Discovery Flight today...unexpected results

DGS wrote:
Hi all. I'm a 39 year old guy who has loved flying and dreamt of
being a pilot for a long time. This year I finally realized that I
had more than enough money to start and figured I owed it to myself to
book a discovery flight with every intention of seeing it through to
my private pilot's license. I've also spent a ton of time through the
years on various PC based flightsims, and on them I've flown a variety
of aircraft and understand the instruments and navigation.

I've flown many times, and a good friend of mine has a Piper Saratoga
that I've flown in several times and even took the wheel for short
periods of time during cruise. I've never experienced anything other
than joy for it.

My flight instructer quickly introduced himself to me and did a very
short inspection of the plane. He then told me that I would basically
be piloting the plane through take off, the cruise through the
practice area, and landing. At that point I essentially broke out
into a cold sweat. I was able to get the plane taxied and off the
ground, and never at any point did I make any real mistakes or have
any bad maneuvers...but I was clear EXTREMELY nervous...to the point
of sweating. My instructor picked up on the fact that I was nervous,
and kind of just kept repeating "It's really not good to be too
nervous...that can be a problem" and other words to that effect. Once
we levelled off at 2500 feet he had me do some slow turns...still
nervous...death grip going on big time. He wants me to turn the plane
all the way around and go the opposite direction back towards the
airport. I'm turning the plane, but I don't know...I was just so
nervous of turning too hard. It was also a windy, choppy day so many
times the actual feeling of the wind throwing the plane around just
made me scared to maneuver it.

At that point the instructor decided I'd had enough and took back over
the controls. Immediately...nerves gone. The chop...didn't care a
bit. Total relaxation through a landing which even my instructor
admitted was a difficult one for him. I felt pretty dumb for being so
nervous.

At this point I don't know what to do. I've got the money, and deep
down for years I've wanted to do this. But I know that I can't
continue to be that nervous and continue my lessons. It simply can't
be good for my ability to make decisions in the air and I know that
scarier things like stalling and landing are coming up.

On the other hand...I also don't know about the instructor. He wasn't
overly helpful in combatting my nerves, and I have a feeling that the
right words of encouragment, or for that matter the occasional
instruction or "you're doing fine" maybe would have helped. In a lot
of ways I felt like he kind of just threw me out there before I was
ready mentally...I don't know.

Any feedback or experiences anyone can share? At this point I'm
really torn about trying again, while on the other hand still not
necessarily ready to back down from the challenge. Does this get
better? Or worse?


-- There's a good and a bad part to my answer.
First, allowing a new student to have complete control of the airplane
from the gitgo is my recommended procedure to all instructors that come
within the range of my voice.
That's the good. Here's the bad.
Your instructor failed to properly prepare you psychologically for what
you were about to attempt. This was the reason you suffered through the
flight the way you did.
Properly preparing a new student to take control of an airplane is a
REQUIRED step in good flight instruction. Failing to take the time to do
this step can, and in many cases exactly duplicates what you experienced.
The instructor has to explain THOROUGHLY to a new student that even
though it will be the student who has control of the airplane, the
ULTIMATE CONTROL of the airplane will still be in the hands of the
instructor.
The student must thoroughly understand two things before the engine is
started. First, that the instructor, REGARDLESS of what the student
might do with the airplane, will NOT let anything get to the point where
it is dangerous. Secondly, and this is extremely important; that nothing
the student will be allowed to do will result in the deviation of the
airplane from normal flight.
This second item is vastly important. Almost all new students have an
ingrained apprehension of unusual attitudes being entered by them doing
something wrong with the airplane. This absolutely MUST be addressed and
dealt with by the instructor.
Once a newbie understands that the airplane isn't going to turn upside
down by their actions and that if they still have control of the
airplane they have done nothing dangerous, newbies will be relaxed and
receptive. The Instructor HAS to take all fear and apprehension out of
the equation. Only after this has been done, can the new student relax
enough to try a first attempt at controlling the aircraft.
I always took a minute or so before letting a new student start the
engine for the first time. I'd smile, and in a quiet voice say something
like this;

"Hey....relax and have fun. Trust me on this. I won't let you do
anything....and I mean ANYTHING, that is dangerous and that I can't
undo. We're going out there and you are going to be able to fly this
airplane. You might not be quite as good as I am but you're going to be
fine. When I'm finished with you, you're going to fly BETTER than I do,
so relax, follow my directions, ask as many questions as you want to,
and we'll do this thing together"

On your issue; I'd mention your nervousness to the instructor before you
fly again. One thing that might help you is to remember what I've said
here in this answer as you walk out to the airplane. It's THIS
relationship you want with your own instructor. If this one isn't giving
it to you, get one who does.
As for staying or leaving flying; hell...you just got here; stick around
and have fun. I'll tell you what I've told every student I've ever had
in an airplane with me. "If I can fly this airplane...YOU can fly this
airplane. Let's go do it!!"
Dudley Henriques

Do own or run a business Bob. I have and do and I sure as hell want to
know when my customers get less service than they expect. When I find this
out I either do what I can to change those expectations or make changes to
get the service up to those expectations.

Amen. There is nothing worse than having a customer simply leave, and never
come back, without explaining their reasons for choosing a competitor.

The owner of the FBO deserves to know what his employee is doing to ruin his
business. I know that sounds harsh, but that is precisely what this guy is
doing.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Tue, 12 Feb 2008 22:11:38 -0500, Dudley Henriques
wrote:


On your issue; I'd mention your nervousness to the instructor before you
fly again. One thing that might help you is to remember what I've said
here in this answer as you walk out to the airplane. It's THIS
relationship you want with your own instructor. If this one isn't giving
it to you, get one who does.


At least for the foreseeable future I've decided to put my lessons on
hold. After 5 days I'm still pretty rattled by the whole experience
and I simply no longer look forward to it as I did before the
discovery flight. I think I'm probably wound too tight, not
necessarily to take the lessons and get the license, but for the
inevitable emergency that will at some point take place while I'm in
the cockpit.

Bitterly disappointed really, I plan on getting some help for the
bigger issue which is my nervousness and fear.

Thanks all for your suggestions, I just don't think this is for me
anymore.

DGS writes:

Thanks all for your suggestions, I just don't think this is for me
anymore.

Try flight simulation.

On Feb 14, 1:57*pm, DGS wrote:
On Tue, 12 Feb 2008 22:11:38 -0500, Dudley Henriques

wrote:

On your issue; I'd mention your nervousness to the instructor before you
fly again. One thing that might help you is to remember what I've said
here in this answer as you walk out to the airplane. It's THIS
relationship you want with your own instructor. If this one isn't giving
it to you, get one who does.

At least for the foreseeable future I've decided to put my lessons on
hold. *After 5 days I'm still pretty rattled by the whole experience
and I simply no longer look forward to it as I did before the
discovery flight. *I think I'm probably wound too tight, not
necessarily to take the lessons and get the license, but for the
inevitable emergency that will at some point take place while I'm in
the cockpit.

Bitterly disappointed really, I plan on getting some help for the
bigger issue which is my nervousness and fear.

Thanks all for your suggestions, I just don't think this is for me
anymore.

Well that is your choice of course but I think your self doubt is
unwarrented. View it as a mountain to climb. From on top you will see
everything more clearly and I hope to see you up there! Pick a nice
calm day and go for a flight with another instructor -please!

Cheers

On Feb 14, 2:02*pm, Mxsmanic wrote:
DGS writes:
Thanks all for your suggestions, I just don't think this is for me
anymore.

Try flight simulation.

Good troll MX, but to be honest he dreams of actual flight, not
playing at flying.

Cheers

DGS wrote:
On Tue, 12 Feb 2008 22:11:38 -0500, Dudley Henriques
wrote:


On your issue; I'd mention your nervousness to the instructor before you
fly again. One thing that might help you is to remember what I've said
here in this answer as you walk out to the airplane. It's THIS
relationship you want with your own instructor. If this one isn't giving
it to you, get one who does.


At least for the foreseeable future I've decided to put my lessons on
hold. After 5 days I'm still pretty rattled by the whole experience
and I simply no longer look forward to it as I did before the
discovery flight. I think I'm probably wound too tight, not
necessarily to take the lessons and get the license, but for the
inevitable emergency that will at some point take place while I'm in
the cockpit.

A good instructor will give you the skills and confidence in your
skills to handle such situations and it takes time to get there.

You didn't have a good instructor by a long shot, nor from your
description, one I would ever care to fly with.

Bitterly disappointed really, I plan on getting some help for the
bigger issue which is my nervousness and fear.

The reason for those is you had an asshole on the discovery flight.

Might I suggest giving it a week or so to get over the experience,
then go somewhere else and tell them up front you want to fly, you
took a discovery flight, and the guy scared the **** out of you.

Tell them exactly what he did to scare you and why you were scared.

Thanks all for your suggestions, I just don't think this is for me
anymore.

It is your choice, but you're letting one asshole direct your life.


--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

I think I'm probably wound too tight, not
necessarily to take the lessons and get the license, but for the
inevitable emergency that will at some point take place while I'm in
the cockpit.

Well, it took 25 years of flying and four thousand some hours before that
emergency took place for me. You'd be surprised how calm you get knowing
that you have been preparing for this sort of event from the first day you
went up into the air.




Bitterly disappointed really, I plan on getting some help for the
bigger issue which is my nervousness and fear.

Sir, if you can find a person with a bigger fear and nervousness and flying
than I was when I started in this game, I'd like to see the color of his or
her hair. I threw up every morning for the first five lessons and I wasn't
even pregnant {;-)




Thanks all for your suggestions, I just don't think this is for me
anymore.

Go find a friend that has been a pilot for a while. Ask him/her to walk
into another FBO and ask for a Discovery Flight and that your friend wants
to meet the instructor that will be going with him/her. Let HIM/HER take
the discovery flight and if (s)he says that the guy is good, go for it
again. Don't just walk in the door and take any meathook that they want to
shove at you.

Like any other endeavor, there are good and bad practitioners. Finding a
gifted teacher and a gifted pilot in the same body is rather difficult but
certainly possible.

Give it another go; you won't regret it. Who knows? Forty years later you
may wind up giving somebody else the same advice.

Jim

Student Pilot Airplane 1964
Private Pilot Airplane 1967
Commercial Pilot 1969
Flight Instructor Airplane 1970
Ground Instructor 1970
Instrument Pilot 1973
Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic 1976
Commercial Pilot Glider 1977
Flight Instructor Glider 1980
Destroyed Airplane In Engine Failure, Three Passengers, Not A Scratch 1988
Mechanic Inspection Authorization 1999

.... hmmm ... time to add some more ratings {;-)

DGS wrote:
On Tue, 12 Feb 2008 22:11:38 -0500, Dudley Henriques
wrote:

On your issue; I'd mention your nervousness to the instructor before you
fly again. One thing that might help you is to remember what I've said
here in this answer as you walk out to the airplane. It's THIS
relationship you want with your own instructor. If this one isn't giving
it to you, get one who does.


At least for the foreseeable future I've decided to put my lessons on
hold. After 5 days I'm still pretty rattled by the whole experience
and I simply no longer look forward to it as I did before the
discovery flight. I think I'm probably wound too tight, not
necessarily to take the lessons and get the license, but for the
inevitable emergency that will at some point take place while I'm in
the cockpit.

Bitterly disappointed really, I plan on getting some help for the
bigger issue which is my nervousness and fear.

Thanks all for your suggestions, I just don't think this is for me
anymore.

Well, I'll be brutally honest with you. What you are describing is a
reaction to your flight that indicates there might be other issues
involved. I'm not a Psychologist but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express
last night :-)
In any event, positive incentive and motivation are critical factors
that must be present in any new student. As long as you feel the way you
have expressed here on the forum, I would suggest that you do take a
breather for awhile and reassess everything involved with your decision
to want to learn to fly.
IF, after due consideration, you arrive at a positive motivation level
concerning learning to fly, By all means give it another go.
Find a good instructor based on what you have learned here in this
thread. This is a critical ingredient in your equation.
Probably the best thing I could do for you at this time is to suggest to
you that your apprehension about flying is not a disqualifying situation.
A lot of people new to flying feel apprehensive. It's not all that
serious really and can be dealt with easily by any good CFI worth the title.
Give it some thought, then the final decision is up to you. If you
decide to give it another try, please come back here and post as you go.
There are a virtual ton of highly qualified pilots and instructors on
this forum who will gladly work with you.
Best of luck,


--
Dudley Henriques

I think I'm probably wound too tight, not necessarily to
take the lessons and get the license, but for the
inevitable emergency that will at some point take place
while I'm in the cockpit.

"RST Engineering" wrote:
Well, it took 25 years of flying and four thousand some hours
before that emergency took place for me. You'd be surprised
how calm you get knowing that you have been preparing for
this sort of event from the first day you went up into the air.

Took 3 years of flying and just under 200 total hours for the inevitable
emergency for me. We'd just practiced emergency engine failure *two
weeks* prior, and at only 1300' AGL, having the drill freshfreshfresh in
our minds was helpful. Having been through it takes away the "I wonder
what that would be like and how I would react?" questions, but calm? I
doubt having been through it would take away the "Oh Sh*t!" part of it.

Shirl