Hitting the plateau

[localflighteast]

not literally !
I'm working on my PPL, have about 15 hours at the moment.
Seem to have hit a bit of a plateau, learningwise in the circuit.

Normally I can see the progress I've made form one lesson to the next but the last couple of lessons , I don't see any major improvement.

My instructor seems to think I'm doing fine ( funnily enough I believe him a lot more when he's telling me what I'm doing wrong, than when he's telling me I'm doing well!)

I guess this happens to everyone, i just wondered if anyone has any magic words of wisdom?

There's just sooo much to do in such a short space of time. If i get one thing right then I seem to forget about something else

[Genghis the Engineer]

Trust your instructor !

Odds are he's looking for consistency at this point. That can take a little while to build up.


G

[localflighteast]

yep I know. I guess

My landings are a touch on the "firm" side at the moment

I think i'm coming back down to Earth ( no pun intended) from the fact that personally I've achieved so much up until this point.

A year ago I was so scared of turbulence that I needed therapy to get on an airplane ( long story, not that interesting). Now I'm flying one!

Now I'm just bashing out those circuits (literally with my landings!)

[Pace]

Local

Landings are all about confidence! You think firm then thats what you will expect and get!
Its strange but even us old hands have a spate of absolute greasers where you hardly feel the aircraft touch!
Then out of the blue they go! Still good landings but not quite the greasers!
What causes that?
It can be the tiniest hesitation from one landing which did not come up to what you wanted and then the rest do not quite come up to what you want for a while.
Then you come back to a phase of greasers again.
In your case as a Student its quite normal the only difference being that your variations are more pronounced than us more experienced guys.
Its that grain of confidence no more no less.
Relax and enjoy it and you will soon move through that phase to advancing again!
The learning graph is always up but expect dips and plateaus in that increasing graph.

Pace

[Pilot DAR]

There's just sooo much to do in such a short space of time.

The time, is what you define, you're not being rushed - don't rush yourself. 45 hours is a small fraction of the time it takes to learn to fly a plane through its reasonable envelope of capability and conditions. 45 hours seems to be the minimum the authorities place, but believe me, that at 46 hours and a wet ink PPL, you're still at the beginning of learning - you're simply safe, and compliant with the standards for skill.

The first part of the learning curve is steep, then you reach your plateau. That's when familiarity make's it look like you're not learning so fast. You're still learning - after 36 years of flying, I am....

[localflighteast]

DAR , I have no illusions about completing my PPL in 45 hours that's for sure.

I'll get it when (or if) I get it.
It is the circuit I was referring to , so much to do. I'm barely comfortably established in the climbout before it sems I'm doing my landing checks.

I'm working on the relaxing ( is that an oxymoron?) I seem to anticpate the touchdown by tensing my arms and screwing up my face! Not the best approach I know.

I did manage one reasonable landing last time.Nothing more scary than looking over and seeing your instructors hands are no where near the controls

[Pace]

Nothing more scary than looking over and seeing your instructors hands are no where near the controls

That should be the most reassuring sign of all as it means the instructor is happy with the way the approach is looking and with you???
RELAX RELAX RELAX and do some positive talking to yourself " I am in control not the aircraft and I am going to really enjoy this".

Pace

[Miken100]

Hello Local.... What you are describing is completely normal... I assume you haven't solo'ed yet and if so this phase does need you to take a lot on board.... be patient; trust your instructor and keep it up... things will suddenly start to fall into place.

I remember this only too well (15 years ago now) and felt exactly very similar to the way you describe (no t'interweb so no Pprune help in those days - lol)

Hang on in there and very best wishes... Mike

[Fuji Abound]

First, its perfectly normal.

Second, it takes time for things to become automatic. You can help yourself by making absolutely certain you know all the checks, speeds, calls etc off pat, keep rehearsing them in your mind.

Third, and for what its worth, i did my multi rating with a few thousand hours in hand on single engine aircraft. I was totally comfortable in the circuit, or so i thought. The first couple of sessions in the twin took be right back to my initial ppl. The speeds were higher and it was easy to get behind the aircraft. Inexcusably i hadnt learnt the drills and power settings so not only was i struggling with the extra engine but also a host of new procedures. I put that right and everything else quickly fell into place.

So dont worry it will come be diligent and be patient.

[Pilot DAR]

Nothing more scary than looking over and seeing your instructors hands are no where near the controls

Haha,

A long time ago, with very little tail wheel time, I asked a very experienced pilot I knew, with a PA-18, if I could fly a few circuits with him, to improve my tailwheel skills. "Sure" he said, "let's go". I asked if he wanted me in the front seat, or back. He thought for a moment, and said the front, so in I got.

After a I flew few adequate circuits, I shut down, and we got out. It was then that I noticed that he had no controls in the back!

[Gertrude the Wombat]

I guess this happens to everyone

Yes.

There's just sooo much to do in such a short space of time.

Yes, I remember circuits being like that - how on earth do you get everything done in five minutes?

Now the same five minutes is plenty long enough to chat to passengers, show them the sights etc.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Nothing more scary than looking over and seeing your instructors hands are no where near the controls

One of my mates is sometimes a nervous passenger. Took him flying in Oz, with an instructor because it wasn't worth getting an Oz licence whilst on a short holiday.

So I explained: "What you need to do is look at the instructor's hands. If they're in his lap, then there isn't a problem and you're perfectly safe; if they're on the controls then there isn't a problem and you're perfectly safe."

He did understand!

[localflighteast]

well thanks for the encouragment

just heard from my instructor so I'm going to head down shortly and throw the plane round the circuit for an hour or so!

let's see how many landings I can actually get in this time.

Last lesson had three go arounds, One for a medevac chopper. One because i was practically over the threshold and still didn't have my landing clearance (sod's law as soon as I pushed the throttle in, ATC remembered about me) and one dodgy approach.

It was busy that day, at one point I was #4 for the runway and I don't think I flew more than one "standard" circuit, all the others I had to extend various legs or switch runways or both

I'll let you know how it goes

[lenhamlad]

All those go-arounds add to the experience. As a recently qualified PPL I fully understand your frustrations. One thing I did was to suggest to my instructor that we go off and do some general handling - steep turns , introduction to stalls etc and then come back to the airfield for a circuit or two. Remember, as others have said, it is not a race and any time in the air is useful, even if you do not think you have learned anything from that particular lesson. Subconciously you have. Took me nearly eighty hours toget to my skills test but did I care? Not one bit. I enjoyed the experience as much as I do now that I have my licence. Happy landings.

[funfly]

My instructor who shall be nameless (Jerry Bream) always insisted on me taking a boiled sweet from him while I was in the middle of the most complicated manoeuvres - like on finals etc. How could I take, unwrap and put in my mouth a sweet when my hands and legs were doing fifty to the dozen? What a marvellous man.
By the way, my lovely wife just couldn't crack landing so the instructors wisely passed over that and finished the rest of the techniques, she finally went solo after about 75 hours by which time she had covered nearly everything else. If you get stuck with one thing it's often wise to put it to one side and return at a later stage - methinks.

[Pace]

After a I flew few adequate circuits, I shut down, and we got out. It was then that I noticed that he had no controls in the back!

Pilot Dar

There used to be an old joke about a wartime instructor who taught on and old bi plane.
His trademark before sending a pilot solo was to remove the rear stick and on final throw it out telling his student to follow everything he had been shown and land the plane.
One student knowing about this smuggled a spare stick into the aircraft.
The instructor did the same routine throwing out his control stick with the usual comment of following everything he had been shown.
"OK Sir said the student and threw the spare stick he had concealed out of the aircraft.
I believe the instructor bailed out leaving an amused student who landed

Pace

[Big Pistons Forever]

It is not unusual to hit a plateau presolo when you get to the circuit. One of the causes is insufficient time spent on the fundamental flying skills of holding the rich attitude for the desired flight condition and/or insufficient emphasis on trimming the aircraft. Too many instructors rush their students to the circuit and then spend many frustrating hours making no progress, The circuit is not the place to learn ex 5-9.

One strategy I have used successfully is instead of starting a lesson right into the circuit,I go to the practice area and practice flying a circuit at altitude ( ie the runway is North at 2000 feet AGL and the circuit is at 3000 feet). This lets you practice the rhythm of the circuit without the pressure of the runway looming in the windshield. Concentrate on flying "finals" on speed with a stable pitch attitude and in trim. Now when you go back to the circuit you will be warmed up and ready to go . It is also a good exercise as it makes you practice a go around.

[Genghis the Engineer]

It is not unusual to hit a plateau presolo when you get to the circuit. One of the causes is insufficient time spent on the fundamental flying skills

I'm starting to build up some reasonable experience now as an instructor; as a CRI rather than FI only dealing with people who already hold some form of pilots licence.

I've come to realise that a lot of pilots *think* they should be going into the circuit as soon as possible, but lack the skill and familiarity with the aeroplane to use that effectively.

So, moving into the circuit early can be a retrograde step and serve to mess up a pilots confidence and skill in the aeroplane,rather than improve it.

That, hopefully, does not apply to the OP, but it has certainly applied to several pilots I've taught.

G

[Pace]

G

As long as its not a busy airfield where you will annoy the sh+t out of other pilots the instructor could start with wide circuits and long final to give the student the thinking space they need.
As they get used to that tighten the circuits up!
A longer final will also allow the student time to stabilise the approach as well as his mind !

Pace

[mad_jock]

As long as its not a busy airfield where you will annoy the sh+t out of other pilots the instructor could start with wide circuits and long final to give the student the thinking space they need.

Nah pace everything and I mean everything should be done away from the circuit until you only need to do a bit of RT work, situational awarness and the waggling the peddles and controls at the bottom for landing.

I completely agree with BPF that going into the circuit before the student has cracked the preceding lessons just causes the whole thing to become a torture for both student and instructor.

Giving wide circuits etc is just compensating to the fact the student is struggling with S&L etc. The circuit is not the place to be teaching and working on S&L and trimming.