Losing Interest. Help!!!

[Goose Egg]

Huh. I've got several hundred hours of dual given and I'm not burned out yet. What's wrong with me? I must be unusually fastidious.

Or maybe I just like what I do.

-Goose

 

[MFRskyknight]

As a (involuntary) 141 transfer student, I think I feel your pain in a very acute way. I bascially had to redo 21+ hours of training, when I was maybe 6-8 hours from being done at Airman before they closed.

Spending that much time under the hood can be a real grind. Especially when I know it's nice out and I'd rather be looking around outside the plane than watching every jiggle of every needle under a "plastic cloud." Also, all my hours are almost exclusively training hours.

Yesterday I rented for the first time. Took my first passenger up and flew around OKC. He happened to be my manager at work, and I thoroughly, wickedly enjoyed every minute of scaring the hell out of him (in a good way, of course). It was great (not to mention cheaper!) to do some good old-fashioned VFR without an instructor on board.

I guess every once in awhile ya gotta do whatever it takes to keep some of your sanity.

MFR

 

[RJPilott]

Sounds like someone might be milking you bud. How many hours of chandelles have you done? It shouldnt take more than about 2-3 lessons at an hour each to have them down pat. Any more than that and the student will lose interest and possibly even think to themselves they may be incompetent. If you are having a hard time grasping a maneuver, ask your instructor to move on to another manuever, one that may come easier to you, grow your confindence. Either way, if you're losing interest, tell your instructor, if he/she says you just have to keep doing them till you "get it", find another instructor.

 

[SpatialD]

I agree with RJPilott. Are you following some kind of syllabus, lesson plans, etc? If not, you have 2 options: 1. fire your instructor (preferable) 2. take charge of your flight training program, whatever it takes (insist that your CFI map out the rest of your training, in writing, etc.)

At the commercial level, you need a good flight instructor - not just some time builder. I can't tell you how many hours I've wasted giving poor CFI's the benefit of the doubt during my own training. If yours isn't aware of your frustration and trying to get you motivated again, move on quickly before you waste more money than you should (speaking from experience). Best of luck!

 

[RJPilott]

Heres an idea if your instructor insists on doing more chandelles....

Do your chandelles up to altitude.. say 5000 agl. At the top of your last chandelle.. pull hard back on the yoke while turning it to the right and bury the left rudder... hold the rudder firmly to the firewall... then tell your instructor to recover... hey... at least your lessons will be more exciting and you'll be able to practice more chandelles in less time being that you can lose the altitude fast to set up another series of chandelles... rinse and repeat.

Disclaimer
(Be sure you have a spin approved aircraft before attempting the above)

 

[Papps]

Dude if your burned out now your are in for one insainly long career.

 

[labbats]

All I can say is get used to this feeling. Don't ever go into airline flying if this is boring you already. After SJS wears off and you realize you are just flying regional junk to and from the same 20 airports for the forseeable future, it's gonna get REAL boring. You'll have every route, ILS and center frequency memorized and it will be about as exciting as watching paint dry. All while making 15-30k a year. Theat's the reality of it. It's not going to be that exciting. Even in fractional flying, you're going to see the SAME airports again and again. Sure you will get to go to out of the way places but the majority of time will be in places like Teterhole.

As an Eagle FO out of Chicago, we have over 60 destinations. I still haven't even flown to all of them, let alone the overnights. It's not too shabby. I still complain sometimes, but then I remember being in sales or construction and I shut up.

I can relate to the duldrums of Commercial manuevers. I'd suggest going flying in some real crap weather with an instructor to help. You'll see and learn more in those few lessons than most of the others combined. Go above the clouds and do some manuevers so it counts as another lesson, and use the rest to get comfortable in some lousy IFR weather.

Best of luck

 

[SeaLord]

Ok, here's my two cents worth:
As an IP who had over 1600 dual given, I would always tell my students: 'flight training is NOT fun!' Yes, on occasion, it is thrilling and enjoyable, but on average or as a whole, the flight training portion is not fun. That being said: hang on, hold tight, grin and bear it, and just put your head down and push through. A million other jokers like me have made flying into a career, and the vast majority have gone through exactly what your dealing with right now. Some of us lose our way (Me) and take a sabbatical for a year or two, but those guys (Me) end up regretting not just pushing through. Best of luck to you.

 

[ePilot22]

30 degrees inverted!

Do your chandelles up to altitude.. say 5000 agl. At the top of your last chandelle.. pull hard back on the yoke while turning it to the right and bury the left rudder... hold the rudder firmly to the firewall... then tell your instructor to recover... hey... at least your lessons will be more exciting and you'll be able to practice more chandelles in less time being that you can lose the altitude fast to set up another series of chandelles... rinse and repeat.

Best advice ever given on FI! IT WORKS! Also works to the left with right rudder! Remember to bring your camera.

NOTE: This was demostrated to me during my CFI training (in a 172RG) for the exact purpose stated above!

Anyway, training becomes very boring. Like everyone else said, rent a plane and do a few XC to places you haven't been. If you're around 180 hours like it says on your proflie, go fly for 30 hours on your own having fun, then spend 15 to 20 hours training for the commercial. Good Luck.

 

[Goose Egg]

As an aside, you'll get a lot better results if you bury the rudder to the left vs. the right. Hold those inputs until recovery, and be sure to start the "maneuver" with some power in too.

-Goose