On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 03:48:15 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote in
3gULe.251379$x96.181434@attbi_s72::

I have often wondered if this kind of scare during
training isn't happening more often than we know about?

When I began flight training in 1970, two of my friends also started
taking lessons. Neither of them completed their training and obtained
their certificates. They were both happy to go aloft with me as PIC
for many years afterward, and it was a rewarding experience for all of
us.

I never asked them why they quit, but my intuition suggested that
there were two factors in their failure to obtain an airmans
certificate:

1. They lacked faith in their personal ability to fly safely.
They were afraid they might misunderstand or forget something
important and get into a situation beyond their ability to assure a
successful outcome. It was largely an issue of lack of confidence and
aviation experience. This lack of self-confidence coupled with the
natural fear for their well-being was uncomfortable for them.

2. The cost of training and subsequent maintenance of currency
was beyond their means. This financial issue was the underlying cause
of their discontinuing training, and a good excuse not to overcome the
fear associated with number one above.

My means permitted me to comfortably train, and I'm the sort of
obsessive personality that completely immerse myself into demanding
tasks to assure their successful completion. So I would think that
while fear is an issue to some extent for virtually every student
airman, it is the lack of free time and discretionary funds that are
the prime inhibitory factors to obtaining an airmans certificate.