AFRAID TO FLY? YOU'RE NOT ALONE!

During the early 1980's the Australian Woman Pilots' Association, in conjunction with TAA, conducted 10 week courses to aid those people who had a fear of flying.

These courses were known as the FEAR OF FLYING CLINIC

They were the best courses available to enable people to overcome their fear of flying.

The 10 week course covered an amazing range of topics and were ably supported by TAA, Department of Aviation (as it was then) and the Department of Meteorology (now BOM).

Various levels of TAA management participated in talking to participants, held demonstrations, conducted tours as the basic aim was to show what flying is all about.

Why the Clinic

The program existed to help the participants understand their fear and help them deal with it.

The fear of Flying is real and siginficent.

(Flying goes against basic, deep rooted human instincts, including the fear of falling which is the earlist and most fundamental of all fears)

Within the course, behavioural counsellors help participants use their intelligence to analyse and control their fear of flying. This is supported by honest discussion throughout the course of the Clinic

 

The Program

Some of the program's subjects which were covered included :-

* What makes an aeroplane fly.

* The qualifications and training of flight crew.

* The high standard of aircraft maintenance.

* The duties of Air Traffic Controllers.

* The importance of Meterological Forecasting.

* Inspection of TAA jet airliners

To see the detailed individual topics covered over a typical 10 week session CLICK HERE

CLINIC 4 August 1986

In Clinic No4 in August 1986 the following TAA people volunteered their time and services to help participants overcome their fear of flying

* Tony Moore - Chief Technical Support Engineer,

* Captain Ray Baker - Senior Training Flight Manager,

* Bob Harvey-Hall - Line maintenance,

* Doug McKenzie - Senior Flight Engineer,

* Jonelle Clarke - Flight Attendant Training Supervisor

Others who were involved were

Geoff Bowen - Psychology, Counselling, Relaxation,

Garry Bradley - Bureau of Meteorology,

Rob Van den Dugen - Air Traffic Control and Flight Service