Hello & Welcome
Our Founder First Officer Edward West is dedicated to helping those suffering from a fear of flying, and as a result has volunteered his time and created Fear of Flying Bristol.
We are delighted to be joined by Captain Nick Gifford and our Clinical Solution Focused Hypnotherapists & Life Coaches Laura & Sophie.
Edward West
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Sophie
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Laura
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"I fully understand and empathise with your fear of flying, many years ago I suffered from a fear of flying which stopped me enjoying holidays, the absolute fear and dread I would suffer as the holiday drew closer……..
Through Clinical Solution Focused Hypnotherapy I was cured, and my fears turned to dust, I now travel all over the world and I love every minute of it (in fact, for me the flight is the best part of the holiday), we seldom pause to reflect on what an incredible feat of technology cruising through the skies are, through our sessions you will gain a new appreciation for aviation." - Sophie
Through Clinical Solution Focused Hypnotherapy I was cured, and my fears turned to dust, I now travel all over the world and I love every minute of it (in fact, for me the flight is the best part of the holiday), we seldom pause to reflect on what an incredible feat of technology cruising through the skies are, through our sessions you will gain a new appreciation for aviation." - Sophie
For the Aviophobe (fear of flying), the terror that grips them can be so paralysing, and brutal, this fear affects people in many ways, vertigo, claustrophobia….., for others its concerns about an inability to escape, some are terrified of take-offs, some fear landings, for others its turbulence, or perhaps you just always have that feeling that something bad is going to happen to your flight, the fear can be so intense that for some it can ruin the holiday, for as soon as they land they are terrified about the return flight.
Do you feel the need to take Diazepam or similar drugs to cope with the flight?
Diazepam is a sedative, which means it will make you sleepy and relaxed, this is an unnatural non-REM sleep, this means that you won’t move around as much as natural sleep. This can cause you to be at an increased risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the leg or even the lung. Blood clots are very dangerous and can prove fatal.
A small number of people find sedating drugs (benzodiazepines) have a paradoxical agitation and increased aggression, they can also cause dis-inhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety and that of your fellow passengers, and get you into trouble with the law. Also Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in a number of countries.
Some people drink to help them cope with the stress of the flight, it’s worth noting that after drinking an alcoholic drink what is known as blood alcohol content (BAC) takes between 30-60 minutes to peak and reach its maximum effect. During a flight, the barometric pressure in the cabin of a plane is lower than it is in most places on earth, as a result it can often feel as though one drink in the air is the equivalent to 2 on the land.
I don’t promise overnight fixes, as clients who initially respond to a one-off session often revert back to their old patterns of behaviour when they are in a pressurised situation.
For some clients these changes are rapid, some take a little longer. I tend to see clients for 3-4 sessions, if the phobia is deep routed it may take between 6-9 sessions to create a real and lasting change, the total number of sessions will be guided by your progress.
Facts
Do you feel the need to take Diazepam or similar drugs to cope with the flight?
Diazepam is a sedative, which means it will make you sleepy and relaxed, this is an unnatural non-REM sleep, this means that you won’t move around as much as natural sleep. This can cause you to be at an increased risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the leg or even the lung. Blood clots are very dangerous and can prove fatal.
A small number of people find sedating drugs (benzodiazepines) have a paradoxical agitation and increased aggression, they can also cause dis-inhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety and that of your fellow passengers, and get you into trouble with the law. Also Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in a number of countries.
Some people drink to help them cope with the stress of the flight, it’s worth noting that after drinking an alcoholic drink what is known as blood alcohol content (BAC) takes between 30-60 minutes to peak and reach its maximum effect. During a flight, the barometric pressure in the cabin of a plane is lower than it is in most places on earth, as a result it can often feel as though one drink in the air is the equivalent to 2 on the land.
I don’t promise overnight fixes, as clients who initially respond to a one-off session often revert back to their old patterns of behaviour when they are in a pressurised situation.
For some clients these changes are rapid, some take a little longer. I tend to see clients for 3-4 sessions, if the phobia is deep routed it may take between 6-9 sessions to create a real and lasting change, the total number of sessions will be guided by your progress.
Facts
- Statistically if a person flew on an aeroplane everyday of their life, on average it would take them nineteen thousand years before they would succumb to a fatal accident!
- The cost and duration of training pilots with a major airline is comparable to training a medical doctor.
- Back up systems have been provided for virtually every system on the aeroplane so that if one system failed, another would take its place.
- Commercial aircraft average twelve hours of maintenance on the ground for every hour spent in the air.
- Air traffic controllers train rigorously for three to four years.
- Each plane flies right down the middle of a private highway in the sky that is ten miles wide. No other plane is allowed in that space.
- Standard industry policy is to avoid all thunderstorms by at least twenty nautical miles.
- Turbulence is measured in terms of gravitational “g forces”, just like spacecraft take-off. Those moments of turbulence when you wonder if the wings will drop off are 0.4g. – such force is considered “severe” and is rarely experienced during commercial flights. But regulations require planes to be able to fly without problems through at least two g’s, and today’s manufacturers build planes that are tested to withstand 6 or 7 g’s of force, Mother Nature won’t be creating any turbulence to match that.
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Aeroplane Noises
On a typical flight, you may hear a number of sounds and sensations that are actually normal and appropriate operations:-
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- You may notice “clouds” emerge from the air conditioning ducts on the wall next to your seat or in the ceiling ducts, it is not smoke, it just looks like it. Condensation occurs when the cold air from the air conditioning system circulates into the hot, humid cabin. The cold air mixing with hot, moist air causes “clouds” of condensation.
- If you’re sitting in the middle of the aeroplane you will probably encounter more sounds prior to take-off and during the flight. All the flight controls and devices on the aeroplane are either electronically or hydraulically activated, most of the hydraulic pumps systems actuators are located in the middle of the aeroplane in its belly, close to the landing gear. Therefore, you may hear pumps that cycle on and off, you may also hear the edge flaps, the main landing gear and nose wheel, the spoilers and brakes.
- Occasionally you might feel a light bumping of the tires during take-off or landing, don’t worry the plane does not have a flat tire! – down the centre line of the runway, are reflectors that are slightly raised, if the pilot is exactly on the centre line of the runway, the front nose wheel tires will ride directly on top of the reflectors (many pilots choose to move a few inches to one side to avoid these bumps).
Commercial flights are very, very safe.
Safety is a concern of everyone who flies or contemplates it. No other form of transportation is as scrutinised, investigated and monitored as commercial aviation.
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Turbulence
Turbulence is no big deal, even though it can feel the scariest part of flying, but turbulence is no cause for alarm. Turbulence is safe and part of everyday life, like going on a boat and encountering a few waves, it can be irritating, but perfectly safe. The most common cause of turbulence is turbulent air in the atmosphere. Jet streams trigger sudden changes in wind speed that can rock the plane. |
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Another type is thermal turbulence, its created by hot rising air, usually from cumulus clouds or thunderstorms.
Mechanical turbulence is caused by landscape, mountains or tall buildings as they can distort the wind flow in the sky above.
Aeroplanes can also create turbulence, the wings create wake turbulence, this can affect planes flying behind one another, its why planes avoid taking the same flight path on
take-offs and landings.
Pilots and air traffic control do a lot to avoid turbulence, but even when they do run into it, modern aircraft are built to withstand even the most severe of turbulence.
Bings/Chimes
Intercom bings and chimes are calls indicating that one crew member wishes to speak to another, often means the flight deck are asking the cabin crew for a coffee or a cup of tea!!
Mechanical turbulence is caused by landscape, mountains or tall buildings as they can distort the wind flow in the sky above.
Aeroplanes can also create turbulence, the wings create wake turbulence, this can affect planes flying behind one another, its why planes avoid taking the same flight path on
take-offs and landings.
Pilots and air traffic control do a lot to avoid turbulence, but even when they do run into it, modern aircraft are built to withstand even the most severe of turbulence.
Bings/Chimes
Intercom bings and chimes are calls indicating that one crew member wishes to speak to another, often means the flight deck are asking the cabin crew for a coffee or a cup of tea!!
