Learning to fly, or thinking of learning? Post your questions, comments and experiences here

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By cadoganpier
#1585260
Hi
I know men are rubbish at admitting to this sort of thing but does anyone else get uneasy, anxious or scared when flying?, I don't mean the kind of fear when something goes wrong but a general feeling of anxiousness that could lead to panic, or rather it makes you worried that it might lead to panic. I ask because I do. When I learnt the first time I don't think I got to the stage where I could ever relax and feel totally at ease with my surroundings, the way we do say in a car or maybe a commercial flight. I do suffer from vertigo but I don't think that's what causes it as that only really affects me when I am out doors. Am I alone in this or does it pass?, it's a bit of a concern as I am not usually phased by much and am not usually of a nervous disposition. It was worse when I flew solo, it never manifested into anything and I don't think it made me fly worse but I want to enjoy my flying, if it's happened to anyone else how long did it take you to get over it?.
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By Rob P
#1585264
Everybody (more or less)

With time you recognise the symptoms and know that they vanish at some point between arriving at the airfield and climbing out of the circuit.

Thirty years on it still happens to me.

Rob P
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1585272
It's like actors and stage fright, if you aren't a bit keyed up and nervous, you don't really understand what you're taking on!!!
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By Spooky
#1585289
I used to worry each time I took to the sky when I first started. It soon went once I became more comfortable in understanding how the aircraft operated, the effects of the environment etc. I seem to remember that the nerves vanished during my first solo of all times!

On the other hand, even during my 74th and final match of rugby I still felt pre-game jitters. I guess some things make us more cautious/nervous than others.
By Crash one
#1585320
I don't know if it's the same thing that you are scared or anxious about but if / when I have a long lay off from flying, I know the first couple of flights are going to be white knuckle jobs, I'll be muttering to myself "get a grip, you can still do it, you've done it for long enough, get in it and fly the bloody thing!"
I haven't flown it since September, I haven't even had time to turn the engine over since.
So when I do get out there to a deserted airfield and find it won't start cos the battery is flat, I'll probably be relieved to have an excuse, "Well, at least I tried".
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By seanxair
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1585361
I was a rather moderate jumps jockey in my youth and flying replicates all the feelings I had then:

Changing into racing gear in the weighing room / rigging aircraft = nervous anticipation

Cantering down to the start / starting aircraft and warm up = content, getting a feel for horse / aircraft

Final checks of girths and pull goggles down at start / taxying to strip = heightened feeling of nervous anticipation. Thinking hope this brute jumps well / hope this engine is sweet

Starter calls you in and you're off and racing / throttle open tail up and off the deck in 4s = exhilaration

Climb to safe height / jump first few fences = content, everything going ok

Hit a dirty great thermal / horse makes serious mistake at fence = tw @t, didn't enjoy that

Hit more lumpy air and get bumped around / horse makes mistakes at 3 fences in succession = I don't like this. Not nervous at all just don't like it. If I don't find some smooth air I'll divert to one of the local strips or turn round for home / if this brute doesn't jump better I'll pull up and not complete the race

Find smooth air and rest of flight including landing is peachy / horse by some miracle jumps really well for remainder of race and runs on to finish second = elation, really pleased with that!

Meet owner and trainer in placed horses enclosure 'nice horse, jumped pretty well really, just a couple of minor mistakes. Would love to ride him again!'
Back home to wife 'lovely spin, a few little thermals here and there but a really enjoyable flight. Hope it's nice again tomorrow!'

3 weeks later:

Getting changed again to ride same horse thinking 'hope this jumps better than last time' = nervous anticipation
Rigging aircraft looking at fluffy clouds and windsock = nervous anticipation

It is why I like flying so much :D
mick w, flybymike, Pete L and 1 others liked this
By Crash one
#1585427
Paul_Sengupta wrote:The jockeying thing sounds an awful lot scarier to me!


I have fell off, been thrown off, or kicked by every horse I've been acquainted with!
Must be like flying an aircraft with a "random" function on the undisengagable autopilot.
Horses have an inbuilt determination to kill themselves and take anyone with them that they can. :D
Perhaps they just don't like me. :cry:
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By vw-dan
#1585444
I've half joked about this before, but when I'm away from an aircraft I find it very hard to believe I can fly one. And to fly one to the standard required for the Skills Test too.

I've also found that since passing I'm very hard on myself for mistakes and spend a lot of time dwelling on them. I think it's the realisation that there really is no safety net - no instructor in the RHS, no "Student" callsign, no "I wasn't taught that" etc. The **** ups are mine to own, and own I must.
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By seanxair
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1585446
Crash one wrote:
Paul_Sengupta wrote:The jockeying thing sounds an awful lot scarier to me!


I have fell off, been thrown off, or kicked by every horse I've been acquainted with!
Must be like flying an aircraft with a "random" function on the undisengagable autopilot.
Horses have an inbuilt determination to kill themselves and take anyone with them that they can. :D
Perhaps they just don't like me. :cry:


Practise and if you can make a noise like a carrot you're ok :wink:
#1585628
cadoganpier wrote:Hi
I know men are rubbish at admitting to this sort of thing but does anyone else get uneasy, anxious or scared when flying?, I don't mean the kind of fear when something goes wrong but a general feeling of anxiousness that could lead to panic, or rather it makes you worried that it might lead to panic. I ask because I do. When I learnt the first time I don't think I got to the stage where I could ever relax and feel totally at ease with my surroundings, the way we do say in a car or maybe a commercial flight. I do suffer from vertigo but I don't think that's what causes it as that only really affects me when I am out doors. Am I alone in this or does it pass?, it's a bit of a concern as I am not usually phased by much and am not usually of a nervous disposition. It was worse when I flew solo, it never manifested into anything and I don't think it made me fly worse but I want to enjoy my flying, if it's happened to anyone else how long did it take you to get over it?.

This is a very valid question, especially if you believe it might affect your performance in the cockpit.
If I may, I would like to answer this from my own personal viewpoint as one who suffered from some element of anxiety especially the closer I got to my GST - worry I would fail, mess up or do something stupid. I am my own worst critic, as I kept over-analysing things.

What I first did was to look at the physiological. For example, I am an ardent tea drinker. About 8-10 cups a day. Too much caffeine. I decided to stop with the caffeine, and I lost about 30 points on my blood pressure. I also quit alcohol. I would estimate I drank about 12 units a week - but never the day before a flight. I lost about 8lbs or 9lbs in weight over three months as a result. I noticed my anxiety lessened - I started to enjoy the lessons again, especially throughout the latter stages of solo navigation.

I think the first thing to do is identify if there are any issues which you might think are impacting generally. For me it was the tea drinking. I am 67 years old and age was definitely a factor for me, but I was able to overcome most obstacles. Come the GST and the nerves disappeared once I started the engine. Glad to say I nailed the navigation because I did the research and preparation. Kept calm for the PFL by being ahead of the aircraft, and completed the general handling without issue - the 2.5 hrs 'flew' by.

I believe it's an holistic approach: but for me it was first the tea drinking reinforced with other factors that did the trick. I still only drink no-caffeine teas and during flight weeks drink no more than 4 units of alcohol with a 'dry' day the day before. I am happy to be out there and look forward to the adventure in the years I have remaining...
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By cadoganpier
#1585680
I can relate to horse riding, I used to race motor bikes and I loved the feeling of being on the grid, but, the feeling of being scared or anxious in an aircraft is totally different to racing a bike, with a bike if you have a "moment" it's either past or you are sliding up the track on your bum in the blink of an eye, you don't get time to be frightened, in an aircraft there is no brake to pull and you can't just pull off the track, I do, however, love that buzz when you are back on the ground, I need to focus on that I think.
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By RichardPearse
#1585709
I'll hold my hand up and say I get nervous.

It affects the enjoyment a little, but I don't think it's a bad thing overall. I suspect that if I ever stop being nervous I'll start getting complacent.