king. >> you can see, no drips. >> with another offer you can't refuse. so, what's the secret to his success? we check in with anthony sullivan. >> announcer: from the global e resources of abc news, with cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city and terry moran in washington, this is "nightline," april 19th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm terry moran. a plane carrying first lady michelle obama had to abort a landing this afternoon because of an apparent mistake by air traffic controllers allowed the aircraft to get too close to a plane in front of it. this incident came after weeks of reports of sleeping controllers and overworked pilots. all of which raises serious questions about the state of american air travel. here is lisa stark. >> reporter: the incident involving the first lady was just the icing on the cake. because it seems like every day, another controller at another very busy airport is caught sleeping, inattentive, failing to make the right calculation. sunday morning, a controller caught watching a movie, "cleaner," on the job. caught because his mike was left open, piping the movie out to anyone in his air space. at the same time, leaving him unable to hear radio calls. last week, in reno, a small plane carrying a seriously ill passenger had to circle the airport. >> can't seem to get ahold of the tower here. i'm going to try to give them another call. >> reporter: the controller was napping. in washington, d.c., two commercial jets forced to land on their own because a controller was asleep on the job. and in tennessee in february -- >> we're trying to get ahold of knockville departure and we cannot raise them. >> poppa charlie, stand by. >> we got our clearance but we don't have any radio contact with them. >> reporter: a controller actually fashioned a makeshift bed on the floor during his overnight shift. at least seven controllers have been caught sleeping on the job since the beginning of the year. [ unintelligible ] those who work the radar screens say it can be incredibly exhausting, especially on the midnight shift. >> we're fatigued because the job's difficult. it's stressful. it makes you tired right there. you're in a dark environment with light noise, with nobody to talk to and it's just -- it's tough. it's really tough. it takes discipline. >> reporter: derek works at the busy atlanta center. he says, you do whatever you have to to stay awake. >> going to get five cups of coffee, drinking a red bull, a couple of monsters. standing up, pacing in the area when it's the earlier morning hours when there's no traffic. and, you know, just a simple little mind game you can play, crossword or something like that. helps you keep awake. >> reporter: carl is retired now, but says he saw controllers, when working in pairs, break the rules. >> it happened. i'm not going to lie to you. there were times when one guy would take a nap. you can see when traffic was scheduled to come in so one guy would take a nap. so, yes, i did see that take place. >> reporter: the problem involving the first lady followed a quick trip up to new york to appear on abc's "the view" among other events. later that afternoon, she boarded her plane. mistake involving her flight was apparently made by controllers at the approach control facility outside washington, d.c. they allowed the first lady's plane to get too close to a large c-17 military cargo plane. it was three instead of five miles back. >> it can be dangerous. this is not some trivia mistake. >> reporter: abc news consul stand stephen explains why the five-mile gap is so important. >> the small tornadoes that come off thor plane in front can actually upset the plane flying behind and cause the plane flying behind to lose control. >> controllers at andrews tried to increase the distance, asking the pilot if mrs. obama's plane could make a series of five s-turns to slow down. but even after the c-17 landed at andrews, controllers still weren't sure that plane would clear the runway in time for mrs. obama to land. they asked her pilots to take a lap around the airport before touching down. government officials insist that at no time was the first lady ever in danger. even so -- >> you would think with the number of controller errors that we've seen, that controllers would be much more in tune with not making mistakes and be much more up on their game. here we have the first lady coming in to land and the controller makes a very simple mistake. >> reporter: already this week, the government has taken one small step, adding an extra hour between shifts, hoching it will help controllers catch their breath. for "nightline," i'm lisa stark in washington. >> the friendly skies. thanks so lisa stark for that. just ahead, well, is it the best gift from france since the statue of liberty? the dukan diet is coming to america. and we talk with the doctor who invented it. ♪ there's another way to minimize litter box odor: purina tidy cats. tidy cats premium line of litters now works harder to help neutralize odors in multiple-cat homes. and our improved formula also helps eliminate dust. so it's easier than ever to keep your house smelling just the way you want it. purina tidy cats. keep your home smelling like home. with one very simple philosophy: every client, every time, no exceptions, no excuses. maybe that's why j.d. power and associates ranked us "highest in customer satisfaction in the united states." so, we thought we'd take a little time to celebrate. ♪ all right, then, back to work helping clients. outstanding client service. just one more example of how everything we do at quicken loans is engineered to amaze. you know what this is, cartwright? yes. nicorette mini. you carry them around everywhere. yes, i do carry them everywhere. because cravings are everywhere. no matter where crime takes me, nicorette mini's there, ready to take a craving for me like a real partner. ♪ would you take a craving for me, cartwright? what? how would i take a -- exactly. isn't it weird to eat your partner? don't over think the metaphor, cartwright. 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[ child screams ] almost. the new 2011 dodge grand caravan. get the new 2011 grand caravan starting at $24,830. plus, current owners get an additional $1,000 bonus cash. >> announcer: "nightline" continues from washington with terry moran. >> pierre dukan thought he had figured out a way to help people drop weight and keep it off. years of success with his patients, he said, told him so. but at first he had a hard time getting his ideas published. well, fast forward. millions of copies sold and american publishers jumped at the chance to sell dukan's secrets. tonight, the doctor peoples with juju chang in an exclusive interview with our series "you are what you eat." >> reporter: it's a diet fit for a queen. or maybe a princess to be. the media took notice that kate middleton has been shedding pounds. she had to have her ring taken in. is it stress or successful wedding diet? her mom carole dropped a hint about her own weight loss to a reporter. >> she lost four pounds in a week. and she was talking about how delighted she was with the results. the palace said neither kate nor carole are on the dukan diet. >> reporter: but the queen's cousin, who is helping plan the royal wedding reception, says she lost 30 pounds on the french diet. >> because it is such, a rage in france for ages, it's very mean they kept the secret from us. >> reporter: and it's not just british royalty, hollywood is buzzing, too. jennifer lopez, both reportedly used the dukan diet to drop their baby weight. the hottest diet doctor in the world is a mild-mannered frenchman. pierre dukan stumbled upon his secret almost by accident when an obese patient begged for his help. >> i said, okay, eat meat for five days, drink a lot. he lost ten pounds -- >> reporter: in five days? yes. >> reporter: as the french would say -- >> yes. >> reporter: red is good? >> red is good. >> reporter: dukan spent the next 30 years formulating the illusive secret. the diet is broken into four phases. first, the attack phase. to jump start weight loss, you can only eat lean meats for two to seven days. meat, fat free cheeses. no carbs and no fat. >> when you see it on the scale, you are motivated and you enter into the second phase. >> reporter: the cruise phase g adds veggies. you alternate pure protein days with pure veggie days. >> everything is okay. >> reporter: phase three is the all-important consolidation phase. it lasts for five days for every pound you've lost. consolidation allows fruit and bread. it also calls for one celebration meal per week where all belts are off. you look like a different person. >> i am a different person. you don't know how much more confidence i've got. >> reporter: anna and her husband lost 36 and 34 pounds representatively. and it's changed hair lives. >> i tell you, juju, i put these dresses on and they fit me. and you know what happened? i sat in this change room and i sobbed. no, i really did somebody. because -- >> reporter: because of all that you'd missed or -- >> yes, because, you know, i thought, how could i have spent so much of my life in my head fat, when it didn't take that much effort to lose it? there is no fat on this chicken. no fat at all. >> reporter: the couple says they miss creamy cheeses and potato chips, but it's an easy sacrifice. losing weight is easy. but keeping it off is a holy grail of dieting. so, this is not a quick fix diet. >> no, no. it's quick to lose weight but it's very long to consolidate. the real great program is not to put it back. >> reporter: the fourth and final stabilization phase lasts for the rest of your life. you can eat whatever you want, but once a week, it's back to pure protein. dr. dukan suggests thursday. why did you pick thursday for your once a week? >> it's -- if it's not thursday, it was tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow. and people forget. so, i decide it was -- it will be thursday. >> reporter: oh, yeah. and don't forget, you need to drink six glasses of water, walk at least 20 minutes a day. never take an elevator, unless it is more than five flights, and at least one and a half of tablespoons of oat bran. yes, oat bran. every day. >> what is interesting is the husk. >> reporter: you need the has snk. >> oat bran is very important because first, when is it in stomach, it absorb 20 time volume of water. >> reporter: it makes you feel full? >> full. >> reporter: but there are some critics who say, if you are only eating protein, that can damage the kidneys. >> if you drink six glsz of was water and you don't practice this diet too long months and months, you have no kidney problem. >> reporter: do you feel like you can eat oat bran for the rest of your life? >> why not? >> reporter: you don't get sick of it? >> no. >> reporter: how much better is the love life? >> my wife is much more attractive to me. >> i didn't want to take my clothes off. i don't do that now and i bought some very nice lingerie to go to bed in. >> reporter: congratulations. improving the quality of life is exactly what dr. dukan sees as his life mission. so, what's more important? >> yeah. the big problem is, the food is immediate. >> reporter: yes. the scale take as little longer. that's what we call delayed gratification. >> exactly. >> reporter: for "nightline," je suis juju chang, a new york. >> merci. and remember, the diet plan that works the best? eat less, exercise more. the dukan diet, two steps to lose the weight, two steps to keep it off forever, went on tale cede. thanks to juju. up next, an offer you won't want to miss. no muss, no fuss, no spills. stay tuned to hear the world's greatest pitchman break down the art of the sale. depression is a serious medical condition. i feel like i have to wind myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the lack of energy. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about pristiq -- a prescription medicine proven to treat depression. pristiq is thought to work by affecting the levels of two chemicals in the brain -- serotonin and norepinephrine. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. anti-depressants can increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens, and young adults. pristiq is not approved for children under 18. do not take pristiq with maois. taking pristiq with nset pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. tell your doctor about all your medications, including those for migraine, to avoid a potentially life threatening condition. pristiq may cause or worsen high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or glaucoma. tell your doctor if you have heart disease, or before you reduce or stop taking pristiq. side-effects may include nausea, dizziness and sweating. for me, pristiq is a key in helping me treat my depression. i really didn't see it coming. i didn't realize i was drifting into the other lane. [ kim ] i was literally falling asleep at the wheel. it got my attention, telling me that i wasn't paying attention. i had no idea the guy in front of me had stopped short. but my car did. -my car did. -thankfully, my mercedes did. [ male announcer ] a world you can't predict... demands a car you can trust. the e-class. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. when you can have pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits? the warm, light delicate layers are like nothing else. add a layer of excitement to your next meal. ♪ with cinnabon cinnamon have such a sweet and delicious aroma that my family can't wait ai to get their hands on them. enjoy cinnabon cinnamon... now in all pillsbury cinnamon rolls. he could sell ice to an eskimo. he could sell a ketchup pock sickle and may have even sold you something. anthony sullivan is the king of the late-night infomercial. and tonight, he joins matt gutman to explain the art of the sale. >> hi, anthony sullivan here for robo stir. that third hand in the kitchen so you can get two things done at once. >> reporter: he is, as seen on tv, the undisputed infomercial king. >> you can see, no drips. >> reporter: anthony sullivan has crowded late-night tv for decades now, turning the sale of items you don't really need but kind of want into a multi-billion dollar industry. but the real secret if you ask sullivan is in the pitch. >> the dirt, the sand, the snow. >> reporter: and he remembers every one of them. >> no script. cat hair, dog hair. >> reporter: kaboom. >> kaboom, and the soap scum is gone. >> reporter: it's eye-catching for viewers and for the discovery channel. which is now running the second season of "pitchmen." the first season featured sullivan and his business partner, friend and infomercial legend billy mays. >> hi, i'm billy mays. >> reporter: mays died of a cocaine-related heart attack in 2009. >> life after billy hasn't been the same. he was a running mate, a wing man. he was my closest friend and he was miss biggest competitor. >> this one's for you, billy mays. >> reporter: this season, sully is doing it all himself. he often begins his day sifting through the hundreds of insenses sent every week to sullivan productions here in tampa. if you have a toy lent invention, do not send it to us. >> reporter: most of them -- >> does it really work? >> reporter: he tosses out. but there are some gems. >> this is the air lace. the only lace in the world with no ends. >> reporter: this is actually a good idea. >> reporter: sullivan begins to warm to lazy laces, and the pitches start rolling. >> if ties your laces gets you stuck in all the right places, you need lady laces. we're trying to make life easier. >> reporter: simplicity appeals to sullivan and his crew. it's the cornerstone of his business model. the most expensive item he's ever sold cost $129. this one costs 30 cents to make. how much could this be worth for a budding inventor? >> this is, if this goes, this is easily $1 million. smell that? smells like money. >> reporter: and sullivan should know. he's made millions since he started hawking the wash matic on london skreet corners as a lanky teen. >> anthony sullivan here for the jupiter jack. >> reporter: since then, he's hawked over a billion dollars worth of product. you sell stuff. and there's some people, and you're very good at it. there's some people that say you're a huckster. that you sell well but the products may not be so good. >> you know, i couldn't be in the same business for as long as i have been and not sell quality products. >> reporter: and now, he's betting on lady laces. sullivan finally tracks down its inventor. >> anthony sullivan calling from sullivan productions. >> how are you doing? >> doing good. >> i love your show. >> thank you very much. appreciate it. >> reporter: here comes the sell. >> don't replace it, relace it. tie it once and it lasts for once. i would like to meet face to face, talk about doing a deal. i would like to move quickly. >> reporter: he can't help it. it's the pitchman in i'm. i'm matt gutman for "nightline" in tampa. >> and wait there's more. you can check out anthony sullivan, seven tips on what makes a product sellable, on