Case Study – USA, Dallas to Las Vegas
I have been involved in fear of flying for over 40 years, mainly to help nervous flyers originally using our own flight simulator.
However, I was on the way home from carrying out another course in a simulator based in Somerset when I received an email. I almost dismissed it thinking it must be a joke! I was astonished to learn the email was sent from the USA from an extremely worried and nervous fear of flyer. I then remembered speaking to this person at length, almost a year ago on Zoom, trying to instil some of my experience to help their fear. I was being asked to travel to Dallas to help a person with this very genuine fear.
What then followed became a month’s work of preparation and planning for a trip to the States.
It turned out my client’s mother had carried out months of research to try and find a course that dealt with the fear the way that our Course tackles it. After a six-month worldwide search and an unsuccessful attempt to get on a flight to Las Vegas they had been unable to find an equivalent course. Unbelievable when you think of the size of America! However, on the actual flight to Las Vegas this was confirmed by the very helpful cabin crew on board the American Airways flight.
The planning for a course like this has to be 100% as from such a distance there is no scope for errors. I phoned Dallas to commence planning my schedule like a true airline training course, I pre booked a two-hour simulator slot on the Boeing 737.
I had visited the training centre the previous day to familiarise myself with the location and then prepared to meet my client for the first-time face to face, having only met several times before via zoom!
Normally on the course I get to chat about the person, their life and what is the root cause of the problem for approximately an hour before the simulator sessions, so it was lovely to have all evening to chat over a meal in a very relaxed way before then. This approach helps enormously to listen to their true fears and concerns under no pressure and helps build confidence and trust in myself and the Course.
The simulator session took place early next morning where the normal flight profile took place, this time with some added differences. It was great to see all the scenery from the front of the aircraft before seeing it for real. The simulator flight was carried out in the same way I always plan for these flights operating the aircraft landing automatically with the client operating everything to make this happen. We added in a go-around, turbulence, and a single engine approach, building in massive confidence in the aircraft and my client.
The plan then was to fly from Dallas to Las Vegas the following day, which was exactly the same route we had carried out in the Simulator.
The next day arrived after a de-brief and another chat over a meal. We planned an early arrival at the airport to help desensitise the fear around the process involved at the check in.
American Airlines throughout the process were professional and friendly and I had organised pre-boarding on to the aircraft which was an Airbus 321. I have around eleven thousand flying hours on this type of aircraft so was able to explain in detail all the controls. The pre visit to the flight deck helped in so many ways, meeting the flight deck crew and seeing again all the screens and controls were recognised by my client from the day before in the Simulator.
I use a very powerful technique called visualisation as part of my Fear of Flying Course. I had arranged for my clients wife to sit next to him on one side with me on the other. Although nervous he enjoyed the process of describing the whole flight to both of us. For the first time in numerous years a successful flight to Las Vegas happened. Three days later we then flew back to Dallas. A second successful flight was achieved and my client was delighted.
Later that day I boarded my flight back to the UK very happy with the result of a very unusual Fear of Flying Course.
I received a lovely email from a grateful mother who had lots more family trips planned in the future. One thing that makes my course very different from other courses is my promise to be available to talk again if needed, at any time, but I really don’t think it will be necessary in this case.