First solo and messed it up..
 

Well I feel pretty foolish to be honest. And gutted with myself..
I began to learn to fly choppers 9 months ago for two reasons..
Firstly because flying terrified me even commercially, (too many episodes of black box etc) so I reckoned I'd take the bull by the horns. Secondly I adore Jet Rangers and want to own and fly one.

It took six hours in an R44 before I could even hold the cyclic gently, the first two hours I was sweating that much I couldnt even grip it. But slowly I began to drive to the airfield twice a week thinking I wasnt actually going to die that day. According to my Instructor I'm a model student - meticulous and cautious.
So I got to the solo stage a couple of days ago having hovered on my own for a while, made the call, started to climb then bang! Panic gripped me with a bit of air under me and no one in the left seat so it was all could do to turn round and come back. ,
Its knocked me a lot although if it takes me 200 flamin hours I'll do it. But would appreciate some advice from you guys who remember their own solo's and if they experienced anything similar when training etc..
Thanks! Simon

So what you're saying is you found yourself in an uncomfortable situation, so you returned and made a safe landing.
Looks very much to me like sound decision making and fine airmanship. Dare I say a rare attribute among many aviators these days

I would suggest you have the important bits well in hand.

Don't worry about the nerves. I'm sure they'll go in time. Just enjoy the flying knowing that you're making progress.

Stick with it my friend. Maybe try to have a little more continuity of lessons of you can. Try to have 2 lessons 1 day and 1 dual the next day followed by your solo.

You actually did the right thing if you felt how you say you did, recognising your own limits is a very valuable lesson in itself and to me shows that your thought processes are really sound.

Remember, your instructor won't send you unless you are ready so you are actually ready. Don't doubt yourself, think positive. Its a great experience going solo, I still remember mine in a Bell 47 31 years ago!

Good luck and please do let us all know how you get on.

6th gear - try "wannabees" better sutied forum...good luck and all that:bored:

Hey 6thGear,

No shame in what you did. We have all suffered it at one time or another, even if some people don't acknowledge it, even taking the old mans car out for the first time on my own was nerve racking, taking out a CBR600 for a test ride. Just think though, you took off, hovered, lifted, brought it back and landed safely, Mmmmm sounds to me like your doing a fine job, keepitup and enjoy. :D

Sorry TC !!!! I thought this was the Rotorheads section, therefore surely he IS in the right place.

Keepitup: keep up with it.

Rotorheads is for pro's and wannabees is for learners....read the screed on page 1 of pprune.:ugh:




[Fighting the cause...securing the future...rotorheads for professionals]

I remember my first solo cross-country in a 300C. For the first time since I started the course I briefly turned around, looked at the top of the rotor mast and saw the spinning rotors. "Holy **** is that what's holding me up!" For a moment I was slightly terrified but I got over it. So don't worry 6th and keep us up to date.:ok:

Sorry TC! my mistake, but can't seem to find the rotorhead wannabees section. oh no hang on, 6thgear ain't a wannabee !

If 6th Gear has a question regarding flying helicopters, I would suggest he talks to the pros on the rotorhead section, after all thats what it is there for. Not in a section where he would probably be ignored.

Regards

Keepitup

Seconded, you took an airworthy aircraft airborne, realised something was wrong and returned it in an airwothy state to the ground. Thats what we do whether it's an EC225 going offshore to the rigs, an S61 into the mountains to save a person (SAR) or a smaller training aircraft when you are learning to fly. All of my experience that has scared me sh!tless at various times.

Nerves, inhibitions and a lack of self belief is VERY hard to get over, but get over it you will with persistence. At the end of the day if this is flying for fun then the only benchmark is in yourself so stick with it and only practice gets rid of the "WHOA SH£T what was that" factor, whether that is nerves or the damned oil pressure dropping on number one engine.

Good luck and fly safe.

Si

P.S. I'm not getting into the correct forum argument, but I don't see the problem with the question being here.

You are on the right track young man.
 

I mean no disrepect by calling you a young man 6th Gear.

You are just the sort of pilot our industry needs to polish our image. You obviously have listened to your instructor, you can assses risk, make a good judgement call and live to talk about it. All professional learning blockes and something you will use for the rest of your career.

You have probibly laid in bed, stared at the ceiling and gone over the flight many times in your head. This is the same learning curve for all of us, and you will do this many times in what I am sure will be an excellent and safe career.

Your peers support you in here and do not be discouraged by anything negative that might be expressed by some.

This forum is where we want you to be. This is where you will learn by asking and listening

Here is something to think about later in your career when deciding whether it is safe for a flight to either begin or continue under present conditions:

Would I make this flight to either deliver or retrieve a can of paint ? If you even hesitate to answer then why would you jepardize either yourself,aircraft or passengers.

Fly safe and long young man.

TC, careful now, i would have thought it was your professional responsibility to help new rotor heads along the way. and as for asking a question on the wannabe forum, well, im not a wannabe and i presume you are not either so why would you expect a response from anyone except from another wannabe.
Its a long road that has no bends, 6th gear could be your chief pilot some day. . . be nice.

6th gear, everyone gets a fright, learn from it, keep flyin and keep learning.

Doesn't sound like you messed it up at all. You got airborne, weren't happy and landed safely. Messing up would have been getting airborne when you weren't happy, pressing on anyway because you didn't want to be a "scaredy cat", then getting the landing wrong and crashing because you were panicking. Take a few more lessons, get your confidence back and have another go, safe in the knowledge you have already demonstrated the ability to make sensible decisions when you need to.

6th gear

In my experience flying is all about repetition, so the best way to reduce the nerves is to go back and do it again and keep doing it till you feel comfortable.

I suspect that there are a lot of professionals who have anxiety lurking just under the surface (not me of course :)) and while they are in there comfort zone there is no problem, but push them to the edge and it starts to come back, high altitudes being a common one.

I flew an R22 at 8000 feet AGL once or twice and didn't enjoy it at all, but if you did it regularly you would become accustomed very fast, wheras 8000 feet in bigger aircraft feels very normal, this is all new to you so hardly surprising if you are not comfortable.

Just as well your instructor is not TC, with his direct approach :)

TC, you exhibit the very worst of pprune. The guy has enough balls to come and here and ask for advice and you tell him to go somewhere else?! I often liken pprune to a bar conversation - you would turn your back on him - shameful. He's not a wannabe, he's flying!! So where does a 900 hr private pilot like me fit in here then? I reckon private pilots are in the majority on here and always have been, regardless of pprune's precise title. Your 'I've got more hours than you' snobbery is the very worst side of aviation. And, in twenty years of flying, I've only ever seen it from pro pilots. I suggest you give him the benefit of your considerable experience, or were you born with an ATPL?

Thanks for all your comments. Much appreciated. Apologies if I'm in the wrong bit :confused:

Hey TC,

Come on cut guy some slack, it takes a big man to admit he's got a little scared, I may not be a Pro either, but when I came first to this Forum about 10/11 years ago I asked was it ok to ask questions of "You Pros", the resultant answer from all was yes!,

I think I may have asked some pretty searching questions and I have had answers that when tried out worked, so apart from the difference in my flying ticket and yours , I pay to fly , where you pros are paid to fly, why do you think we PPL(H) flyers dont have the right or dare I say the ability to ask questions of the people we look up to, I dare say one or two of us do look up to you pro's, but me thinks you may have flown institutionalised types for too long to be able to see some PPL(H) questions here today, could be from the man who you need to ask in the future, or could the initials behind your name spell GOD!!

I dont mean to be rude, but I think you need a break or holiday or something to loosen up!

My regards

Peter Russell-Blackburn
Lancashire

LONG TIME ROTORHEAD READER/CONTRIBUTER

Well if it's any help, on my first solo I realized that for the first time in my life I could kill myself and there was nothing anyone could do to save me. It was down to me alone and boy did that make me feel scared!

Anyway, I got thru it and almost 10 years later I still get nervous every time I fly. Maybe that's why I have not (yet) had any unfortunate incidents?

Respect your fear, deal with it and keep going. It will be worth while.

Good luck

Well done to 6th Gear
 

Sticking initially to the subject of the original post, I would also like to say a well done to 6th Gear for his actions in flight. He has my absolute respect for facing his fears and further to that, being brave enough to admit to his temporary problems. I'm quite sure that his Instructor is now even more confident in sending him out again, assured that he won't take any unneccesary risks. I certainly remember the pure fear downwind looking at the empty instructors seat. I now know poor Rodney was probably just as scared!

My second point is on the CPL/ATPL vs PPL debate. As a CPL FI with PPL abilities I feel I'm nicely placed to sit on the fence.:) In fairness the initial point was only that of the appropriate place to post. Although I would argue a bad one! If you want a proffessionals advice surely this is the best place to start?!

More importantly I would like to say that I think at least 90% of the "pro's" will always welcome questions no matter how silly they might seem. You only need attend one of VeeAny's safety evenings to see that it is actively encouraged across all levels of ability and is beneficial to all. Show me a helicopter pilot that doesn't want to talk about helicopters or his/her incredible ability in them!

I would propose that we have a check list before posting....

1. Has what I have to say any benefit to me, the industry, the addressee or safety?
2. Is it remotely funny?
3. Is the only reason I have time to correct peoples errors because I'm being paid quite alot of money to do as little as possible?
4. Should I perhaps go drive a taxi instead, to give myself a chance to put things back in perspective and realise I'm not that hard done by or irreplacable?

Feel free to add your own.

It is sadly an often unpleasant world on the Pro side of the fence and many of us find it deeply frustrating when we're told it's fantastic by those doing our 'job' for fun. but in my opinion we can start to improve it by behaving in a respectful manner to those around us, the rest of the problems are for many another thread.

Good luck with the next go 6th Gear, I look forward to meeting you one day stepping out of your Jet Banger (Still a great machine). Lets hope you've inspired others to be as brave.

Glad to see you did the right thing and decided against going solo, first thoughts are that, either you're not ready for solo or perhaps you are still terrified of flying and this is your idea of a "cure". If its the latter perhaps you need a re-think or a good long chat with your instructor.

Can't say I liked instrument flying very much at first (understatement), barely even notice I'm doing it now. As a previous poster said, practice, practice, practice.....
BTW brave post. Best of luck.