Keeping the Enthusiasm Going
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Keeping the Enthusiasm Going
I am in need of help big time !! Firstly, I am sure that I am not alone in my predicament but would just appreciate some advice.
I last flew 5 weeks ago now and I am finding it very hard to keep the motivation and enthusiasm going for my studies. I had two very good circuits details and did some exams that day and was on cloud nine as everything had gone so well. However, I have been unable to fly since as each time I have booked, the weather has not been suitable - either pouring with rain or else a stonking great cross wind - amd I am now finding it hard to keep the motivation going to do my ground studies and am getting very frustrated with it all. To be honest, it almost feels like I am no longer learning to fly. I know this probably sounds daft but I can only describe how it feels. I was kind of hoping that I may have gone solo by now in view of how the last two details went but instead, I have not flown and looking at the forecast for tomorrow it is quite possible that it won't happen then either because of the wind. I know that this is nobodys fault, it is just the weather but has anyone else been in this situation and can you suggest anything to help keep the moral up a bit please.
I just want to fly again !!!
I last flew 5 weeks ago now and I am finding it very hard to keep the motivation and enthusiasm going for my studies. I had two very good circuits details and did some exams that day and was on cloud nine as everything had gone so well. However, I have been unable to fly since as each time I have booked, the weather has not been suitable - either pouring with rain or else a stonking great cross wind - amd I am now finding it hard to keep the motivation going to do my ground studies and am getting very frustrated with it all. To be honest, it almost feels like I am no longer learning to fly. I know this probably sounds daft but I can only describe how it feels. I was kind of hoping that I may have gone solo by now in view of how the last two details went but instead, I have not flown and looking at the forecast for tomorrow it is quite possible that it won't happen then either because of the wind. I know that this is nobodys fault, it is just the weather but has anyone else been in this situation and can you suggest anything to help keep the moral up a bit please.
I just want to fly again !!!
Join Date: Apr 2008
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You will go to the ball!
Use the time to do your groundwork,think how great it will be to just concentrate on actually flying without the exams hanging over you as the weather improves.
Believe it or not although in Scotland I've had only a few cancellations,and am in exactly the opposite situation,too busy flying different planes and practising the knobs on the sim to do any exam studying.
Your post has made me realise how fortunate I've been and I resolve to get stuck into the exams.
You can look forward to flying and I can only look forward to the studying,wanna swap?
atceng
Believe it or not although in Scotland I've had only a few cancellations,and am in exactly the opposite situation,too busy flying different planes and practising the knobs on the sim to do any exam studying.
Your post has made me realise how fortunate I've been and I resolve to get stuck into the exams.
You can look forward to flying and I can only look forward to the studying,wanna swap?
atceng
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caught in the loop
You are only experiencing what all of us at some stage in our flying activities have felt. When I started my ppl, I was stuck at 15 hours, desperate to go solo, but could not. Reasons - availability of aircraft, availability of instructor, weather, your time, and motivation when you are not progressing quickly enough. It is the biggest issue of learning to fly, continuity, within Europe. Suggestions - keep on going, it will happen, go to the states and do it as an inclusive package, buy your own aeroplane, and get an instructor to teach you in that. Keep going to the 'red line', and keep involved in all that is going on.
Good luck!
Good luck!
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Hi
I'm in much the same predicament. I've found these forums are a great help. Admitidly I have been lucky enough to fly a little more regularly due to good weather and general experience. But keeping in the aviation community certainly does help. If your club has forums then that also helps.
Where abouts are you flying out of airgirl?
I'm in much the same predicament. I've found these forums are a great help. Admitidly I have been lucky enough to fly a little more regularly due to good weather and general experience. But keeping in the aviation community certainly does help. If your club has forums then that also helps.
Where abouts are you flying out of airgirl?
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If you want to fly again, you will. My own experience was that I got so desparate to go solo that it reduced my chances of doing so - I was sent after a few circuits when I felt I had flown badly and wouldn't get sent that day!
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Learning to cope with the frustration of your plans & wishes is a very important lesson in flying.
If you learn it well at this stage (ie accept it happens & not let it affect your judgement or get you down) then in the times to come once you have your licence (and it does happen eventually), your decision making will be much improved.
At the moment your instructor is able to make an objective & experienced call on whether or not conditions are right for you - this will not always be the case.
Down the line, when you have planned your flight, assembled your passengers, got everyone to the airfield and then find that you feel a little "uneasy" about the conditions (which I find a good indicator that I'm in denial about conditions / forecasts being marginal for my own specific capabilities) then you should be able to make the "Not Go" decision far more easily and with far greater objectivity.
The alternative, as many of us will attest to, is (at best) a much shortened flight and / or a flight worrying about landing conditions that you wish you had not committed to
.
Keep at it - it was a long haul with extreme highs & lows for many of us on here.
Regards, enq.
If you learn it well at this stage (ie accept it happens & not let it affect your judgement or get you down) then in the times to come once you have your licence (and it does happen eventually), your decision making will be much improved.
At the moment your instructor is able to make an objective & experienced call on whether or not conditions are right for you - this will not always be the case.
Down the line, when you have planned your flight, assembled your passengers, got everyone to the airfield and then find that you feel a little "uneasy" about the conditions (which I find a good indicator that I'm in denial about conditions / forecasts being marginal for my own specific capabilities) then you should be able to make the "Not Go" decision far more easily and with far greater objectivity.
The alternative, as many of us will attest to, is (at best) a much shortened flight and / or a flight worrying about landing conditions that you wish you had not committed to
.Keep at it - it was a long haul with extreme highs & lows for many of us on here.
Regards, enq.
Join Date: Jun 2002
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Airgirl,
I know exactly how you feel. I think most people have been in the same situation you're in, I included.
The flying is definately the fun aspect of the course but there is going to come a point when you will not be able to progress any further unless you get all the exams out of the way and that is going to hurt a great deal more if you haven't. I know that is the case with the cross-country qualifier. In fact, you will be under more pressure at this stage to complete the exams and that can have an adverse effect on your studies and your pocket.
Please, for your sake, get the exams out of the way. You will be glad you did.
Good luck
I know exactly how you feel. I think most people have been in the same situation you're in, I included.
The flying is definately the fun aspect of the course but there is going to come a point when you will not be able to progress any further unless you get all the exams out of the way and that is going to hurt a great deal more if you haven't. I know that is the case with the cross-country qualifier. In fact, you will be under more pressure at this stage to complete the exams and that can have an adverse effect on your studies and your pocket.
Please, for your sake, get the exams out of the way. You will be glad you did.
Good luck
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I think flying with another pilot, in his/her plane, is worth a try. It lets you take the controls and do some fun flying, without the pressure of the training syllabus with its relentless bashing of circuit after circuit. In the training, it's easy to forget why one is doing it: for enjoyment and, for many, to go places.
It seems to be the golden rule of solos: they only happen when you've pretty much given up hope of it ever happening. Certainly true of the three significant solos I've done so far (PPL, Pitts, Heli).
n5296s
n5296s
G'day Airgirl,
As many of the others have said, we've all felt this way at some stage of our early training, especially when there are delays for whatever reason. These feelings will vanish the very next time you get to go flying. I remember when I was doing my PPL and it seemed like an endless uphill battle and then I'd organise a flight and all would be well again.
Use the downtime wisely, as others have suggested, by getting as many of the ground school subjects out of the way in preparation for the next stage of your journey.
Of course any time you need a pep talk or advice there is always a wealth of friendship and knowledge on these forums.
Sometime in the future conditions such as these you mentioned
will be encountered regularly, sometimes both at once, and you'll enjoy the challenge.
Good luck with the rest of your training.
Regards,
BH.
As many of the others have said, we've all felt this way at some stage of our early training, especially when there are delays for whatever reason. These feelings will vanish the very next time you get to go flying. I remember when I was doing my PPL and it seemed like an endless uphill battle and then I'd organise a flight and all would be well again.
Use the downtime wisely, as others have suggested, by getting as many of the ground school subjects out of the way in preparation for the next stage of your journey.
Of course any time you need a pep talk or advice there is always a wealth of friendship and knowledge on these forums.
Sometime in the future conditions such as these you mentioned
either pouring with rain or else a stonking great cross wind
Good luck with the rest of your training.
Regards,
BH.
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Yes, it's frustrating, but the studying is part of the package for a reason. Good airmanship is not simply time in the airplane. It's also about discipline, good judgment and having a sound factual knowledge base upon which you can draw to make good decisions. Whether its a PPL or upgrading to the left seat of a 747, there's always more studying and learning. The sooner you take that to heart, the better off you'll be.
You'll get back in the air soon enough.
Good luck!
You'll get back in the air soon enough.
Good luck!
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Airgirl,
You've seen some weather delay stories already as responses to your post & there are countless more. I understand the frustration, and it's better to be frustrated about not flying than getting wound up about having to go (which does happen to some people).
Don't panic about time to solo, instead I'd suggest you make the most of flying with your instructor in weather. You will get a lot of experience that way which will stand you in good stead when the time comes. The bad nes is that it isn't just the run up to going solo, it's afterwards as well. I did my first solo at the start of November & didn't get to solo again for four months after that.
Studying is one way to fill in the time, & it is time well spent but mix up with some fun stuff. I surfed flying videos on youtube, some are crazy but many are inspiring. Window shopping on afors.com helps you to understand the market & dream of flying your own, "If I had the money I'd buy a...".
Reading general flying books can help too, there are several threads on good books here and they can be borrowed, or look on the 2nd hand book sites for bargains.
Finally, I'd suggest that you publically commit to doing something flying related. When I joined my current company I said in the introductory piece in the department magazine that I was learning to fly. Having had that put in print kept me going as people knew about it and so I had to "keep my promise"
As it's been said below, it will come godd and you will get the flying time. Just keep at it
You've seen some weather delay stories already as responses to your post & there are countless more. I understand the frustration, and it's better to be frustrated about not flying than getting wound up about having to go (which does happen to some people).
Don't panic about time to solo, instead I'd suggest you make the most of flying with your instructor in weather. You will get a lot of experience that way which will stand you in good stead when the time comes. The bad nes is that it isn't just the run up to going solo, it's afterwards as well. I did my first solo at the start of November & didn't get to solo again for four months after that.
Studying is one way to fill in the time, & it is time well spent but mix up with some fun stuff. I surfed flying videos on youtube, some are crazy but many are inspiring. Window shopping on afors.com helps you to understand the market & dream of flying your own, "If I had the money I'd buy a...".
Reading general flying books can help too, there are several threads on good books here and they can be borrowed, or look on the 2nd hand book sites for bargains.
Finally, I'd suggest that you publically commit to doing something flying related. When I joined my current company I said in the introductory piece in the department magazine that I was learning to fly. Having had that put in print kept me going as people knew about it and so I had to "keep my promise"
As it's been said below, it will come godd and you will get the flying time. Just keep at it
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What a difference a day makes !!!
I have flown again this evening and am so happy. Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions they are all helpful and of course for the support too.
I have to say though, I am loving doing the ground study, I just got to the point where I was so frustrated at not flying that I just had a blip in my motivation but it is back again now big time. OK, my landings were not as good as they were last time but it has been 6 weeks since I last flew so I cannot expect them to be. the main thing is though that I have flown again, it all went ok and I am back on the way again thank goodness.
I have flown again this evening and am so happy. Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions they are all helpful and of course for the support too.
I have to say though, I am loving doing the ground study, I just got to the point where I was so frustrated at not flying that I just had a blip in my motivation but it is back again now big time. OK, my landings were not as good as they were last time but it has been 6 weeks since I last flew so I cannot expect them to be. the main thing is though that I have flown again, it all went ok and I am back on the way again thank goodness.
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Airgirl,
As IO suggests, tap up someone else at the airfield who is qualified and competent to fly in the conditions at the time and ask if you go along for the ride, offer to help with the Nav, etc.
Another idea is that if you get on well with some of the instructors ask if you can backseat one of their lessons, it will get you airborne and also its amzing how much you learn from watching someone else screwup!
J.
As IO suggests, tap up someone else at the airfield who is qualified and competent to fly in the conditions at the time and ask if you go along for the ride, offer to help with the Nav, etc.
Another idea is that if you get on well with some of the instructors ask if you can backseat one of their lessons, it will get you airborne and also its amzing how much you learn from watching someone else screwup!
J.
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I had much the same problem. I had to seperate my training into a lesson every 3-4 weeks and this is torture when that hour a month that you fly is the best thing that happens in all of that month. The worst bit for me was getting out of that old smelly damp plane, and thinking that I wouldnt be back in it again for so long.
This made it very difficult to concentrate on the ground exams. But i got through them, we all do.
I don't now if your into the trend yet of hanging around the flying club whenever you get the chance. I now it may sound strange, but being somewhere with like minded people, who you won't bore by talking aeroplanes, will make you feel much better. One of the community so to speak.
All the best with your training.
Jon
This made it very difficult to concentrate on the ground exams. But i got through them, we all do.
I don't now if your into the trend yet of hanging around the flying club whenever you get the chance. I now it may sound strange, but being somewhere with like minded people, who you won't bore by talking aeroplanes, will make you feel much better. One of the community so to speak.
All the best with your training.
Jon
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jonburf beat me to it! If you're supposed to be at the flying club/school, then go there. Hang about, talk to people, help out if anything needs doing. Have a coffee and a good moan with other people who want to fly and can't. Just enjoy being in the aviation environment.
Then go home and get the exams out of the way!
Then go home and get the exams out of the way!
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I do spend quite a bit of time around the club I must admit. I am lucky in so much as I work there a couple of weekend days a month anyway and have been involved with the club for years so have got quite a few friends there. I sometimes go to the club to do my study too as I find that helps.
Unfortunately, a back seat trip is not really an option for me at the moment as I am a fairly weighty girl and to be honest I think we would be outside on W&B with me in the back. However, I am much happier and much more motivated about it all again now having flown on Tuesday. I am just hoping for the weather to be good enough to fly again next week now!!
Thank you for all the suggestions and for the support, it really does help !!
Unfortunately, a back seat trip is not really an option for me at the moment as I am a fairly weighty girl and to be honest I think we would be outside on W&B with me in the back. However, I am much happier and much more motivated about it all again now having flown on Tuesday. I am just hoping for the weather to be good enough to fly again next week now!!
Thank you for all the suggestions and for the support, it really does help !!
