Danny - yr.no.11271
..." he found he could relate to Geoffrey Wellham's emotional experiences as a student pilot"... I don't quite know what those might have been, but I've often thought that flyng training is to some degree a spiritual exercise - but have been too bashful to put my thoughts into print. Now it doesn't matter any more - so I've said it. Have others had experiences of this kind ?
Geoffrey (Boy) Wellum became very depressed because he could not get the hang of flying for the first 10 or so hours of his training and he feared he would be "Bowler Hatted" any minute. An astute instructor told him that this was not uncommon in Ab Initio training (Stanford Tuck IIRC took 13 hours dual before Solo) and that all he had to do was RELAX - flying does not need any great physical effort - the actual movements should be entirely sub-conscious.
Once Wellum 'got' this he was fine. He wrote;
"The sheer joy of flight infiltrates the very soul and from above the earth, alone, where the mere thought in one's mind seems to transmit itself to the aeroplane, there is no longer any doubt that some omniscient force understands what life is all about. There are times when the feeling of being near to an unknown presence is strong and real and comforting. It is far beyond human comprehension. We only know that it is beautiful".
I took 12.20 dual before solo (possibly because I had to adapt to the methods of four different instructors in the first 10.45 of dual), so I would echo Wellum's instructor in advising him to not get het up about "ten-hour-itis".
I think anyone who has been alone in the sky with an aeroplane will know just what Wellum articulated so well in the quote I give above.
Ian BB