Concentration - Insane?!

[Ian_Wannabe]

Hey there,
Just trying to amuse myself really, and also trying to gather comfort in the fact that there might be people out there like myself with the same unusual habits.... here goes..... (Don’t laugh!)

Ok, flying in the circuit on solo time towards my 45hrs for the PPL, I find that in order to concentrate I automatically talk to myself :eek: :p

For example, on the downwind I find myself saying out loud in a weird 'game show host' type voice: "Brakes, areeeeee ok! Undercarriage issss fixed, mixture - that's rich!" etc etc.

I just hope that I haven't accidentally depressed the push to talk button on the yolk which would give an embarrasing reaction in the tower!!

So do any other pilots, when alone - or with pax, talk to themselves as a means of concentrating as hard as possible?!

Please don’t refer to me as 'the insane one now' ;)

Ian

[Aussie Andy]

Not insane - perfectly normal! I generally say my checklists / FREDA / Landing checks etc. out loud if on my own, even with pax if I think they're interested. The more you say it out loud as a matter of course, the more easily you can hear "yourself in your head" - if you know what I mean - when you want to do the checks silently (perhaps with nervous pax who are nervous of everything that they here... e.g. "gear down and locked"... "what do you mean? whats wrong with the gear?")

Andy

[Circuit Basher]

I'll usually say my checks out loud, just to make sure I haven't missed anything (sometimes in a silly voice, just to relieve the boredom, depending on pax presence / experience!).

There was one time where I think doing so saved me from being a smoking hole in the ground - it was an inadvertent spin after 'playing' in my final solo hour before sending off my licence application - everything else was completed, I needed 1 more hour solo. I went off and played in a C152 and took it beyond the range of what I'd experimented with before.... ;) I got caught out by a sudden wing drop and fully developed spin. Luckily I had done over 3 hrs of full spin trg in a C172 in Canada and just replayed my instructor's voice for spin recovery. Kept me calm and thinking straight - recovered it no problem! The remainder of the hour was some very sedate straight & level flying!! ;)

[Julian]

NOMAL - Or there is alot of wacked out GA pilots out there!
I talk through all my checklist, even when on the ground.

My PPL instructor used to get me to do to as it anable him to make sure you are actually going through all items - I guess its become ingrained and now I just do it.

[El Thermidor]

The Mrs. was in a UAS, flying Bulldogs. She said they always sent out first solos in the steed with the sticky radio transmit button, and had a giggle while they sang to themselves as they went round the circuit for the first time.:O Apparently it happened nearly every time...:D

[Cat.S]

I always say every check out loud, even when I'm by myself. It's one way of remembering. I even keep up a running commentary when I'm on take-off and final. I had one instructor who nagged me to death (which I needed at the time!) and the only way to keep him quiet was to nag myself out loud! The habit has stuck and regular passengers are used to it and even find it reassuring.

[Miss Bigglesworth]

I seem to gain an imaginery friend if I'm flying solo which is a bit worrying, but I think it just helps me to think things through better if I'm talking aloud - same as when my other half is there. I generally swear a lot more if I'm on my own too, particularly on landing!

[Hersham Boy]

I'm in constant conversation with myself - even when I've had a Pax! :)

Better to talk it and make sure you've done it, I reckon!

Hersh

[Ian_Wannabe]

Haha, fantastic :D

Its good to know I'm not alone.... and its maybe even good to know that us pilots are just the wacky ones! :cool:

[Pilot16]

lol
I say it out loud as well,
Ian what do you fly?
who is your instructor at Stapleford?

[High Wing Drifter]

Phew! Looks like I am in good company. As well as narrating my own flights I tend to point at items I am yaking on about too!

I must be a rare sight!

[ratsarrse]

Hi there, Insane One!

You are definitely not alone. A commentary is a great way of concentrating. A friend of mine is ex-old bill and I asked him to give a demo of the driving commentary they do to pass their police driving course. I'm a nervous car passenger - one of those people that sits there stamping on their invisible brake pedals. In fact, I often find myself sitting on my hands to stop the urge to take control! Anyway, he was giving this running commentary on road conditions, junctions, traffic ahead, speed etc. and I felt perfectly safe for the first time in years. We were doing around 90, overtaking everything in sight on the A453. Normally, I would be considering abandoning my agnostic ways after only a minute or so of this. A demonstrated awareness of speed, distances, and visible traffic factors made all the difference.
I'd happily be a passenger with anyone providing a commentary.

Nah, forget that. Definitely mad. The men in white coats are on their way...;)

[Ian_Wannabe]

Hahah, thanks guys.


Pilot16 I fly from Hawarden (EGNR) with John Green - very good instructor. 'N I fly a terrorhawk - PA-38 Tomahawk.

I'm gonna be talking to myself so much more from now on :D

Ian

(Sorry if my spelling is bad - i'm a bit drunk)

[Pilot16]

Im assuming he has a full instructors license (unrestricted) ?

[jonnys]

Maybe pilots are just natural entertainers at heart! I do exactly the same...I think it takes the instinctive background fear out of the fact that you are about to take a machine into the sky and fly it solo at 100kts over mountainous terrain..!! Ontop of saying your checks out loud for that reason, I can think back and remember what I've done cos' I remember saying it to myself.

If you're mad Ian, we all are!!

[Cusco]

I'm pleased to hear that I'm not the only one to talk to myself in the a/c. I recite the downwind checks, the FREDA checks and on final still recite out loud over and over the litany 'height's good, speeds good, runway's good: height's good, speed's good, runway's good. , as taught by my instructor.

I occasionally get: ' heights good, speed's low [throttle} runway's good' and once or twice: ' heights high, speed's fast runway right {throw it away} .

Works every time and keeps the mind on the job: Pax daren't interrupt while I'm nattering to myself and don't seem too phased by it.

Safe flying.
Cusco

[PeterJfrancis]

Thank goodness for that , I'm not totally crazy !

Although I'm only 3 hours into my PPL I've developed the talking to myself habit as well.

Does any one practice FREDA/HASSEL checks in the car on the way to work ?
I started doing that as I used to get half way through and forget where I was , only problem is I'll have to get a compass and DI fitted to the car now !!!!

Regards to all

PeterJ

[Ian_Wannabe]

Haha - wow we're really a strange bunch arent we! :p

[High Wing Drifter]

Does any one practice FREDA/HASSEL checks in the car on the way to work ?
Not sure I should admit it, but...yes :eek:

I even get my missus to shout "Go around!" or "Power failure!" at me when I am least expecting it at home.

This thread is like a confessional :O

[jonnys]

My instructor in the UAS told me to sit in the bath and imagine the runway threshold approaching. He said "use the rim of the bath to represent the dash of the instrument panel and try to get the perpective of the approach whilst saying your landing checks out loud" (made sure everyone was out of the house first-that would have seemed a bit obsessional; "your son is so obsessed with flying, he even pretends to fly the bath!!" Men in white coats, what, where??!!)

Always did think the Grob handled like a bath tub!!

Although RAF training is usually second to none, on that occasion I preffered the traditional methods of judging the flare...actually practising in a PA28!!