Oh dear, thanks guys, i was giggling away over the issue of "Finals" or "Final" if its any help, as a student, at an RAF airfield, with RAF instructors, I use callsign then "Finals" all the time when flying ccts and visual recovery. My instructor has no issues with this (I have not yet taken my R/T exam) and I neither have I ahd any irate Air traffickers call me up to put my r/t right!!
Now, to JimPilot's original post. Gripping fingers on the stick is a problem I had to start off with adn certainly still do sometimes, particularly when taking off. My first AirEx flight was actually in a Chippy and my friend and I were doing aeros. My friend was the first to pick me up on my iron grip!
Now i'm learning "properly" my instructor has picked me up on that same iron grip but its less now. Another friend said as I think someone here has that you can fly an aeroplane with the lightest touch of three fingers and I now try and do so. I can understand the feeling of tensing up on Finals...have done so myself, but relaxing and "talking to the aircraft" does strangely help!
