GAINESVILLE, FL – September 5, 2018 – Gleim Aviation is proud to announce the release of Overcoming the Fear of Flying: Unleashing Potential for Pilots and Passengers. This educational video, which was produced in association with Gleim Aviation, features Robert DeLaurentis, philanthropist and author of Zen Pilot: Flight of Passion and the Journey Within. In Overcoming the Fear of Flying, available on DVD, DeLaurentis offers proven techniques to reduce the crippling effects of fear on our lives in order to unleash our greatest potential and, in turn, become better pilots.
Watch the trailer for Overcoming the Fear of Flying: Unleashing Potential for Pilots and Passengers below.
Fear has played an important and motivating role in DeLaurentis’s relatively short but fruitful time as a private pilot. While circumnavigating the Earth in his single-engine plane, the “Spirit of San Diego,” DeLaurentis experienced an engine failure while flying at 14,000 feet over the Strait of Malacca, a narrow stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. As fuel and oil sprayed on the incredibly hot exhaust, DeLaurentis was able to overcome his fears, recall his Gleim private pilot training, and ultimately avoid tragedy, gliding for almost 20 nautical miles to the nearest airport.
For DeLaurentis, the key to his survival was his profound knowledge of the fundamentals of flying.
“Learn the fundamentals,” said DeLaurentis when asked for the best advice he could give to students. “In the moments you can’t anticipate, you fall back on your training. Make sure you understand everything that you’re learning.” When he’s afraid, he may need to rely on instincts and intuition, so it’s important that he familiarize himself with the fundamentals of flying so completely that they can become second nature.
A former-accountant-turned-pilot, DeLaurentis is one of the select few who have studied with Gleim materials for both accounting and aviation—a testament to his trust and confidence in Gleim’s ability to teach and reinforce the fundamentals that ultimately saved his life.
“Learning something and passing that knowledge along are natural complements,” he said. “Gleim has always been a supporter of mine in education and enabling me to share what I’ve learned.”
DeLaurentis reciprocates Gleim’s support by advocating for Gleim products while flying around the world for his philanthropic endeavors. Laughing, he kindly remarked, “I can get people excited about aviation, but I need someone to hand them off to!”
Starting in December 2018, DeLaurentis will embark on another circumnavigation. Having already flown around the equator, he will now do what very few have done before: fly across both the south and north poles. He said the purpose of the flight is to benefit humanity, STEM education, and to inspire others to explore the amazing opportunities in aviation and science. Proceeds from the sale of the DVD, Overcoming the Fear of Flying: Unleashing Potential for Pilots and Passengers will help support the flight expenses.
Gleim is proud to support Robert DeLaurentis and his charitable organization, the DeLaurentis Foundation, as he works to raise and distribute funds for aviation-related charitable causes. Check with us later in the year as we cover DeLaurentis’s upcoming adventure, the Pole to Pole Flight.
Written by Austin Scott, Aviation Marketing Assistant
About the DeLaurentis Foundation
The DeLaurentis Foundation inspires people and organizations to accomplish their dreams through the wonder of aviation and courage. Led by philanthropist, entrepreneur, and Zen Pilot Robert DeLaurentis, the foundation is the charitable division of DeLaurentis’s adventure publishing company, Flying Thru Life.
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the mission of the DeLaurentis Foundation is to raise and distribute funds for aviation-related causes that support innovation, safety, and education in the air and connect people worldwide in oneness, peace, and love.
For more information, visit www.DeLaurentisFoundation.org and www.flyingthrulife.com.
About Gleim Aviation
Since 1980, the Gleim Aviation team of pilots, instructors, writers, designers, and programmers has helped aviators pass millions of FAA knowledge and practical tests using the unique Gleim Knowledge Transfer System. Gleim is an environmentally-friendly company headquartered in Gainesville, FL.