Okay to nervous ?

[spitfire2002]

Dear All,

I am currently doing my PPL and and loving it, I think ! The only thing that worries me is that sometimes when I am doing the lessons I am a little nervous about doing certain drills. Is this normal or is this not for me?


Any advice would be well appreciated

[tacpot]

As a newish PPL student much of what you are doing will be new to you, and you are doing it in a new situation (up in t'air). So you are unlikely to be comfortable with it all straight away.

A good instructor will keep feeding you new tasks as soon as they feel you can take the task on. This sometimes leads to a feeling that not enough consolidation has taken place. So you are unlikely to get the chance to feel comfortable for some time.

So yes, it is all perfectly normal. In some cases the nervousness may not leave you until you have passed the Skill Test and have been flying on your own for a while - it may be that only then will your truly believe that you can do the drills, and be comforatble doing them on your own.

A bit of nervousness, even on the skill test will tend to sharpen you up. If it goes beyond a bit of nerves, talk to your instructor.

[Gin Slinger]

Nervousness is far safer than cockiness - so you're okay!

It’s just a natural human reaction to an unnatural situation with the potential for danger.

[monkeyboy]

spitfire, you won't find anybody on here who didn't/hasn't felt nervous either before flying or whilst in the air!

Hell, you're doing something potentially life-threatening - the nerves are perfectly normal!! :)

Just enjoy the nerves, they're part of the buzz!

MB:)

[Luke SkyToddler]

I was bloody terrified of all those manoeuvre-type exercises (stalling, steep turning etc) for most of my first 100 hours, and I got terribly airsick whenever I would try them as well, in fact I hated it so much that I damn near gave flying away at one stage, the only thing that stopped me was the fact that I was sure that airline pilots didn't have to do that kind of thing :)

It does get better though, by the time I was approaching my CPL I was even begging and pleading with my instructor to show me a couple of aerobatics / a quick spin etc at the end of each lesson.

It's just continued exposure to, and increasing your familiarity and comfort level in the aircraft. You can tell yourself in your head that it's safe, but you won't convince your subconscious mind that the plane won't fall out of the sky when you do such-and-such horrible manoeuvre, until you've done it a few dozen times yourself and seen that it actually works.

[spitfire2002]

Thanks people, you have all put my mind at ease, thank you. For a moment there I thought that after all those years of dreaming that it was over before it begun, if you know what I mean.

This has been a big help, thanks; I knew you guys on here would come up trumps.

Luke SkyToddler

"You can tell yourself in your head that it's safe, but you won't convince your subconscious mind that the plane won't fall out of the sky when you do such-and-such horrible manoeuvre"

That is exactly what I think when I'm up there and I think “can't we just do some small turns or something”! But then I think lets do something new because I want the buzz and to learn new stuff, but it then scares the life out me until I get used to it, and so on and so on. Sometimes I can’t wait to get on the ground, but when I am a massive grin comes across my face and I can’t wait to get back up there. Mad?

Thanks guy's you have all been a big help.

Where that headset and checklist!

[Splat]

Been there. I remember shortly after getting my PPL being checked out in an ARV2. Bit of power left on produces a VERY nice wing drop, naturaly to the left, and I recall looking out of the window straight onto the M25. Friggin hated it.

A few years later after doing an FI rating, I could not get enough spinning. It's quite daunting early on when learning to fly, when you have enough on your plate without being thrown around, but once you are confortable with the basics, the rest usualy will soon follow.

With me I have to say looking back on it, it was more a case of trusting what I was in not to fall apart than anything else..... Silly I know, but that's the way it was.

Regards

S

[Julian]

What Tacpot says is spot on!
One thing I liked about my PPL instructor was that he would go through the lesson with you and then at the end of the lesson he would say 'Ok , watch this!' and either have a bit of fun or show me some more complex handling and then it would be 'OK, now you have ago...' It kept you interested and also fed your thirst by giving you a snatch of what was coming up in future lessons.

Julian.

[kurty]

I remember when I did my second solo. my isntructor told me to go out to the practice area and practice stalls and steep turns. That was the last thing I was planning to do by myself. But eventually I decdied to give it a shot one day by myself and it wasn't so bad. It just takes time until you feel comfortable in the plane

[fireflybob]

Firstly let me say that pilots who do not have any fear are downright dangerous!

Use fear as a tool for taking action. Learn everything that you can and practice drills, checks again and again. Do lots of "dry swims" on the ground - imagine you are in the aircraft and picture yourself performing exactly as you would like to!

Remember also that F.E.A.R stands for "False Evidence Appearing Real".

When we become anxious our breathing rate changes. However you can make a conscious effort to breathe in a relaxed manner and this will alter how you feel.

I also believe that fear can be somewhat infectious. If your instructor is afraid or shows signs of underconfidence then this will affect you also!

[spitfire2002]

Thanks again for all your posts

I have no worries about my instructor, he is very good and has all the confidence for the both of us (good confidence) he does always keep the pressure on so that I don’t get bored and so that I am getting the most from each hour.

It’s just that sometimes trying to take all this new information in and trying to get it right every time sometimes overloads the brain, plus also trying to overcome the feeling that if you get this wrong you are going to fall out the sky, which I know is not going to happen but it’s hard to, like Luke Skytoddler said “convince your subconscious mind” that this is not going to happen is a different thing.

But I like the way that I am being taught as I am always learning and I know from reading all your posts that it will come with time.

Cheers.

[McD]

It’s just that sometimes trying to take all this new information in and trying to get it right every time sometimes overloads the brain
In USAF pilot training, we call that "trying to sip from a firehose". True, isn't it?

One benefit of going through pilot training as a class of students (we had about 35 students in each section) is that you get to see your fellow classmates going through the exact same struggles as you. You can also look to the class ahead of you which was good for two reasons: 1) you can find out a bit about what is to come next, and 2) you can look at some of those students and say "Geez, if that guy can make it through this, I can as well."

You don't get that same benefit as a lone student, but I can assure you along with the others that your feelings are completely normal.

Best wishes!

[Bumfichh]

Spitfire

You are not alone!
I have/do feel exactly the same although it gets better everytime i fly, ive got a little over 70 hours now and im just starting to feel comfortable with steep turns etc and i have managed to stop myself doing FREDA checks every 30 seconds and can sometimes even sit back and enjoy the view, i think its a lot to do with building up your confidence which can only come with experiance so stick with it cos it does get better!

[sennadog]

Don't worry about it too much. Every time I do an A check I keep imagining bits falling off the aircraft and in general, as others have said, a bit of nervousness is a good thing as long as it doesn't become debilitating.

[PPPPP]

The fear, and overcoming it, is part of the process of learning I reckon.
I'm still very low hours, six and a half so far, and tonight was the second time I'd had a full spin demonstrated. However since we'd done the rest of the hour doing Ex 10a (stalls in various configurations) I decided I'd conquered enough fear for one lesson at that point...
Just think to yourself "My instructor is not going to let me do anything that might ruin his day, so this must be ok to do":)

[GRP]

Fresh from admitting on another thread that I failed my initial skills test.....

I've just passed the 100 hours P1 and 200 hours total marks. I always used to imagine that by now I'd be able to relax a bit more in the aircraft... but oh no! I seem to tense my legs during every flight involuntarily. Always wake up the next morning feeling like I've walked up the stairs in a tall building.

Spent two whole days last weekend refusing to take off from an airport in the Alps because of cloud. I watched a couple of other guys from the UK leap in and go, but I could not bring myself to get airborne!

As for stalls, steep turns etc. I only very recently felt I could try one of these without an instructor sitting next to me.

Call me chicken..... I don't care!

[Grim Reaper 14]

Fear is good, fear is healthy, fear will keep you alive.

PANIC on the other hand is a problem. Facing your fears will reduce the likelihood of panic, when the situation you fear arises.

You are feeling very sleepy.....

[bottieburp]

Hi GRP,

I'd fly with you any time.

As an instructor I used to waggle the stick and pedals occasionaly - especially near the ground - just to see if the student was tensing up.

Work at your mindset here. It is so tempting to get the thing near the ground and then grip everything tighly, safe in the knowledge that it is pointing the right way and is coming down slowly so all will be well.

999 out of 1000 it will be OK.

You must continue to fly the aircraft all the way - using coordinated rudder and aileron. You can't do this if you are tensed up.

Put your ballet pumps on, grip the stick with your fingertips and dance your way down the slope.

My best advice to you is this. You don't fly taildraggers, money on that. Go do a taildraggin' course. It will sort you out completely.

There ain't no way you can fly a taildragger nicely and safely if you are pushin' both pedals at once!

[drum]

Hi,

I have always got the same feeling even after 70 hours. It seems to be go better and better the last flights but I never think about telling this to non-flying people. There will be a big chance that you got some reaction like; you have fear? I think you fly to prove yourself and I don't think I want to fly with you. Fortunately there is something like PPRuNe where we can share this.:)

[GRP]

Bottieburp(!),

Funnily enough this tension only seems to be there in the cruise. Soon as I get busy it goes away! Weird! You are quite right however that I don't fly taildraggers though. I'd like to! And I'm building one, although I use the word loosely in that the first bits only arrived yesterday!

[AerBabe]

I was really nervous for the first 6 hours ish about just being in the air. I was worried that I would never be able to solo because of it, but just over 3 hours later I kicked out my instructor and went.
When I first got my PPL I'd double or triple check my route, the wind, the weather, the fuel, the oil... but now I'm getting more confident in myself. I have to say that the best thing for my confidence was to get up in an aircraft with a fair bit of kick, and do some aeros. A spin was demonstrated to me while I was doing my PPL, but I'd been pretty shook up by it (I was only on my 5th hour, and still worried about the height thing!). By the end of the aerobatics I was loving it though, and really really really want to go back and do more! The second best thing for my confidence was flying the Chipmunk.
When I got back into the C152 after both those I noticed my general flying had improved beyond measure.
Confidence comes with competence, and competence comes with practice. :)

[djk]

spitfire2002,

of course ir's ok to be nervous, it takes a brave person to admit to being nervous.

This was something an ex-gf once taught me.. I then went on to tell her that I was scared of certain dogs notably alsations, spiders, envelopes with windows, bees and wasps.
She then told me I was brave for admitting my nervousness, but deep down I was really a wimp
;)

[Eboy]

Yes, nervousness is normal. Please stick with it. I did not.

I had about 15 hours as a student when I went on a solo three-leg cross country. I bounced my Cessna 150 on a couple of landings. No damage and things generally stayed under control. But that feeling of bouncing up while the plane is slowing, knowing you are getting closer to a stall really spooked me. I can feel it now. That was many years ago and I have not flown since.

Not to blame others, but I had an instructor who was a "cowboy" where I was more on the quiet side. It wasn't good chemistry, but I did not see it at the time. I should have immediately switched instructors and worked through my landing issues. You have a good relationship with your instructor, thank goodness. I am sure that as you develop competence, which I did not, your nervousness will lessen. As indicated above, its OK to keep a little apprehension of what's going on, to keep you safe.

[Jolly Tall]

Well I did even worse on my QXC, involving fire engines & a temporarily closed international airport! And while it did not (quite) cause me to give up, I still feel a degree of anxiety prior to every flight.

But as has been pointed out earlier, this is actually a GOOD thing, and I don't relish the day - if it ever comes - where I don't feel something of this prior to take-off. So unless it is debilitating, I would not let it put you off.

Dkosky: 'envelopes with windows' - really? That has to be one bizzarre phobia. Care to elaborate? Come to think of it, solicitor's letters arrive in that format so perhaps I can understand ;-)

[LowNSlow]

spitfire I'm always slightly nervous before flying as I'm always aware that machines and peolpe can and do fail. The feeling fades as I get involved in my pre-flight and finally goes when the bird is back in the hangar :D

I feel it's a healthy thing as long as it doesn't distract you from the tasks you have to perform. It certainly keeps me checking the few gauges I've got and my head swivelling around like a voyeur on a nudist beach when I'm roaring (no silencer, not cos it's fast)along through our relatively crowded skies.

[bottieburp]

An intersting thread with some useful contributions - yes we are all human!

I have been flying for many years as a PPL, I fly a lot - more than 200 hours a year - yet still get the occasional bottiepout. A 20kt crosswind on my farmstrip after a long flight from Europe with the family on board dozing away certainly focuses the mind. Flying is a great responsibility.

My biggest pout recently was my first display. Lining up and seeing 7000 people lining the fence set everything shaking.

I bet if any display pilot is following this thread they will agree with me. The hour before you climb aboard can be unpleasant - especially if the conditions will further stretch your skills. Great afterwards though!

[Viggen]

Yesterday, less than 2 weeks after getting my PPL, I took my first passenger for a flight. Whilst she (my girlfriend) was not at all nervous (she sat there taking photos of everything... me, the panel, my mum's house way down below) I found that this was a completely new kind of pressure. So much so, that I really had to limit the conversation and concentrate very hard on the checklists. In relation to the original question - yes, I was slightly nervous at the thought of having sole responsibility for nearest and dearest in an aircraft, but once airborne it was all fine.

[Bluebeard]

Nothing wrong with a bit of nervousness, although I try to keep it within the realms of anticipation rather than outright fear.

Its funny, but the best thing to calm my nerves is actually a wait at the hold prior to departure, which happens reasonably frequently at my home field. Whilst it is a bit of a shag seeing your money disappearing down a plughole, I find that once you have got all of your checks out of the way and you are sitting there with the engine nicely chugging away at 1200rpm it can be quite serene...

[Fuji Abound]

It still worries me every time I fly, the worries are just different. I think I am OK with the flying now most of the time at any rate, so I just worry about things dropping off or the fan stopping. I guess I will stick to those for a while until the ejector seats turn up. Just off to do some more PFLs!