I donated an hour flight to a non-profit organization (www.georgiafalconryassociation.com) several months ago and the auction winners and I took to the skies yesterday morning. It was the first time in a small plane for one of them, and like most who dare to ascend to the heavens above with me, they did great!
One of the things I like to do in a familiarization flight (once my passengers are comfortable) is to show them how well a plane can fly with the power essentially off, in a simulated engine failure. To the surprise and delight of most, little changes apart from the noise level. The plane continues to fly as before. The plane does not (and neither does a helicopter) fall out of the sky.
The reason behind this non-event is relatively simple. The wings of an aircraft must move through the air if the airplane or glider is to produce sufficient lift to balance the weight of the aircraft. Engines produce thrust, which moves the aircraft forward, causing airflow past the wing and producing lift.
A glider, however, relies on the force of gravity to move it through the air. Think of a beach ball rolling down a gentle slope. The ball moves forward because gravity pulls it downward. If the ball was on flat ground, gravity would push it straight into the ground and it would remain stationary. A glider simply inclines its wings slightly downward, tracing an invisible slope downward, and gains lift from the movement of the air past its wings. To continue to produce lift, a glider must always move downward relative to the air mass through which it is moving.
This simple lesson teaches passengers many lessons. First and foremost, it shows how an understanding of the underlying laws can remove doubts and allay fears. Second, it provides a safe and controlled example of an experience that is typically described as “eerie, yet strangely soothing.” Put differently, comfort comes packaged in many ways. Finally, it proves that the line between terror and confidence is an easy one to cross if you approach it correctly.
Many live their lives shackled by irrational fears which are typically held to be well-founded or justified. Most fears, however, are groundless paper ceilings through which you can move swiftly and safely with the right attitude and information, especially when you invest sufficient trust in the process of overcoming.
At a certain point in relation to any fear you hold, you have to invest more trust in the possibility of overcoming than you do in the likelihood of failure. At the end of the day or the year or your life, the fear either leaves you or you leave with the fear. Why not conclude In victory?
The choice is yours.
Gregory Hake 
How you handle fear habitually can really change the trajectory of your whole life. There are really two main points that I think can affect habits here. The first thing you have to realize if you want to live a life that has an upward trajectory, you will be overcoming fear and discomfort a lot. If you get used to the idea, you don’t have to overcome the mental freeze that most people have to when they first recognize that there is something to fear. The other main point that I am thinking about is that inertia plays a big part in this process. Just like an airplane, having some forward speed will make the simulated engine failure much easier. If you consistently overcome things you are afraid of, the next scary thing is no big deal.
LikeLike
Thanks for the opportunity to see ways to move beyond self perceived or assumptive limitations. Thanks for your continued enlightening posts.
LikeLike
Yes it is a matter of orientation just as the wings of a plane our conscious mind needs to be so oriented for a lift to occur in our souls. When the choice is made the gift of peace and wonder is known. I can see true mastery relating to staying in such a place through the varying rhythms of our day. It is good to so consider in investing sufficient trust that it can be done and proved out in living opening the door for many to follow. I do see the large responsibility we each carry for us to know an experience of mastery so others in turn can do so also.
LikeLike
Ultimately the expeirence of deep confidence, or faith, is a matter of an accumulation of successful experience, but the interim step in that regard involves a recognition and understanding of principle, as in the illustration you provide here. Recognizing the principle(s) involved, and perhaps observing the success and faith of another, there is still a point where a step of faith must be taken – perhaps onto Indiana Jones’ famous invisible bridge! Crossing that bridge for oneself there is the experience of actual faith, as distinct from the “whistling in the dark” or arrogant pretense of one who simply tries to believe without having a firm basis for doing so!
LikeLike
Understanding can help allay many fears. Courage to look at them and realize I can handle what ever the object of my fear was has helped me put many into a perspective that didn’t impede. But the best is realizing that fear exists on some levels that frankly cease to exist as you move onward and upward. Faith in the greater has changed that for me. I think fear like many attitudes becomes habitual if we don’t question it. Good subject to expose to the light of understanding!
LikeLike
Great example!
LikeLike
I’m sure your passengers were thrilled with their auction win. Sounds wonderful!
LikeLike
Great lesson in physics!
LikeLike
Fascinating!
LikeLike