of an aircraft. That is to say that their routine inspections before and after flights is an integral part of the design and operational philosophy of an aircraft. But if you see an engineer working on your aircraft just before flight, rather than say to yourself  "What's wrong?"  say to yourself  - "'I'm glad they're keeping my aircraft in perfect  condition". When a component has to be checked or replaced at least two engineers are involved.

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Flying a jet airliner

Flying a jet airliner is easier than you think

There are a couple of expressions we use in English to suggest that something is not difficult; we say it's not rocket science or we say it's not brain surgery. I want to show you that flying a jet aircraft is easier than you think.  If you start with the thought that something is difficult, it must mean that it's ten times more difficult to do if something goes wrong.

If you believe it's complicated as well as difficult then you might describe it as potentially dangerous. If you're anxious about it all, then it will be seen as dangerous. We need to dispel those myths so that you see flying for what it is ... normal. Many people feed their fear of flying because they think that flying a jet plane is difficult and demanding. By understanding it you'll see that it doesn't hold as many fears as you believe. - See more...

Movements of the plane

Movements of the plane explained for fearful flyers

The movements that you feel in a plane are not necessarily what the plane is doing. What you think the plane is doing is confused by the changes of speeds, the accelerations of the plane and the change of nose position. Although the sensations may make you more anxious there is nothing to worry about. It is not because you are fearful that you get those  'wobbly' feelings ... everyone does.

 

In fact one of the first things we teach new pilots when they learn to fly by instruments is to ignore any feelings they have about the plane's movements. If they think the plane is turning left, ignore it. If they think the plane is going up, ignore it. Everything about the plane's movements that the pilot needs to know is shown on the instruments ... everything else is wrong.  Here's why... - See more...

Weather for fearful flyers

Here's why you shouldn't be worried about the weather

Weather for fearful flyers... the first thing that you have to remember about the weather is that contrary to what you'd think ... the weather has less influence on a plane, than on road traffic. Paradoxically, it's because we can fly in bad weather that we suffer delays. It's easy to get a plane on and off the ground ... the problem is getting the pasengers to and from the plane and airport.

 

So on a day when you'd have to leave the car in the garage and stay at home ... the airlines continue operating, albeit in a limited way. That's not to say that there aren't some long delays ... of course there are but it takes time to clear a runway of snow, and when it's foggy planes can't land as frequently ... but they are  still flying. Things slow down, but they don't grind to a halt like they do on the roads.

Top Tips about weather:

• A plane cannot land or take off if the visibility or wind is outside the prescribed limits.

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In Flight Guide – £5

 

The Perfect Travelling Companion for You

Carry Captain Keith’s calmness, confidence and control with you all the way

“Relax” is the perfect pocket size guide to give you immediate support – when you need it most – with pages and pages of great tips for when you are packing, when you reach the airport and when you are on board your flight.

Perhaps you’ve been on our course; maybe you’ve read our book. And now it’s time to put it all into practice. But we know that this is the time when you need us most. “Relax” is there, supporting you, even at times when you don’t have your book to hand or can’t turn on your audio player.“Relax” is structured so that you can get to the advice you need fast. From the moment you book your flight, “Relax” will be your perfect companion, talking about what you are experiencing and advising you on ways to be in the best possible shape for your flight.

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Fly without Fear Book – £14.99

 

Get all of Captain Keith’s lifetime of experience and advice in one updated volume

Learning to fly without fear can be a “light bulb moment” for some, a longer journey for others.  Whatever the nature of your fear of flying, having the right information, logically structured, cogently presented and expertly written, at your fingertips, can make all the difference.

Now, Captain Keith Godfrey and Dr. Alison Smith have brought together their three volumes of information, experience, advice and help in one convenient, updated volume.  It is there to reiterate and remind, to reassure and relax.

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4 CD Help Set – £24.99

 

An experience of flying you will actually enjoy.

Our unique four CD set includes all the sound effects of flight and a calming commentary with explanations that will make you laugh.

Experience a take-off and landing. Find out exactly what you need to know at every moment in a flight. Enjoy hearing the answers to questions you hadn’t dared ask.

Do you want to overcome your fear of flying? Hundreds of people have overcome theirs with this comprehensive four CD course, because it:

• Allows you to experience a virtual flight in a relaxed, enjoyable way
• Is comprehensive yet concise – every explanation covers exactly what you need to know, when you need to know it
• Includes sound effects, so you'll hear the wheels and flaps , you'll hear the engines starting and you'll even hear a commentary from the flight

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Fear of Flying Ground Courses – £175

 

 Price: £175.00 

Overcome your fear of flying, book a fear of flying course today and take that vital first step.

Personalised, piloted, pleasurable, practical and proven – our fear of flying courses have helped hundreds of fearful flyers take to the skies with confidence.

Facilitated by a very experienced and understanding airline pilot, and set near The Departure Lounge cafe, our aircraft cabin, our maximum of five-delegate-only courses feature maximum one-to-one attention and provides an enjoyable and relaxed atmosphere. Most of all, our fear of flying courses work!
What is your fear of flying stopping you from doing? Visiting family abroad? Taking that dream holiday? Perhaps even getting promotion at work?

You have a world to gain, and nothing to lose.

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Your Personal One to One Ground Course

 

Overcome your fear of flying, book a one to one fear of flying course today and take that vital first step.

Price: £225.00 

Personalised, piloted, pleasurable, practical and proven – our one to one fear of flying courses have helped hundreds of fearful flyers take to the skies with confidence.

Facilitated by a very experienced and understanding airline pilot, and set near The Departure Lounge  cafe, our aircraft cabin, our maximum of  five-delegate-only courses feature maximum one to one attention  and provides an enjoyable and relaxed atmosphere. Most of all, our one to one fear of flying courses work!

What is your fear of flying stopping you from doing? Visiting family abroad? Taking that dream holiday? Perhaps even getting promotion at work?

You have a world to gain, and nothing to lose.

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