Fear of flight prevents thousands of people to get close to an aeroplane. Alex Gervash, Russian pilot with 23 years flying experience, is looking for means to allow people to get rid of the oncoming panic when boarding the plane and all phases of the flight. It becomes Iceland can be a cure.
“It’s our first time flying in Iceland. The place is extremely popular among Russian tourists and really exotic. So the group came together really quickly,” Alex Gervash said to Flugblogger. Of course, Iceland is not the place for a beginner with aerophobia. However, Gervash said different ways lead to a cure, among which the emotional component is one of the important.
“Aerophobia is a complex phenomenon, and so is the approach to it. All aerophobic experience a combination of negative emotions that I try to eliminate using the mechanism of suppression of panic and fear, working with their behaviour and emotions,” Gervash said.
The main help is given to the clients of Gervash in Moscow within the framework of the course “Let’s fly without fear”. For additional support, a mobile application was launched, which the aerophobe launches inside the aircraft. It gives information about the main stages of the flight and tries to explain the cause of frightening sounds, shaking or sudden drop. Iceland is on the list of aid at the top level, for those who have gone through all the previous ones. A calm flight on a light single-engine aeroplane for aerobics is the peak of aerobatics.
“Flight on an aeroplane is a post-program when a person has almost got rid of aerophobia, some want to improve and consolidate the effect, work with the vestibular apparatus, cross fear of small aircraft, and work out an additional flight with turbulence. Soб we make flights in different countries of the world so that people can combine treatment with aerophobia with an exciting adventure,” Alex Gervash said.
In terms of adventure, Iceland, of course, would take first place in the list of countries around the world, if someone had made such a list. Gervash said that he chose to fly here to view the island from the air. “Mad lunar landscapes are best viewed from above,” he said.
Right off the bat. On the first of the four days of flight, Alex Gervash pilot Cessna 172, rented from Flugskóli Íslands, immediately to Isafjordur. With him on board were three women at different stages of getting rid of the Phobia fly.
“From the perspective of the pilot, the flight to Isafjordur on a light aircraft differs little from the others. Standard procedure: you look at the airfield charts, check the weather, plan the route and calculate fuel. For a person with aerophobia, everything is completely different. After the departure from Reykjavik, we soon had to leave for an emergency landing on some gravel strip. Because of the overabundance of emotions of one of the passengers, it was urgent to visit the toilet,” Gervash said. Describing the approach in Isafjordur, he himself could not restrain emotions: “The approach was awesome, very interesting and driving.”
– Do you know that Isafjordur is one of the ten most dangerous airports in the world?
– Oh, really? Did not know that. Perhaps for bigger aircraft, on Cessna, the approach does not look very difficult, even with the U-turn at the end of the fjord.
Day two began with a flight to Vestmannaeyjar. “A small island next to Iceland and a runway crossed in. We took runway 12, which has a big slope from one side. For me, as a pilot it to land on it, “Alex Gervash said.
All four days the guests from Russia admired the beauty of Iceland from the air. “Everyone is very happy with their victory over fears, now they are not afraid of anything. We will come again next year, after assembling the group. Iceland is popular,” Gervash concluded.
