Download, Then Fly
Being afraid to fly is no laughing matter. Several downloadable, Web-accessible programs for your MP3 player, though, could help. The downside of such downloads, including the three reviewed below, is that you cannot listen to them during takeoff and landing, when they may be most needed. But they could help you get where you need to go. For a taste of each program, listen to samples on the Web sites listed. — Elissa Leibowitz Poma
| FEAR OF FLYING By Meditainment 011-44-127-332-5136 www.meditainment.com | PSYCHOLOGY OF FLIGHT ANXIETY By Tom Bunn 212-201-1544 www.iamplify.com | FEAR OF FLYING HELP COURSE By Stacey L . Chance www.fearofflyinghelp.com | |
| THE PITCH | This 21-minute download (complete with surprisingly non-annoying New Age music) features a British woman whose voice is so soothing she could read an airline disclaimer and you'd feel calm. The program doesn't speak directly to aviatophobia, but it uses a deep-breathing and visualization exercise in which you take a trip to a tropical island. | For those grounded in reality even when soaring through the skies, cliche-ridden messages and Zenlike music don't soak in. This jumbo-jet-size 19-part program by Bunn, a pilot and licensed therapist, combines logic-entrenched research with Dr. Phil-type talk therapy. It's packed with stories and analogies. | Chance, an airline captain, presents a five-part lesson on how to understand the foundations of fear and anxiety, and he provides methods for coping and shares ways to practice before your flight. Like a discount airline, the 75-minute program is low-budget and provides many of the basics — some quite obvious. |
| SOUND BITE | "Go up over the warm sand to a clearing in the trees and sit in the cool shade. The sun is high in a blue sky, and beneath it is an aquamarine-colored sea. This is your sanctuary." | "When it comes to flight anxiety, 'what is' [actually happening] is never the problem. 'What if' is the problem, and even so, one 'what if,' like one beer, isn't going to do much harm. But look out for the six-pack." | "Your airplane is not going to fall apart. The [Federal Aviation Administration] mandates that modern jet aircraft are designed and built with large safety margins." |
| COST | $49 for six months' access to more than 30 programs. | $169.95 for the entire course, $49.95 for bundles of three to eight chapters. | $9.95 for an audio download, $19.95 for the CD version. |
| PRO | Several of the site's programs may help with anxiety, even if they're marketed to cure depression or gain "extreme" perspective, among other goals. US Airways and British Airways are among the airlines that offer some Meditainment programs in-flight. | The program recognizes that those minutes just before you board are especially anxiety-ridden. The download provides a well-done "at the airport" segment that puts the right words into your head at a pivotal time. | During takeoff and landing, when your MP3 player must be off, you can read Chance's 129-page companion book ($13.95). The Web site offers a free self-help course and a message board where you can communicate with others coping with their fears. |
| CON | If you want to access just this one download, you still have to pay the full subscription price. | Like a seatmate who commandeers the armrest, this course takes up major space. | At times, the dialogue is a tad boring, and it's sometimes read at the speed of sound. |
