Frustrated Student Pilot About to Quit

If you *really* want to fly as much as it appears you do, you cannot let
setbacks like yours do more than DELAY your progress. It's on YOU to
change
your circumstances.

I smell something not quite right in this whole story. In my experience,
people who quit when they are this far along have run up against something
deeper.

Either this guy discovered that flying isn't what he really wants to do with
his money, or he has run up against a quiet inner fear of soloing. I think
we all experienced the latter, to one degree or another, and fought our way
through it to success.

I'd be willing to bet that a lot of flight students quit before soloing due
to a fear of being alone at the controls for the first time.

Having a hard time relating on this one, Jay . . . maybe because I was trained
in the military, I was frothing at the bit to solo in that little TH-55a . . .
those in my flight class were kinda betting on who would be first . . . I was
among the last :-(

I agree that there may be a little more to the story, but the CFI being
perpetually THAT tardy is inexcusable in my judgement. He needs a swift kick
in the ass. G


www.Rosspilot.com

ospam (Rosspilot) wrote:

I agree that there may be a little more to the story, but the CFI being
perpetually THAT tardy is inexcusable in my judgement. He needs a swift kick
in the ass. G

I've flown with CFI's who taught for free in a club setting,
and CFI's who were paid peanuts and spent three times what
they earned flying their twin in to the airport before the
lesson, and CFI's who were grandmothers, and CFI's who were
just friends of mine and flew with me when we were both on
the airport and we both had time to spare. The one thing
that the CFI's I've flown with shared was a love of flying
and a desire to share that love. When they were late, it
wasn't because they didn't care or couldn't be bothered to
arrive on time. If that's what was going on, I'd have
ditched the instructor too, but not my desire to fly.

Todd Pattist
(Remove DONTSPAMME from address to email reply.)
___
Make a commitment to learn something from every flight.
Share what you learn.

In a previous article, said:
and a desire to share that love. When they were late, it
wasn't because they didn't care or couldn't be bothered to
arrive on time. If that's what was going on, I'd have
ditched the instructor too, but not my desire to fly.

My first CFI always arrived *just* late enough that I had finished
taking the wing and cabin covers off, and preheating the engine, and
shovelling the snow in front of the plane. And he usually had a very hot
cup of coffee in his hand (but not one for me). Funny how that worked
out.

The second greatest thrill in flying is taking off without that big load
in the copilot seat. The first biggest thrill is when you fly when he
isn't even at the airport.

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
"But you've got to hand it to IBM, they know how to design hardware. The
servers all had handles to pick them up and throw them out of the
window...." --Juergen Nieveler in the Monastery

I'd be willing to bet that a lot of flight students quit before soloing due
to a fear of being alone at the controls for the first time.

Having a hard time relating on this one, Jay . . . maybe because I was trained
in the military, I was frothing at the bit to solo in that little TH-55a . . .
those in my flight class were kinda betting on who would be first . . . I was
among the last :-(

I just couldn't wait to get that guy out of the front seat. I dreamed
about it at night. I pretended he wasn't there (pretty difficult
flying from the back seat of a J-3). I went to the airport each time
*knowing* he would solo me that day.

All I remember from the experience was the glorious feeling of being
able to see without a sheepskin flying jacket in the front seat.

Now, the *next* day, my first day going down and renting a plane and
taking off alone -- *that* was a terrifying experience. For one thing,
there was six inches of snow on the ground.



all the best -- Dan Ford
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