Behavioral Therapist’s ‘Thairapy’ Classes Teach Anxious Air Travelers How to Ground Their Fear of Flying

Last year was the worst year for fatalities in the history of civil aviation, with more than 1,400 people killed internationally on commercial aircraft.

The tragedies reinforced the fears of the 25 million adult Americans who are afraid of flying and don’t, said behavioral therapist Glen Arnold of Newport Beach. He also points out, however, that 300 million Americans were airplane passengers in 1985. But even so, he said, many of them were anxious during their flights.

Arnold has been teaching nervous air travelers “the correct way” to fly since 1978, helping them learn about four things that will make them more comfortable: deep relaxation techniques, proper mental attitude, how diet plays a role and how a plane behaves under certain conditions.

“For instance,” he said, “many people feel if the engines on an airliner quit, the plane would plunge straight down. Actually it would continue on a glide pattern . . . and land.”

He calls his methods “Thairapy” and presents them at seminars near airports and also in private sessions.

He said the space shuttle tragedy “was just another cruel reminder” to those who fear flying, but that despite the shuttle explosion and other aviation mishaps, people aren’t lining up for his seminars. “As a matter of fact,” he said, “people tend to postpone attending the seminars--even those who are under pressure by their companies to fly to conferences and meetings.” But as time goes by, he added, “those people get in touch.”

Arnold noted that a recent study by Boeing Aircraft Co. showed that one of every four people who fly has some anxiety about boarding a plane.

“Everybody has that question (a crash) on their mind,” Arnold said. “It’s a matter to what extent you want to be honest with yourself. There are people who fear they’ll become panic-stricken, lose control or embarrass themselves by breaking down and crying.”

Arnold points out in his seminars that “the equipment (plane) is becoming so safe that the human factor hasn’t caught up. The end result is that it’s the man rather than the machine that causes the problems.”

Would you pay $17.50 for a black-tie dinner that includes valet parking, the very best wine and champagne, entertainment by a symphony orchestra harpist and a menu from McDonald’s? Apparently so.

The 150 seats for the Feb. 11 event at Marc Widdicombe’s McDonald’s franchise on Chapman Avenue in Garden Grove--which will be outfitted with linen tablecloths, fine place settings, menus printed on parchment paper, wine stewards and bathroom attendants--sold out immediately.

More than $2,000 is expected to be raised to pay expenses for Miss Garden Grove, Tina Mitchell, in her attempt to win the Miss California Title in San Diego in June.

“We think she has a particularly good shot at winning,” said Bob Rubenstein, spokesman for the sponsoring Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce, which appropriately named the event “An Evening at Chez McDonald’s.”

Big Mac anyone?

As a brain tester, a friend asked Kathleen Delano, 34, of San Juan Capistrano which amount she would select for a monthlong job--$33,000 or a penny doubled each day for 30 days. She chose the $33,000. The penny formula would yield $5,364,409.12.

Minh-Tuan Hoang, 15, of Santa Ana did not shed tears when fellow student Albert Lopez, also of Santa Ana, graduated last year from Saddleback High School, where both were spelling bee contestants.

For the past two years, Lopez won the Orange County spelling bee championship and Hoang finished second.

Hoang, a junior, won the spelling title this year, outlasting 36 other contestants by correctly spelling the word chiaroscuro.

Look it up.

Acknowledgments--Irvine resident Dr. Deborah Stewart, 34, of the UC Irvine College of Medicine was awarded the Individual of the Year honor by Child Sexual Abuse Network of Orange County for her work with sexually abused children and their families.