I'm drowning in new rateings

[JBHewlett]

Ok first off

The cutting off thing happens. Are you away from home? I know thats kind of a weird question. The only reason I ask is because, when you are away from home, the stress can really build up, being in a different place. If you are not away from home, then the stress of a different training environment can really add up.

I can tell you right now that your use of the word "Roger" is correct. When you ask for the radio check and the gentlemen in the FBO responded with "loud and clear", "roger" was the correct response on your end. Roger means "I have understood your transmission". Thats pretty much all it means. There is another word that is in use right now and that word is "Wilco". Wilco means "I have understood your transmission and I will comply with it". Affirmative means yes, and Negitive means no.

It is good in post flight, that your instructor is commending you on a good job. That is a good thing.

Just hang in there,
J.

 

[172driver]

All I can say to that is...you should feel comfortable asking any question to your CFI. Often, the airplane is not the place to ask it though, at least in certain phases of flight. Remember, although you are flying, he is very busy watching you, looking for traffic, listening to the radio, trying to teach, etc. Write down a list of questions and sit down with him before the flight. I sit down with all of my new students and discuss things for hours before we ever fire up the airplane for the first time together. Also, nobody minds answering questions once but I expect the student to study and know the answer next time.

What rating are you working on? It is sometimes frustrating to a CFI to reteach things that should already be known. If he is having to redo your private, you should be doing lots of ground time with him to ensure you know what to do before you get up there and blow tons of cash. The questions you are asking will be much less frustrating on the ground. Many 141 CFI's are not too keen on the ground side of things as we all love to fly. How much ground time have you put in with him? How much do you put in on your own before and after each flight?

 

[bobbysamd]

CFI demeanor

For one thing, an instructor should not yell. I learned to fly in a 172 that did not have an intercom. My instructor did not have a naturally loud voice, so when he was trying to say something to me, he was shouting and it sounded like yelling. I don't liked to be yelled at, even if it is unintentional, and I probably reacted to him more than what he was saying. On the ground, he was just fine, just like your instructor. Just the same, I vowed never to yell at a student when I became a flight instructor. To the best of my recollection, I never did yell. I tried to be consistent in the airplane and away from it. It helped that my airplanes had intercoms.

Sarcasm? I can be very sarcastic. However, my initial approach when instructing and critiquing would be to just provide the facts in a dispassionate manner. Sometimes, after a student keeps making the same mistakes, I tried to say it differently. If that didn't work, sometimes I resorted to sarcasm to try to make the point clearly. Law of intensity.

I have to agree with 172driver about it being frustrating to give remedial instruction. You assume that someone with a Private certificate possesses certain minimum knowledge. Of course, we all know what "ass-u-me" means. It is disappointing to get a student who seemingly knows nothing and have to teach it again. That's why I preferred to have students who started in the program in which I was teaching, because I knew what knowledge they possessed. But, that doesn't mean that a new entrant cannot get up to speed and learn the program. It may mean that person has to do some extra studying.

Once again, I suspect that you have a good instructor. You were aware of his reputation for competency. Conscientious instructors strive to build that kind of reputation. Stay with it. As I said above, going from a learn-at-your-own-pace FBO situation to an intense and standardized 141 program can be major culture shock. I know. I earned my ratings with private instructors who owned their own airplanes and my first flying job was with ERAU, which was extremely structured. I had to summon up discipline and learn to believe in procedures that seemed anal and unnecessary because I was never taught them. I embraced them after I understood the rationale behind them and wished I had been taught that way when I was learning how to fly.

Once again, good luck with your training.

 

[Timebuilder]

Make the MOST of your pre and post-flight briefings. If you are unsure of a procedure or method, get it squared away BEFORE you get back into the airplane, or at least before you taxi. If you are taxiing a Grumman, you have my sympathy.

Try a spoonful of sugar. When you are not in the airplane, tell your instructor how you have heard of the great job he does, and that you want to learn everything the right way. Ask him to help you develop a study pattern that will best prepare you for each flight. How did he do it? What did he have trouble with? What are his secrets of success? Tell him you want to be a VERY good pilot, and you want his HELP!

Get him to become your ally, and he will seem to change a lot from your perspective, and you will start to look forward to your flights.

 

[5280high]

i'm currently working on my int and comm with the same guy...yea this is the first time i have been away from home...i really do not have a sit down time to talk to the guy...its i show up see what plane i have and then go out and preflight...now after the flight we have a little bit but usally he has other students after me

i don't really sit down with like a panel or anything to help me with the plane...however i think an aweful lot about the way things were done and what i need to do...i just got out of my int ground class usally spend about an hour and a half there...as far as comm i really don't have any classes right now to be in but i usally think about how he wants things done...

i pray that he isn't going over stuff again that i did in my private...i really hope i'm not that bad of a pilot right now...

whenever i fly i do the best i can...and it doesn't bother me much when he is on me in the plane...its just the dread of knowing i have this guy everyday...well i'm just gonna sack it up and get my rateings...then almost all my problems will be solved...i have a plan for next week..however this weekend i'm gonna relax and prepare for next week...thanks guys happy flying!!

 

[5280high]

makeing progress

whats up guys...thought i would drop a line to tell you how things are going...its been two weeks and i'm still hanging in there...i have found out that no matter who your dealing with the instrutor will be the same...he is a very hard instrutor but he is to everyone i finally believe that guy is trying to help and not drive me crazy...i've also decided that everytime he gets on me its b/c he wants to drive something in my mind to remeber...in any case like 12 weeks i'll be instrument rated and not haveing to be with that guy for everyday...

anyway i think i have my confidence back...i'm not as a bad of a pilot as i thought a couple weeks ago...i went on some cross countrys this weekend(solo) that kindof rekendled my love of flying....i was at this airport and went in to close my flight plan and went back out to the plane to get some stuff and boom there was two very nice piltauses<---i know i misspelled that....and the people were really nice and it was good to know i could go somewhere i could just talk to people about flying and it was jsut really cool....well thats all for me i'm gonna go chill out for a little bit and i'll see you guys later.

 

[bobbysamd]

Hang in there . . .

See?? I told you once before it would get better.

Granted, there are some CFIs who are sadists, but most want to see their students excel and push them so they do excel. Just prepare as well as possible for your lessons and you'll be pleased with yourself at how well you do.

Once again, best of luck with your training.

 

[5280high]

bobbysamd hey thanks alot for the help...i know sometimes talking to the little guys is hard but we thank you so much for it.

thanks man

 

[bobbysamd]

Little guys??!!??

Twenty years ago, at age 31, I was a "little guy," too. I never forgot how hard I worked learning to fly. And, some of my happiest days in aviation were spent working with folks like you.

Once more, best of luck with your training.

 

[Timebuilder]

Bobby, I'm about 1/2 an inch shorter than when I was 31.

I guess I'm turning into one of the "little guys"!

Good luck, 5280.