Airbus A380 – Retired
Flight Time – 18,000 hours

John Dennis has had a wonderful and interesting career in the aviation sector as well as position’s in other industries. John first obtained his pilot’s licence in 1972 and worked for Qantas until he retired just a few months ago. John performed many roles within the airline which included flying the Boeing 737, Boeing 747 and the Airbus A380. He received his first command, aboard the B747-400 back in 1990 and even had the good fortune of training John Travolta to fly the 747!

One of the highlights of John’s career was commanding 40 flights to Antarctica including; the first flight to Mt Erebus since 1979, the first flight in recorded history observing a total eclipse of the sun over the Antarctic and the first ever Airbus A380 Antarctic flight.

“I have had over 15 years’ experience with helping people overcome their fear of flying and it’s great to see a program like the Flight Experience course. The opportunity to sit one-on-one with people or even small groups allows me to explain in detail the reasons that airplanes fly and the safety measures in place to keep them in the air.

During my time with Qantas I was in charge of operating a discrete programme to cure some of our top level frequent flyers and corporate clients of their flying fears with a great success rate. Many of these clients are well-known and household names in Australia.”

Boeing 737-800
Flight Time – 14,500 hours

Michael Wurm is a Qantas 737-800 Captain. Based in Melbourne he is involved with our Fear of Flying course and other professional programs run by Flight Experience.

“Flying opens up the world and allows people to see places and experience events otherwise out of reach. I have seen many people, places and things in my over 25 years flying commercial jet aircraft around the world. For over 11 years I have been in command as a Captain of Boeing 737 aircraft. During my career I have also been involved in Air Safety Investigations, Aviation Psychology and peer support. Along with the obvious licence to fly I hold qualifications in education and post incident support.

Unfortunately the joy of flight escapes many people for a number of reasons; together with these people I enjoy unlocking that joy through information and support. With an in depth knowledge of many of the myths of aviation I can correct these misunderstandings.

For nearly two decades I have been active in supporting people in crisis and helping them return to a fully functioning life. To see the relief appear on their faces as they discover that aviation is not as scary as first imagined is a wonderful experience”.

Check and Training Captain
Airbus A380
Flight Time – 22,000 hours

David is an airline pilot with over 35 years experience in commercial aviation worldwide. He has flown all types of the Boeing 747 and 767 wide-body aircraft as well as the Airbus 330 and 380 Super Jumbo. His role as a Check and Training Captain is to train new pilots on the Airbus A380 and carry out routine checks on those currently flying this aircraft type. David was the Check Captain on the infamous Qantas QF32 that suffered an engine explosion in November 2010 after departing Singapore. David worked closely with the three other pilots on the flight deck to land the aircraft safely back at Singapore Airport.

“It is a privilege to share my experiences and love of flying with those on the “Fear of Flying” course. I get great personal satisfaction from helping to unravel the technical mysteries of modern aviation and witness the joy and relief on the face of those that have completed this course. After all, statistically the most dangerous part of travelling by air is the drive to and from the airport!”

Boeing 747, 767, 747-400 and 777 – Retired
Flight Time – 18,000 hours

Peter has always had a passion to fly from a very early age. He taught students to fly in both the UK and Australia.

He landed his dream job with Qantas in 1988 and flew the Boeing 747 “classic”, Boeing 767 and Boeing 747-400. After 13 years he joined Emirates Airlines where he later became a Captain and flew the Boeing 777. During his career he has flown to over 145 worldwide destinations and experienced much of what mother nature has to offer!

“With over 30 years of airline flying, my passion is to now help people overcome a fear of what I immensely enjoyed throughout my aviation career. Fear of flying can definitely be overcome with professional assistance. My saying is fear less and fly more!”

Boeing 747 – Retired
Flight Time – 22,300 hours

Bill recently retired from a long career as an airline pilot working for Qantas. Bill brings a wealth of experience to our Fear of Flying Course. Bill has written two books about his life with Qantas and the people he met along the way. Bill is probably one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet and we are very pleased to have him on board with the program.

“A career choice was easy for me…I had aspired to Airline flying from an early age. I began flying lessons at the Royal Aero Club in Perth at age 18 and at the time, Qantas Airways was offering scholarships for entry into a new Cadet Pilot Training Scheme. After rigorous tests, my application was successful and I graduated from my course in early 1969, with the immediate post course flying being on light aircraft doing charter work and instructing. The subsequent 37 years allowed me to fly throughout the Qantas network, operating on most of their aircraft types, before retiring in 2007 as a Captain on the 747-400.

Retirement has given me the opportunity to self-publish two books about the careers and experiences of myself and my colleagues and it was through these books that I met the team at Flight Experience. Over the years, I have had a lot of exposure to passengers with their many concerns about flying, so when asked if I would like to be part of the Fear of Flying Course…you bet, what a great way to put something back into the industry.”

Boeing 747-400
Flight Time – 20,000 hours

Chris is now retired after spending 38 years in aviation. He began his career as an Air Traffic Controller with ratings in all traffic positions including Senior Tower Controller and Approach/Departures Radar. During that time he gained his CPL, I/R, Multi-engine, and instructor ratings. He began flying in PNG before eventually moving to Europe for a command on Dart Herald and F27 with Air UK. Chris has flown for Malaysian Airlines, Oman Air, Orion Air and Inter European Airways before eventually settling at EVA Air in Taiwan flying the Boeing 747-400. He has clocked over 20,000 hours with 11,000 in command of Boeing aircraft.

“After having spent years flying and enjoying every minute of it, I really look forward to helping people overcome their fears around flying. The Flight Experience Fear of Flying Course is extremely thorough and covers all areas that people can be affected by. I can explain flying in simple terminology that is easy to understand.”

Boeing 747-400
Flight Time – 15,000 hours

Dave is our Fear of Flying consultant Airline Pilot in South Australia. Dave has over 51 years of flying experience which included 18 years as an RAAF pilot and 25 years with a major overseas airline. With worldwide flying experience which included an exchange programme flying for the United States Air Force together with VIP operations, he has been a flying instructor since 1970. Dave has spent almost his entire career in flying training and was a Senior Check and Training Captain and Simulator Instructor on B747 jumbo jets before his retirement. He continues to teach in a flight simulator and flies his own aeroplane for the sheer joy of it.

“I have really enjoyed being involved with the Fear of Flying programme and working with first class equipment and other pilots who are as professional and passionate about aeroplanes and flying as I am. If you join our programme we will sit together in a classroom and over approximately one and a half hours, with the help of Power Point and an aeroplane model, explore the wonders of flight. Quite often ones fear is fear of the unknown and I will unveil to you the mysteries of a modern airliner. We will see how pilots are trained and continually checked and explore all those previously unexplained sights and noises that you experience during flight. All of the people that I meet during my Aviation Education sessions are unique. Each has a particular concern that I have found to be quite different and everyone has really enjoyed our discussions. My aim is for you to not only enjoy your flying, but to wonder at the beautiful sights and become totally engrossed in the miracle of flight as I have been since I was a little boy.”

Boeing 737-800
Flight Time – 14,500 hours

Greg has the distinction of being a graduate of the first tertiary approved pilot course in Australia. In 1987 and 1988 he attended the Australian Aviation College & South Australian Institute of Technology, now the University of South Australia at Parafield, S.A. He graduated with an Associate Diploma in Civil Aviation, CPL/CIR & overall Dux award. (In 1999, Greg completed his Bachelor of Aviation Studies at University of Western Sydney).

Greg went on to complete 3,200 hours of flying in general aviation before going back to university and completing two years of a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Sydney, majoring in Psychology. In 1995 Greg commenced with Qantas and has flown the Boeing 747-200, 300, 400 and SP, the Airbus A330 and A380 and is now Captain on the Boeing 737-800. He has over 14,500 hours flying experience.

“For my whole life I have wanted to do exactly what I do now…. fly as a Captain for Qantas. The desire and passion comes from within as I never knew anyone in the aviation business. Put simply, it’s all I ever wanted to do!

I’m still passionate about flying and promote it wherever I can. I served as an instructor in the Australian Air Training Corps (now Australian Air Force Cadets) for two years helping young people from 13yrs to 20yrs find their way into adulthood and encourage them into a career in aviation.

The Fear of Flying Course allows me to help a whole different set of people – from all walks of life. With my background in psychological studies I find the clinical aspect of the course really fascinating”.