Okay to nervous ?
 

Dear All,

I am currently doing my PPL and and loving it, I think ! The only thing that worries me is that sometimes when I am doing the lessons I am a little nervous about doing certain drills. Is this normal or is this not for me?


Any advice would be well appreciated

As a newish PPL student much of what you are doing will be new to you, and you are doing it in a new situation (up in t'air). So you are unlikely to be comfortable with it all straight away.

A good instructor will keep feeding you new tasks as soon as they feel you can take the task on. This sometimes leads to a feeling that not enough consolidation has taken place. So you are unlikely to get the chance to feel comfortable for some time.

So yes, it is all perfectly normal. In some cases the nervousness may not leave you until you have passed the Skill Test and have been flying on your own for a while - it may be that only then will your truly believe that you can do the drills, and be comforatble doing them on your own.

A bit of nervousness, even on the skill test will tend to sharpen you up. If it goes beyond a bit of nerves, talk to your instructor.

Nervousness is far safer than cockiness - so you're okay!

It’s just a natural human reaction to an unnatural situation with the potential for danger.

spitfire, you won't find anybody on here who didn't/hasn't felt nervous either before flying or whilst in the air!

Hell, you're doing something potentially life-threatening - the nerves are perfectly normal!! :)

Just enjoy the nerves, they're part of the buzz!

MB:)

I was bloody terrified of all those manoeuvre-type exercises (stalling, steep turning etc) for most of my first 100 hours, and I got terribly airsick whenever I would try them as well, in fact I hated it so much that I damn near gave flying away at one stage, the only thing that stopped me was the fact that I was sure that airline pilots didn't have to do that kind of thing :)

It does get better though, by the time I was approaching my CPL I was even begging and pleading with my instructor to show me a couple of aerobatics / a quick spin etc at the end of each lesson.

It's just continued exposure to, and increasing your familiarity and comfort level in the aircraft. You can tell yourself in your head that it's safe, but you won't convince your subconscious mind that the plane won't fall out of the sky when you do such-and-such horrible manoeuvre, until you've done it a few dozen times yourself and seen that it actually works.

Thanks people, you have all put my mind at ease, thank you. For a moment there I thought that after all those years of dreaming that it was over before it begun, if you know what I mean.

This has been a big help, thanks; I knew you guys on here would come up trumps.

Luke SkyToddler

"You can tell yourself in your head that it's safe, but you won't convince your subconscious mind that the plane won't fall out of the sky when you do such-and-such horrible manoeuvre"

That is exactly what I think when I'm up there and I think “can't we just do some small turns or something”! But then I think lets do something new because I want the buzz and to learn new stuff, but it then scares the life out me until I get used to it, and so on and so on. Sometimes I can’t wait to get on the ground, but when I am a massive grin comes across my face and I can’t wait to get back up there. Mad?

Thanks guy's you have all been a big help.

Where that headset and checklist!

Been there. I remember shortly after getting my PPL being checked out in an ARV2. Bit of power left on produces a VERY nice wing drop, naturaly to the left, and I recall looking out of the window straight onto the M25. Friggin hated it.

A few years later after doing an FI rating, I could not get enough spinning. It's quite daunting early on when learning to fly, when you have enough on your plate without being thrown around, but once you are confortable with the basics, the rest usualy will soon follow.

With me I have to say looking back on it, it was more a case of trusting what I was in not to fall apart than anything else..... Silly I know, but that's the way it was.

Regards

S

What Tacpot says is spot on!
One thing I liked about my PPL instructor was that he would go through the lesson with you and then at the end of the lesson he would say 'Ok , watch this!' and either have a bit of fun or show me some more complex handling and then it would be 'OK, now you have ago...' It kept you interested and also fed your thirst by giving you a snatch of what was coming up in future lessons.

Julian.

I remember when I did my second solo. my isntructor told me to go out to the practice area and practice stalls and steep turns. That was the last thing I was planning to do by myself. But eventually I decdied to give it a shot one day by myself and it wasn't so bad. It just takes time until you feel comfortable in the plane

Firstly let me say that pilots who do not have any fear are downright dangerous!

Use fear as a tool for taking action. Learn everything that you can and practice drills, checks again and again. Do lots of "dry swims" on the ground - imagine you are in the aircraft and picture yourself performing exactly as you would like to!

Remember also that F.E.A.R stands for "False Evidence Appearing Real".

When we become anxious our breathing rate changes. However you can make a conscious effort to breathe in a relaxed manner and this will alter how you feel.

I also believe that fear can be somewhat infectious. If your instructor is afraid or shows signs of underconfidence then this will affect you also!

Thanks again for all your posts

I have no worries about my instructor, he is very good and has all the confidence for the both of us (good confidence) he does always keep the pressure on so that I don’t get bored and so that I am getting the most from each hour.

It’s just that sometimes trying to take all this new information in and trying to get it right every time sometimes overloads the brain, plus also trying to overcome the feeling that if you get this wrong you are going to fall out the sky, which I know is not going to happen but it’s hard to, like Luke Skytoddler said “convince your subconscious mind” that this is not going to happen is a different thing.

But I like the way that I am being taught as I am always learning and I know from reading all your posts that it will come with time.

Cheers.

In USAF pilot training, we call that "trying to sip from a firehose". True, isn't it?

One benefit of going through pilot training as a class of students (we had about 35 students in each section) is that you get to see your fellow classmates going through the exact same struggles as you. You can also look to the class ahead of you which was good for two reasons: 1) you can find out a bit about what is to come next, and 2) you can look at some of those students and say "Geez, if that guy can make it through this, I can as well."

You don't get that same benefit as a lone student, but I can assure you along with the others that your feelings are completely normal.

Best wishes!

Spitfire

You are not alone!
I have/do feel exactly the same although it gets better everytime i fly, ive got a little over 70 hours now and im just starting to feel comfortable with steep turns etc and i have managed to stop myself doing FREDA checks every 30 seconds and can sometimes even sit back and enjoy the view, i think its a lot to do with building up your confidence which can only come with experiance so stick with it cos it does get better!

Don't worry about it too much. Every time I do an A check I keep imagining bits falling off the aircraft and in general, as others have said, a bit of nervousness is a good thing as long as it doesn't become debilitating.

The fear, and overcoming it, is part of the process of learning I reckon.
I'm still very low hours, six and a half so far, and tonight was the second time I'd had a full spin demonstrated. However since we'd done the rest of the hour doing Ex 10a (stalls in various configurations) I decided I'd conquered enough fear for one lesson at that point...
Just think to yourself "My instructor is not going to let me do anything that might ruin his day, so this must be ok to do":)

Fresh from admitting on another thread that I failed my initial skills test.....

I've just passed the 100 hours P1 and 200 hours total marks. I always used to imagine that by now I'd be able to relax a bit more in the aircraft... but oh no! I seem to tense my legs during every flight involuntarily. Always wake up the next morning feeling like I've walked up the stairs in a tall building.

Spent two whole days last weekend refusing to take off from an airport in the Alps because of cloud. I watched a couple of other guys from the UK leap in and go, but I could not bring myself to get airborne!

As for stalls, steep turns etc. I only very recently felt I could try one of these without an instructor sitting next to me.

Call me chicken..... I don't care!

Fear is good, fear is healthy, fear will keep you alive.

PANIC on the other hand is a problem. Facing your fears will reduce the likelihood of panic, when the situation you fear arises.

You are feeling very sleepy.....

Bottiepouting
 

Hi GRP,

I'd fly with you any time.

As an instructor I used to waggle the stick and pedals occasionaly - especially near the ground - just to see if the student was tensing up.

Work at your mindset here. It is so tempting to get the thing near the ground and then grip everything tighly, safe in the knowledge that it is pointing the right way and is coming down slowly so all will be well.

999 out of 1000 it will be OK.

You must continue to fly the aircraft all the way - using coordinated rudder and aileron. You can't do this if you are tensed up.

Put your ballet pumps on, grip the stick with your fingertips and dance your way down the slope.

My best advice to you is this. You don't fly taildraggers, money on that. Go do a taildraggin' course. It will sort you out completely.

There ain't no way you can fly a taildragger nicely and safely if you are pushin' both pedals at once!

Hi,

I have always got the same feeling even after 70 hours. It seems to be go better and better the last flights but I never think about telling this to non-flying people. There will be a big chance that you got some reaction like; you have fear? I think you fly to prove yourself and I don't think I want to fly with you. Fortunately there is something like PPRuNe where we can share this.:)

Bottieburp(!),

Funnily enough this tension only seems to be there in the cruise. Soon as I get busy it goes away! Weird! You are quite right however that I don't fly taildraggers though. I'd like to! And I'm building one, although I use the word loosely in that the first bits only arrived yesterday!