Did you ever dread lessons?
I am a 31 year old, currently doing a PPL, and up until recently, I had always really looked forward to the next lesson.
But this has stopped.
In fact, I now dread having lessons, and I am thinking about stopping.
But a bit of background is needed I think.
At first everything was great. I got on very well with my instructor and was taught to fly an aeroplane. And later, when I was sent solo, I was apprehensive, but ended up loving it, and so did my 4 hours of solo circuit bashing with a permanent grin etched on my face. I was now on top of the world. I was one of the few fortunate people who had actually taken off, flown around and landed a plane all by myself! What could possibly be better?
But then my instructor went on a much needed holiday, and he told me that I was going to fly with his friend. He told me that this new instructor had a completely different style to him, but that I would be fine and would have no problems. Anyway, this new instructor seemed okay, and even though I was very disappointed at a sudden change, I thought that it would be perhaps good for me to fly with someone new. It would take away the 'comfort zone' that I had established with my first instructor.
But it soon became clear, that the new instuctor and me were not going to get on. He had an established teaching style that worked on the principle of abuse. He would swear and rant at certain errors that I made, which made me feel very uncomfortable. However, because he went on at me so much, I did actually learn things from him.
But then I was switched to another instructor, who I got on well with, so all was well in the land of PPL. Or so I thought.
On hour 27 or so, I was once again back with the instructor who used abuse as a teaching technique, and I didn't look forward to the lesson. My girlfriend told me to cancel it and wait for my original instructor to come back form his holiday, but I thought that I would carry on.
That next lesson was today, and I was so uncomfortable during the whole lesson, that it was a godsend that we landed after only an hour. The nameless instructor told me that I had better improve soon, or else I would fail my general flight test.
He said that I was far too lax with the trim wheel, and that I let the aircraft fly itself to much. He told me that my landing was pathetic, and that I would be laughed at if one of the chief examiners flew with me. (He did say that I'd done various things really well, but understandibly, I was depressed.) He told me that if i didn't like what I was hearing, then I was a fool to myself.
I did know that I was lax with the trim, and various other things, but it was this instructors manner that I wasn't happy with. If I was paying about £100 for a lesson, then I wanted to at least enjoy it.
The instructor qualifed his manner, by saying that everything he'd told me was what any other instuctor would say, but that other instructors would not say it so plainly. He then, quite rightly pointed out, that because I was on a tight budget, that his style of 'telling it how it was' would work out cheaper for me. And thought I listened to him, I felt like just going home and forgetting about this whole idea of learing to fly.
When I first thought about doing a PPL, I thought that it would be fun and exciting, and that i would look foreward to each lesson. I certainly didn't expect what I am feeling now. In fact, if it was raining tomorrow, I would be glad.
Rant over.
I have put this post here, in the hope that some of you PPL'ers will have gone through what I have, and will offer me some advice or help. or even sympathy. Because after nearly 30 hours of lessons, with the glory of the first solo under my belt, I am ready to call it a day.