lack of confidence solo flight

three-eight-hotel wrote:
I know and remember that feeling all too well. I used to repeatedly
ask my instructor how long it was going to take, where I would
experience that "just like jumping in the car" feeling... I feel very
comfortable now (nearly 300 hours).

I think checklists and staying ahead of the plane are critical to a
stress-free flight!

As an owner, I have tried, in the past to run through my checklists by
memory... The problem is... Flying once a weekend or every other
weekend isn't conducive to good memorization! I have found myself
cruising around locally, long before I realized that I didn't turn my
transponder on, or I forgot the alt static air check, or... The
realization of forgetting something puts you in an immediate mindset of
being behind the plane, and it feels like constant catch-up from that
point on.

Finally, I should qualify my feeling of "very comfortable" and suggest
that it shouldn't be confused with "complacent". I'm constantly
looking for that place to put er' down, in an emergency, and I'm
constantly keeping a scan of the environment outside (looking for
traffic), as well as the environment inside (engine performance).

Flying is always a mental workout, and it often leaves me feeling like
I could use a nap when I'm done. The feeling of, "just doesn't feel
right......", will definitely go away with experience.

Best of luck!
Todd



Thanks for the words of encouragment. I am flying solo Monday and I'm
going tyo start chipping away at this and get it done. Talk to you
later,


sj