It can be done!!!
 

Like many other student pilots, I never thought that I would gain sufficient skill and competence to actually pass my Private Pilot's licence.

I remeber thinking - way back before I had gone solo, that surely I will never be able to do that? - But Idid, and before long, the QXC was looming ahead ominously.
'I'll never be able to fly all that distance by myself - and land at those aiports,' I thought unhappily to myself - as I completed yet another dodgy dual trip with my instructor.

But I passed the QXC with no problems - and that was on Monday of this week!

On Tuesday, my instructor told me that my skills test was pencilled in for this Friday - depending on how the weather went.
'Friday! - I will not be ready for it!' I wailed pathetically.
'Yes you will. And not only that - you'll pass.' was his responce.

So on tuesday, where the weather was pathetic, I loitered at home, and began to get very nervous. 'Surely I am not good enough for the skills test.'

And that was confirmed to me on Wednesday, where I flew another dodgy dual trip with my very patient instructor. Undettered, he wouldn't allow me to land and lick my wounds, and instead made me feel ill - by making me practise stalls, steep turns, PFL's and unusual attitudes.

Thursay came, and I couldn't work out which radial I was meant to fly along - was it the one going in - or was it the other way around? I didn't have a clue.

My PFL was disastrous, with me unsure of which field to go for and losing altitude rapidlt - with no plan of action in my head. But after landing - my instructor told me that I was ready.

Ready for what? I wondered. Certainly not my skills test that was for sure.

Then Friday (today) came, and I was so nervous, I thought I was actually going to vomit! But I didn't - and after about three hours of torment and misery - I was informed that I had passed. I had joined the ranks of real pilots!

I have written all of this for two reasons:

1. To make me feel good about it again - me - a proper pilot!!

2. And also for those of you, who like i did, are feeling that it will never come all together. Let me tell you that it will, even if you don't think so now. I was lucky in that I had an insturctor who believed in my skills far more I believed in them myself. If it had been up to me, I would never have booked my test in today....

And finally, was it all worth it - ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well done Flock!:ok:

Ah, I remember it well...I did a weeks consolidation/revision in the Autumn, and did a single mock test where the nav was disastrous, easily the worst for several months. Not the way to set oneself up for the test. After 7 cancellations due to wx (including one fantastic day where the only thing stopping us was a runway 3" deep in snow:{ ) I finally cracked it the following New Year.

Now all that stands beteen you and freedom is that eternal wait for the license to pop through the letterbox. 24 hours after mine arrived I was off for my first flight as a 'real' pilot!:D

Next stop - get the bookings in and fly as much as you can to gain confidence. Plan some nav trips, but also have some local jollies to hand for when you can't be ar5ed with the planning. Then find yourself a decent group. And then get a tailwheel rating. Then an IMC. Do a x-channel trip, or a trip to Ireland.....mouthwatering!:\

Flock 1 - Ah - the relief of reading your note. I have just returned from my sixth lesson - doing Ex. 6 - 9 yet again - we should have done slow flight and stall exercise today - but I just cannot get the hang of "correct trimming" at all. My mind just goes a blank when it comes to "nose up" trim or "nose down" trim. And yet I can do more "difficult" stuff like climbing ascent or descent at 30 degree bank - no problem. After today's lesson I actually thought should I call it a day? - I'll never make it. Slow flight and stall exercise is now pencilled in for tomorrow - but will it be Ex. 6 to 9 yet again? :{
Anyway, congrats on passing your Skills Test. Well done!!
:O

Fred R

Here's a tip - presume you are flying something with a trim wheel in the instrument panel? eg PA28, C1502/72 If so..

Imagine your hand is one top of wheel (which it can almost be). If you push the wheel AWAY from you it is as if you are pushing the stick/yolk away from you ie you'll be tipping the nose down. Conversely, if you pull the wheel TOWARDS you its as if you are pulling the stick/yolk towards you ie you'll be pulling the nose up.

Slow flight usually needs nose up trim (to increase the wing's angle of attack to maintain lift, not that I am thinking that in the air :) ). If you want to pile on the knots in the cruise you will need to apply nose down trim. Try practice in the car/bath - honest!

Other than that, remember to let the aircraft settle when trimming - it can take a little while for it to gain a natural equilibrium, if you are still trimming whilst its doing that then you won't trim for straight and level.

Congratulations on passing your skills test its a great achievment though hopfuly not the last of your firsts.

Congratulations Flock1! You did it just in time for the good weather too:)

Congratulations!

:ok:

Wily

Bluebird2 -

Thanks for your response. What is so irritating is that I KNOW all that when on the ground. But as soon as I am in the air I seem to develop a mental block which isn't helped by the fact that a) I now EXPECT this mental block to materialize come what may and b) my FI is getting distinctly exasperated.

Don't want to hijack this thread and shall start another one on How ethical is it to change flying schools if one isn't happy (for whatever reason).

Congrats, Flock - now the wonderful wait for the CAA to process your licence!

And Fred,

How ethical? You're paying £100+ an hour to learn to fly (and down here that's a very big '+'). At the very least tell them that you're not happy and give them a chance to do something about it. If you're still not happy, go elsewhere.

Flock,

Many many congratulations!

And thank you for writing so honestly about your feelings and lack of confidence during the course. Many of us felt - and still feel - like that, and I for one often had the impression that other people sailed through with no worries or difficulties at all. Well, some may do, but I now know that more don't talk about it because...no-one else does!!! Thanks for breaking the stiff upper lip super-pilot from the beginning mold, and keep talking; it could help a lot of people.

Flock1,

Well done on passing! Great achievement.

What was the viz like up North while you were doing your test? (I see you are from Newcastle). There was awful haze down south (7-8k viz) - so much so that I abandoned a X/C (or maybe I'm just becoming a wimp!)

I'd hate to have been doing a skills test in that!

Cheers

SD

My route took me over the wilds of Yorkshire - and the vis was between 7-10km. I was in two minds about doing it as well, but the examiner told me that he would give me a bit of leeway in the nav section. Which was a good job - because I made a right hash of it.

In fact, half an hour into the test, I had convinced myself that I had failed, and from then on I calmed down. I remembered my instructor telling me the day before - to not throw it all away - even if I thought it had gone tits up.

Good advise I reckon.

And I still can't quite believe that I am a proper pilot! Absolutely amazing!

Flock