Mood swings and flying

[niksmathew24]

Hi all,

I have come across quite a few situations when a bad mood seems to affect my students performance. I tell him not to think of all that stuff when flying, but it seldom helps. The same happens when they're too stressed for their F/T's. Even though I prefer telling them that its just an evaluation of everything you know and nothing big to be stressed about, it never helps.

Any advice on this subject, like how to deal with it would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Nick

[Bus429]

Sounds like he has the right attitude to be a professional pilot. :ok:

[Slainte]

Sounds like frustration and fear. I've had a few students who were so afraid of a checkride that they would rather quit. I got another instructor, someone older and somewhat intimidating, to give them a fake checkride. With the excuse that they wanted to check me as an instructor and see if I had taught them correctly and see if they really were ready for a checkride. After that I tell them that the examiner would be easier than that guy and what he just gave you was essentially an exact checkride.
If something in thier personal life has them in a bad mood and you know the flight lesson won't go well turn it into an oral.

[gchangflyer]

Sounds like my girlfriend!:ok: Naaah, seriously, (and I speak from experience as a GRII F.I. and Check Capt more recently)...if a student arrives in a bad mood and its not improving...tell them to go home, get some rest/get over whats bugging them, and reschedule.

You cant fly when your mind is elsewhere