I just gotta vent about my training.

[naunga]

So, as some of you know I'm on CFI number six, and despite that I think I'm making good progress...well I thought I was.

I can't seem to get things together. My landings are less than precise, my manuvers suck big time, steep turns, slow flight, dead reckoning, basically everything aren't up to snuff. At first I thought that maybe my CFI was being unrealistically demanding, but she's just following the PTS. So I do appreciate her really pushing me, but I'm getting frustrated with this overall.

My intro flight was in August of 2000, and while I drug my heals for a bit until I had my medical in hand, I've tried to fly at least 2 days a week for the past 4+ years.

I have over 60 hours dual, and I still feel like I'm lost sometimes.

My CFI keeps telling me I need to act more like a PIC, and I feel like I am, and then she points out something I missed (like 10° of flaps for a short field take off).

My patterns suck, and I always seem to be one step behind things.



I just feel like I'm getting nowhere, and maybe it's just me, but then again this CFI is the first one who hasn't been "impressed" with my flying. So then I start to wonder if my other CFI's weren't honestly evaluating my flying, or what.

All in all, I feel like [censored] about my flying. After 5 years and $20K+ I feel like I just spinning my wheels, and I've considered just hanging it up and forgetting this whole thing, and what's sad is I started doing this to have fun, but my goal wasn't to be training for the rest of my life.

Of course I snap back to reality and remember that I vowed to get my PPL even if I pass my checkride the day before I drop dead, but I never thought it actually take that long.

Anyhow, I'm going to do some studying tonight, and order a new flight bag, since I'm not very organized in the cockpit, but I'm just not feeling the love anymore.

I fly again Saturday so hopefully I can be a little more "on".

Thanks for letting me vent.

Later.

Naunga

[BrettInLJ]

I was feeling the same away after 50 hours or so in my PPL training. I Stayed with the same instructor, but I think he really started pushing me harder and critcizing a lot of things. It may just mean you are getting closer and the instructor is now making you concentrate on the details more as you get closer to being signed off for the checkride.

I made that same deal to myself, that no matter what I was going to finish my PPL. I'm glad I did that. Don't worry, just keep plugging at it until you pass your checkride and then you will feel much better.

[Swen]

I'll tell you you're not alone. For about the past 8 months thats how I've been feeling. I'll admit, the thought of "this isn't for me" surfaced more than once. From what I've seen, it does happen that you (read anyone) just for no reason takes a few steps back as far as performance. It's happened rather recently to me and gave me the thought of resignition. But then I continue on, leaving the past behind and focus on the task at hand. Often times just sitting and thinking, visualizing the flight.
I'm no CFI or anything, but if you've been hanging around for awhile at the same point of your training, you might want to just go back to basics and focus on "the small parts" of flying...just an idea though.
So, you fell off the horse. Get back on and give it a nice big kick with the spurs!

[shooter13]

Why not try relaxing. If you are getting angry with yourself you won't learn as well. I don't think you are trying to make this a career so make sure you are having fun. You obviously aren't in a big rush so don't put pressure on yourself. If you and your instructor are getting along, go get a $100 hamburger somewhere. Take a flight and let her do the flying so you can remember how much fun it is to just be up in the air, soaring around the clouds like a bird. Also, maybe you should take a short break, like maybe a two week layoff from flying. Don't read about it. Don't study, Then when you go back you will be fresh. That doesn't apply to just flying. That applies to everything in life that you have to work for. When you get frustrated, every once in a while take a vacation.

[Mavmb]

Maybe try a different CFI and take a little break from flying to rest up and then try it again. Sometimes a different CFI can have a totally different mental influence on your training.

[naunga]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies.

It helps to know that I'm not alone (although I knew this from the get go).

I do want to finish, I love flying, and I do like my CFI. She really is the first to push me like this, which I greatly appreciate, because I need to be spot on come checkride time, since I only want to have to take it once. One some level I feel slightly betrayed by my former CFI, since they didn't hold my feet the the fire while I was in the beginning. Almost like I was wasting my money, but then again, I know what I know about flying because of them, so it's really a mixed bag.

Anyhow I'm going to stick with her, because I don't care to start on to CFI #7.

I've done a couple of "just for the hell of it flights" and I've had more than enough time off from flying in the past month, but I think I might be approaching this problem from the wrong angle.

I've had some time to reflect on things, and I think that maybe, just maybe, I've had a lot of [censored] going on in my life in the past few weeks (a whirlwind trip to Cleveland over Memorial Day, a car wreck the Wednesday after that, a week long biz trip back to Cleveland, where I basically got [censored] on by users -- I did get 9 holes in though, so not a total loss, and then back to ATL to deal with the moron who wrecked my car's insurance company, and some minor [hopefully they'll continue to be so and will disappear soon] marital problems]). I imagine this is probably effecting things.

Then on top of that I'm putting some pressure on myself to finish ASAP, since I need to have ankle surgery ASAP, and that surgery is going to ground me for about two months, so my plan is to get certificated, get the surgery, then get current again, which would be much better than trying to finish up training after two month's off. Of course my ankle has really sidelined me and my physical activity (I was running like 15 miles a week, with the goal of running 30 miles a week, to run the Peachtree...which I got a spot in, but then f'ed up my ankle).

*phew*

So I got a lot of stuff screwing with my flying right now. So I really am going to relax for the next few days. I'm gonna study, I'm gonna chair fly, and ride my new road bike, so come Saturday I should be much more in the game.

JC is great therapy and it's great to know you guys are out there.

Later all.

Naunga

[B767Driver]

Once upon a time when I was doing a lot of flight instructing...I would occasionally come across a student who "just wasn't getting it". Now, there was no reason for each of these students not to excel in their endeavors.

After going back to basics, using different teaching techniques...and just plain practice, practice, practice...I would have to pull out a heart to heart talk with the student. The basic content of that talk was to 1) quit feeling sorry for yourself, 2) grab the bull by the horns, and 3) make the airplane do what you want it to do. Otherwise you probably weren't meant to do this and we are wasting both of our times and a lot of your money.

Every single time the struggling pilot rose to the occasion and completed the rating successfully.

If you are having trouble with the traffic pattern, procedural items (forgetting flaps), and DR nav...this all sounds like mental issues. My advice....do a lot of chair flying. Fly every maneuver 20 times in a row...mentally in your chair. Show up for every lesson prepared. Prepare, prepare, prepare!!

If you show up for every lesson prepared...and you have a CFI that is even halfway worthy of the certificate...you will be succesful.

Be diligent, focused and prepared. This is your pathway to success.

[lindseyv]

I completely understand how you are feeling. In fact, I always felt (and still do) that I was not doing as well as I should be. I have talked to my CFT (Lloyd) several times about those concerns. I remember my disco. flight, and how everything seems so simple...until I realized what was actually going on. One thing I have learned about flight training:

When you first start out you may do something as simple as just holding the yoke and putting your feet on the rudder pedals...whoa...your flying! Once you have figured that out the CFI will through something new your way. The learning is always compounding, so really you are doing something new almost every time you fly! It can make you feel like your not doing well.
If you love to fly, HANG IN THERE!! You will get through your PPL checkride.

[Silverhawk]

[ QUOTE ]
Be diligent, focused and prepared. This is your pathway to success.


[/ QUOTE ]

Whether it's 90 days or 90 years you'll get there... I've never met ya but reading your posts you seem pretty intellegent and determined in whatever you undertake... bumps in the road are a fact of life... as the last post said.. get back up.. continue to prepare, stay focused, and go enjoy your training but keep pushing towards your goals !!

[Josh]

$20000/60=$333hr by my count

Dang. Come move out here for a bit. I'll get you set up if you are paying that kinda rate!

Ok, so back to reality. Go find a local FAA DE, and see if they will do a flight with you. Go in, explain your situation, and get an evaluation of where you are really at. I know of a couple local guys that do that around here. They just charge their checkride rate, and give you that amount of time. Maybe that'll help judge where you are truely at, and see if any of the instructors are just milkin' you for the money.

[whaleroast]

Sometimes we put unrealistic expectations on ourselves like:
Private certificate in 40 hours, no problem
or in my case:
I'll quit drinking!

Whatever the goal, you have to certainly envision the completion of it, but also realize that our dreams and our desires have to be tempered with reality. And reality sucks sometimes, trust me. I've slogged through the chaos of flight training, the doubts and the self evaluations. The truth is, if you keep your nose to the grindstone, eventually your hard work will pay off. Not in a week, or a month, but sometimes in years. Are you ready, and willing, to tackle this problem? This will get harder the further you go and make no mistake about it: this industry is a war of attrition.

If you are serious, go for it like banshee. Don't let crappy CFi's slow you down. Take it with a grain of salt and keep going. If this is your dream, only you can make it happen. You are ultimately in charge of your destiny.

[Callous]

Never Surrender.

[n2o2diver]

[ QUOTE ]

My intro flight was in August of 2000, and while I drug my heals for a bit until I had my medical in hand, I've tried to fly at least 2 days a week for the past 4+ years.

I have over 60 hours dual, and I still feel like I'm lost sometimes.



[/ QUOTE ]

I think you are overestimating how much you fly.

If you flew 2 days a week that would be 104 flights a year and you said 4 years so thats 416 flights and you have 60hrs that works out to a .1 per flight, can get much done in a .1( a little sarcasm here) I'm betting you fly a lot less than you think and the less you fly the longer it will take and ultimately the more it will cost.

I regularly fly my students 5 days a week and they take their checkride at 35-40 hrs, and I still have 100% pass rate.

If your 20K into it, you are either not flying with enough regularity to become proficient or???? well it just takes some people longer. I know one lady who didn't get her Pvt until 250hrs. Now she is a great instructor.

I suggest you save up your money, take 2 weeks off work, and fly every day, you'll be done before you know it.

[flyover]

[ QUOTE ]
My patterns suck, and I always seem to be one step behind things.



I just feel like I'm getting nowhere, and maybe it's just me,

........ remember that I vowed to get my PPL even if I pass my checkride the day before I drop dead,

..........but I'm just not feeling the love anymore.

I fly again Saturday so hopefully I can be a little more "on".

Thanks for letting me vent.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are holding on way too tight. The things you want the most are the hardest to get. Stop wanting it so much. Make up your mind you are a pilot, not gonna be a pilot. Think of it like it's already done and just relax about it.

[naunga]

That's an interesting idea there.

I do just want to be clear that I don't feel that I've ever had a crappy instructor. All my instructors have been very knowledable, I just feel like maybe I have never gotten an accurate evaluation. Either because the CFI's were just nice people or because at on point, before I moved from Ohio to ATL I really was doing well.

At any rate, I did some thinking and realized that -- like flyover said -- I have been getting in the plane with the attitude of "I'm learning to be a pilot" instead of, "I am a pilot".

I had that shift in attitude before I soloed, which is probably why my CFI soloed me. For some reason I went back the other way when I moved down here.

So Saturday I'm going to try to shift my attitude again. Hopefully things will get a lot better.

Naunga