Cr@p flying

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Went flying yesterday lunchtime. Made a right pig's ear of it. Does everybody have bad days like that?

[Chilli Monster]

Day before my CPL/IR checkride I couldn't fly to save my life (literally - applying wrong way yaw on the simulated engine failure caused a swing the likes I've never seen before :uhoh: ). Couldn't fly approaches, couldn't hold a heading - the list is endless. I really doubted whether I should do the test the next day.

Needless to say the next day went without a hitch! We all have off days - the secret is not having them at the wrong time!

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Oh yes! Don't worry about it. You do have fewer cr@p days as the years roll by, but you still have them, at least i do - especially with aeros.

Some days I go up and it sings! The flying is great, the aeros are super, I'm 'in the groove'. Other dyas, it just doesn't come together like that, and even a simple loop is awful. Trying harder makes it worse.

Days like that I land and save the money for a better day.

SSD

[1946]

Had a bad day last Sunday, few circuits, first for the month, the first three good/passable, day was blustery with ever swinging wind direction, fourth circuit-too high on final-too much airspeed-and touched down too long. Result-apart from red face and palpertations- high landing speed, not much runway left, fadeing brakes and the boundary fence fast approaching. Situation rescued due to help of friend rapid applications of brake. a/c type -Victa 150.

[High Wing Drifter]

I find my RT is the first thing to go west when I'm having a bad air day :sad:

[--o-o-0-o-o--]

Have been discussing this very subject at the club the other day. I usually have quite long spells of good progress and consistency, and then occasionally have a "stinker" of a day. I think it is recognising these "off days" which makes you a better/safer pilot......its when you dont recognise them you should be worrying. Im only a 180 hr PPL .....it would be nice to know whether the experienced APTL have these "off days" too.

[englishal]

Day before my CPL/IR checkride I couldn't fly to save my life
Hmm, must be normal then, becasue I couldn't either! I remember getting back from the mock test, after f**king EVERYTHING up thinking, no way will I pass. Still, next day it wen't without a hitch (the examiner even started calling me "the worlds best instrument pilot")....How is Reid these days ;)

[Julian]

Yep same here. Day before Multi CPL checkride I screwed everything up. Thought no chance what so ever! Went home throughly p1ssed off.

Passed first time :D

[Floppy Link]

Day before Multi CPL checkride I screwed everything up.....passed first time

me too

as they say in acting,

"a cr@p dress rehearsal usually makes for a good opening night"


7500 hrs and I'm still having bad days, although as noted above the incidence rate is down slightly :uhoh:

[Penguina]

"a Cr@p dress rehearsal usually makes for a good opening night"

Interesting you should say that because I was just thinking that these comments:

...I'm 'in the groove'. Other days, it just doesn't come together like that... Trying harder makes it worse....

Remind me of my much better-developed skill, music; despite many years of perfecting and honing, I still give up on it and have a beer if I'm having one of 'those' days. The physical and mental tension resulting from anxiety about your performance just won't make any positive difference.

Of course, in the air when you still have to get back and down, this option is not available. When you have a concert or recording session on a bad day, the trick is learning ways to survive it somehow without too many people noticing - damage control.

Would more experienced pilots say this is what they do too?

[G SXTY]

Does everybody have bad days like that?

ooooh yes.:) - my last circuit session for example.

The best thing one could say about most of the landings was that the wheels stayed on. Speed and flap setting made absolutely no difference - they were all equally horrible.

The last one was an absolute greaser – the mains kissed the tarmac with a gentle chirp, just as the stall-warner went off.

I wish I knew what I’d done differently. :confused:

[Maxflyer]

Went to Wellesbourne and back today. Loved the flying hated the landings....Just out of interest, an anagram of GREASER is...A SERGE. That just about summoned up the movement of blood to my face after my two landings today!!!


Apologies for the abuse shown in my spelling.

[Tinstaafl]

Doesn't matter how much experience you have, you still have 'bad days'. As experience increases the bad days tend to happen less frequently, and when they do, they tend not to be as bad.

I know my 'bad days' now are better than my 'best days' when I had minimal experience. My perception about what I consider 'bad' by me expects rather higher standard too.

[Formally Known As]

No don't you worry about that.

Even I have a bad air day.

[LowNSlow]

Back in the dim and distant days when the Skills Test was known as a GFT (General Flying Test) I turned up at the club for said test. Flew like an absolute tosser, landed like a pheasant with a chest full of lead shot. CFI calmly says "we'll write that one up as a practive GFT, come back tomorrow and we'll do it again". Following day, no problem, GFT passed, many pints drunk. :ok: :ok:

[Timothy]

There is an irony in the fact that one day you can fly an ILS to real sh1tty minima, perfectly well and perfectly calmly, risking your life if you get it wrong, yet can get all nervous and twitchy the next day when doing it in gin-clear VMC, risk-free because you have an IRE next to you :p

Timothy