Discovery Flight today...unexpected results

On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 17:55:30 -0600, Dallas
wrote:

From what you wrote, I'd say that the instructor accidentally triggered an
anxiety attack in you. I'd give him credit for recognizing it, but it
sounds like he didn't respond with an effective way to deal with it.

As others have said, try it again with another instructor, if you can. And
discuss with him what happened on that first flight while you're still on
the ground.

First of all. THANK YOU to everyone for taking the time to respond.
Needless to say it made me feel a lot better to hear that others at
least had similar experiences and that I wasn't just going nuts.

After many of the replies in here, I've decided to at least give it
another go, however I'm still undecided as to whether or not I will
stick with the same instructor. To be honest, I was scared enough to
where today I don't really even remember much about the whole thing,
so maybe I'm being too hard on the role the instructor played in the
event.

I am actually fearful that I had an anxiety attack...actually. I'm a
musician (used to be a professional one) and I can play in front of
2,000+ people and never feel nervous, however I've never experienced
the sort of white knuckle fear I felt yesterday. It was really scary
and also really unexpected. However, from talking to my family
(especially my dad who, even as a tough guy had to admit he'd been
pooping his pants as well) and listening to others in this group I've
got to at least give it another try. If I get that wigged out again,
I may reconsider. Somehow I have a feeling that knowing more what to
expect may make it a more pleasurable experience.

The REAL doubt that the experience gave me though, is making me wonder
how I will react when I have that first issue...the first failure, the
first cross wind landing, even the first time I'm lost and can't
figure out how to taxi to the correct runway. I do know that I have
to stay cool...so that's where yesterday's experience has turned me
into a doubter. Before yesterday, I figured this was a done deal.

I have an even greater respect for pilots now.

-----------------much snipped-------------
The REAL doubt that the experience gave me though, is making me wonder
how I will react when I have that first issue...the first failure, the
first cross wind landing, even the first time I'm lost and can't
figure out how to taxi to the correct runway.
-----------------some snipped-------------

If you have the same problem that I do, and sometimes have a little
difficulty recalling seldom used words, you might consider a brief page of
crib notes at the back of your check list--at a towered airport, where you
are confused about the taxi route, the nomenclature (IIRC) is "sequenced
instructions" and an airport diagram is a nearly indispensable asset as
well.

Peter

"Peter Dohm" wrote in message


If you have the same problem that I do, and sometimes have a little
difficulty recalling seldom used words, you might consider a brief
page of crib notes at the back of your check list--at a towered
airport, where you are confused about the taxi route, the
nomenclature (IIRC) is "sequenced instructions" and an airport
diagram is a nearly indispensable asset as well.

"Progressive taxi" has worked well for me.

--
John T
http://sage1solutions.com/blogs/TknoFlyer
http://sage1solutions.com/products
NEW! FlyteBalance v2.0 (W&B); FlyteLog v2.0 (Logbook)
____________________

"John T" wrote in message
m...
"Peter Dohm" wrote in message


If you have the same problem that I do, and sometimes have a little
difficulty recalling seldom used words, you might consider a brief
page of crib notes at the back of your check list--at a towered
airport, where you are confused about the taxi route, the
nomenclature (IIRC) is "sequenced instructions" and an airport
diagram is a nearly indispensable asset as well.

"Progressive taxi" has worked well for me.

Oops, I did not recall correctly, and need to take my own advice about those
crib notes.

Peter

On Feb 10, 10:02*pm, "Peter Dohm" wrote:
If you have the same problem that I do, and sometimes have a little
difficulty recalling seldom used words, you might consider a brief page of
crib notes at the back of your check list--at a towered airport, where you
are confused about the taxi route, the nomenclature (IIRC) is "sequenced
instructions"

No, it's called "progressive taxi". It's covered in the AIM, 3-1-18
(Taxiing) b-3:
http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraff...ns/atpubs/aim/
and also in the Pilot/Controller Glossary:
http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraff.../PCG/index.htm
.

It's covered in the AIM, 3-1-18

Correction, that's 4-3-18.

On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:25:26 -0600, DGS wrote:

I am actually fearful that I had an anxiety attack...actually.

Yup, when he said you would basically be piloting the plane through take
off all the way to landing, I'd bet your subconscious brain heard, "You are
going to fly the airplane and I'm not going to help you."

He should have said, "I'll let you fly from take off to landing, but I'll
always have my hands on the controls."

After the seat belt thing, I'd run away from this guy.

Hey, I hope you'll come back and tell us how it goes the second time.

--
Dallas

Dallas wrote:

After the seat belt thing, I'd run away from this guy.

The spam cans I fly mention seat belts on at least three different
checklists, engine start / pre taxi, takeoff, and approach. G

On Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:42:02 GMT, B A R R Y wrote:

The spam cans I fly mention seat belts on at least three different
checklists, engine start / pre taxi, takeoff, and approach. G

I hate pilots like this Discovery Flight instructor.

Before I was a pilot, I was invited by a friend to sit in the back seat of
a Citabria for an afternoon of punching holes in the sky.

This pilot did not do a walk around or a paper checklist, he just got in
and cranked it up. We taxied to the fuel pump and he started topping off
the tank. I asked him if he wanted me to connect the grounding wire and he
said, "It's not important." An instructor was also at the pump and he
said, "Oh, yes it is..." and he proceed to connect the ground himself. In
the sky, his "patterns" were big lazy ovals.

Who is this pilot friend of mine? He's a senior captain for a major
airline flying 737s.


--
Dallas

Dallas writes:

Who is this pilot friend of mine? He's a senior captain for a major
airline flying 737s.

Which airline?