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Soar: The Breakthrough Treatment For Fear Of Flying
Captain Bunn founded SOAR to develop effective methods for dealing with flight anxiety. Therapists who have found this phobia difficult to treat will find everything they need to give their clients success. Anxious flyers who have “tried everything” to no avail can look forward to joining the nearly 10,000 graduates of the SOAR program who now have the whole world open to them as they fly anxiety free wherever they want. This approach begins by explaining how anxiety, claustrophobia, and panic are caused when noises, motions—or even the thought of flying—trigger excessive stress hormones. Then, to stop this problem, Captain Bunn takes the reader step-by-step through exercises that permanently and automatically control these feelings. He also explains how flying works, why it is safe, and teaches flyers how to strategically plan their flight, choose the right airlines, meet the captain, and so on. Through this program, Captain Bunn has helped thousands overcome their fear of flying. Now his book arms readers with the information they need to control their anxiety and fly comfortably.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Tom Bunn
5 books14 followersAfter graduating from Wake Forest University in psychology, Tom entered the U.S. Air Force. Number one in his class when he got his wings in 1960, he was given his choice of assignments, and chose to fly the Air Force's first supersonic jet fighter, the F-100.
He served from 1961 until 1965 with the 9th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany flying the F-100 and F-105. In addition to flying, he did accident investigation and developed a safety device for the F-100.
While in Germany, Captain Tom raced a Lola Mk5 Formula 3 at the Nurburgring, Zolder, Zandvordt, and Rouen. When returning to the U.S., he converted the car to SCCA Formula C specifications, and won a U.S. National Championship in 1965.
From 1965 until 1986, he flew DC-8s, 707s, and 747s internationally with Pan Am. From 1986 until 1996, he flew 747s, 757s and 767s at United Airlines.
The first fear of flying program was started at Pan Am by Captain Truman "Slim" Cummings. Captain Tom worked with him on that program until founding SOAR in 1982 to develop more effective methods for dealing with flight problems. This led to graduate school at Fordham University where he earned a Masters Degree with top honors, and several years of postgraduate study at the Gestalt Center Of Long Island, the New York Training Institute For Neurolinguistic Programming, and The Masterson Institute. He was licensed as a therapist in 1990.
He served from 1961 until 1965 with the 9th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany flying the F-100 and F-105. In addition to flying, he did accident investigation and developed a safety device for the F-100.
While in Germany, Captain Tom raced a Lola Mk5 Formula 3 at the Nurburgring, Zolder, Zandvordt, and Rouen. When returning to the U.S., he converted the car to SCCA Formula C specifications, and won a U.S. National Championship in 1965.
From 1965 until 1986, he flew DC-8s, 707s, and 747s internationally with Pan Am. From 1986 until 1996, he flew 747s, 757s and 767s at United Airlines.
The first fear of flying program was started at Pan Am by Captain Truman "Slim" Cummings. Captain Tom worked with him on that program until founding SOAR in 1982 to develop more effective methods for dealing with flight problems. This led to graduate school at Fordham University where he earned a Masters Degree with top honors, and several years of postgraduate study at the Gestalt Center Of Long Island, the New York Training Institute For Neurolinguistic Programming, and The Masterson Institute. He was licensed as a therapist in 1990.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
June 27, 2016
My fear of flights began after reading Gladwell's book "Outliers" (section on plane crashed) while flying in high turbulence to Sierra Leone on a mission against Ebola. I got a comment from Cap. Tom Bunn on twitter after writing what I experienced. After reading about his book SOAR, my fiance bought me the book and I started reading it. It's amazing what you learn about how planes work and what you can do to overcome fear (fear in general). After reading the book and got on a plane I applied some tips such as separating reality from imagination (it's my own movie in my head) and tried to make the flying experience a logical/scientific one by remembering what turbulence is for real and taking a look out of the window to see how the plane is moving with the crosswinds. I recommend this for whoever has fear or flying.
September 24, 2013
A must read for any anxious flyer. Not only will you have a better understanding of your phobia but you will have the tools to combat it and finally soar to destinations you will never forget. Commit to reading this book and taking the steps to finally put an end to your fear. I have flown 9 times without anxiety and owe it to this program and book. The strengthening exercises work. I chose not to fly for 12 years due to avoid facing my biggest fear. I know look forward to my next flight and vacation. Thank You Captain Tom Bunn.
September 19, 2014
I found this book a week before my trip. I hadn't flown in 8 years. It is amazing. My anxiety before my flight was awful, but once on the plane, I put the exercises to work and had an incredibly smooth take off and during the flight I kept monitoring my stress levels and was surprised to find myself with completely manageable stress. The flight home a week later was even better from pre-flight anxiety to take off including turbulence. I had a bottle of Xanax in my bag just in case and I didn't need it at all! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am actually looking forward to my next flight.
August 14, 2024
About to take my first flight in 5 years! This book has made me go from panicked to looking forward to it. I am beyond excited to see how the trip goes at the end of August.
May 21, 2022
If I could give this book a million stars, I would. That’s how effective it was. After suffering for nearly 2 years with GAD/panic disorder and a little bit of agoraphobia, I never pictured myself getting on a plane and flying. Especially not flying panic free. I booked a trip with my family and had to catch 3 flights on all separate days. The first was a 4 1/2 hour flight, second was a 1 hour flight, and last was a 3 hour flight. I experienced some anticipatory anxiety, but it was quickly put to rest with the 5,4,3,2,1 method and reminded myself of my ABCs. I can’t give enough praise to this book, I’m actually writing this review as I’m flying back on my last flight. Never would’ve pictured myself being completely fine and relaxed on a plane (I EVEN TOOK A NAP). Beyond grateful for Captain Tom!
May 24, 2018
Well.....if I can fly without terror then this book is worth its weight in gold. I’ll let you know!!
February 23, 2017
This book basically teaches a form of EMDR, but then laced with a very nasty and unscientific 'blame your parents because a phobia means that they weren't there for you'-message. And let's not even start with the pseudo-neuroscientific descriptions.
However, it is valuable to read this book because indeed, he does address that the main problem isn't the flying itself, but the 'fear' - just knowing rationally that it's supposed to be safe, doesn't help you in not being scared when turbulence occurs. In the end, avoidance will not yield the best results, and you need to actively work on reducing the negative associations, avoiding rumination and catastrophic thinking. But that's all quite mainstream cognitive behavioral therapy. His detailed description of what happens at take off and landing also helps a lot, because then you know what to expect and why the plane is doing something (I'm instantly opposed to the noise reduction protocols, as that apparently creates the feeling of falling out the sky just 30s after take off).
But are people seriously considering actively using memories of an orgasmic event to try and reduce the stress response? He mentioned that a memory of nursing can also be used (due to the oxytocin release) -- doesn't he know that loads of woman think that nursing is actually painful and not all that pleasant? (can't speak from experience). And I'd really rather do an EMDR session with neutral stimuli instead of using such heavily loaded memories. He never mentions any formal clinical trials, and it seems borderline dangerous to just recommend these kind techniques without knowing anything about adverse effects.
So it gets three stars for making the thought of my return flight more bearable, but five negative stars for the load of pseudoscientific bullshit.
However, it is valuable to read this book because indeed, he does address that the main problem isn't the flying itself, but the 'fear' - just knowing rationally that it's supposed to be safe, doesn't help you in not being scared when turbulence occurs. In the end, avoidance will not yield the best results, and you need to actively work on reducing the negative associations, avoiding rumination and catastrophic thinking. But that's all quite mainstream cognitive behavioral therapy. His detailed description of what happens at take off and landing also helps a lot, because then you know what to expect and why the plane is doing something (I'm instantly opposed to the noise reduction protocols, as that apparently creates the feeling of falling out the sky just 30s after take off).
But are people seriously considering actively using memories of an orgasmic event to try and reduce the stress response? He mentioned that a memory of nursing can also be used (due to the oxytocin release) -- doesn't he know that loads of woman think that nursing is actually painful and not all that pleasant? (can't speak from experience). And I'd really rather do an EMDR session with neutral stimuli instead of using such heavily loaded memories. He never mentions any formal clinical trials, and it seems borderline dangerous to just recommend these kind techniques without knowing anything about adverse effects.
So it gets three stars for making the thought of my return flight more bearable, but five negative stars for the load of pseudoscientific bullshit.
October 16, 2013
Captain Tom Bunn has written the quintessential book for ANYONE who has ever felt trepidation about flying. In his book, SOAR, he gives the reader all the tools necessary to fly without fear. I was PARALYZED by my fear of flying, missing out on many an opportunity to go places I'd longed to see. The longer I avoided flying the bigger my fear became until it consumed me. SOAR differentiates itself from other fear of flying books and programs in tangible ways. It explains how and why airplanes can fly, removing the mysticism and imagination behind them. You'd be surprised to find out how your fear diminishes just from understanding the mechanics of it all. Captain Bunn uses what he calls Strengthening Exercises which are exercises to train your brain into rational understanding of what is going on around you. I discovered that my fear of flying was actually based on inaccuracies of what I THOUGHT I knew about flying, my imagination going from takeoff to crashing in one blink of an eye, feeling out of control and just plain ignorance. I went from thinking "Oh no what is that noise the plane will crash and burn I am going to die goodbye world" to "Oh, that's just the allerons. I think I'll have more coffee." Further, this book elucidates how anxiety plays a role in our everyday living and we can minimize it by learning and understanding what he teaches in this program. I cannot tell you how many things I've learned from this book AND his SOAR program, all of which have made me a confident frequent flyer. Worried about turbulence? Worried about weather? Worried about landing? Worried about takeoff? Your worry ends here. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK.
January 18, 2017
I am beyond grateful for this book! My flight anxiety has worsened over the years. I knew I needed to find a solution after I avoided a fabulous vacation opportunity because of my fear. What makes this book effective is Captain Tom Bunn's approach, tackling flight anxiety by teaching the reader about aviation and the psychology of fear and panic. I would definitely recommend this to any nervous flyer!
January 2, 2020
This book literally changed my life. Went from prescription medication paired with copious amount of alcohol with panic attacks and tears, to knitting peacefully on a plane and not even thinking about turbulence when it happens.
But just like what they say in AA:
it works if you work it.
Don’t expect to just simply read it and be cured, you have to practice and use the tools in the book to prepare yourself for your first flight.
But just like what they say in AA:
it works if you work it.
Don’t expect to just simply read it and be cured, you have to practice and use the tools in the book to prepare yourself for your first flight.
October 10, 2020
So my husband is a pilot. And I’m scared of flying. I loved this book and downloaded the app as well. Well written and it really helped me.....just in time for Covid and not being able to fly anywhere haha
Read
September 16, 2023Won't say that this cured my phobia of flying, however I will say that I am feeling much more confident about flying in less than 2 weeks! The 5,4,3,2,1 method, the notion of using oxytocin generating memories to counteract fear, etc. actually seems to be working for me in terms of my anticipatory anxiety. I was having pretty much nightly nightmares about horrific plane crashes but haven't had one since picking up this book.
The thing that has stuck with me most about the book is when the author talks about commonly hearing "oh, if only I could just be knocked out to fly and wake up at my destination" which is something that I have said previously myself to friends and family. He makes the point that this highlights that a fear of flying is not a fear of "flying" at all, because this described situation evokes no fear and still is very much "flying". Rather, the fear seems to be more about lack of control, and the inability to remove yourself from the situation once it has already begun. In short, I am afraid of being afraid, which is circular logic, and nothing to fear at all.
The author emphasized the important of making a decision and sticking with it to be on the airplane when you are on your next flight. Anxiety comes from uncertainty, and the inability to fully commit to a choice. and that will be my goal, to mentally commit to flying.
He also recommends meeting the pilot, which I don't think I need to do because I will be thinking of my dear friend, awesome fighter pilot, and loyal GoodReads follower Julia McFarland doing sick barrel rolls in the sky in Japan <3
Anyway, this concludes my Goodreads therapy session. (Hey I work for a non-profit cooperative my medical insurance isn't that good!)
The thing that has stuck with me most about the book is when the author talks about commonly hearing "oh, if only I could just be knocked out to fly and wake up at my destination" which is something that I have said previously myself to friends and family. He makes the point that this highlights that a fear of flying is not a fear of "flying" at all, because this described situation evokes no fear and still is very much "flying". Rather, the fear seems to be more about lack of control, and the inability to remove yourself from the situation once it has already begun. In short, I am afraid of being afraid, which is circular logic, and nothing to fear at all.
The author emphasized the important of making a decision and sticking with it to be on the airplane when you are on your next flight. Anxiety comes from uncertainty, and the inability to fully commit to a choice. and that will be my goal, to mentally commit to flying.
He also recommends meeting the pilot, which I don't think I need to do because I will be thinking of my dear friend, awesome fighter pilot, and loyal GoodReads follower Julia McFarland doing sick barrel rolls in the sky in Japan <3
Anyway, this concludes my Goodreads therapy session. (Hey I work for a non-profit cooperative my medical insurance isn't that good!)
April 26, 2024
These are the first words I’ve ever read that accurately describe and understand what flight anxiety is. I read about half the book the day before a trip (and finished it before the flight back). I hastily tried the exercises described - and I still didn’t enjoy the flights, but I don’t think I was as anxious in the air as usual. There are obviously a lot of variables, and I hadn’t done nearly the recommended amount of prep work, but I can’t discount the idea that reading this book actually helped. Soar, and the strategy described in it, knows that you can’t think your way out of an irrational fear, so it gives you an emotional hack to solve an emotional problem. It would be legitimately unbelievable if this method actually works as well as outlined in the “client testimonials” in the book, but I will absolutely be doing a full run of the ‘strengthening exercise’ in the lead up to my next flight. And if it works, I will come back to this review and bump it up to five stars.
April 27, 2024
Life changing book. I am already drafting a letter to Captain Tom to thank him for everything this book has done for me. I went from being afraid of everything to flying to Amsterdam (with no fear at all!) to riding elevators, being in confined spaces, etc. And it’s not just that I managed my fear and white-knuckled my way through it - I HAD NO FEAR AT ALL. I truly believe this book is magic.
Be sure to really commit and do all the exercises. I did them everyday in preparation for my trip.
A must-read for ANYONE who struggles with anxiety of any kind, not just fear of flying.
Thank you Captain Tom!
Be sure to really commit and do all the exercises. I did them everyday in preparation for my trip.
A must-read for ANYONE who struggles with anxiety of any kind, not just fear of flying.
Thank you Captain Tom!
June 12, 2024
I have been deathly afraid of flying my whole life. So much that I have to get heavily medicated with Xanax from my doctor.
I listened to this a day before my flight and I rode on 4 planes with no medication or alcohol! I feel like my whole world has opened up. I got this recommendation from reddit and I'm so happy I looked it up. Highly recommend if you're scared of flying. Scared of flying was an understatement for me. All of my friends were impressed and I'm so proud of myself. Thanks to this book!
I listened to this a day before my flight and I rode on 4 planes with no medication or alcohol! I feel like my whole world has opened up. I got this recommendation from reddit and I'm so happy I looked it up. Highly recommend if you're scared of flying. Scared of flying was an understatement for me. All of my friends were impressed and I'm so proud of myself. Thanks to this book!
Read
March 11, 2024Admittedly only bought this book to read the engineering section. Skipped through the rest after trying - wasn’t for me.
October 23, 2018
this is the first flying phobia book I've read and also the first phobia book I've read, so I can't say that I'm familiar with the literature. the bulk of this book is dedicated to the author's "strengthening exercise," which has the aviophobe "link flight situations to a moment of empathic connection." so, for example, the person who fears flying would choose a memory of a moment of empathic attunement with a loved one (staring into a loved ones eyes for instance) and then pair this memory with the feared situation (turbulence mid flight or any other event leading up to or during a flight--maybe driving to he airport if that provokes anxiety) and do this exercise multiple times a day in the days before a flight and then during the flight if anxiety symptoms persist. see http://www.fearofflying.com/photos/. the technique derives from stephen porges' research on the social engagement system (SES), which basically says that in the moment of empathic attunement, oxytocin is released, which inhibits the stress/fear/fight-or-flight response. there's also lots of helpful information about how flight works, encouraging facts and perspectives about the safety of flying, and other techniques to try (grounding and relaxation exercises, e.g.) that all work together to create a pretty good comprehensive self-help manual for fear of flying.
that said, other techniques to deal with a fear of flying get relative short shrift in this book. I imagine this whole 'pairing a memory of a moment of empathic attunement with a feared stimulus' thing can useful for reducing anxiety, but what happens when this technique just doesn't work for a particular person? following the work of david burns (see his book 'when panic attacks'), I think it's a better idea for the person who fears flying to review and practice a number of CBT tools or coping skills and develop a toolkit that works for him/her.
that said, other techniques to deal with a fear of flying get relative short shrift in this book. I imagine this whole 'pairing a memory of a moment of empathic attunement with a feared stimulus' thing can useful for reducing anxiety, but what happens when this technique just doesn't work for a particular person? following the work of david burns (see his book 'when panic attacks'), I think it's a better idea for the person who fears flying to review and practice a number of CBT tools or coping skills and develop a toolkit that works for him/her.
June 3, 2022
I'm conflicted with how to rate this book. I'm going with a 4, because while I do think there's room for improvement, overall I think (hope?) it's helped me manage my fear of flying. I'll find out in a few weeks.
I listened to this on audible, and while it was effective, I may have preferred to read a hard copy. The audible version of this book is riddled with mistakes - there are several sections that were not properly edited where the author clears his throat, restarts a sentence, etc. It's only about 10% of the book, but the fact that it's happening at all is crazy to me. I could probably return it for a credit if I wanted to make a stink about it.
Additionally, the real info I was looking for didn't start until around chapter 8 or 9. Somewhere in the middle is are a few (to me) irrelevant sections. One about how to manage fear of an elevator, and one about childhood trauma and how that can lead to fears/phobias. Those things may be interesting to some, but it wasn't what I was expecting - I was here for a plan of action for when I take my next flight.
In that regard, the book did deliver. I haven't yet put it to the test, but the book gave a lot of tactics in terms of how to snap myself out of anticipatory anxiety, get ahead of a panic attack, and how to get out of the fantasy in my head and grounded back in reality. It also provided a lot of statistics, some of which I was aware of, but hearing them presented in this way had me going, "Oh yeah, that makes sense..." more times than I would have thought.
The chapters that helped me the most were How Flying Works, Weather, Turbulence, and Anticipatory Anxiety. I think what I liked most about the book was that in may instances the author described my specific fears - details that I thought were unique and especially nutty are actually very common.
Despite all of the errors in the book, I'm hanging onto the title for a while so I can revisit parts as my trip gets closer.
I listened to this on audible, and while it was effective, I may have preferred to read a hard copy. The audible version of this book is riddled with mistakes - there are several sections that were not properly edited where the author clears his throat, restarts a sentence, etc. It's only about 10% of the book, but the fact that it's happening at all is crazy to me. I could probably return it for a credit if I wanted to make a stink about it.
Additionally, the real info I was looking for didn't start until around chapter 8 or 9. Somewhere in the middle is are a few (to me) irrelevant sections. One about how to manage fear of an elevator, and one about childhood trauma and how that can lead to fears/phobias. Those things may be interesting to some, but it wasn't what I was expecting - I was here for a plan of action for when I take my next flight.
In that regard, the book did deliver. I haven't yet put it to the test, but the book gave a lot of tactics in terms of how to snap myself out of anticipatory anxiety, get ahead of a panic attack, and how to get out of the fantasy in my head and grounded back in reality. It also provided a lot of statistics, some of which I was aware of, but hearing them presented in this way had me going, "Oh yeah, that makes sense..." more times than I would have thought.
The chapters that helped me the most were How Flying Works, Weather, Turbulence, and Anticipatory Anxiety. I think what I liked most about the book was that in may instances the author described my specific fears - details that I thought were unique and especially nutty are actually very common.
Despite all of the errors in the book, I'm hanging onto the title for a while so I can revisit parts as my trip gets closer.
June 22, 2019
Before Captain Tom’s Fear of Flying program, I couldn’t even think of walking down a jetway and getting onto a plane without fear wracking my core. But I not only got on that plane, but I did it without having the anxiety attack that I dreaded would happen.
That was three years ago. And with each flight since, I’ve gone deeper into Captain Tom's program, because my goal is to be as comfortable with flying as I am with taking a regional train.
I’ve been in therapy a long time undoing the many learned behavioral fears that I picked up from having been raised in a New York Italian family. What I love most about this book is that it helped my understanding of my inner workings go deeper. From therapy, I knew where my fears had come from, but this book dived further - explaining fear in a way that just made so much sense - so it tied years of therapy together for me.
My world was getting smaller and smaller from letting fear keep me from living the big life that I craved. Captain Tom's book helped me evolve into the stronger woman that I’d always longed to be, that I was meant to be.
No one can be more afraid of getting onto a plane than I was. IF I CAN FLY, SO WILL YOU!
Gloria Squitiro: A First Lady of Kanas City and author of May Cause Drowsiness and Blurred Vision: The Side Effects of Bravery
That was three years ago. And with each flight since, I’ve gone deeper into Captain Tom's program, because my goal is to be as comfortable with flying as I am with taking a regional train.
I’ve been in therapy a long time undoing the many learned behavioral fears that I picked up from having been raised in a New York Italian family. What I love most about this book is that it helped my understanding of my inner workings go deeper. From therapy, I knew where my fears had come from, but this book dived further - explaining fear in a way that just made so much sense - so it tied years of therapy together for me.
My world was getting smaller and smaller from letting fear keep me from living the big life that I craved. Captain Tom's book helped me evolve into the stronger woman that I’d always longed to be, that I was meant to be.
No one can be more afraid of getting onto a plane than I was. IF I CAN FLY, SO WILL YOU!
Gloria Squitiro: A First Lady of Kanas City and author of May Cause Drowsiness and Blurred Vision: The Side Effects of Bravery
June 25, 2018
This book made possible the complete cure of my debilitating fear of flying. I used to do just about anything possible to avoid flying--I avoided it completely for over 10 years--and when I really needed to get on an airplane, the amounts of prescription and over-the-counter medications I had to take were staggering, and probably quite unhealthy--plus, they didn't really help, particularly with my anticipatory anxiety. The last two times I've flown, though, since reading the SOAR book and completing the exercises contained within, have been absolutely enjoyable. I now look forward to the times I get to fly (I'm happily planning another trip with multiple flights for next month), and I can say for sure that I would never feel this way without the help of Captain Tom Bunn and his book. I no longer fear turbulence nor any part of a flight. The world has opened up to me thanks to SOAR. If you have any fear of flying, no matter the severity, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to you.
September 22, 2021
Umm I know I have anxiety and fear of flying. I don’t need to read about why other things didn’t work. Maybe a chapter or a couple of paragraphs but this seems to go on throughout the book.
I’m looking for what DOES work. I’m nervous to keep reading this. I now have new fears that I didn’t have before because every thing that can go wrong is listed.
I’m more nervous to fly now and the exercises are very basic exercises for people who suffer with anxiety. Maybe it would be helpful for someone who has no experience with coping techniques.
I was hoping for something more helpful for flying, in particular…
I’m looking for what DOES work. I’m nervous to keep reading this. I now have new fears that I didn’t have before because every thing that can go wrong is listed.
I’m more nervous to fly now and the exercises are very basic exercises for people who suffer with anxiety. Maybe it would be helpful for someone who has no experience with coping techniques.
I was hoping for something more helpful for flying, in particular…
August 16, 2016
The psychological part did not engage me particularly, but the practical chapters were awesome, and helped a lot. Especially the parts that explain in detail the safety policies of flying, and the noises you hear on a plane, with "behind the scenes" info, were very useful and interesting. The small tricks you can do to alleviate flight anxiety also work quite well.
January 29, 2020
A MUST read for anyone with anxiety issues even if you aren’t afraid of flying. I have been afraid of flying my entire life and would never even entertain the thought of someday getting on a plane. Now I am excited to try flying for the first time and will be taking my first flight this year.
January 18, 2022
My flight anxiety is CURED!! I flew a few days ago without any anxiety whatsoever and actually felt relaxed on the plane for the first time in a long time. All from this book. He makes such good points that calmed my worries. Highly recommend to anyone struggling with fear of flying.
December 19, 2018
AMAZING! CURED MY FEAR OF FLYING AND AGORAPHOBIA!
December 11, 2019
thank you captain tom, after read this book, i commit myself go to fly no matter what, this book give me confidence, reader from Taiwan.
August 22, 2021
Soar: The Breakthrough Treatment for Fear of Flying is a great read for anyone who wants to face their fear of flying at a psychological level. If you feel little reassurance from the statistical improbabilities of air disasters and want to learn how to practically resolve your anxieties, this is the book for you.
I have been an anxious flier for about a decade. While it has never brought me to the point of cancelling a flight, I often feel deeply anxious before or during a flight – especially when I have not flown in a while. I read this book in August 2021 after having not flown since 2019. I felt nervous even booking the flight and decided I should probably make a proactive effort to fix this issue instead of bearing the dread of getting on a plane every time. I have always had a decent understanding of aviation and have never felt particularly reassured by the staggeringly low probability of experiencing a plane accident. This book allowed me to understand the psychology of fear of flying and inspired me to actively face this issue head-on.
The book is split into three sections:
1. The psychology behind fear of flying
2. How aviation works
3. Strategies for success
The lion’s share of the book is devoted to the psychology behind fear of flying – the section which I found to be the most informative and helpful. Captain Tom Bunn makes great use of his experience as a therapist and director of his fear of flying course to concisely explain why we feel anxious, terrified, or trapped by fear of flying. In this section, Bunn discusses how our amygdalae interact with our executive function to produce thoughts that lead to panic and distress. The analogies used are extraordinarily helpful for understanding why our brain can spiral into panic. Above all else, I found this section calming because it explained how fear of flying feels in such a detailed and accurate way that it made me appreciate how common and resolvable my issue was. In particular, the description of ‘going into your own movie’ felt extremely applicable to my anxiety and made me realise the futility of imagining myself on an episode of Air Crash Investigation. Additionally, this section describes useful exercises to mitigate anxiety including short-term resolutions such as the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise and longer-term solutions such as the Strengthening Exercise. While I do not personally find turbulence to be the most excruciating part of the flight (for me, it’s take-off) sufficient focus is given to this aspect of flying which I anticipate will help many readers.
The second section details how flying works and the extremely deep safety measures that go into aviation. I found this section less helpful and believe it is justified in being much shorter than the first section. For me, fear of flying is a psychological issue, not a safety issue. Most fliers are aware of how incredibly safe flying is. While this section may give some quick reassurance to those who do not understand aviation’s impeccable safety record, I believe the issue is best resolved through relinquishing control as a passenger and training your brain not to associate flying with anxiety. This is evidently a belief of Bunn as well who devotes sufficient space for explaining how flying works but wastes no words on labouring the physical safety of flying.
The final section involves strategies for planning your flight and facing anticipatory anxiety. I expect that I will return to this short section whenever I plan a flight as it gives a great summary of the information previously read in this book and focuses on the practicalities of facing your flight with confidence. For example, it gives practical advice on how to face anxiety around planning, boarding and starting your flight, with particular emphasis on the virtues of meeting your captain before you fly. The highly practical nature of this section makes it concise and valuable.
I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles with fear of flying and wants to help resolve their issue at a psychological level. Bunn’s writing exudes experience that is unlikely to exist in many other people. As a pilot, therapist, and director of a fear of flying course, you will feel in good hands reading his work and reassured of the ability within yourself to resolve the issue.
I have been an anxious flier for about a decade. While it has never brought me to the point of cancelling a flight, I often feel deeply anxious before or during a flight – especially when I have not flown in a while. I read this book in August 2021 after having not flown since 2019. I felt nervous even booking the flight and decided I should probably make a proactive effort to fix this issue instead of bearing the dread of getting on a plane every time. I have always had a decent understanding of aviation and have never felt particularly reassured by the staggeringly low probability of experiencing a plane accident. This book allowed me to understand the psychology of fear of flying and inspired me to actively face this issue head-on.
The book is split into three sections:
1. The psychology behind fear of flying
2. How aviation works
3. Strategies for success
The lion’s share of the book is devoted to the psychology behind fear of flying – the section which I found to be the most informative and helpful. Captain Tom Bunn makes great use of his experience as a therapist and director of his fear of flying course to concisely explain why we feel anxious, terrified, or trapped by fear of flying. In this section, Bunn discusses how our amygdalae interact with our executive function to produce thoughts that lead to panic and distress. The analogies used are extraordinarily helpful for understanding why our brain can spiral into panic. Above all else, I found this section calming because it explained how fear of flying feels in such a detailed and accurate way that it made me appreciate how common and resolvable my issue was. In particular, the description of ‘going into your own movie’ felt extremely applicable to my anxiety and made me realise the futility of imagining myself on an episode of Air Crash Investigation. Additionally, this section describes useful exercises to mitigate anxiety including short-term resolutions such as the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise and longer-term solutions such as the Strengthening Exercise. While I do not personally find turbulence to be the most excruciating part of the flight (for me, it’s take-off) sufficient focus is given to this aspect of flying which I anticipate will help many readers.
The second section details how flying works and the extremely deep safety measures that go into aviation. I found this section less helpful and believe it is justified in being much shorter than the first section. For me, fear of flying is a psychological issue, not a safety issue. Most fliers are aware of how incredibly safe flying is. While this section may give some quick reassurance to those who do not understand aviation’s impeccable safety record, I believe the issue is best resolved through relinquishing control as a passenger and training your brain not to associate flying with anxiety. This is evidently a belief of Bunn as well who devotes sufficient space for explaining how flying works but wastes no words on labouring the physical safety of flying.
The final section involves strategies for planning your flight and facing anticipatory anxiety. I expect that I will return to this short section whenever I plan a flight as it gives a great summary of the information previously read in this book and focuses on the practicalities of facing your flight with confidence. For example, it gives practical advice on how to face anxiety around planning, boarding and starting your flight, with particular emphasis on the virtues of meeting your captain before you fly. The highly practical nature of this section makes it concise and valuable.
I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles with fear of flying and wants to help resolve their issue at a psychological level. Bunn’s writing exudes experience that is unlikely to exist in many other people. As a pilot, therapist, and director of a fear of flying course, you will feel in good hands reading his work and reassured of the ability within yourself to resolve the issue.
February 18, 2018
I read this book since I have had some flight anxiety for a while and it seems to increase as I've gotten older. I know that I have anxiety in my life in multiple areas, so I thought that by reading this, I could at least tackle and rid myself of one. After reading this book, I learned that mine is more generalized and not truly focused on flying. There are definitely some principles that I can take away from this book to be able to help me fly in the future, but I was also reassured that my anxiety related to flying is not as bad as some. This book may be super helpful for those who are stuck in a state where they are almost or totally unable to fly, but I am walking away from reading it knowing that my anxiety is not that bad and is something I am capable of either dealing with, and at least just knowing that it will be done once a flight is over.
March 3, 2021
Great guide to connect why anyone has a fear or uncertainty to flight. The read details individuals' base of fear, the psychology in it, and how the magic of aviation works to this day.
I studied this thoroughly for reference and intend to make footnotes. Just to support people I know whom have a fear of flight that one of them have already asked for this copy I just finished.
I've been on a handful of flights I won't forget - one being beside a microburst in clear skies and others through thunderstorms - and I have experienced many more amazing flights. My favourite flight sight is taking in a sunset while at cruising altitude. I love being airborne and travelling with my bride.
I have learned upon finishing the read - the author does have a presence online at www.fearofflying.com
I studied this thoroughly for reference and intend to make footnotes. Just to support people I know whom have a fear of flight that one of them have already asked for this copy I just finished.
I've been on a handful of flights I won't forget - one being beside a microburst in clear skies and others through thunderstorms - and I have experienced many more amazing flights. My favourite flight sight is taking in a sunset while at cruising altitude. I love being airborne and travelling with my bride.
I have learned upon finishing the read - the author does have a presence online at www.fearofflying.com
December 4, 2017
I've been afraid of flying (and suffered from general anxiety) for YEARS. My cousin who was also afraid to fly, constantly sings the praises of this book and I finally broke down and bought the kindle version. I was very impressed and have used many of the techniques for my general anxiety and they have worked! And the part about becoming a mini-expert was at once fascinating and more helpful than I thought it would be. I'm actually sort of excited to fly now and put everything to work. I recommend this book to anyone afraid of flying. On the down side, the book is very repetitive. I understand why but I started getting distracted by the fact the book could have been shorter without being so repetitive.
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