Hi everyone, am doing the NPPL and have enjoyed it thus far but the last two sorties have been a struggle for me. I'm doing circuit after circuit after circuit and my instructor is taking a back seat (figuratively!), which I know is the right thing to do but I'm finding it incredibly scary! Yesterday I was up for an hour, landed x3 on a grass strip which was ok, but then came back to the airport and did an horrendous flat landing. I have very little confidence and feel so unhappy with myself.
I've done about 14 hours so far and another pilot told me that I should really be going solo soon. I know I'm being ridiculous, and everyone learns at different speeds, but I do feel the pressure to nail it.
Is anyone there please to give me a bit of advice/support? I'd be so grateful!
Joined on 13/12/2004
In a world of magnets and miracles.
Posts 68
Re: Struggling at 14 hours!
Becky, don't be too hard on yourself. As you are well aware everyone learns at differing rates and 14 hours before solo is not uncommon whatever anyone says. Your instructor will let you go on your own as soon as he/she feels you are safe. You mention having "very little confidence" and this may well be what is holding you back. It's clear that you can do it so keep telling yourself that, and one "flat landing" doesn't mean anything. Even the most seasoned veteran will occasionally fluff the odd approach and landing. The truth is that at the right time it will all come together and you will do it if you're determined. You need to be encouraged by the progress you have made not the lack of progress you now perceive, remember the early days when just trying to do all the things you need to on the downwind leg was impossible, just not enough time! Now it's second nature eh? Learning to fly is full of highs and lows, forgive the pun, and this is just one of the lows. Believe me when the day for the first solo comes you will be nervous as hell but when it's all done the smile on your face will take days to go. Stick with it and remember however long it takes you're still flying every time you go out and that's what you wanted to do, isn't it? You will look back on this time in the days/months/years to come and it will all have been worth it, with you're licence in hand and the freedom of the sky, it will the best feeling you could have. Enjoy.
Regards, Bob. PPLA of nearly 6 years now and remembering well all the lows and highs of my training.
Hi Becky ive made loads of mistakes and misjuged pleanty of things in the past and current and always learn from them, im sure you can take away something from your scary landing and develop from it , was your approach unusaully fast this time/ where you a little high/low did you over correct all the way down when you had a good looking approach, was your plane trimmed correctly id also be interested in what your instructor thought of your landing, maybe it wasnt bad at all and your just being too hard on yourself, dont worry about solo, just think its a great milestone to look foward to and you only get one first solo, your proberly questioning your confidence because your pationate about flying and want to get it right everytime and get upset when things go alittle wrong, dont worry about it, p.s. come an see a couple of mine an youll soon be smileing about yours,
16/09/2011, 9:44 AM
