Believing in Yourself

[airgirl]

I do not know if anyone out there can give me any help or advice. I am currently training for my PPL and about to go solo. However, although my instructor is happy with the standard of my flying and my landings, I am really struggling with believing in myself enough to go solo. I know I should just "suck it up" and go solo when he tries to send me but for some reason I just cannot believe in myself enough to say yes and go. I am comfortable with the take off, circuit, the RT, setting up the approach, it is just the actual landing that I do not have confidence in myself for. I know I should just do it when the chance presents itself and my lack of self belief is really becoming a problem and affecting my progress now. Giving up is not an option, it means too much to me. I need to overcome this so any help and advice would be really appreciated indeed.

[robin]

Few of us really believe we are ready for solo, although some do, when they are not.

It is a psychological barrier that we all go through to the next level of learning.
Looking back on it we all wonder what we were so worried about.

Your instructor would have a very good view of your ability and would never send you unless you were ready - and then some. But, if you truly believe you are not ready, then don't go.

I'll never forget my first solo, when the instructor climbed out, secured his straps and said "she climbs a lot better without me in it".

I had little time to worry and the feelings -exhilaration, terror, joy, panic -still live with me 42 years later.

[dublinpilot]

If it's really a problem how about asking your instructor to come along for a few circuits, but not to help in any way, not even to talk to you, and not to answer any questions, no clarifying of the last R/T, not to say a word at all....nothing.

Just let the instructor pretend that they are not there...simulated solo as it were ;)

The instructor is just there in case you totally loose it. If you do then they can intervene at the last moment, but other than that, for all intents and purposes you are on your own.

After 2 or 3 like that, you'll probably feel much better about them getting out ;)

dp

[L'aviateur]

We all had the same worry, and even years later still remember the first solo; you look next to you an realise that you have to do it, and you know what? You will do it, you will find that because your up on your own, you'll probably do the best landing ever.

[Booglebox]

I didn't feel ready for my first solo, really. I actually was, but I was scared... But fear helps you perform in mild doses (so I've found). If your instructor thinks you're ready, then you most likely are, especially if you request extra practice (remember that his reputation is on the line, so he's thought it through more than you think).

Funny as this may sound, your instructor is in a better position than you to judge your skills.

It's scary, but you just GOTTA DO IT. My instructor sort of sprang it on me (in a Vigilant, aged 16) and you just gotta get on with it. Don't stare at the right hand seat, read the checks out loud, remember that you know how to do it all because you've been trained, take your time, and keep calm. You may permit yourself a brief self-congratulatory chuckle downwind.

Nobody will be able to wipe the grin off your face for several days afterwards :}

[Pilot DAR]

Hey airgirl,

Don't worry yourself, we've all felt that way. If your instructor says you are ready, you are, trust in him/her. I did my second first solo (helicopter) 30 years after my first. I was really nervous. I did ok, even landed back on the dolly (really un-nerving!).

Many times over the years, I have thought to myself: "Oh, I'm fully into it now", just as I got airborne. and a few times, I was fully into it! (but those are stories for another time...)

Your instructor will send you in ideal conditions, and in an aircraft with which you should have great confidence, you'll do fine...

Tell us about it when you've got it done....

[ChampChump]

I think that for some of us, there are things that seem unobtainable or 'what other people do, not me' and it is by a circuitous route we end up doing those things ourselves. If possibly you are or have been affected by that feeling, occasionally, you have probably nibbled off a bit more at a time until here you are, all but solo. The nibbling is a sort of self-kidology but works; I'm not sure I could do that but there's nothing to stop me just going with an instructor for fun... and one does and it works and you try another bit and so on.

In this case I think you could combine everything said in posts above with another nibble. What's the worst that can happen? Not a lot, actually. You'll be fine. It may or may not be the best landing you've ever made but it'll be a good safe flight because that's why you are training and how you are turning out to fly. I had the approach that I wasn't actually bothered about going solo in anything. If you get on well with your instructor (and you must do, by now), relay any genuine fears and trust his or her judgement.

Enjoy your flying.:ok:

[AlphaMale]

For many of my circuits shortly before going solo my instructor used to look at the yachts out the window with his arms crossed and feet tucked back off the pedals.

He didn't give me advise or critisise my flying. He only said "Good" after each landing. The feeling I had at the start of this process was "I must be doing something right - he didn't say anything" and when my confidence started to build I got to the point of "What is the point in having the instructor in the AC ... I'm sure I can this myself" only when he got out of the plane did it occur to me that although I knew I could land the plane he was my get of of jail card.

He said the way he gauges if somebody is ready to go solo is asking himself "Would I be confident enough in his landings to have my wife fly with him?" ... my reaction was "You can't like your wife much" ;)

Belive in yourself - your instructor wouldn't send you solo if you didn't have the ability. Do a few more 'solo' circuits with a 15st ballest/instuctor in the other seat.

Good luck.

[Astral_Flyer]

I can understand your feelings Airgirl. Like others I can remember my first solo and the doubts I had about it when the instructor let me go alone. It was the landing aspect that I wasn't too happy about.

That first solo wasn't without its problems. I made numerous mistakes, including an aborted landing due to me bottling out because I wasn't prepared for the float, due to the lack of a lump to the side of me. I also had to take some quick action when I opened the throttle, as the nose pitched up at a fast rate.

On landing and meeting the instructor. I did say that I really screwed that flight up. His comment was to say that the aircraft was insured, and I shouldn't worry about it. :) He said that the best thing I could do, was to sit with a cup of tea, and go home, and the next time we meet to ask him what I thought could be done to improve matters. He said that I coped well under the conditions I had (which included a runway change after I had took off)..

The next time I met him. I had a fairly long list of things that I wanted to go over and practice. That included aborting landings without touching down. We did a lot of that, and after a while I could virtually do it with my eyes closed from any height. That made a lot of difference to my future decision making on a landing. All for the good I have to say.

I must say that with hindsight he was right to let me go when he did. After that solo. I really started to learn how to fly, as it put a different perspective on it for me, and enabled us to communicate with each other a lot better. Was he right in letting me go solo when he did? .. I can say that he was right. I am still alive

I agree with what many others have said, especially the one about taking the instructor with you, and having him as a passenger. Maybe it might help to practice aborting landings. Others may have better ideas of course. :)

Astral

[chris-h]

If it was up to the student i dont think the day would ever come when you feel ready for your first solo, you'll do a few ciruits before he hop's out and sends you off and this is the day you will never forget.

I always remember thinking the rudder peddals had a mind of their own as soon as my instructor got out, and the lift is total different if your instructor has had a few too many pies :ok:

Good luck

[BroomstickPilot]

Hi airgirl,

Since it is landing that is of most concern to you, and since landing constitutes a crucial and compulsory part of every flight, I would say that it would be worth doing another hour or two.

I suggest, however, that you should do this extra time with a different instructor, someone with whom you have never flown before, who should be there, as Dublin Pilot suggests, just for the ride. Why not take the Chief Flying Instructor, then you would have a second opinion from someone who carries real authority?

Quite apart from being there to intervene if intervention should become necessary; (it won't), this instructor would be able to give you a second opinion on your flying in general and your landings in particular.

Let us all know how you get on.

Good luck!

Broomstick.

[batninth]

Airgirl,

Not sure if this will help but my attitude to this was that as I went along the path towards getting my licence, the instructor & examiners were checking for my ability not only to fly alone but carry a passenger in safety. As such I tried to get into the mindset that the instructor wasn't my instructor at all but actually my passenger & I was taking him for a ride. That got me into the habit of taking control anyway & waffling on in the cockpit about what I was doing (which did get me a comment of "Yes, yes...very thorough...now shut up") even if one or two of my landings and my airmanship weren't top notch.

Picking up on what BroomstickPilot says, when it came to taking up another instructor he just sat there listening & only passed comments when we were back on the ground.

I know I've siad this before in this forum, but as I was told by my instructor: you're doing this for fun so go have fun.

Either way, good luck with it

[Gertrude the Wombat]

(which included a runway change after I had took off)
Ouch. I would hope that most places organise their first solos better than that - this isn't something you practice much, for obvious reasons. I think I've only had a runway change whilst in the circuit with no instructor once, and that was my choice, I chickened out of landing on one runway and wanted a go at a different one.

[lookahead]

I had my first solo about half a year ago. Contrary to many pilot's experiences, mine was underwhelming. No terror or anxiety, but a realisation that I can't cut any slack now that nobody's beside me to help. So all my checks were doing diligently, even twice for some checks, just to make sure. My first final was too high, I chose to go around and try again. The second attempt was just so. I got off the plane just relieved to have got the first solo over and done with. No big smile nor over the moon feelings for me.

My instructor said just go around if I'm not happy with my approach or rounding out. No need to aim for the perfectly nuanced landing on the first solo.

You might also ask your instructor what are the common landing mistakes beginners make, how to avoid them and practice with him how to recover should you make those mistakes. This might increase your confidence.

Good luck!

[mary meagher]

Contrary to a lot of opinions expressed here, I think you are a good judge of when you are ready to solo. For me,it was when I wanted to get rid of that tyrant in the back seat (glider). I knew I was ready, and the club then had sent a new instructor to fly with me who had never flown with me before, he made me do all the stalls and nasty bits. And then he got out of his seat, said "I'll be watching you, and I want to see you do a couple of stalls and recoveries on your own."

Well, said I to myself, I will do exactly as I please, I will just go up and bimble around and I WILL NOT do any stalls, so there. So I did, and of course no problems at all with the landing. And going home on the M40 I had the most wonderful sense of superiority to all those groundlings in their fancy BMW's.

Landing is something you need to be comfortable with, especially in a glider as you don't have the option of a go-around! So yes, do plenty of practice with an instructor beside you who has promised to intervene only if absolutely necessary, yes, go with someone else than your regular instructor, who may have a certain investment in seeing you achieve solo and may be pushing you out of your comfort zone.

When I was doing my first winch launch solo, the instructor got out of the back seat, I said "I'm not ready to solo yet!" But he got out notwithstanding; the winch died at 300 feet, I dithered, and landed a bit firmly, and the tyre went flat, and that was it for the day. If it really had been my first solo (my flying up till then had all been airtow) my confidence would have been flattened as well.

Since way back then, I have done a LOT of instructing. Women are less confident than men, in general. Men tend to be overconfident.

Just ask the auto insurance companies which gender has the better record!

[Alan_D]

I did my first solo last September. Like you I was worried about the landing.
My instructor had mentioned a few minor points on the previous circuits, and I didn't have a single faultless one, so I was very surprised when she opened the door to get out and said 'one on your own then?'

I missed the line in my check-list about flaps, so did my first flapless take-off, realised when I went to retract them! The height was all over the place due to the change of weight, and on nervous finals ATC asked if it was going to be a full stop or not. My reply was along the lines of 'I hope so!'.
The landing was fine and the sense of relief and achievement is something I'll never forget. Easily the best day in my flying training.

I went on to do my QXC in December and my GST at the end of January, and passed.

As everyone else said above - your instructor knows your ability better than you do.

[chris-h]

And once you have done it, you get to look forward to
3 hours more of it :ok:

[IO540]

Flying solo is great because you don't have anybody nagging you. You also make far fewer mistakes :)

However, I do think there is an excessive emphasis on going solo ASAP in the PPL training. It is regarded as some kind of manhood (or the equivalent for a girl) initiation ceremony. It's really daft. If I was teaching somebody I care about to fly, I would make sure they can fly an ILS before they go solo.

[The Fenland Flyer]

I know exactly how you feel, airgirl. I've had exactly the same problems with being less than confident when it comes to flying solo (or just good honest caution as some would call it).
Don't let yourself get anxious about going solo, it is not a hurdle to overcome but simply a natural next step that you will know when you will feel ready for. Continue to practice landings in all sorts of conditions and general aircraft handling skills, you won't be wasting money at all, it will all go into that bank on experience inside your head. also get your instructor to give you a taste of what you'll be doing post 1st solo such as a dual trip to another airfield. Then when the time is right for you and the weather is good you will be just itching to get rid of that instructor for a while. :ok: Keep us posted on on how you get on.

[airgirl]

Thank you for your replies and advice one and all. I know jolly well that my instructor would not send me solo until he was certain that I was ready for it, it is not him that I don't trust it is me!!

I guess that I will find a way round it as it is the one thing that I want to do more than anything else with my life. I have either got to find a way to deal with it or give up, it is as simple as that!! I just wish I could believe in me a little bit more :sad:

Thank you again for the suggestions, I will be trying one or two of them out and hopefully one of them will help and I will DEFINATELY keep you all posted with how things go!

Many thanks everyone

[RatherBeFlying]

Airgirl,

It can take a long time for the doubts to go away. Even after my PPL, the doubts were still there. In a way that was to the good because it kept my nose to the grindstone in carrying out the checks and doing a thorough flight plan. I started using airplanes to go places and the various interesting situations that came up and were adequately handled eventually erased the doubts.

Overconfidence is the more dangerous condition.

One of the bugbears that is hard to lay to rest is: will I be able to do a proper forced landing landing if the engine breaks? -- presuming of course that you have arranged that it always has enough gas:=

When I did a checkout at one school after a long hiatus, I discovered that the instructors had a habit of declaring the engine lost after I had completed the down wind checks. This was to a demanding runway. The confidence level went up a few notches after doing a few of these and landing on the button each time:ok:

In gliders, your first outlanding is more demanding than your first solo as you really do have to think for yourself rather than just do what you have done dozens of times before.

[neilgeddes]

Actually I was lucky enough to have two first solos! My first after 14 hours instruction in a C150 at Sandown in 1982. My second, when regaining my licence after a break of 21 years, in a C172 at Redhill. Two first solos and two skills tests. I don't remember much about my first solo now but my second I'll always treasure:)

[IRRenewal]

If I was teaching somebody I care about to fly, I would make sure they can fly an ILS before they go solo.

Bizarre statement. If I was teaching somebody I care about to fly (or anybody else for that matter) I wouldn't send them solo on a day that there was even a remote possibility of needing to fly an ILS.

[jonkil]

Airgirl,
the very fact that you have this air of apprehension and concern tells me that you will be absolutely fine when the moment for going solo arrives. This feeling is not un-common, work a bit on the bits that is "worrying" you, talk to your instructor about your concerns, they will be alleviated and you will be OK, the most important thing is to enjoy every moment of your training, its all about enjoyment..... ooh,and when you go solo come back in here and tell us all about it..... just so we can say "told you so" !!
All the best for when the big day arrives,

Jon

[J.A.F.O.]

You say a couple of times just how much this all means to you and how important it is and that's probably part of your problem, here.

You want to do this so much that you probably want every landing to be a perfect greaser and every move to be perfect. The thing that we've all been keeping from you is that they rarely will be. Your skills and confidence will grow but you'll never do everything perfectly every time.

I'm sure you know that if your instructor says you're ready then you are, don't beat yourself up too much if it's not perfect. You'll love it and you'll never forget it.

The day when you have absolutely no apprehension about anything is the day to put your headset on eBay, not today.

[Hugh_Jarse]

Airgirl : if you offered me the chance to re-live either my first solo or my first sexual encounter, I'd be strapping myself into a 152 before you'd finished asking me ... with the added bonus that I wouldn't have to spend all night at a crap party with the plane first ! :p

Your instructor won't offer if you can't do it - he can't afford to get that decision wrong. Go for it, you'll not only remember the rush for a loooong time, you'll feel so much better about yourself afterwards as well. Enjoy !

[modelman]

Believe me,when your instructor thinks you are ready,you will fly the best circuit (including landing) that you have (or ever will) do.
MM

[AirJing]

I did my first solo not that long ago.

It's a psychological barrier... the actual flying is easier than what you will have been doing. Your instructor won't send you in anything other than good conditions and calm air. The actual flying, you will have worked harder before doing glide approaches, turbulence, crosswinds etc.

[Wibblemonster]

Airgirl> I had exactly the same aprehensions before going solo, but the euphoric feeling afterwards was worth the effort, you won't forget it for the rest of your life.

I found the 3 hours of solo circuits hard work, but I broke it down into smaller chunks of 30 to 45 minutes or until I started to feel mentally drained & would call for a full stop on the next downwind leg.

I'm now onto the Nav part of the course & its like being back at the begining of learing circuits, the workload seems insurmountable, but hopefully not impossible. The thought of doing my QXC is filling me with dread! hehe

[851Pilot]

Airgirl - I've been through exactly the same - and I soloed in September last year after convincing myself I couldn't do it and almost giving up.

My first solo was a breeze - although when my instructor turned to me and said 'right - are you ready to do it on your own' I said 'not sure'. Her response - of course you can - trust me!

Still getting the nerves/self doubt though. This is a lifelong dream for me (from age four wanted to be a pilot - but one poor eye has stopped me being able too until the advent of the NPPL) - and I have been creating my own pressure by wanting to do everything perfectly - which as a student doesn't always happen! ;)

Keep going - it does get easier. Did my solo x-country qual on Sunday - got very nervous before hand - but was better once airbourne. Made a few mistakes - but by the time I got to my second landaway I was getting into my stride.

Test profile with instructor followed by GFT next. At this point I'm really nervous again - don't feel like I know enough to be a pilot! Am sure in a few weeks I'll look back and wonder what I was worrying about!

What has helped hugely is talking to fellow students and pilots - it's amazing and re-assuring to know how many have gone through similar worries.

Enjoy your solo - it really is a magical experience!

Iain