Toughest part of training to get past

[abev107]

I am still in my beginning stages of flight training for a PPL and was wondering if pilots could share some of the difficult things they had a hard time getting past during their training. They could be either technique or fears or both.

Some of the manuever's get to me a bit, not a sick feeling though; I am really not sure why I don't like them, just uncomfortable. I am not going to list them b/c I feel the anxiety now just thinking about it.

I am finding the more that I listen to the flying community the easier/more comfortable flying gets.

 

[bobbysamd]

Toughest part of training

You have but nine hours to your name. Don't worry; any queasiness will pass in time. Sometimes repeated shots at constant-altitude turns (steep turns) can get to you because of the Gs. Open the vents for some cool air.

Normally, I defer when someone asks me my opinion regarding difficult maneuvers. It's relative. I don't like to tell someone that something's hard, because it may not be for them. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Some people are quick studies while others take longer but get it eventually. Some people get the hang of landings immediately while others never learn how to land. Also, a lot depends on your instructor. I recall that I had a tough time getting onto S turns down a road when I was a Private student. Also had trouble with crosswind landings. I needed a lot of hours to get on to Lazy 8s when I was working on my Commercial. What I found strange later, though, is all these maneuvers and my general overall flying improved greatly when I started instructing. As they say, to learn a subject, teach it.

Good luck with your training.

 

[Rvrrat]

I had a tough time with power on strait ahead stalls as a Private candidate, as a Commercial candidate and when I was begining CFI training until I did the mandatory spin training. Power off stalls were no big deal, accelerated stalls I actually found to be fun. For me it was the power on stalls that felt "this isn't ok." Slow airspeed & getting slower (alarm 1), power full on & still getting slow plus extreme <it seemed like> pitch angle (alarm 3), need to add more rudder to stay strait ahead didn't seem natural (alarm 4), fear of falling off into a spin if I didn't keep the ball centered (alarm 5). The last is the telling thing I discovered; it was the fear of what I thought could be the worst thing to happen. After doing the spin training required of CFI candidates the "worst thing" ceased to be a "five alarm fire".

Take your training one flight at a time, get a complete preflight briefing from your instructor about what will be done on the flight & it will go fine.

All the best in your training. There is nothing like earning your wings.

 

[abev107]

It's good that pilots on this message board are not afraid to talk about what freaks them.

When you think back you may feel that your hesitations were insignificant, particularly b/c you have x hundreds or even thousands of hours. But even if it gave a days worth of anxiety, it's invaluable to post it here. Someone somewhere is going through the same thing and *will* go through the same thing. Future pilots will use this archive and any other archive to advance their learning.

For me, just like rvrrat, power on stalls irk me. I don't want to spin. Even though I have every confidence that my CFI can get us out of it.

It seems like accidents will not always happen for the same reason. Sometimes you do thing that *should* have gotten u in trouble. In one of my first lessons, we got a go around from the tower. We had a citation hot on our tail and the ole 172 just couldnt out run it. We were about 15 feet from the runway and got the go around. I called back tower nicely, "6 sierra pop going around". Then I put the flaps up! We got full power in right away after that, and all was ok. I knew there was something good about always coming in fast. My CFI downplayed it, but to me that could have gotten very ugly.

 

[CFI'er]

I just want to add my .02.

"It seems like accidents will not always happen for the same reason. Sometimes you do thing that *should* have gotten u in trouble. In one of my first lessons, we got a go around from the tower. We had a citation hot on our tail and the ole 172 just couldnt out run it. We were about 15 feet from the runway and got the go around. I called back tower nicely, "6 sierra pop going around". Then I put the flaps up! We got full power in right away after that, and all was ok. I knew there was something good about always coming in fast. My CFI downplayed it, but to me that could have gotten very ugly."

One thing I always stressed with my students is to fly the airplace first and talk with the tower last, after taking care of business. The tower would have recognised that you were going around. If a true emergency happens to you during your flying, do what ever it takes to keep the aircraft flying, then contact the tower or ATC, and explain your situation. Going around is not always an easy maneuver,especially at 15 ft. agl, as some would have you to believe. You recovered this time, next time, the call to the tower mayl not be enough time.

 

[JediNein]

Howdy!
Welcome to flying!
Would a series of stories about conquering fear and general uncomfortableness help? (They would be posted to my website so as to not offend the sensitivities of the macho fighter pilots on this board.)
Let me know, PM if needed.
Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[100LL... Again!]

Don't worry about any of it.

Simple Checklist:

1# Read the PTS (ask your CFI).

2# Know what maneuvers and tasks are required.

3# Practice until you can do it to standards.

4# Study, study, study (Knowing your bookwork can save you tons of cash and frustration)

5# Learn how to write really big checks

6# Enjoy your new certificate


Everyone struggles with one maneuver or another.
Don't let anything psych you out.

And my personal soapbox topic:
Respect pilots for how well they fly, not how big their aircraft is.

 

[Rvrrat]

Only if there's money in the bank

5# Learn how to write really big checks

Ummmm, just because there are still blank checks in the checkbook does not mean it's ok to use them.

 

[toneal]

Open Wallet
Position wallet in an inverted position
shake vigorously
manually inspect wallet to make sure all valuable contents are out
pick up the maxed out credit cards and put them back into your wallet
smile! you just went flying and your now broke! I always figured the flying brings on a better feeling. Anyone can be broke.. might as well have fun doin it!

 

[JuJu]

Landings were the hardest for me. Approach would look good, but it took me awhile to get the correct sight picture, flare at the right speed, height, etc. and make a smooth landing. Then one day, it all clicked. (Not saying they're all smooth, but at least I don't tend to arrive three or four times anymore.) I didn't like stalls too much at first either, but I could get through them.

Now, when I start wanting to check out in other a/c around the field, I have to do stalls all over in each of them. They don't bother me so much anymore.

I recently started flying a Citabria for the following reasons:
I want to get my taildragger endorsement;
I want to go up and do spins and get unusual/upset recovery training;
and I wanted to get an introduction to basic aerobatics.

The last two reasons are because I want to really conquer my uneasiness about stalls by pushing past them into spins. Along the way though, my landings feel like I'm learning all over again with that taildragger (two or three touchdowns per landing attempt, again).

 

[Timebuilder]

Aside from getting used to this new and alien environment, where you have a host of sensations like nothing you are used to, landing is probably to most common hurdle for the new student.

It is far easier to get an airplane to safely leave the runway than it is to make it safely land on a runway. You will become familiar with all of the requirements for a nearly perfect landing, and you will learn to enjoy the quest of perfecting your landings.

 

[AvJunke]

Help your instructor and be honest

Let me put in a plea for your flight instructor and tell you to be honest with him when you start feeling a little nautious. I speak from experience. I had a student that would vomit anytime we did steep turns pleading with him to let me know if he began feeling uneasy at all. He never would, two steep turns later, I'd move on to something else, since I realized he couldn't handle it for whatever reason, and two minutes later he'd blow chunks everywhere. Revolting. I felt bad for the guy, had to be real embarassing after the first time. Take small steps with this stuff and you'll get acclimated to the manuevers before you know it.

 

[JediNein]

I find students have to be able to *really* trust their flight instructor before they will reveal their weaknesses, fears, uncomfortable places, and even when they are feeling sick. This trust is obviously harder to obtain than simply the student trusting the instructor with their life.

Comments?

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[Rvrrat]

I find students have to be able to *really* trust their flight instructor before they will reveal their weaknesses, fears, uncomfortable places, and even when they are feeling sick. This trust is obviously harder to obtain than simply the student trusting the instructor with their life.

This is where "Professionalism" & "The Flight Instructor as a Practical Psychologist" strait out of the Aviation Instructor's Handbook comes into use.

Professionalism, because the student must decide that the instructor is trustworthy in order to earn the student's trust.

Practical Psychologist, in addition to Professionalism because the single most difficult aspect of dealing with a student is the student's own self perception. IE: "If you only knew____ you wouldn't continue to help me learn this thing I think I want so badly."

Jedi, have you found a difference between students who are learning to fly for pleasure versus those learning to fly for a career? Also, have you found a difference in dealing with younger students versus older students?

 

[bunnyfufu]

most difficult things for me: visualizing where to have the steepest/shallowest bank in ground reference maneuvers, preparing for the oral exam, and using visual aids for navigation... though it might just be that northern illinois is so flat and featureless