Conquer your fear of flying with the new SOAR Video Course available online and on eleven DVDs

Fear of Flying : Flight Difficulty
Are you concerned about physical safety when flying -or how to control high anxiety, claustrophobia or panic?  We can help with your fear of flying and we guarantee it.

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Our Guarantee
When you fly after completing the Guaranteed Course, if unsatisfied with the improvement, you receive a full refund.

We offer this remarkable guarantee, because we are sure we can teach you to control feelings automatically as we have with thousands of others, most of whom thought nothing would work for their fear of flying. Of the thousands completing the Guaranteed SOAR Course, refund requests can be counted on one hand.

Included in the Guaranteed Complete Course

11 DVDs teach how flying works, the psychology of anxiety, and how to control feelings of fear when flying.

2 hours of individual counseling with licensed therapist and airline captain Tom Bunn LCSW - tailored to your needs - will establish automatic control of high anxiety and claustrophobia , making panic a thing of the past .

A free copy of "Take Me Along" for you iPod, laptop or other MP4 device. Captain Tom coaches you through your flight, telling you what the sounds mean, showing you what makes them, and letting you see what the pilots see in the cockpit during takeoff and landing.

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Fear of Flying Rapid Courses:

Rapid Relief

Rapid Relief concentrates on control of high anxiety, claustrophobia and panic. It provides the most effective help possible for fear of flying in a very short time. Perfect for major improvement if you are flying tomorrow or the next day.

Complete Relief - with Free "Take Me Along"

Complete Relief first teaches you to control feelings of fear, and then explains how flying works. You get "Take Me Along" free for your iPod or laptop so Captain Tom can coach you through the flight.

More info

How SOAR Controls Feelings
We human beings are born with only half of the emotion regulation system in place, the part that revs us up. The part of the brain that will later calm us down does not exist. Its physical development begins at ten months, and is completed by eighteen months.

Calming Has To Be Learned
During this time, caregivers provide calming. Slowly, the infant memorizes the steps caregivers use. Caregivers – regardless how much they care – vary in ability to provide effective calming. As a result, on a scale of zero to ten, a few of us develop a “ten” level of ability to calm ourselves. This means there is an ability to automatically control anxiety.

Without Optimal Self-Calming
Most of us get far less. But we can compensate for getting less than a "ten" in two ways:

1. Control. We try to remove uncertainty by controlling every situation.
2. Escape. If control is not assured, we make sure there is a way to get out, in case it is needed.

Flying Takes Away Our Means To Compensate
Flying takes away our ability to compensate. We have no control of the plane. We have no way to escape the plane.

The Answer
People who got a "ten" don't have trouble when they fly. Their ability to calm themselves automatically was built in before age two. That points to the answer: build in more automatic calming so you can fly like they do.

High anxiety and panic develop rapidly. The only way to prevent distress when flying is adequate calming that works unconsciously and automatically.

SOAR teaches you how to control the feelings automatically. Once automatic control is established, you will fly - no matter how doubtful you may be now - like everyone else does. When you fly, you will be amazed. You will wonder what happened to the feelings.

 

Comparative effectiveness of flight anxiety treatments and programs

Generally Unreliable

• Aroma Therapy and Homeopathic Remedies
• Medication (various benzodiazepines)

Research published by the British medical journal Lancet asserts homeopathic cures to be placebo effect. (see research)

Research at the Stanford University School of Medicine showed a ten-fold increase in panic during flight when medication was taken. During flight, 71% of the fearful fliers receiving alprazolam (Xanax) had panic attacks compared with only 7% receiving a placebo. Panic is due to reduced cognitive ability when medicated, and what is feared is believed to be happening. For example, in turbulence, the medicated passenger believes the plane is falling. Instead of recognizing the terror was imaginary, they believe the flight nearly crashed and medication enabled them to endure the terror. Additional medicated flying only increases the trauma, until the person becomes unable to fly. See research

The World Health Organization recommends against sedation when flying due to heightened risk of DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis). See research

Somewhat Effective

• Reassurance Courses

Online Reassurances Courses. Pilots who are not - as SOAR founder Capt. Tom Bunn LCSW is – professionally trained licensed therapists, mistakenly believe phobia can be cured by learning how safe flying is. Though course participants are helped intellectually, they are not helped emotionally. Relaxation exercises offered are, according to research, completely ineffective. See research

Group Reassurance Courses. SOAR was the largest provider of group courses nationwide until research showed far better results were obtained when the person going through the course maintained control, learned information at their own pace, received individual counseling by phone, and took a flight only when ready. At times, airlines have offered group courses. When American Airlines hired a psychologist to conduct a group course, he consulted SOAR Founder Capt. Tom Bunn who advised him that group courses have major drawbacks that he would need to address:

1. Anxiety about the "graduation flight" makes it difficult to focus on course information.
2. Course length does not permit enough repetition to make learning permanent.
3. On the “graduation flight” participants depend on the group and the instructor for emotional support instead of learning to rely on themselves.
4. Relaxation exercises do not control anxiety or panic.
5. Attention to individual needs is limited.

After a short time, American Airlines discontinued the course. Group courses have claimed 90% success, based on the percentage taking the "graduation flight". Though able to fly with support from the group and the instructor, most who were unable to fly before the course are unable to fly solo after the course. Most participants show no improvement when tested six months later.

• VRET (virtual reality exposure therapy)

The psychologist who conducted the initial VRET research consulted Capt. Tom Bunn, before and after the research. VRET was unable to produce better results than comparison treatment consisting of sitting on a parked plane and pretending to fly. Yet, its promoters continue to claim it is effective. See info

• Hypnosis
• NLP
• EMDR
• Exposure Therapy (in vitro)
• Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
• EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques)

Capt. Bunn trained in each these treatments in search for a solution. Each provided some, but not sufficient, benefit.

Effective in most cases

• SOAR CBT-based Program (1982 - 1999)

In 1982 SOAR introduced the first fear of flying program based on CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). The program was rated “highly effective” with most clients by independent university research. CBT techniques, however, did not work for everyone. Clients whose anxiety developed slowly found CBT effective, but clients whose anxiety or panic developed rapidly could not gain control through CBT.

 

Exceptionally Effective

• SOAR – Comprehensive Integrated Program (2000 - Present)

In 2000, SOAR introduced a method to automatically control high anxiety, claustrophobia, and panic. Recognizing that no single methodology is universally effective, SOAR employs a comprehensive and integrated approach consisting of automatic control, backup control, CBT, and aeronautic information (how flying works; how safety systems protect; what each sound and sensation is; what it means).

Though SOAR graduates learn CBT and other anxiety control techniques, most graduates use these as backups. They find automatic control established through six to eight guided training sessions stops anxiety, claustrophobia, and panic when flying. Occasionally, a client presents a special challenge that requires us to find new ways to provide help. That, of course, extends the knowledge base that makes it possible for us to help every client attain success.