Throw Out Your Flying Phobia with an iPhone App
Do you have Flying Phobia? If yes, then now you can eliminate your fear by downloading an iPhone app for $4.99. This app has a 98% success rate with calming people’s fears. According to a Boeing survey, one of every three Americans is either anxious or afraid to fly. Virgin Atlantic has teamed up with software developers Mental Workout to create an iPhone app which helps passengers with their fear of flying.
The iPhone app starts out with an introduction from Richard Branson, president of Virgin Atlantic and it features a video that provides the user with a calming walkthrough of all the flight processes, answers “frequently asked questions” and provides a number of relaxation exercises for anyone and even a “Fear Attack” button in case you need quick breathing exercises to calm your nerves.
Real Business hates to point out the obvious but is pretty sure that passengers need to turn off all electronic equipment before take-off. Surely this makes the Flying Without Fear app slightly redundant: you watch it in the comfort of the airport lounge but must go it alone in the sky.
Nevertheless, the app already boasts celebrity endorsement. Whoopie Goldberg says: “I was a skeptic. I hadn’t flown in 13 years. But after doing their programme, I understood that while my fear was real, there were many things I didn’t know or had misinformation about, which they were able to clear up. So what happened? The programme works. I now fly. It’s that simple.”
Branson says: “Our first iPhone app will bring the benefits of our successful Flying Without Fear course to millions of people around the world who are now using mobile technology to make their lives better.”
Even if you don’t fear flying, you get 2,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles when joining the program, which might be worth the $5 all on its own!
November 6th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Fear of flying programs started at Pan Am in 1975 based on breathing exercises and education on how flying works. This course was helpful only for the mildest cases. Recent research shows why. Breathing exercises are completely useless for fear of flying.
Now, thirty-four years leater, this app uses the same useless breathing exercises. Apparently the people who put it together for Branson didn’t bother to check the research. See research at: http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/42/13/25
There are effective programs available, such as the SOAR program, but this app is just old ineffective stuff in a new wr-app-er.