Nervous Pilot.

[28thJuly2001]

Does anyone else get nervous before a flight? As I drive to the airport I seem to get quite nervous, I am a low hour PPL (77 hours)I am hoping that with a little more experience these feelings will get less and I will look forward to the flight, As soon as I start the engine my nerves disappear and I can't wait to get airborne. Any comments would be appreciated. I am hoping to hear an answer that this is normal for a low hour pilot.

Walt,,

[Simon W]

Well, I have seen other people post pretty much the same thing. I believe the general feeling is that if you didn't have any nerves then that would be a bad thing. Being a littler nervous before a flight should make you check everything thoroughly. Maybe if you weren't nervous you might get a bit sloppy in all the checks that need to be done and then that's when you'll come unstuck.

In other words, it's normal (or atleast it is for me although I am currently still training for my PPL)

Regards,

Simon

[Whirlybird]

I have around 300 hours and it still happens to me nearly every time I fly. Often I'm so scared that I find myself wondering why I'm putting myself through all this. But like you, as soon as I get in the cockpit and start the checks, I'm just fine. An instructor friend assures me it's quite normal, and that she always used to feel like that too. She says she doesn't now - but she does have over 2000 hours. Nice to know that feeling stops eventually though isn't it?

[poetpilot]

700+ hours PPL and I still get the willies sometimes! But I tell myself it makes me run through those checks, and rerun em, and makes me fly safe. Overconfidence (in anything) is a potential killer.

I have gone thru periods where sometimes I am in the air, and feel that at any moment something will fall off. This generally disappears once I've landed. Funny, huh?

[Squawk 8888]

For some reason the worst for me is during the climb- maybe it's because you're blind as a bat when the pointy end is high. Once I level off for cruising I'm fine. Another thing I've noticed is that light turbulence in the cruise rattles me (especially if it's just the occasional bump) but during the approach the rougher the air, the more fun I'm having. Go figure.

[Julian]

Yep, a little nerves is good - so dont worry!
Stops you going into the realms of complacency...

Julian.

[Wycombe]

I've got 230hrs PPL/IMC and I, too, must admit I get the occasional "butterfiles", usually when driving to the airfield and running through what I'm going to do that day in my mind.

All this does is make me check & plan thoroughly before getting airborne, so I look upon it as a good thing!

[flying snapper]

I must agree with the previous mails. I too am an inexperienced pilot and I also get nervous before a flight. Maybe nervous is not the right word, perhaps apprehensive would be better. As the previous guys have said, this makes me perhaps a bit over cautious with the pre flight checks but this is not a bad thing! Once I am up there the apprehension disappears and I LOVE IT!!

happy flying!

[bcfc]

Ditto all the above but what gets to me is solo. If I'm alone, I'm obsessive about checks, T's & P's, Freda's - especially carb ices checks. Its never that enjoyable. If I've a passenger, I'm far more relaxed and fly much better.

[Vfrpilotpb]

Isn't this the bodies way of coping with fear and/or excitemnt, you describe what I feel every time I approach the airfield, as either P1 or Pax, but as soon as the pre-flight is started its all gone and the reality of flying takes its place, I then get that same feeling walking away from the Heli after shutdown and post-flight checks have been done, I dont think you are out of the ordinary in what you feels!

[criticalmass]

A little nervousness isn't a bad thing; it will keep you careful. I suggest using the nerves to sharpen your focus on your tasks. This will give greater assurance in your pre-flight preparation as well as during the flight. Eventually, the nerves will be gone, replaced with a vigilant state of awareness. This is a very good state of mind in which to fly any aircraft. It just takes time, but it can be developed fairly rapidly if you manage to fly regularly, and frequently.

[dakersg]

I think that a lot of enjoyment of flying is meeting new challenges and achieving new milestones. As with anything else, doing something new usually gives rise to a level of nervousness. Sure, some people disguise it better than others, but I bet theres not a person who doesn't go through it, myself included. On the plus side, once you've gone through the fear, and met the new challenge sucessfully, there is no better feeling!

[28thJuly2001]

Thanks for all the replies, I am glad it is considered normal as it was beginning to worry me.
Walt,,

[carbheatcold]

I think that apprehension makes you more controlled/focused when doing the checks whether they are engine or lookout. But I always find when land turns to water the focus increases and the engine runs rough.

[DodgyFlyer]

I am also a fairly new PPL and for some reason I always get apprehensive everytime I fly solo. All the way through my checks and just before take off the old butterflies are in the stomach, but once I'm in the sky I seem to settle down. I think its because when I'm on my own I consider all the 'what if's?" - e.g what if the cloud suddenly surrounds me and the visibility plummets?

However, when I take passengers I'm absolutely fine because I put every thought and effort into making them comfortable and happy and making sure they have the confidence that I'm not going to kill us all.