Student ppl Nervous
Life's too short for ironing
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Scotland, & Maryland, USA
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I still get nervous, after 16 years and a few thousand hours. Its only natural, and a good method of survival (I hope!).
Try reading this... you might find some good insights from Brady
Try reading this... you might find some good insights from Brady
Join Date: Feb 2009
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The day you stop being nervous is probably the day you will make mistakes.
The nerves tend to diminish as your experience increases, but they should never go away completely.
The nerves tend to diminish as your experience increases, but they should never go away completely.
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Ireland
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Re:
Thank you all for the input....
Yep - I'm doing this for the (apparent!) enjoyment. I'm 34 with a young family, and this definitely comes to mind when I'm flying - if something happens etc.
Irish ATC can be a little laid back certainly in the regional airports, but once you go to somewhere like Shannon or Dublin, they tend to be much more helpful, especially to a student. In addition, the smaller regional airports sometimes don't have the use of radar so they are relying on you just as much on you them to help you out. Obviously, I think the likes of a go-around at short finals was a bit dodgy coming from the controller, but it worked out ok.
In response to a previous post in this thread regarding the prefix student - yes this is indeed used in Ireland, and I always prefix my solo flights with it - and even if I don't get a response from ATC in a minute or two after giving them my position I retransmit again, sometimes emphasising the word "student" to at least make them aware that I am just that.
Thanks again all.
Yep - I'm doing this for the (apparent!) enjoyment. I'm 34 with a young family, and this definitely comes to mind when I'm flying - if something happens etc.
Irish ATC can be a little laid back certainly in the regional airports, but once you go to somewhere like Shannon or Dublin, they tend to be much more helpful, especially to a student. In addition, the smaller regional airports sometimes don't have the use of radar so they are relying on you just as much on you them to help you out. Obviously, I think the likes of a go-around at short finals was a bit dodgy coming from the controller, but it worked out ok.
In response to a previous post in this thread regarding the prefix student - yes this is indeed used in Ireland, and I always prefix my solo flights with it - and even if I don't get a response from ATC in a minute or two after giving them my position I retransmit again, sometimes emphasising the word "student" to at least make them aware that I am just that.
Thanks again all.
Join Date: Mar 2006
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This is an interesting thread. I'm no ppl, instead, I'm a retired Paraglider pilot. Although I only flew for pleasure, there was always a real & present danger of injury or death due to the very nature of the aerofoil. Pilots can & do get killed every year in gliding.
Many times I have stood atop mountains & hills, trying to work out whether or not we had friendly skies on the day. Usually, I would be accompanied by a dry mouth & a thumping heart - certainly on the bigger sites & in the Alps where the UK conditions would be amplified many times over on the good days.
The point is, I once expressed this nervousness to an old hand just prior to takeoff one day on the slopes of the Gorge Du Loup near Nice & He said to me; if you weren't, you wouldn't be normal. Just take your time & in the air, ask yourself if at the point of any difficulty, panic would be the correct reaction.
Best advice I ever received was that.
Many times I have stood atop mountains & hills, trying to work out whether or not we had friendly skies on the day. Usually, I would be accompanied by a dry mouth & a thumping heart - certainly on the bigger sites & in the Alps where the UK conditions would be amplified many times over on the good days.
The point is, I once expressed this nervousness to an old hand just prior to takeoff one day on the slopes of the Gorge Du Loup near Nice & He said to me; if you weren't, you wouldn't be normal. Just take your time & in the air, ask yourself if at the point of any difficulty, panic would be the correct reaction.
Best advice I ever received was that.
Join Date: Jan 2006
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As Brian Le comber wrote in Talkdown, "The true love of flying, always contains a pinch of fear." Prior to readin those profound words, I thought I was the only one who was nervous and I felt a fraud, continuing to fly.
Youll"e be right mate.
Youll"e be right mate.
Join Date: Jan 2009
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Some very helpful comments here.
I am 9 hours into PPL and can't afford to fly so frequently (try to do an hour every 2 weeks), the problem with flying so infrequently is that for the first 10 mins (including the vital take-off!) everything happens very quickly and I find it hard to be decisive and to positively control the aircraft. Also find myself forgetting things like carb-heat and the correct speeds and focusing on the wrong things, like the birds irritatingly close-by instead of my airspeed.
Having taken some of the advice here (running through an imaginary flight in my head) I found in my last lesson I was very much on-top of things and could not only do everything correctly, but was able to enjoy the experience/views despite some slightly challenging weather. (tho I did call downwind when on final...
)
Like somebody here said - it's free flying and I found that practicing in your head means the flying become more 100x less stressful and 1000x more fun.
I am 9 hours into PPL and can't afford to fly so frequently (try to do an hour every 2 weeks), the problem with flying so infrequently is that for the first 10 mins (including the vital take-off!) everything happens very quickly and I find it hard to be decisive and to positively control the aircraft. Also find myself forgetting things like carb-heat and the correct speeds and focusing on the wrong things, like the birds irritatingly close-by instead of my airspeed.
Having taken some of the advice here (running through an imaginary flight in my head) I found in my last lesson I was very much on-top of things and could not only do everything correctly, but was able to enjoy the experience/views despite some slightly challenging weather. (tho I did call downwind when on final...
)Like somebody here said - it's free flying and I found that practicing in your head means the flying become more 100x less stressful and 1000x more fun.
Join Date: Jan 2007
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I understand your frustration sprthompson - I can usually only fly weekends and with the English weather that means one hour a month more often than not!
Stick with it though, you'll get there eventually.
Like that imaginary flight idea...although I already spend too much time day dreaming in work
Stick with it though, you'll get there eventually.
Like that imaginary flight idea...although I already spend too much time day dreaming in work
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Getting home
I can understand your fear of not finding your airfield-been there myself
Why not get your instructor to take you out into the local area.Pick out some very prominent features and make notes of the headings required to get you back to the field.QDM can be useful if your field can support this.
You will be flying on your own so you can take plenty of fuel so need need to panic and you always have 121.5.
I think most people's fear is not getting lost but the misplaced feeling of 'shame' admitting it-no room for egos in safe flying IMHO,speak to ATC they are always very helpful and sympathetic (in my limited exp)
Go on,fill your boots
MM
Why not get your instructor to take you out into the local area.Pick out some very prominent features and make notes of the headings required to get you back to the field.QDM can be useful if your field can support this.
You will be flying on your own so you can take plenty of fuel so need need to panic and you always have 121.5.
I think most people's fear is not getting lost but the misplaced feeling of 'shame' admitting it-no room for egos in safe flying IMHO,speak to ATC they are always very helpful and sympathetic (in my limited exp)
Go on,fill your boots
MM
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Hi Jon
As another poster said
Aviate
Navigate
Communicate
However to reduce the workload as much as possible we must make each of them as natural and easy as possible.
Some suggestions.
Try some gentle aerobatic instruction. Once you have done a few rolls and loops a steep turn holds no fears. It gives you confidence in aircraft handling and allows you to concentrate on other aspects.
Fly with other low hours pilots - one leg each. one could be operating the radio whilst the other is flying.
Fly from other sites or in other aircraft.
Remember a lot of communication is optional and not mandatory. Do you really need to speak to an advisory service?
Consider the balance between convidence and nervousness. I have been flying for 30 years and still my pulse rate rises as I start to roll.
Finally remember to enjoy it!
Good luck
As another poster said
Aviate
Navigate
Communicate
However to reduce the workload as much as possible we must make each of them as natural and easy as possible.
Some suggestions.
Try some gentle aerobatic instruction. Once you have done a few rolls and loops a steep turn holds no fears. It gives you confidence in aircraft handling and allows you to concentrate on other aspects.
Fly with other low hours pilots - one leg each. one could be operating the radio whilst the other is flying.
Fly from other sites or in other aircraft.
Remember a lot of communication is optional and not mandatory. Do you really need to speak to an advisory service?
Consider the balance between convidence and nervousness. I have been flying for 30 years and still my pulse rate rises as I start to roll.
Finally remember to enjoy it!
Good luck
Join Date: Mar 2009
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The introduction of the student call sign was in response to an accident at Southend in a very similar circumstance - the student was asked to move to the live side (!!!) to let a faster aircraft though. The teenage student stalled and was killed.
I have 100 hours and fly with varying degrees of terror. Your nervousness is healthy - just keep listening to the instructor's voice which should now be n your head. Panic sets in when you don't know what to do. You won't panic because you have been trained and you know what to do.
Feeling tired after a long flight I sometimes think - help! I don't know that I have in me to land. But it's never a problem. Why? Because by now it's an automatic mental process.
I have 100 hours and fly with varying degrees of terror. Your nervousness is healthy - just keep listening to the instructor's voice which should now be n your head. Panic sets in when you don't know what to do. You won't panic because you have been trained and you know what to do.
Feeling tired after a long flight I sometimes think - help! I don't know that I have in me to land. But it's never a problem. Why? Because by now it's an automatic mental process.
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Years ago, I confessed to my instructor that it made me nervous at times, despite my ability [apparently] to perform well. His reply.'Good! Then you will treat it with the respect it deserves! It diminished, as others have said, but I never forgot his extremely wise words, which made me feel much better.
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Jon
If you are scared of getting lost then do what I used to do - go outside the circuit - but remain visual - set yourself small tasks and learn the local area - stretch the distance more and more until you find you know a 50 mile radius of your base really well - do out and returns to strips and that builds confidence too........................
Nervous ?? - you bet I was - I'm better now but I don't think I'll ever relax completely
Enjoy
Arc
If you are scared of getting lost then do what I used to do - go outside the circuit - but remain visual - set yourself small tasks and learn the local area - stretch the distance more and more until you find you know a 50 mile radius of your base really well - do out and returns to strips and that builds confidence too........................
Nervous ?? - you bet I was - I'm better now but I don't think I'll ever relax completely
Enjoy
Arc
