The Fear of Flying 2016

 With the best will in the world it’s almost impossible to singlehandedly maintain two social networks three websites a worldwide social forum without occasionally falling behind.

In addition at the end of last year I was persuaded to separate the help and commerce sites that were previously on a combined site.This blog then is the first for a long while , too long a while but it is going to be at the top of future tasks.

Recently I have been dealing with a number of people who have had particular problems with their fear of flying, it has resulted in many telephone calls several meetings, trips to airports and some simulator flights.

What it has shown me is that many fearful flyers have a determination to succeed that it can be an inspiration to others. It would be wrong of me to identify those people because their fear is personal to them. I try to speak only generically when people approach me and when they succeed.

I have a regular email newsletter for which you can sign up to very easily if you go to this home page and click the green Button.

I shall add another blog page this week. I will write about why you needn’t worry if everyone in the check in queue has an enormous amount of baggage with them. The plane will never be too heavy to take off.

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Captain Keith

Flying a plane in cross-winds

Cross-winds are like currents and tides in rivers, seas and oceans

But you never hear that a boat is dealing with a cross-tide! It's just accepted that the water in a river or in the sea isn't always moving in the same direction that a boat wants to travel. So ... if you have a fear of flying, this page about cross-winds will help you to realise that to the planes and pilots it's all very easy. Go to the weather page to find out more about winds and how they occur.

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The website, Forum and on-line course of Flying

When I started the flyingwithoutfear.com website over thirteen  years ago it was called scared of flying.com

We were the first website helping fearful flyers to post videos and we were the first to have extensive,  free help.  It ran into over 150 pages of information. We were so successful that most of what we did was copied*. Unfortunately for our competitors just para phrasing and reworking sentences doesn’t work. A statement of fact is a statement of fact but to help a fearful flyer it has to be in context, it shouldn’t be dumbed down and it should be free of mis interpretation.

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How to Overcome your Fear of Flying

This, and Premium are the biggest resources for fearful flyers anywhere on the internet. However you feel right now, please be confident that you can, and you will, overcome your fear of flying - because most people who do something about it, succeed. We'll get you flying ... that's our promise.

1. Don’t hope for a miracle cure because they don’t exist.
2. Don’t think that that suddenly one day something will just change, because it won’t.
3. Don’t keep delaying action in the hope that your fear will go away on its own, because it won’t.

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Fear of flying Blog helpful to fearful flyers

It seems that there has been nothing of great importance in the last few months that has been of significance to fearful flyers.

As a result this blog has been rather quiet. With the introduction of the new on line course our attention has been focussed on the glitches that occur on any new website. However much we have tried to make the experience problem free, there have been some unexpected out turns.

Until the next time we’re confident that the site is running as we planned.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the on line course, here are a few details.

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The personal fear of flying course

I never ask people for testimonials and neither do I take’ before and after’ videos. To me, helping people to overcome their fear of flying is a private contract between me and my customers. Some people may want to keep their fears private and not advertise to friends and workmates this part of their life.

Nothing would promote this course more than smiling faces telling the world how wonderful they feel and how they now plan to see the world. But that’s not our style, we’ll leave the bragging to the big brands.

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A New Book

Someone in my family bought me an early Christmas present. It is the story of the airfield where I learnt to fly and where I first instructed.

There’s a ‘poem’  on page 77 telling the tale of a young pilot and  a new aeroplane. Unfortunately the plane was called a  Condor and so, Keith and the Condor was inevitably the title.

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Difficult airports

There are no such places as difficult or dangerous airports

Let's deal with the frequently asked question, "Are some airports more difficult  than others to land at?" And the answer is no,  there are no such airports. To the question "Do some airports have restrictions on their use?" The answer is "Yes". When there are restrictions and limitations at an airport, pilots have to either watch a video or visit the airport under supervision.

But that doesn't make them difficult and ... see Premium on line for more help and useful information  There is no point in my telling you things that aren't true, because that would discredit everything on this site.

Before an airline can operate with fare paying passengers it has to meet all sorts of requirements regarding the legality and safety of its method of operating. Clearly a small charter company, operating between small airports, would have different requirements compared with an international airline, but that doesn't mean that the standards are lower.

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Successful Strategy to Overcome Your Fear of Flying

Let us help you to build a successful strategy to overcome your fear of flying

There are very few worthwhile things that can be achieved without a plan. Without a plan you don't know how you're doing compared with the  goal that you've set. I don't fly without a flight plan, and you wouldn't want me to ... now it's your turn to have one. You need a strategy to overcome your fear of flying. You must always remember that most people overcome their fear of flying.

 

Normalise flying because IT IS normal

Despite whatever you feel and however bad things may seem, you will overcome your fear if you stick at it. First, you have to know clearly what the nature of your fear is.

• What actually causes the feelings of fear?
• What are the thoughts that go on to make you react to being in a plane?
• Why have previous attempts to overcome your fear failed?

To overcome your fear of flying you've got to have a plan.

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About Flying without fear.com

Mission

We want to help you to realise your dreams of taking a holiday, visiting friends, taking promotion or just being more relaxed when you fly. 

 

The information here is unequalled on the internet, it is presented in a way that will help you to overcome your fear of flying. We want you to feel confident that we will do everything we can to support and guide you on your journey. 

 

We want your experience here to be one that you enjoy and that you'll remember. Our fear of flying community has almost 2500 members around the world and many stay in touch and give support when flights are being taken. If you like what we do please spread the word.

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Fear of flying Help Videos

Videos that will help you to overcome fear of flying

 

This sample video page is to help you to overcome your fear of flying. They will help you to understand and  'normalise'  flying.

De-bunk the myths and mis-understandings about flying. But don't just

If your anxiety levels rise that's good, because you can see that they will go up and then become steady ... your anxiety levels will not keep increasing. Learn to get used to your feelings.watch them once ... watch them over and over again until you're bored and so used to them that they're 'normal' to you. - See more...

Fear of Flying Support Network

 

Join the biggest FREE support network for fearful flyers here

Our social support network brings together people from all over the world to share their experiences and feelings about their fears.

Sharing is a very effective way of dealing with a fear of flying. Firstly, it shows that no-one is alone with their fear,  secondly it shows that many people have the same worries about flying, and thirdly it shows that encouragement and support is a vital part of managing your fear.

There are some amazing stories in the community,  people who would never have believed that they could fly, manage to get to Australia and back from the UK.

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Top Tips for fearful flyers

 

Have confidence that, despite all your feelings, flying is normal.

Although you may not believe it,  flying an airliner  is NOT complicated or difficult.

Flying and safety is most definitely NOT in the hands of chance or the Gods.

To overcome your worries about flying you must have a plan.

We have suggested an action plan  and strategy on this site.

Flying is safe because of the laws of physics and gravity.

Remember, flying is much safer than you think.

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An overview of Flying for Fearful Flyers from Captain Keith

Flying is a subject that is normally surrounded in mystery. Flying is a normal thing to do for many people. I hope that everything on this site will help to normalise flying for you.  There's no doubt that it will be beneficial for you to understand the circumstances in which commercial planes operate. So what I'm going to do on this page is explain how I see flying ... the things that I have taken for granted from the moment I started flying, up until this very moment.

The site you can trust

Let me start though, by saying how I think you see flying. You probably see it as a risky environment where a lot of things are left to chance, or if not left to chance, surrounded by such unpredictable circumstances that it might as well all be left to chance. That is not true, nothing is ever left to chance. Flying is not balanced on a knife edge ... flying is normal. - See more...

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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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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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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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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Speech at the World Fear of Flying Conference

Extract from Captain Keith Godfrey’s speech at World Fear of Flying Conference hosted by ICAO in Montreal, Canada.

The use of pilot training skills in the support of anxious passengers.

Good afternoon and may I thank the organisers for this opportunity to speak at the conference. Because I’m a pilot I’m naturally enthusiastic about all pilots being involved in helping passengers who are anxious about flying. I am sure that their modern training skills can be applied very effectively for this reason.
There is I believe a direct comparison between Cognitive behavioural therapy and modern airline pilot training methods and, though I have no clinical training, from the reading that I have done, in particular from the Psychological Perspectives on Fear of Flying the two processes seem, and I stress the word seem, to have considerable common ground. My expertise is as a pilot I have 43 years of flying training from beginners to the training pilots to become trainers and examiners, applying the skills that I am about to describe.
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