I was going to post this on 'agony aunt',but maybe you guys will be able to offer some much needed wisdom..
I've just spent a painful night with a very upset friend,one of the very few girls I know who also likes flying.She has wanted to be a pilot since she was a young kid & spent years working very hard to pay for it,like most of us.
She started her PPL about 3 years ago now.She still doesn't have it & has done about 100 hours with 2 instructors,both of whom I'd quite like to punch at this particular moment in time.The first guy she flew with for about 70 hours.Four hours into her PPL training she was told
a) she would take at least 80 hours to do her PPL
b)He felt it was a shame the club didn't have a policy of 'chopping unsuitable students'
c)She would better not 'get into trouble with her credit cards' on account of her 'slow progress'
I was told pretty much the same,but ignored it & used the f-word.This kid was too polite.
Rumour has it that none of this guy's female students have got their PPL's in less than 100 hours,but because he was an ATPL & an airline captain she seemed to think the sun shone out his arse & remained doggedly loyal & carried on flying with him.Christ knows what went on here,but nobody said a word about it.
She got 100% for most of her ground exams,gave up the idea of new cars & nights out & carried on flying.About a year ago she was told she was ready (after 70 hours,I think) to sit the GFT.At this point the original instructor left & she was assigned to a new instructor,purely to 'finish off'.The new instructor decided she had been taught 'a load of crap' by the first guy & should basically start from scratch & learn totally different methods.One year later,apparently she's still in the circuit,ground exams gone out of date & her confidence is in so many pieces she cries when anyone even asks how her flying is going..She feels she has failed & failed dreadfully at the only thing that ever mattered to her & her happiness & confidence have been totally destroyed.
I wondered exactly what dreadful problem existed with her - maybe she was just crap & tactfully needed to be told to stop.. Two weeks ago, I arranged to go flying with her to find out.She was able to fly & land a totally unfamiliar a/c type with no difficulty at all.Not a single problem. I am utterly baffled about what has happened here & more than a bit pissed off that a fellow flying friend,who was once the most enthusiastic & determined person I knew has got this. .Tonight,in floods of tears she told me she couldn't face the embarrasment of being a student any more & was giving it up.
I don't know what to say anymore & feel totally useless as a friend... Help.
[ 11 August 2001: Message edited by: ScottishBurd ]