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Need to say a huge thank you to you and everyone involved in your organization. I have just returned from The Seychelles on my Honeymoon. I have also been up and had my first flying lesson, none of which would have been possible without your support and help. Many thanks and I will stay in touch.
NEIL D
My fear of flying all started around 6 years ago. Why? I have no idea. I don't remember a 'bad' flight or a problem with any aircraft. Previous to that I spent 4 years working on cruise ships all over the world and part of the fun was the long distance flights involved. What I hadn't realised was happening until I spoke to Susie at length, was that I was building up a mental scenario of associating flying with leaving. There was a certain sadness with leaving home every few months then leaving my ship on the return journey. This as I now understand it was probably the seed that started my fear of flying. I unfortunately around the time I really started getting nervous of flying suffered a clinical breakdown due to other situations in my life. With counselling and medication however I got back on track but I now had a real fear of flying which was not helped by a bumpy flight back from Madeira 4 years ago. The final crunch came 2 years ago when my wife and 2 year old child were flying to Corsica. About a month before we flew I started having mild panic attacks about the flight. These got worse as the flight got closer. The week before we flew my mind was totally preoccupied about the flight and it was all I could talk about. I was talking to everyone about air disasters, crash statistics, anything to make my fear as real as possible. If you are reading this then I am sure you know what I am talking about!! The morning of the flight I was hoping for any scenario not to get on the plane. Illness, broken bones and even a car crash. I was eventually talked onto the plane by my wife and the flight out was uneventful. We spent a week in Corsica but it was no real holiday. Guess what, all I talked about was the flight home. The last night of our holiday I spent in our room curled up panicking about the flight back. The flight back was 2 hours but with 1 hour to go we hit my worst nightmare. 'Turbulence'! It was enough to have the crew buckled in for the last hour with trays of food being left under seats. We had what I considered a bad landing and that was that. I swore I would never fly again. How happy was I?? Last year we went to the South of France and instead of a 2 hour flight each way, we drove and it was a 5 day journey. If you are a nervous flyer then what the hell, at least I didn't have to get on a plane. After trying various courses and techniques I had to give it one last try so I contacted Virtual Aviation. I won't spend time going into what happened or how they did it as if you call Susie she will give you a far better explanation but all I can say is after spending a morning with the team, the word flying and 'normal' now go together. No magic, no hypnosis, and no certificate at the end just an understanding of my fear, flying and what is normal. Part of the advice was to take a short flight within a month of the course without the children. My wife and I flew to Jersey. I spent the whole week beforehand waiting for the fear to strike. It never arrived. I got to the airport that morning and almost tried to talk myself into a panic attack but nothing happened. I am not saying I was totally fear-free but I was in control. The flight out had a few bumps and my heart was pounding but I knew exactly what was happening. It was 'normal'. Again, the flight back was a little bumpy and not what I describe as the most enjoyable experience but hey, I was flying. By the time I got home I was shattered but happy. We have now booked a holiday to Greece in June with the whole family which is my next challenge. The negative thoughts have stopped and I am just looking forward to getting there and enjoying the holiday. The flight is just part of it. Of course I would rather take a boat the whole way but I know that is not practical and for the sake of 4 hours slight discomfort, I'm up for it. I have even stopped calling planes aircraft and I call them sky buses as it is more 'normal'. I know it is a long note but it helped me so much reading other peoples experiences of flying and the course. A massive thanks to Susie for all your help and continued support and to the team. Also to Mark my pilot on the simulator who hammered home the word 'normal' into my mind and dropped the word 'Turbulence' from my vocabulary. A bit of 'Chop' never hurt anyone! Also for removing the word 'bad' from any sentence with the word flying or landing in it. Finally, to anyone thinking about taking this course. Go ahead and give it a go. Yes it is expensive but compared to the cost of never flying again it is a drop in the ocean. In 2 hours I went from never wanting to fly, to flying the Airbus A320 simulator and almost enjoying it!
MARK STRODE
Thank you very much indeed for organising my fear of flying session last week (and thank you for arranging it at such short notice). I enjoyed meeting both of you, Keith and Mark. The session was exactly what I needed - plenty of data and plenty of experience in the simulator. I thought that both Keith and Mark were very good at helping me through the issues. My flight back to Chicago was good, a big plane and smooth flying conditions helped. I was able to practice many of the things that I had learnt in the simulator. Being able to visualise the flight deck and realising that the plane was riding over, not through, the bumps was very helpful indeed. I also liked the notion of the ‘nuisance factor’. Thank you again for a very helpful session.
CHRISTOPHER A
I attended a course last June and spoke to Susie shortly afterwards following getting on a flight to Manchester. I’d like to let her know that last weekend I took up a light aircraft and flew it myself! I really enjoyed it and will be piloting the plane again in a couple of weeks, followed by a trip to Berlin. Thanks for your help on the course.
SOPHIE J (letter 1 of 2)
I said I'd let you have an update after I came back from Berlin. Well, I did it - got on the plane and although I was nervous on the way out I was completely fine on the way back! I had an excellent trip and think that I'm totally cured now! Thanks for all your encouragement.
SOPHIE J (letter 2 of 2)
I am so very grateful for all of your time and patience with me at the Fear of Flying course at Heathrow Airport. Knowing I was flying to Australia a week later made the experience seem ‘real’. This course helped me enormously. Usually on a flight I tense up at EVERY movement - not this time - I strapped myself in tight and repeated Keith’s words, “turbulence is uncomfortable but not dangerous”, repeated over and over in the way Bruce the shark in ‘Finding Nemo’ says “fish are friends not food”! To say it went better than usual is a massive understatement given the fact I slept for a lot of the journey. This has never happened before because I was far too tense to allow sleep to even figure. As you can imagine I used to be exhausted by the time we arrived at our destination - not this time!! I even sat next to my husband (instead of my fidgety chatty little girl who is a huge distraction) for a while towards the end of the journey - again unheard of. After experiencing different levels of turbulence on the simulator it felt good to know, as James said, that I would never experience anything as bad as the severe turbulence. This also helped - remembering him saying that put any turbulence experienced into perspective. Keith’s happy “let’s get on with it then” attitude was perfect for me. I was afraid I would get upset but he seems to sense this and jollies you along - just what I needed. He has humanised the experience. It’s just a job to him - full-time, leave the house, go to work and come home. This is obvious but I always felt my flight was the last. Talking with Susie before and after my flight made me realise not only what a patient soul she is (I have been known to waffle) but also she highlighted things which others take for granted which I had achieved. For example, whilst waiting for the loo, being told to sit down by the steward because of turbulence and me telling him that I would when I had ‘been’! This, in the past, would have been THE INCIDENT. I had forgotten about it until we had our chat. On our return journey the pilot announced we may experience some turbulence while crossing India because of a monsoon. Though massively interesting - not the best thing for me to hear - I would usually panic inside but there seems to have been a shift in my thinking - a ‘what can I do about it anyway’ kind of it attitude. Also whilst approaching Manchester I experienced the worst turbulence I have ever felt and many people said “Whooooo!” It was like being on a roller-coaster for a few seconds. Now I am someone who “Whooo’s” all the time when made to jump (bit of a family joke) BUT NOT THIS TIME!! It wasn’t me! You really have helped me so much I think it’s become infectious because my brother who hasn’t flown for over 10 years is flying to Portugal on Sunday 10 October. He also says he isn’t going to think about it too much. That’s the overriding feeling I have - Keith said it and it’s “learn to trust”. Do you know what? I did and it felt great. Thanks to you all so much - you really are lovely, patient and understanding people and this letter is getting far too slushy! Take care, love to you all.
LORNA H
Sorry I haven't called - things have been hectic since I got back from the US. The good news is that everything went well. In fact, I really enjoyed the flight out even though there were a couple of patches of turbulence. I didn't feel anxious at all especially as the aircraft was so quiet (Airbus A340). Being able to visualise what was going on in the cockpit was really such a help. Without that, I'm not sure it would have been so straightforward. Having Keith's book to refer to was a comfort too, although I didn't need to during the flight. Anyway, I'm looking forward to jetting somewhere else soon. Probably Germany in a week or two. Thank you all so much - I will be recommending the course to anyone and everyone!
FIONA H
I just wanted to say a huge thank you to you all for the experience I have had this summer with Virtual Aviation. Having had my simulator session in the middle of August I was determined to book a holiday ASAP and took the bull by the horns and booked an absolutely fabulous to the Algarve the very next day. Made even better by the fact it was a last-minute deal, hot, sunny and luxurious. From the moment I came across your website on the internet I knew that giving your approach to fear of flying was the right direction for me. I had gone to a BA (Aviatours) course some years ago, but this lacked the personal and individual approach and I did not fly again soon enough to put the skills and knowledge into practice. In fact I realise now that it did not help me to understand the fear or demystify flying. If anything it made me more focused on just using relaxation techniques and mental coaching to cope, which I have since realised was my biggest downfall in perpetuating the issue. I have to say that the whole package you provide in terms of customer service, expertise, approach, techniques, counselling and support are all excellent. From my first phone conversation with James, it was immediately apparent that you were an organisation who were passionate about what you do and that your priority is to help people overcome their fear of flying and unlock their freedom to enjoy exploring the world either again or for the first time. The flexibility and individuality of the programme is fantastic and the amount of personal time you all dedicate to this work is a true reflection of how much it means to you to help people with all levels of fear. Of course I realise even more so now that it is with Susie whom we all develop an extraordinary and lasting bond. Within seconds of starting a conversation with her as a stranger on the phone we begin divulging all sorts of things to her. Before the flight simulation day it is Susie who is our main focus, motivator, confidante and confidence builder – when we meet on the day it’s like seeing an old friend who introduces you to a load of her pals. I am amazed at all the testimonials on the website where people refer to Susie and all of you in a way you would a very close and trusted friend – that is the impact you have and this is obviously part of the key to success within the programme. Working with and talking to the pilots who impart their knowledge and demystify the whole thing about flying is absolutely vital at the early stage of the simulator session. They normalise flying and the ‘ordinary’ days work they do. They also dispel much of the scare mongering and media focus on negative flying events. I feel very privileged to have had Keith as the Captain on the day, thank you for your forthright approach and for a copy of your book which was read within 24 hours. Thank you to Mark for your matter of fact approach – perhaps it’s not too late for me to train as an air hostess! To James for making it all happen on the day and the frequent looks and words of reassurance throughout. And to Anthony who shared the fear – I hope you have succeeded in your summer flying plans. Being in the mental health profession I often analyse things in a bit too much depth, but I found the entire ‘process’ and techniques you use in the programme quite fascinating. At times I felt like I was going through a finely tuned process (not in a bad way) and at other times it felt entirely geared to me and Anthony. Going through the analysis and ‘you time’ with Susie in the preparation phase, onto the formality of turning up at the training centre, going through security and having the pre-flight briefing actually instills enormous levels of confidence and a sense of control. Throughout the session all of you model a normalised approach to flying which has a very significant impact. The flight simulator was a pretty awesome, multifaceted experience in terms of testing out the extremes, its reality and having a go at controlling the plane. The most striking aspects were hearing Keith ask James to turn off the extreme turbulence for a minute, I was so distracted I had not realised it was on! Mark the first officer, pointed out his home over North London to me and I actually looked out of the window to spot it! Keith repeatedly reminded us to capture the mini video picture in our mind to use in the future – that vivid image is imprinted in my mind for ever. The big learning factors in this programme for me were about trust and confidence in the pilots, their skills, knowledge, expertise and training. Understanding and experiencing the stages of flying that go on throughout the journey has been really important and helpful. I now understand a lot more about why my fear started, but more so by how it perpetuated by me just trying to cope with the anxiety symptoms and not understand the issue and relearn my approach to flying using a range of techniques. I think I have talked myself more and more into a fear over the years. I am cross with myself for this given that I have helped many people overcome quite serious depressions and anxieties in my work by encouraging them to use a variety of approaches – obviously I had a mental block when it came to myself. Using the advice from Susie and the team about various distractions, picturing and understanding the sequence of tasks the pilots are taking the plane through, focusing on the benefits to my life in overcoming the fear, pre booking the seats and informing the crew (in a low-key way) that I had a fear, have all helped. I also promise I will not get drawn into TV programmes and media items that highlight negative aspects of flying in an inaccurate way. Through the programme I also learnt that actually my fear was not as bad as it could have been and I was not as unique as I would like to have thought I was! Having spoken to Susie since coming back from holiday I have said to her that my flying experience this time was a whole lot better. There were some irrational moments, but I managed to quickly dispel these. I am sure this will take more practice to perfect but I am very pleased with the result so far! I think she was suitably impressed with me. I have had my first in-flight meals for ages, I hardly used any relaxation techniques and was certainly able to speak to people which I hardly did before. I managed to read my novel, I thoroughly enjoyed looking out of the window at the mountains in northern Spain and the landing at Faro was incredible. I used the loo on the flight and endured a spot of turbulence whilst I was in there! There was plenty of turbulence there and back which did not bother me too much. I purposefully made myself walk up and down the plane and hang out in the galley on the way back, which was quite empowering I have to say. I even gave assistance to a nervous flyer on the way back by explaining what was going on to her! In a couple of my post-simulator and post-holiday conversations with Susie I have indicated to her that I would be very interested and keen to offer my own skills, knowledge and a bit of spare time to your programme in any way which you would find helpful. In real life I am actually a pretty skilled, confident professional with a breadth of both clinical and management experience in the health service. Ironically many of my practice skills are around education about anxiety, life skills coaching and diversionary coping strategies! My leadership experience is around project management, team working/building, coaching individuals, managing change and facilitating groups. Finally to say to you all once again a very huge thank you – I am sure you must realise by all the accolades you receive that you make a massive impact on the lives of those who come on your programme. Being the ‘cared for’ as opposed to being the ‘carer’ was a big part of this for me too as Susie will understand. It has given me the wake up call I needed in realising the limitations the fear was placing upon me and the knock on effect it was having by not getting sufficient breaks from work, having relaxation time/change of scenery with my family and just generally not being able to be spontaneous regarding travel. With all very good wishes,
FRANCES F
A miracle indeed! I went to Spain on the coach rather than on the plane and as soon as I decided to do this I relaxed. I had absolutely no intention of getting on the plane to come home either. On the last day of our holiday, my family were due to leave for the airport and come home at 9pm. I was to start my journey the following morning. All of the last day I had been feeling very sad and a bit useless that I couldn’t do it with them. We were sitting on the terrace having a glass or three of wine at 8pm (I can't believe it was that late!), my rucksack was packed to hit the road, Stephen just said, "pop a pill and come with us" and I replied quite simply "okay". Perhaps because I was more relaxed this time I didn't override the pill and was far more relaxed. We drove to the airport there were no problems at all. I did not like the size of the queue at the check-in and was a bit concerned about the number of people getting on the plane but I remembered what you said about the plane never using its full capacity, also, I looked at everyone's faces and everyone seemed quite relaxed so it couldn't be that bad could it? We left our apartment keys in the hire car by mistake and the car had been returned. I even managed to go around the airport and find someone to fetch and reopen the car for us, while Stephen queued at the check-in desk - something I would never have been able to do before as my fear was so debilitating. I had a drink in the airport, which was amazing; previously my nerves would not have allowed me to swallow any liquid. I did insist on having to have coloured boiled sweets to get on the plane as you had plied me with on the simulator - I think I was trying to replicate the experience as best I could. When we got on I did feel very nervous and had another pill but strapped myself in tightly and thought as you said, "sometimes it's time to bite the bullet and have a go". Before I would have insisted on sitting just with Stephen and the children across the aisle but this time amazingly I sat by my little girl with Stephen next to me. As the plane started to move I went into commentary mode just like you explained in the simulator - taxiing to the runway - more power to the engines because they need it to take off - flaps are down - and off we go - when we reach 150 miles an hour the plane will go up in the air, I felt you, James and Susie were all with me and this really helped me so much. We got into the air without me gripping the seat and it was exactly like in the simulator, I didn't like it levelling off but at least I knew what was happening. I would never in a million years have stood up on a plane as I thought I would have fallen through the floor into the sky so, another hurdle to jump, I decided to stand up and go to the toilet - Keith you know how bad I was - I did it and then on the way back to my seat my daughter wanted to go too so I turned around and took her (the following morning I had to ask everyone had I done it because I thought I must have been dreaming)! Unbelievably, I fell asleep after about an hour and a half and slept through the rest of the flight and even the landing! I can't quite believe this myself. To make sure I remember this positive experience, I had my photograph taken on the plane, I'm not looking my best but at least I'm there. Also we took a short video clip with the camera with me describing how I'm feeling in the air and its all very positive along the lines of "Well I’m up here now, it's not unpleasant in any way, the take off was no problem and I’m doing fine and I'm just waiting for another glass of wine”. I am going to play this everyday to myself to keep positive thoughts as it's so easy to forget over time. As you know, I have tried so many different things over the years to help me overcome my fear, which have not worked. I am certain that the thing that helped me to get on that plane was taking the simulator course and having knowledge about the noises, sensations, safety features, etc. The patience and kindness everyone showed me at Virtual Aviation was beyond compare and I am eternally grateful. Today I feel like a success story, I got on a plane!!!!!!! Sorry for the length of this mail but I am very excited. Many thanks
DAWN D
I am sorry that it has taken me so long to email you. Before anything else I must thank you all for my Virtual Aviation experience. I shall write it as it was for me. In December 1995 I had what was for me a very frightening experience, I was coming home from New York and there was a problem with the aircraft, the pilot told us that the automatic pilot was not working, I am not sure of the details but we were having severe turbulence which lasted for approximately two and a half hours, we were on course for Heathrow but we had to land at Shannon in Ireland, we sat on the plane whilst they repaired it and then flew onto Heathrow. I was on my own and the whole experience left me fearful of flying again. I did fly again, I would go to Europe, I flew to New York again in 1997 much to my amazement, the flight was bumpy on the way back and I didn't really enjoy it. I went off to Dubai in April 2002 and the flights there and back were both fine but I still felt very uneasy. For one reason or another I didn't fly then for about a year, my husband Andy and I decided we wanted to buy a house in Spain so we set about arranging a trip there, this is when my nightmare started, I was just terrified about getting on a plane, in the end Andy went with his dad and I stayed at home. I felt ridiculous but I was so relieved that I didn't have to get on a plane. I didn't know what had bought about this terror. In August 2003 my son was off on holiday so that left me and Andy with a free week. We decided to go to Italy, we booked a beautiful hotel by the sea, about 10 days before we were due to go I started to get very snappy and uptight and almost tearful, I didn't know what was wrong with me but as the holiday got closer it was obvious this was the problem. I kept telling myself not to be so stupid but the feelings got worse, we got in the car to go the airport and I cried all the way, I must say at this point that I am not normally an emotional person, Andy was fantastic, he was shocked at how upset I had become and wanted us to go home but I insisted that we carried on. We got to the airport but there was no way I could get on the plane, we came home and missed our holiday. When Andy had gone to Spain with his dad he found some houses that were being built which is just what we were looking for so he put down our deposit and, dream come true, house being built in Spain, nightmare begins again, how am I going to get there? I decided that it was no good me not flying, it was effecting all our lives as we love to travel, so I booked up for me, Andy and my son Sam, who is 11, to go to Spain in April this year. I was so nervous I can't tell you but I did get on the plane, I don,t know how I did, I was crying and I was terrified all the way, a 2 hour flight seemed like a lifetime, I was frozen in my seat the whole time and when we landed Andy said that he would never put me through that again and that we should sell our house in Spain and buy a holiday home in England. I was so scared that we ended up driving back from Spain, that was the turning point for me and I decided there and then that I would get help when I got home and if I had no joy at the end of that then I wouldn't fly again. There was an article in The Sunday Times listing all the different courses to help conquer fear of flying, I looked at them all and the majority were a couple of hundred people who were all put on a plane at the end of the day and if they managed it got a certificate!! Not for me!! I would have been really put off going with all those nervous people!! I was drawn to the Virtual Aviation details because it was either individual or shared which appealed to me, it was a lot more money than I wanted to pay but I felt that it was my last chance to get sorted. I took the bull by the horns and phoned, I spoke to Susie who was wonderful she told me all about the course and what to expect, I never felt under any pressure at all to book a course. I decided to go on a course at the end of May and had flights booked for the 2nd of June, I knew that if I wasn't able to get on the plane in June then I would never do it again. I must say that I didn't think much about the course beforehand, I wasn't sure how it was going to help me, I think that I had become desperate to overcome my fear. My husband took me down to Heathrow and Mike, who is a Captain, and Susie met me and another man in reception. I felt fine but I was worried that the other man would be nervous and put me off. We went upstairs and had a chat about different things, I talked about my bad experience and so did the other man on the course. Mike talked about what we wanted to talk about and was answering all our questions, then we went to go into the simulator. I was still fine until I got into the simulator and for some reason I started to cry, I was really scared and I was upset with myself for being that way, I felt really sorry for the man I was with, all the time I was bothered that he would be nervous and he was loads calmer than me. There were 2 pilots in our simulator and Susie, Mike and Susie both asked me if I wanted to get off, we hadn't even started yet!! It was very difficult for me but I stayed put and it was an amazing experience, the longer I stayed on and the more I understood about what the plane was doing the calmer I became, it really is like being in a real aircraft, I couldn't believe how I reacted, it took me by surprise. We talked at great length again after the simulator and I don't think that you take it all in on the day. I was flying 3 days after the course and I worked really hard mentally for those 3 days, I did a lot of breathing exercises, taking a deep breath holding it to the count of 4 and then blowing out slowly, it is wonderful to relax you. I thought a lot about the things that Mike had told us. I wasn't worried about the flight at all, we drove to the airport and I was doing my breathing exercises in the airport lounge, I was amazed how calm I felt. I brought myself a little white and silver bear and he was Mike, my pilot. We boarded the plane and it was so different, the noises that the plane makes made sense, I was not scared about the take off because I understood the noises and when I heard a noise that I didn't understand I would ask my little pilot bear Mike, he would reassure me that the noise was perfectly normal and there was nothing to worry about. I was able to read and play cards which would have been impossible before. It was much the same coming back, the big difference was that I enjoyed every minute of my holiday because I was not dreading the journey home. If you can imagine the holiday as being six foot tall, before I went on the course the flying would have been 5ft 11" and the holiday would have only been an inch. This time the holiday was 5ft 11" and the flying was an inch. I do believe that you have to work really hard at this course yourself, it is no good going expecting a miracle, but if you listen to all that is said and put it into practise when you fly it makes a world of difference, it is only your perspective of flying that makes you nervous nothing else. The flight was no different to any other flight that I had been on, it was only my perception of the flight that was different. learn from the course, learn that flying is perfectly safe and that turbulence is perfectly normal and is of no threat to you or the aircraft at all, knowledge gives you power, which is certainly true in this case. I am off to Spain next week and I shall give you an update of how it goes, I haven't really thought much about the flight I am too excited about my holiday!! I have thought about going to Dubai, New York and The Grand Cayman recently and I feel I could do it now. We will now be able to have many happy hours at our house in Spain. The course was worth every penny!! I am also certain that if I am ever fearful of flying again in the future for any reason then I only have to pick up the phone, if it got that bad then I would not hesitate to go on another course, somehow I don't think that will happen though!! I am waiting for you to open a centre in Birmingham, I shall be first in the queue for a job!! Thank you Susie, you were wonderfully supportive and Mike, well I shall be taking you on every flight with me now disguised as a little white and silver bear!! Thanks to Alex as well. Love and best wishes.
KATY W (letter 1 of 2)
I just wanted to drop you a line and give you a quick update. I have flown many times since my day with you, last year I went to Belgium and I have just come back from a fantastic Christmas in Dubai. I no longer check the weather conditions before flying, take off and landings are a breeze - no more sweaty palms!! I was unable to fly at night before and coming back from Dubai was a night flight, I always think about everything Mike told me on the course and it is amazing how having a small amount of knowledge gives you so much power, understanding that the noises in the aircraft are normal makes a big difference. Change your perception of flying and change your life!! Thank you so much for such a wonderful course, I would highly recommend it!! Many thanks and best wishes to you all.
KATY W (letter 2 of 2)
I can’t think where the time has gone since Venice - but it’s certainly flown by! Venice was absolutely MAGIC, beyond my expectations, and the flights were OK - a bit boring on the return! We had a delay on the latter, and a replacement plane by another airline, but even that didn’t throw me! Still nervous (normally) on take-off, but strategies still work! However, another triumph! - I went up 3 weeks ago in Chris’s partner’s small plane, and he put me in charge of the controls once at cruising altitude - Susie, I absolutely LOVED it - we flew out over the sea at Southport - could see for miles - Blackpool tower, the Lakes mountains, Snowdonia, the Isle of Man - I went up again in the afternoon too. It was quite amazing - I wasn’t nervous AT ALL! Crazy, isn’t it? Anyway, I just can’t thank you enough; as you know, my trip in the simulator was just what I needed as an intermediary step. Your follow-up help was absolutely wonderful and such a help, Susie. Please do thank Captain Keith Godfrey for me, too - his help was invaluable, and the view of the Alps peeping out through the cloud base was amazing. I’ve tried ringing him, but will try again. Many, many thanks, and very best wishes to you and James - life will never be the same again!
MARY W
Firstly, thank you all so much for your help and kindness, not only during the course itself, but also during the pre-flight and follow-up telephone calls. As you know, I had never flown before. The simulator flight gave me the opportunity to experience the feelings of flying whilst remaining in a safe environment, knowing that I could get out quickly if I needed to. This was very important to me, and was one of the main reasons why I chose this course over a more ‘traditional’ fear of flying course, where you finish the day by taking a flight. I found it hugely helpful to experience the different levels of turbulence, learning that it was not dangerous and that there is no reason to be scared of it. I see it as similar to being in a train - and in that situation the movement is seen as completely natural. I now use this analogy when I experience turbulence on a real flight, and it helps me to see the movement as normal, and, if I relate it to being on a train, even familiar. Two days after the course I decided to take the huge step of taking a flight. I wanted to do it before the memories I had of the simulator began to fade. It was a lovely day and I told myself “It’s now or never!”. I was extremely nervous, but my dad was there to help calm me down and to offer reassurance - he loves flying! As we took off I knew what to expect and nothing came as a shock, as it would have done had I not been on the course. We flew from Gatwick to Manchester and then back again later that day. During the flight, when we were in the cruise part, I thought to myself “I can do this - this is OK”, I knew that after the flight it would give me something to positive and concrete to look back on - the fact that I was dealing with it and that it wasn’t so bad after all. So that’s my story, I can’t say that I’ve got to the point where I like flying, but I’ve done the most difficult step. The course really gave me the ‘push’ I needed to get myself on to a flight. It made me confront my fears, rather than pushing them to the back of my mind, as I had been doing for years. So thanks again for all your kindness, reassurance and support, and thank you Susie for the time and effort you have put in researching for me. It is nice to know that the job, for you all, doesn’t finish when the course does.
HEATHER W
I promised to write to let you know how I got on with my first flight. Well, a few weeks ago I did fly down to the South of France to meet my daughter, my son came with me and we had an amazing time! My first time in a commercial airliner was no problem at all. I did as suggested; sat next to the aisle, just in front of the wing, but other than the fact that I got quite frustrated as I could not see as much as I wanted to out of the window, I had absolutely no problems at all. In fact, as you surmised, I am quite keen on learning to fly myself - but that is another day. Testimonials are rarely forthcoming nowadays, but here is one for Virtual Aviation in as much as I found your course extremely interesting and useful and it certainly answered some of those questions you never quite like to ask. I have dined out many times on the ‘ripping yarn’ of the simulator, and it is surprising how few people who are regular flyers have any concept as to what is involved. So all in all, it was money well spent and I would also like to thank you for your amazing telephone counselling, attention to detail, and help.
PAUL D
I would just like to say how helpful I found the course, and how beneficial it has continued to be. A few days after the course I flew to the States on a planned holiday and both the outward and return flights were much less of a worry than they would have been, and they were much easier to cope with. It was very reassuring to be able to speak to Keith on the phone the day before the flight as this helped to reinforce what I had taken away from the course. One of the most helpful aspects of the course for me was the opportunity to speak to experienced airline pilots. The other major benefit was largely losing my fear of turbulence. On a recent flight to Dublin the pilot made an announcement to the cabin crew to “suspend the hot drinks service”, which would previously have sounded extremely alarming to me, but which I now knew was not a signal for me to start panicking. Since the course I have flown to the USA, Ireland and Turkey and am shortly to fly to Melbourne. While my fear of flying was never so extreme as to prevent me from flying altogether, each trip, especially a long one was somewhat of an ordeal of worry and constant ‘monitoring’ of noises, movements etc (even the expressions on the cabin crews’ faces!). I cannot recommend the course too highly, many thanks to all involved for your kindness and understanding.
SARAH H
To Susie, James and your team, I would first like to thank you all for my experience with you on Saturday. There are so many positive things to say that the only way I can think of conveying them is just to list them here. 1) I found my arrival and welcome friendly and informal which combined with introductions steadying on the nerves and set up the professional approach to the session. 2) The briefing was very professional and yet very inviting, enabling me to ask as many questions as I wanted and no-one on the team made me feel my questions were trivial or silly. I felt the answers were knowledgeable but not too technical, yet demystified flying, answering the why’s and how’s and putting in their place the ‘rumors and experiences’ of others and the media. 3) My lasting memories of the simulator will be the professional, calm and matter of fact way the pilots went about flying the plane, while explaining what was happening and talking me through my fears. Throughout this all was the support and understanding of James and yourself. A hand to hold onto, a supportive and encouraging word, a check on if you were ok, and sympathy to your fear. Pleasure when I succeeded. A very personal and individual approach to all fears, feelings and reactions. 4) The de-briefing, again professional, filling in the gaps and explaining anything not covered before. Strategies suggested very good, but by now absolutely exhausted. Its very difficult to put everything into a letter, but as someone said during the session, you don’t set yourselves up as miracle workers, but give all the facts and all your knowledge together with an experience that can only be the next best thing to actually flying. Together with my determination and willpower I feel that this experience has had a profound effect on my life. Turning around my thoughts and attitudes to flying. Thank you all very much.
JENNY H
I have been delighted with my experience of Virtual Aviation. The way the development process is designed and the nature of the support has exceeded my expectations. I now feel I have new knowledge and memories to help in the future. I’m keen to try them out asap! I have particularly appreciated the conversations and experience in the simulator relating to turbulence. I can’t recommend any specific improvements or anything I would want to have been done differently. Our pilots were great, in particular Mark’s ‘vote of confidence’ in me and that he felt sure I’d be okay! He was extremely helpful & informative. So overall a great experience and thank you Susie for helping me to explore some of my concerns with you, both on the phone and face to face. You have helped a great deal.
LIZ W
Thought I'd give you a quick update on my `flying with confidence'. Since the day we spent with yourself, Mike and Matt I've improved greatly and the apprehension before flying is getting shorter and shorter, as is the recovery time after. In fact it's starting to become quite a pleasure and I'm even starting to look forward to the next trip. On Wednesday I flew back from Madrid and the flight itself couldn't have been better, nice and smooth with perfect visibility and even a little excitement on landing - about 10 mins before arriving in Birmingham the captain came on the tannoy and announced that we had a small technical problem, nothing to worry about!!, but he had been given priority clearance to land and advised us that upon landing we would see fire engines on standby at the side of the runway, after landing he would then have to stay on the runway until the fire crews had inspected the plane and then he would move on to the terminal building - nothing to worry about but the fire crew attendance was just standard operating procedure. Unbelievably I was probably the calmest person on the plane, even reassuring the seasoned flyer that was sitting next to me! The landing was fine, no different to any other landing but for my own piece of mind I had to find out what the problem had been. So on departing the aircraft I managed to speak to the captain and explained I'd been on your course and was inquisitive as to what had occurred. Firstly he commended me on my calmness and expressed his view that the course had obviously had a positive effect on me, he then went on to explain that in mid flight he had had to shut an engine down because of a warning light appearing in the cockpit and we'd then obviously had to land minus an engine but still in a perfectly safe manner. So I've now had a real life, but positive experience of a problem in mid-flight and feel that this event has strengthened my confidence even further. I'll keep you posted with future progress - I'm now flying at least every other week and with each flight there is a marked improvement. Best regards to you and the team.
PAUL B
What a fantastic experience the course proved to be!! We can’t thank you enough for your understanding, patience & time spent answering the myriad of questions! Paul flew to Madrid this morning – he called to say that he’d been anxious before boarding but had only had 2 pints of Guinness! They experienced level 1 ‘annoyance’ (turbulence) during which he fell asleep!! Unknown prior to today!! I’m kind of looking forward to next Saturdays flight to Chicago – have made some notes on a mindmap to remind me of all your answers & how the aircraft works including all the parts that can be made redundant! Hope to say hello to the Captain on the day & plan to ask him where his ‘whizzy wheel’ is that receives all the info! I’ve also gone onto your website today but haven’t been able to find the picture of the flight deck with Matt on it that he mentioned – would appreciate some guidance on this as Paul said that it helped him to keep picturing the two of them as he recalled his images from the course. I’d like to take a copy of it with my mindmap next week onto the flight so that it gives me a reference point should I really struggle at any time. Thank you all once again – I still can’t believe we experienced level 3 ‘annoyance’, an aborted landing & an engine fire all in one day!! But how marvellously calmly they were handled!! I’ve told anyone who’ll listen today so guess they’ll get fed up with hearing about it soon. We went out & celebrated last night & had a toast to you all – who knows maybe we’ll be back sometime in the future for fun!! Now that would be progress... Best regards & thanks once again to you all!!
JACKY B (letter 1 of 2)
Hi from Chicago! Hope all's well with you all. Flight was really good from H'row to Chicago - H'row was chaos & we queued for 2.5 hours just to check in by which time our flight was about to close so we were rushed through. Don't recommend it as a relaxed start to a holiday but it did prevent me from worrying about the flight as we weren't sure we would make it! No time to speak with the Captain but he spoke almost as soon as we were on board to update us all & I liked the sound of his voice so that was OK. We had a couple of technical problems during our wait for the remaining passengers but that was OK too as I was telling Mum all about the fail safe mechanisms, the 4 auto pilots & whizzy wheels & actually felt OK. Also had my mind map of answers from questions (all 23 of them) & picture of Matt on a sim flight deck as reference points. Take off was fine & we did the V1 rotate then was telling Mum again about what goes on - rest of flight was uneventful except that we went & stood at the rear of the aircraft for half an hour & I did again later to stretch our legs - never before! Told anyone who'd listen about the course including most of the cabin crew who were all really great & saying how well we were doing. Only experienced about level 0.5 'annoyance' so easy flight from that perspective too. Landing was OK too as I could recall our engine fire & how it was handled then landed & also the aborted landing & take off so was pretty OK right through. Wow you guys - I can't believe I actually (well almost) enjoyed the flight - I've missed the euphoria that comes with travelling!! Thank you all sooooo much for your time, patience & efforts they really are appreciated!! I think I would have needed to call Mike at Heathrow had we not been so delayed at check in - & may need that for the future if that's OK? Am a little wary about the return flight as it's at night but as you said... what exactly can go wrong that we're not trained to cope with? The only thing I didn't really feel comfortable with on our outbound flight was that our first officer was a woman - strange I know but there we are. I've waffled on a bit - sorry! But am just so relieved not to have the week of panic, not sleeping & complete turmoil at the airport!! Look forward to speaking with you soon & will prepare similarly for the return flight. Best regards & thanks again!!
JACKY B (letter 2 of 2)
Happy new year to you all! Just wanted to let you know how it all went with my flight to the Caribbean over Christmas. I really appreciated the message you left on my answer machine just before I left, and with all your advice I boarded with plenty of diversions to keep my mind occupied during the flight. The upgrading in to premier economy (and, I have to admit, Upper Class on my return!) helped enormously I think, as I just felt more comfortable and not so 'hemmed in'. However, I also remembered to visualise the cockpit, use deep breathing to help me stay calm, and I told the stewards too, who were very sweet and helpful. If I could choose just one bit of advice I learnt from your training day it would have to be knowing how exactly the planes stay up in the air - I found that very reassuring to repeat to myself, on both my long-haul and island-hopping trips. All this combined to give me really pleasant flights throughout my holiday. No traumas at all! It made such a difference! I could relax and relate to how I used to feel about taking a flight, before I became so nervous. And I had a wonderful holiday, not at all spoilt by flight nerves or panic attacks. Thank you! I'm definitely pleased to have made it as my partner had planned a very romantic proposal on the beach one night, under the stars! I would have hated to have missed that because I'd been put off taking the holiday because of my fear of flying. Thank you again. Warm regards.
KATE F
The pilots were excellent, displaying an extremely well balanced combination of professionalism, empathy and willingness to listen. There is a lasting impression of calm and competent people going about the business of flying precious cargoes of people. There was no hint of magic fixes being possible – only helping individuals to find their own key to unlocking the problem for them. A flight at the end of the session would have prevented me from giving all my concentration to the discussion session.
SARAH P
I have made it to Rome and have been here for the last 2 weeks. I just thought I’d let you know how the flight went. I still felt very nervous before, especially when we arrived at the airport and even more so while boarding. I did however as you suggested and told the crew that i was frightened and they could not have been nicer or more understanding. One of the stewards took me to one side and talked to me and made me a cup of tea! Then he suggested that I could meet the pilots which really helped. It turns out that one of them has a daughter at Oxford too, studying languages so that was a surprise. I still had the same old feeling on taking off but I was able to deal with it by explaining to my dad who was flying with me, what all the different noises and sensations were. I think he was more nervous than me! We had a bit of turbulence to begin with, something which the pilot had already told me, so I was prepared. I also explained to my dad how the plane was built to withstand a level of turbulence far greater than anything we would ever experience. As the flight progressed I felt more and more relaxed. It was probably the first time I have ever sat down properly without thinking I might drop right through the plane. I even looked out the window and was able to experience the beauty of the clouds and a tranquillity I used to feel as a child. Towards the end I even got up to go to the bathroom, just to prove to myself I could do it. Even landing, I watched as we came down onto the runway. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to everyone there, the pilots who took so much time to explain everything, something which helped me specifically when taking off, Susie and James for their encouragement. I feel so proud of myself and a whole world of experience has opened up for me. I will definitely be flying back on the 20 Dec, probably on my own and I’m looking forward to many more holidays in exotic places with my boyfriend. I didn’t believe it was possible to ever get on a plane again but taking your course was the first step I needed to make. So once again thank you so much, I think you're doing a great job.
VICKY R
I just wanted to drop you a quick line. Just to say a "big thanks" for all the support I received from Virtual Aviation, prior to my flight to Barcelona in October this year. The outward flight was absolutely fine, I felt calm and content and re-assured. After landing, I was so elated to have landed without any of the usual fears and phobias that I had previously been so used to I was completely jubilant! Many thanks to you, for getting me through the trip, - weeks before, I wouldn’t have even been able to get to an airport. I would also like to pass my regards on to Keith and the other staff within the Virtual Aviation crew, what a fantastic bunch you all are. What a brilliant service you offer to the fearful flyers keep up the good work! Fondest regards,
SIMON C
I enjoyed the course very much & I feel it has made a big difference. I am looking forward to putting it into practice. All the staff were very helpful & put me at my ease. Susie made a big difference & it was nice to have her there on the day after speaking to her before the course. Her call a few days later makes you feel that you count as an individual. Mike, the pilot who was with us for the whole time was excellent. His kind, caring manner makes him an excellent choice for the course. Thank you to all concerned.
KAREN G
Basically I just wanted to say how much I appreciated all your help the other day, I felt that you all really tried to understand and help my specific fears, something that I definitely hadn’t found anywhere else. I definitely felt calmer than usual as I approached my flight, but still apprehensive, I think I was afraid of being afraid. Anyway, my Godmother was flying on the same plane as me, and I managed to get an upgrade to sit next to her, which was great. Her husband and son are both pilots, so she could also reinforce what we had talked about and put the actual risk factor back into perspective. There was some quite uncomfortable turbulence immediately after take-off due to the thunderstorms around England, and although I did jump and tense up, she helped to relax me initially, just enough for me to remember everything you had talked about, and to put myself back into that simulator. After that things were much easier, I did have moments of thinking “this is not going to be OK”, but they were brief and for the first time in ages I allowed myself to become excited about my arrival in LA rather than convince myself that we weren’t going to make it. I even joked with the cabin crew about the turbulence - something I definitely didn’t have a sense of humour about before! Basically, the course really really helped. I don’t know how it will be on the flight back, but I was really surprised at how much calmer I was. The fact that I was 90% relaxed for the whole twelve hours was really a feat considering that my last flight was 50 minutes to Ireland and I had cried the whole way! Most importantly I now feel there is a chance I might get close to how I felt before about flying which would be really fantastic. This last flight was the best in at least a year, despite considerable turbulence, so I was really really pleased with myself. Thank you so much for your help and understanding that day, I’m now going to imagine that you’re in the cockpit of all planes I’m on!
ALEX M
At last a few uninterrupted minutes at the keyboard to try and write up my flying experiences. As you know, I was always a very reluctant flyer, I have never had to fly for work and flying had always been part of a holiday. However, since having children I had become increasingly afraid of the whole experience. Each flight becoming more and more stressful, to a point where I couldn't sit near the children during a flight. For days before a flight I would feel my anxiety increase and then the prospect of a return flight always overshadowed the enjoyment of a holiday. I also was acutely aware that with 3 young children it was imperative that I did not pass my fear to them. Friends and family reassured me with platitudes 'there's nothing to worry about', and told how much safer flying was than crossing the road - this did nothing to allay my fears, they all have a vested interest in my flying. I approached the fear of flying session with some scepticism, keen to do something and yet very uncertain how a simulator could in any way reduce my fears as a passenger - I never had any desire to go onto the flight deck anyway! On meeting the team at Virtual Aviation, which included 2 pilots, we initially had a briefing session during which we were encouraged to try and pinpoint exactly what our fears were. Perhaps for some people it's enough to know they dislike flying without considering specifically what it is about flying that causes the fear. In my case, although I found the whole flying experience terrifying, for the first time I actually voiced my fear of doors opening during the flight and how unstable the aeroplane felt during take off. I suppose I would liken this experience to finally plucking up courage to tell a doctor about an ailment that's been troubling you and the relief felt with actually sharing your fears with someone who may be in a position to cure them. Our pilot clearly explained how the things that specifically bothered me were quite unfounded and why the plane felt and sounded the way it did. We then went into the simulator, which was incredible. Maybe pilots take these things for granted. We did several 'take-offs', but we were constantly reminded we could stop at any time. The simulator feels exactly like a plane so if there were any unfamiliar sounds or sensations we could immediately halt and talk through what was causing them, then repeat the manoeuvre until I was comfortable with it. For the first take-off I sat with my eyes closed, clenching the seat, yet with encouragement definitely relaxed, and even began to enjoy the experience, something I never expected. I shared the session with another fearful person and although I was extremely wary of this and exposing my fears to a complete stranger, it was for me, absolutely the right thing to do, we both had different anxieties, yet were able to benefit from each other's experience. Following an hour in the simulator we had a debriefing session, again I asked more questions, yet received honest reassurance from an experienced pilot who actually knew what he was talking about, did not make me feel stupid and possessed an infinite amount of patience! I left the simulator wishing I had a flight booked for that afternoon. However, I did not have any flight lined up and after a few weeks I began to wonder whether anything really had changed, then I was suddenly presented with the opportunity to fly on my own to New York, to meet my husband who was working there. It was time to put this course to the test. Amazingly, I didn't bite everybody's head off around me for 3 days before I flew. This was already a major plus as far as the children were concerned. I slept soundly the night before the flight, and although faced with the prospect of getting onto a plane I actually felt surprisingly calm about it. I boarded the plane, for the first time ever confident in the plane's ability to stay in the sky and in the pilot's ability to do his job. As the plane left the ground, I felt a familiar panic returning but as the undercarriage lifted I was able to tell myself that I knew what was happening and why, it truly was a revelation. For the first time in my life, I actually began to relax on a flight. The pilot announced that there could be strong winds ahead, and I immediately though of Keith emphasising how the plane is built to withstand extremes far greater than it would ever be allowed to fly in and I actually had a glass of wine and enjoyed the film. The return flight was similar, a little more comfortable and I even glanced out of the window on landing. It would be no exaggeration to say that Virtual Aviation has in a small but significant way changed my life, all-important holidays will certainly be more enjoyable. From where I am now I would have gladly paid double, to tolerate a flight and to look forward to sitting with my children on a plane. I really can't thank you enough.
LUCY ROGERS
Just wanted to say a big "thank you" to you all for your patience, understanding and kindness on Saturday. As you can imagine, I have thought a lot about this since Saturday night, and I do feel that undertaking this course clarified exactly what my problem is. Now the big thing is to see if I can deal with them in reality bearing in mind all that I learned on Saturday. Anyway, thank you all again.
SOOTY J
I have had a few days to think about Saturday night and thought it was time to drop you a few lines. My fiance is doing a business trip round America at the moment and I don’t feel sick with worry each time he calls from an airport about to make the hop to another city. We have booked a flight to Holland on the 17th of May so I’ll write back after that and tell you how it went. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and liberated now that I don’t have to worry so much. What you said during the evening – the facts and figures – were very informative but so was the feeling I got from watching. Just sitting quietly, observing the atmosphere and feeling the motion during the ‘flight’. Time to apply what I have learnt. Thanks so much.
SAMANTHA B (letter 1 of 2)
Thanks for your note! I am back! I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a bit nervous during take off from Heathrow and I did get a little annoyed with my fiancé for making an obvious display of observing my face to see if I was nervous! Generally however it was far better than before. I did get a twisty feeling in my tummy when the engine noise changed suddenly but I was able to visualise the simulator and relax into the knowledge that it was not a mechanical problem. During the flight I practically forgot I was even flying until we had a few bumps but then I know now that it was only very mild turbulence and that the creaking and groaning was just the luggage bins. I was not apprehensive in the days leading up and didn't check the weather at all with the flight in mind. The return trip last night was better again and I even had the courage to look straight ahead of me and not out the window during take off. For some reason that used to scare me - I needed a reference point of the disappearing land below - and I didn't like the angle of the cabin but it was better this time. Generally it went according to my hopes and I will have another opportunity on May 30th when I am off to Hong Kong. I'll let you know how that one goes too. Very best regards.
SAMANTHA B (letter 2 of 2)
