So I don't post here very often, but this thread has inspired me to put some fresh batteries in the keyboard and type something out, it's brought back so many fond memories, just had to say something.
I'm just a lowly PPL weekend warrior with a mutli. I've had my PPL for around 8 years with some lapses from flying requiring a check flight here and there. I'm not an instructor so I won't offer any specific flying advice, more of advice from an (ex) student to another.
Where to start...
Firstly, the first solo, not sure if you have done it yet, but if not, enjoy it, savour it, write down some detailed notes about how you felt, both beforehand, during and after. Take a photo of the plane once you've parked. Its the one flight you'll always look back on and remember, record as much of it as you can so you can relive it. The things I remember about mine were arguing with my instructor about not being ready to solo, sitting in a plane on my own while on downwind thinking to myself "I'm actually doing it, I'm flying a plane, I can't believe it, this is friggen awesome", and the smile I had on my face for about a month afterwards.
Mistakes, they happen, it's expected even, make as many as you can now with an instructor next to you, I found it's a really good way to learn. My last mistake was just this last Saturday, flying a twin (so expected to be a bit more professional) I was inbound to a class D, weather was good, it was my home base, no significant traffic and the flight was easy so no real excuses, made my inbound call, gave my type and call sign, my alt, the atis code and my intentions, and as I let go of the PTT button I felt like something was off with the call I had just made. ATC didn't respond as quickly as usual while I ran over the call in my head, when I realised I forgot to state my position, DOH. Not a biggy (I've made worse but I'm not putting em up here) my point is mistakes will happen. And as a side note, I think instructors get off on pushing us beyond our limitations and forcing mistakes, I bet they sit around at the end of the day having a laugh about us.
Don't get hung up on things that don't click right away like taxiing or landing (probably more nav related stuff by now), they will come with time and it will eventually click, It may not seem like it now but it will. Everyone has something they have issues with. When I was at the later stages of my PPL I overheard two instructors discussing another student who was ready to solo except they just couldn't/were scared of go around's. And the number of stories I've heard of people who just couldn't get their landings right I've lost count of. For me it was operating into and out of uncontrolled airports, I just couldn't get my head around how all these planes flying around an airport uncoordinated weren't bumping into each other up there, and I was scared that I was going to be the one to make that mistake that would cause me to bump into someone. This was after I had obtained my PPL as well, so I asked my instructor if we could do an hour or two of theory on that. It clicked for me after a conversation which went like this, Me: "But how am I suppose to get into a busy uncontrolled airport?" Instructor: "Uncontrolled airports are never busy". When I heard that all my fears where gone. And to this day those words have rung true, never have I come across more than two planes at an uncontrolled airport, and one is usually on the ground taxiing. I still prefer the guiding voice on the radio though.
Lastly, don't get hung up on how long it takes you to learn something, and don't compare how long it took you to solo/RPL/PPL to other people, everyone learns at a different pace and alot of the time it's because of things out of your control like weather/frequency of flying. e.t.c.
Not sure how far you have come since your last post, but if you're still at it hang in there and don't sweat the small stuff. Oh and one more thing, something weird happens when you become PIC, when its all on you, everything you have been taught just seems to click and come together like magic, you'll see.
Since you haven't posted I'd (and I'm sure many others) would love to hear about how far you have come.
P.S. Just wanted to add something, you mentioned you had trouble with all the radio jargon. Two bits of specific advice I can give, firstly with the phonetics (Charlie Oscar November, that type of thing) start trying to use it in everyday life, when your driving say the letters of the licence plate in front of you, when you're in one of those situations where you have to spell something out on the phone to someone, try to use standard phraseology, for example instead of saying "B for Bob or S for Sam", say "B for bravo and S for Sierra". I've even got my daughter learning these, but all she knows is Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, She's nine! Secondly when I was doing my training I had a scanner in the car hooked up to a voice recorder that would record all the radio traffic while I was at the airport. I'd listen to this afterwards when I could and tried to visualise where the traffic was and what they were doing.It helped me alot. Nowadays you can just use any number of online resources/apps to do the same thing. Sometimes when I'm bored I like to listen to atc.net while watching flighaware and seeing the planes get guided around.
Last edited by Con_G; 11th Dec 2018 at 12:25.