Local Weather for Appleton, WI
81°
27°
°F | °C
Mostly Cloudy
Humidity: 41%
Wind: W at 8 mph
Thu
62 |
81
16 |
27
Fri
64 |
76
17 |
24
Sat
65 |
76
18 |
24
Sun
67 |
81
19 |
27
| Taking therapy to the skies |
 |
 Travelers ‘Takeoff’ with new solution to the fear of flying By Jennifer Droese “Ladies and gentlemen, please sit back and enjoy your flight.” Sometimes, that task is easier said than done. Air travel as a mode of transportation has become more common these days, but so has the fact millions of people find it downright frightening. Due to a fear of flying, many travelers choose to fly only when completely necessary, while some have opted out of using air travel. Nearly 3 million passengers fly every day worldwide, and according to the Air Transportation Association of America, 1 out of every 3 will have a fear of flying to some degree. Between medication and relaxation, to keeping busy on the plane, many passengers are left to face their fears in their chairs in the sky. However, there is a new book for those who dread the terminals, a manual-like program to reduce and potentially eliminate the fear of flying. Anxiety aside, this may do the trick. Rich Presta, author and creator of the Take Off Today! program, knows firsthand what it is like to be afraid of flying. “I began writing books on overcoming fear and anxiety based on my own experiences” said Presta. Presta is an internationally recognized self-improvement expert on overcoming panic attacks and anxiety. Anxiety is one of the major factors attacking fearful flier’s spirits. Presta has worked with many clinical psychologists as well as other mental health professionals to develop his program. He has also worked with aircraft mechanics, flight attendants and air traffic controllers when developing his guides. An additional field of expertise Presta worked closely with was commercial pilots. While researching for his guide, he teamed up with U.S. Airways pilot and Wisconsin-native Jeffrey Skiles. Skiles was recognized in January 2009 when both the engines on Flight 1549 malfunctioned, causing an emergency landing into the Hudson River. After his ordeal, Skiles too became quite fearful of flying. “No one had more reason to be afraid of flying than I did” said Skiles, “despite that life-changing experience, I was back in the cockpit only a few weeks later without even a twinge of fear because I understood what flying was all about.” Skiles, a contributor to the Take Off Today! Program, believes the advice highlighted in the guide will help those afraid to fly learn to cope and overcome their fears. “You will discover how to fly in comfort and confidence” said Skiles. So why exactly are so many people afraid to fly in planes? Presta explains two common reasons. “I believe people suffer unnecessarily with fears about flying for two main reasons” he said. “First, a lack of understanding about how planes fly, and (second) the lack of trust in themselves and their ability to confidently handle their own anxiety and fear while on board. “I think the biggest misconception about flying is that the plane can ‘fall’ from the sky,” said Presta, “which simply isn’t possible by the laws of physics.” Additionally, many people fear getting in an accident. “Thirty years ago, fatal accidents on commercial jetliners occurred approximately once in every 140 million miles flown” said Presta. “Today, it’s 1.4 billion miles flown for every fatal accident: a ten-fold safety improvement.” Nintey-six percent of people survive airline accidents. In addition to the constant worry about crashing, Presta believes many travelers simply do not have faith in themselves when flying, or the professionals on the job. “You need to trust the plane and the people who work in aviation” said Presta, “you don’t need to concern yourself with the plane crashing or wonder how the heck that huge airplane stays up there.” Hearing heroic stories about pilots who have dealt with crisis situations can assure passenger’s of the professional’s expertise and flying credentials. “Working with Jeffrey (Skiles) showed me and the rest of the world just how highly skilled, trained and deserving of our trust and respect pilots and flight crew really are,” said Presta. “They are more than equipped to handle even the worst of situations that could occur on board the airplane.” More importantly on the line of reliance is trusting in yourself. “My first suggestion to anyone afraid to fly is to learn the truth about flying and not what you think the truth is” said Presta, “this is often enough for those without severe fear.” All in all, learning to stay calm, and to trust aviation professionals and yourself may increase your chances of flying with confidence. For those who have a fear of flying, informative materials to deal with anxiety and flying can be viewed on the program website at TakeOffToday.com. “The best (part) about working with Jeffrey was his willingness to help others and his selflessness in doing so,” said Presta. “His story and fearless return to the cockpit is truly inspirational.” In that sense, flying doesn’t sound too bad. |
