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

Moderator: AndyR

By vw-dan
#1852293
Sorry to hear of your experience - I think the fact you went in wanting to fly (as opposed to just being randomly purchased a gift or offered a flight) implies that, as others have said, the issue was with the instruction.

I know this doesn't really help you - but I actually had the opposite issue. I'd wanted to fly for so long, and it had been 13+ years since I was in a light aircraft, that I arrived to the airport terrified it was going to underwhelm. But, I was very very clear with the club what I wanted - I wanted a lesson, not an introduction. So we did a full brief, I did the full checklist and once out of the circuit flew most of the lesson.

That said, flying can be a frustrating activity - I suspect many here have had moments during their training where they start to query if it's the right thing. I would argue part of being a good pilot is recognising our own psychology and working to move forward.

I think you're 100% doing the right thing by getting some more lessons - if you're really not feeling the "flying" bit at the end of that, then I don't think there's much more to it. But do have in the back of your mind that another school or instructor may fit you better
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By lobstaboy
#1852308
TopCat wrote:
It's not technically illegal to decide that flying isn't for you. Just a little odd ;)



Ha, well it's odd for folk who post on here. But not for the general population, or even for many people who turn up for trial flights/introductory lessons.
Most people hate it.

I'd still like to know about the log book entry that @slyoldtel should have in his shiny new log book - if he ain't got one he hasn't had a flying lesson.
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1852867
@slyoldtel

Your instructor did you and general aviation a great disservice by his attitude.

There are plenty of other instructors

My wife bought me a trial lesson : my instructor was enthusiastic , approachable and genuinely interested why I was having a trial lesson aged nearly 50 .

Apart from the takeoff, I had control the whole way through the trial flight and even followed through the landing .

His enthusiasm was infectious: I loved the flying so much I signed up for the PPL course immediately on landing

Less than six months later I had my PPL with the same instructor doing 93% of the flights

I am sure you will have plenty of time to get to love it in your next planned four lessons :Buy a logbook and log them all even your first ‘ indifferent’ flight- they all count .

So good luck and welcome :wink:
johnm liked this
#1852895
All I had ever wanted to do was fly.

My first powered experience flight was not the best. If you've never been in one before, an a/c is a tight noisy place with the addition of (initially) incomprehensible noise coming through the headset.

In addition, with hindsight, although it was a bright sunny day, we were at the end of a long hot spell so it was extremely hazy. I felt as if I could barely see the ground, never mind Wales from Bristol.

When I finally started properly, and with a change of school, I've enjoyed it immensely.

At the first school lessons were extremely rushed, and maintenance standards were below even my minimal standards (based on car experience).

A lesson should comprise of a pre-flight briefing (maybe 10-20 mins or more) the flight itself, and a de-brief afterwards(maybe 10-15 mins). If you are not getting this change school. (I only learned this after the change.)

Good luck, I hope you'll want to stick with it.
editmonkey liked this
#1852896
PS - Lesson 2

Being allowed to taxi and finding you can't even steer the thing on the ground, you press on a pedal, nothing happens so you press some more and find you're off the taxiway and into the weeds.

Decades of automotive response kick in and you subconsciously try to steer with the control wheel,and that doesn't help either.

It does get better, honestly!
T6Harvard, tr7v8 liked this
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By flybymike
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1852927
Decades of automotive response kick in and you subconsciously try to steer with the control wheel,and that doesn't help either.

Try flying a PA22 with an interconnection between the rudder and ailerons, such that a taxi turn to the left or right will turn the yoke in the same direction.
That brings your automotive steering response right back to the surface. :D
T6Harvard, tr7v8 liked this
#1853624
Right, second lesson in the bag - definitely a lot more enjoyable! I wanted to hit the ground running this time, so I bought the first Pooley's book and recapped everything from lesson 1, as well as looking ahead to what's next. This helped me relax a bit as the briefing was more or less a recap of what I'd read. Last time I prepared by watching 633 Squadron, which, though entertaining, may explain why I was a little underwhelmed in the Cessna...

The instructor was much better the second time around. The first instructor was an affable chap, and I feel bad for complaining about him, but I don't think teaching is his strong point and he definitely dropped the ball when explaining things to me - this includes things related to controlling the aircraft.

As a beginner, it's easy to assume I must have been mistaken somehow, but I asked a few questions during the pre-flight brief for lesson 2 and there were things I had been told in lesson 1 that definitely weren't correct. Again, it's easy to assume that, as a beginner, I misheard or misunderstood - and this is perfectly plausible. However, it doesn't explain why the first instructor failed to notice that I was making the same mistake every time I performed a manoeuvre.

Today I was far more comfortable at the controls and really enjoyed flying. Definitely looking forward to next week's lesson.

Anyway, Battle of Britain for me tonight. Need to get ready for 'The Effect of Using Flaps'...
Charles Hunt, T6Harvard, johnm and 8 others liked this
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By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1853642
Excellent! We have another person addicted to aviating :mrgreen: 8)
That lesson sounds more like it should.

Just a word of advice, on the film-watching front : do not, I repeat not, watch Airplane before your next lesson.
johnm liked this
#1853646
slyoldtel wrote:Anyway, Battle of Britain for me tonight. Need to get ready for 'The Effect of Using Flaps'...


Mightn't Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines be more appropriate at this stage?

Image

Rob P :D
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By Morten
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1853650
Alternatively, skip the movies and read "Stick and rudder" by Langewiesche.
Apart from (still) being an excellent book for explaining the basics of flying, it also gets across the spirit of 'old time' flying :thumleft:
Rob P, JAFO liked this
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By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1853652
My favourite - Teach Yourself to Fly by Nigel Tangye, a flying instructor in the 1930's and beyond. The book is still relevant and written with a pinch of dry humour that made me laugh. I bought a secondhand copy quite cheaply.