A Confession
As some of you may know, despite my part-time job as a Fear Dragon, I am also an airline pilot with some 20 years experience. Despite my consummate skill at this craft I must share with you a dark...
View ArticleWhat Happens if an Engine Fails?
A discussion on a Fear of Flying forum upon which I occasionally post raised a very interesting conversation regarding engine failures in airliners. The person who raised it had been on a flight which...
View ArticleTurb Tales: An Introduction
It probably comes as no surprise that turbulence is the single most common thing that disturbs anxious flyers. I thought it might be helpful to run through a discussion about "the dreaded turb"....
View ArticleTurb Tales: Wake Turbulence
Have you ever felt, on an otherwise smooth flight, an unexpected jolt of turbulence completely out of the blue? It does happen from time to time, and for some anxious flyers this unexplained event can...
View ArticleWhat I learned from going blind in space
Astronaut Chris Hadfield, recently returned from a 6-month stint on the International Space Station, gives a TED talk in which he discusses fear and one way to overcome it. Rather than pretend risk...
View ArticleHow Many People Are Afraid To Fly?
A commonly quoted "statistic" is that 1-in-4 people are afraid to fly. Given that 78 percent of all statistics are made up, where does this "1-in-4" number come from? Respectable research on Fear of...
View ArticleDeep Breathing Exercises
The body and mind are linked! Who'd have thought? We've all experienced physical symptoms when anxious or stressed... symptoms like rapid shallow breathing, quickened pulse, sweaty clammy hands, queasy...
View ArticleThe Amazing Jet Engine
You might enjoy this promo video from a jet engine manufacturer, showing some of the certification testing they must do before their engines are allowed on an airliner. I hadn't seen this one before......
View ArticleDynamic Stability & Turbulence
One of the interesting things I have learned about aviation over the years is of the "stability" of an aircraft in turbulence... It is not a "static" stability (like a three legged table sitting on...
View ArticleSuzie Goes on an Aeroplane
Bought to our attention by our friends at Virgin's Flying Without Fear course in the UK, children's author Charlotte Olson has written a beaut kid's book aimed at helping ease the fear of young...
View ArticleUnusual Noises: Squealing Doors
For anxious flyers, "unusual" noises can get your pulse racing and trigger the imagination (usually for the worse!). Many such noises are regular occurrences on every flight (such as machinery noises...
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