Seem to have lost my motivation

[DJBios]

Hello,

I have been working towards my NPPL over a few years now as I have not been able to fly every weekend due to work and also due to me being a slow learner. In October last year I completed my solo X-Country and was very near my final skills test, but then had to break due to work. I went back up a couple of months ago but had an incident during a X-Wind landing where I come off the runway. Now since that time I have lost all motivation and can't seem to get focused into completing my NPPL and enjoying my flying. I am finding it very anoying as I am so close yet it feels like I am so far away, I know I want to complete my NPPL being this close, but I just can't seem to find the motivation.

Was wondering if anyone had any tips or had experienced this in the past?

Thanks,

Peter

[BackPacker]

Why do you want that NPPL so badly. Is it a badge of honor, to hang on the wall next to your ski certificate, motorcycle license, bungy jump certificate, parachute jump declaration and so forth, or do you see yourself flying just for flyings sake once you get the NPPL?

The stuff we do here is, to a very large extent, a hobby. There is no real practical purpose to it. Flying commercially is usually going to be cheaper and more reliable if you need to get anywhere, and only very few people on this forum manage to make a living out of flying.

If you find yourself not motivated enough anymore to sink a lot of money and time into this hobby, then you should first consider whether you really want to get that motivation back, or whether to spend your time and money elsewhere.

If you're set on obtaining the NPPL then you should just continue. But if you just want to fly, try a change of scenery. I have found the glider world very welcoming. Depending on how you look at it, the requirement to devote a full day per week (or once every two weeks) to the activity, and to spend that full day with like-minded people, helping each other out on the field and enjoying each others progress, might do wonders for your motivation.

[Crash one]

Hi,
The fact that you have asked the question would indicate that you still have some motivation. Things like crosswind runoffs do happen to the best at times. I have had my NPPL for 4 yrs & fly from a grass strip & with the low sun directly down the strip I missed it by 25 metres once. Lucky the field had been cut!
If it doesn't cause a serious accident & doesn't happen every time, put it behind you & finish the course, you know you will not regret it.

[Final 3 Greens]

To offer a contrary opinion, not everyone is cut out to be a pilot.

If you cannot self motivate, maybe your unconscious is sending you a message?

Coming off the runway is frightening, I very nearly did it once when a brake stuck on landing and my heart rate must have been 180 or more afterwards.

The question is has it affected your confidence (understandable) or is there an inner message that it was an accident waiting to happen. You have taken lessons over an extended period, so this has not helped - all of us prefer recency in flying, it makes it easier for us.

Have you discussed this with your instructor and got some straight feedback about your flying ability?

If s/he tells you that you are safe and were unlucky, that is one thing, if you get feedback saying your are marginal ability, that is another.

Good luck, however you choose to proceed. Being a pilot has a strong element of decision making, so think it through, look at your options and then make a positive decision.

[Grob Queen]

DJ,
I ground looped of the runway and onto the grass on only my second solo after completing three good circuits. This as you know from your own experience, made me lose my confidence and for a while I wondered whether I was cut out to be a pilot. After chatting to a couple of pilot friends and my instructor, I realised that these things happen during training and got "back on the horse" after a month. A year on, I am still training, but am incredibly glad I persevered and got through the difficult patch. i still occasionally have self doubts but talking through these with my instructor sorts me out.

I think it is down to motivation. If you REALLY want to become a pilot and fly as a hobby, you'll know and you'll do whatever it takes - thats the way I look at it at least. My motivaton is just that, I want and I WILL become a pilot. if you feel the same about your NPPL, then you'll do it and overcome your current lack of confidence/motivation :)

Good luck!

[fireflybob]

Simple bit of advice - just get down the aerodrome and do it!

Discuss how you feel with your instructor and tell him that despite this you really want to get your NPPL.

Sometimes a minor incident can knock one's confidence. Like falling off a horse - best thing is to get back on the horse as soon as possible - the longer you leave it the more challenging it becomes!

Focus on just getting airborne again rather than the goal of the NPPL.

Finally here is my take on motivation. A lot of people say "When I get motivated then I will etc etc" I believe it works the other way round. When you start to do then you are in motion (momentum even) so will be more inclined to take the next step.

Here is an example. Let's say you need to mow the lawn but don't feel motivated. Just think of the first action, ie getting the mower out of the shed/garage, and then go and do that without thinking of doing any more. I guarantee that when you do so you'll think "Well I've got the mower out of the shed, I might as well mow some of the lawn". When you've done a couple of strips you'll be thinking "Well that's a good start, I might as well do some more" etc etc.

Hope this helps and good luck.

ps Reward yourself at each stage if you need to!

[bingofuel]

I would ask you, do you want to learn to fly? Or do you want to get an NPPL?

If you want to learn to fly, then forget the licence as it will arrive when you are ready and have earned it.

If you just want an NPPL so you can go for a flight now and again then I suggest you lack the motivation in really wanting to learn to fly.

Enjoy your training for what it is, learning the skills you will require to be a safe pilot. Dont let one mishap put you off.

[rans6andrew]

you have clearly proved that some guidance given to me by my instructor has some value. He said "don't stop aviating until every last part of the aircraft has stopped moving". I had a tendancy to relax after every touchdown as soon as it was clear that a go around was not needed. I did some "interesting taxiing" before the message sunk in.

I think you need to put it down to experience, learn from it and to get back to the lessons.

Rans6.

[DJBios]

Thanks for all the great posts. I can confirm that my aim is to learn to fly and not just to get the NPPL. I want to build my skill to become a safe pilot and then also allow me to develop and enhance my skill over many years to come. I have taken on baord all the comments here and as a result I have lessons booked for this Sunday and also both days next weekend.

Thanks again

Peter

[Echo Romeo]

Good luck with it, doesn't take much to knock one's confidence, but get a good lesson in and you'll be rejuvenated :ok:

[fireflybob]

Thanks for all the great posts. I can confirm that my aim is to learn to fly and not just to get the NPPL. I want to build my skill to become a safe pilot and then also allow me to develop and enhance my skill over many years to come. I have taken on baord all the comments here and as a result I have lessons booked for this Sunday and also both days next weekend.

Am sure once go climb aboard that a/c all your motivation will return!

Let us know how it goes - Happy Landings!

[Grob Queen]

I have lessons booked for this Sunday and also both days next weekend.

FANTASTIC news, go for it and as Fireflybob says, once you are there, checking your aircraft and strapped in, you won't want to look back again!

Good luck and enjoy yourself!

[Final 3 Greens]

Good luck Peter, I am sure that you will be a little apprehensive on your first landing, but just concentrate on what your instructor has taught you and you will probably grease it :D

Just to add a note how nice it is to see a civilised thread, with some valuable advice from forum members (some of whom are very experienced, e.g. Fireflybob) for the OP to consider.

[Crash one]

I have taken on baord all the comments here and as a result I have lessons booked for this Sunday and also both days next weekend.

Thanks again

Peter

Exellent! Good luck.

[DJBios]

OK, so I had a lesson today doing dual circuits, and it has reminded me why I started my training in the first place. Didn't do any solo today as I wanted to make sure I was safe and that my instructor was happy. He has confirmed that my flying is safe and that he is happy for me to go back solo next week and then start working on the final items before the GST. Thanks for all the support on here, now looking forward to next weekend as I have both days booked.

Peter.

[Final 3 Greens]

Well done mate :ok:

[fireflybob]

Peter - well done!!

[stickandrudderman]

Every single one of us, without exception, has suffered some crisis of confidence at some time. Anyone who says they haven't isn't human.
So I say, welcome to the human race!
All of us who live life to the full are born to set ourselves challenges and by definition we will sometimes fail, but in the final analysis it's our failures that define us, for without them we would never succeed.
I used to race cars and had several crashes. My friends all laughed and made fun of my ability whilst I laughed at them for sitting in their armchairs getting fat thinking that they were living life. I now have several trophies for car races and they are still fat.

[fireflybob]

stickandrudderman - my sentiments also - thanks for one of the best posts I have seen on PPrune.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.
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Helen Keller

[peterh337]

My view is that one needs to structure one's flying so it remains enjoyable and delivers good value for oneself and one's passengers.

This means avoiding "airport runs" where you fly to an airport and then fly back again. Today we popped out to le Touquet which was a technically trivial flight but it was a lovely day out, strolling around the town etc.

Most UK GA airfield food is crap anyway :)

During one's PPL training, the way to make it more interesting is to fly out to interesting places. Unfortunately that makes the training more expensive than just banging circuits until one is blue in the face and pouring with sweat, which is what most of my PPL training was like. As a result I could not wait for the skills test, and from the following day onwards everything was done with a laptop, GPS, and was a lot more fun. Having done the JAA PPL, NQ, IMCR, FAA PPL, FAA IR, FAA CPL, JAA IR, over a 11 year period I have found that most training for each set of new papers takes one back to the Middle Ages to varying degrees, and is enjoyable / not enjoyable accordingly, but it has to be done if you want the legal capability.

[Grob Queen]

Peter (DJ)

Great stuff! You're obviously much more "down the line" than me as I am no where near that Skills Test yet, but good luck with it when it comes, and tell us how it went!! :)

GQ

[DJBios]

Just wanted to let everyone know that I managed to get 5 solo circuits in today. In addition to this I was able to learn what went wrong when I come off the runway so it's now just a case of practice, practice and more practice.

[Grob Queen]

Thats fantastic!! DOnt know whether your incident was your fault, but in general terms and from my own "off runway" experience, admitting and learning from ones mistakes is one of the best ways to learn! As our CFI said when I admitted to him that it was my rudder error which made me taxi off the runway.....

"The best thing you can do in aviation is to be up front, admit your mistakes and learn from them"

[Brighton Pilot]

Hi,
When I was doing my NPPL I had a slight mishap on landing when doing solo circuits. Weather was very hot, cockpit like a greenhouse with so much low level turbulance I was struggling to get the aircraft down.
After 1 missed approach I thought next time will work. Due to my inexperiance and the conditions I did a reasonable approach but failed to round out and hold properly. The nose wheel touched down first, bounced the aircraft a couple of times in the air then did a sharp left turn off the runway at speed proceeding across the airfield missing a comms tower by not a lot. That knocked my confidence a bit - especially when the fire truck came out to check all was safe.
It took a few lessons to get my confidence back again but was well worthwhile since in due course I passed and had the privilige of flying on my own and then carrying a passenger.
One other point to add - every landing after that I felt that I was flying the aircraft and not the other way round. suddenly landing got easier, dont know why but one of the examiners did say I would only do that once. He was right...
Cheers :):):)