When I was approaching my 8year option in '73,the chance of getting a decent civilian Flt Nav' job was less than finding rocking-horse s**t,so I thought I would go to CSE Oxford and do a CPL.
They said to start with a PPL while HMQ was still paying me, so off I went to Staverton. By then I had 2700hrs as a nav but had never been in anything smaller than the Valetta/Varsity, apart from dinghy drill uplifts by Whirlwind.
I was absolutely terrified in a Cessna 150 and hated every minute of the 30 or so hours I did, especially stalling and spinning. Once, the instructor hadn't fastened his door properly and it flew open when we doing steep turns, I nearly wet myself.
Back at Lyneham I explained this to some of my mates and several said that they had been like that at first on Chipmunks/JPs, but, as I told them I was paying and it felt like throwing good money away.
Suffice to say I gave up even though my instructor ( Pete Rayner exCFS) said I ought to have a double brandy before I flew to calm my nerves.
Years later No1 son took me up in a Jaguar, didn't enjoy that much and I did experience what he said was called 'knife edge'.
It certainly vindicated my decision to only apply to be a nav' back in '65.
I don't do heights at all - once when staying with an old Herc mate in HK he found it amusing that I insisted Mrs B48 slept next to the window of his 12th floor apartment.