The Ups & Downs of a Beginner Pilot

[MrH]

Well – I hadn’t flown for a while & I knew I needed more duel training after my last effort at Tooradin. As I’ve said before, it all happened way too quick. Just no time between work to keep my hours, confidence & momentum up. :raise_eyebrow:

 

 

A friend was flying & instructing at Lilydale & offered a flight in his aircraft from Moorabbin to Lilydale. Obviously I was keen, :keen:so it was on. When we arrived at Lilydale I enquired about a dual lesson being available while I was there. Luckily someone had cancelled and a spot available in one of their Jabiru 160’s. :thumb_up:

 

 

My turn came up & I was asked to check the aircraft. The instructor also went through my flight history & queried my “not too many hours to a pilot Certificateâ€. I explained my gliding history & my 2 week intensive flying to achieve this. I also explained that I knew I needed more dual instruction as I didn’t feel confident & hadn’t flown for quite a long while.

 

 

Into the aircraft, the Jabaru 160 was familiar but didn’t have the glass panel – familiar that is except the check lists that they use. Totally different from what I was taught. In fact the whole procedure to the point of take off was quite different to what I had previously gone through. Note for self – each school has its own ways.i_dunno

 

 

The plan was to head off & fly around the training area for a while & get used to the aircraft. Then do a couple of circuits. Well, the couple of circuits really brought me down to earth – I was hopeless. :sad:It was like I’d forgotten everything that I had been taught. The cross wind really didn’t help matters either. But, I really enjoyed the flying so I booked another lesson in a weeks time. Obviously I need a lot more.

 

 

Next lesson, different instructor. This time we concentrated on circuits. Again it was like I had gone back to lesson one. :blush:Very depressing. I couldn’t do radio calls, my mind was again overloaded with all the different checks pre & in flight. It was a good lesson though & I enjoyed it thoroughly, so I booked another in a week’s time with the same instructor.

 

 

Now comes the worst – a lesson that I did everything wrong!!

 

I was worse than a beginner!

 

It all started on a beautiful Sunday morning. My daughter was going on an aerobatic flight :loopy:with my friend. When they landed she was all buzzing, so excited & happy.

 

I took her home then went back for my lesson. While I was waiting I helped my friend to place a cover over an aircraft that he was tying down. We heard one of the Jabirus have a bit of a surge :exclamation:on a touch & go take off. The CFI was out the door in a flash. The aircraft returned straight away without any other issues.

 

 

I was due for a 1430 lesson. My instructor asked if I was OK if he bowed out (to study for an exam) & the CFI took his place. No problems. He asked me to do the pre flight check on our aircraft. No sweat, did that & was happy.

 

 

When the aircraft that had the surge landed & taxied back, the CFI headed over to check it out. He did all sorts of checks then eventually took it on a few circuits, putting it through steep climbs etc trying to re create the surge.

 

 

Meanwhile, the aircraft I had pre flight checked was checked again by another student & he eventually headed off in it. :raise_eyebrow:

 

 

GULP!! I guessed that I was going in the one that had had the surgeL. YYEP!!

 

The CFI asked me to do the pre-flight check on it – OK this is where things start to go down hill. Checked the oil., wasn’t too sure. Decided it needed a rag to clean the dipstick & rechecked. It looked ok. I Did the walk around, all good. Went back & waited.

 

The CFI came out & rechecked the oil & after several dips & cleans said oil was low.

 

I felt an idiot :loopy:but it took him 3 goes to confirm it was low. Next were all the cockpit checks, again all different than what I had learned. Hatch open to call clear prop, then close hatch then start the engine. Radio call – different - & taxie to a point for the run up checks – swing aircraft into wind – do all the checks, different again.:confused::confused: Good thing there was a check list else I would have been stuffed. Radio call to Lilydale traffic - got it wrong, mixed up entering & rolling forgot to say one eight right, didn’t mention I was doing circuits. My confidence was plummeting. I seemed to be doing everything wrong.

 

 

We started rolling and I eased up. Apparently my speed was a bit low so flattened out to build it up before climbing at 75knots. Next I was unsure when to put flaps up, then I banked too steeply on a climbing turn. My head was starting to load up so I asked if my instructor could do the radio calls. Another aircraft was heading our way so my instructor started to give him what for. My turn to downwind was too shallow, my downwind checks weren’t sufficient (different again). Next I entered base at too high a speed & too high. Sorted that & got flaps down to 15 deg – different again, I had been taught full flap & almost a glide approach. Speed up – I was too slow – Geez the ground was rushing up, not what I was used to. Carbie heat off – damn forgot that too! Now for my worst error possible. For reasons beyond me I reached through the “Y†of the control stick to push the carbie heat in. :faint:Why? I don’t know but I think I was just getting more & more flustered. I started to round out too early & it started to balloon with the extra speed – My next big no no , I eased the stick forward. Why? :hittinghead: I don’t know. The rest of the hour things improved but I never really got the landings right. Mind the CFI’s instruction was fantastic, :thumb_up::thumb_up: very clear, informative with great descriptions of what to do – like “have a cup of tea†after round out - you have to be there.

 

I gained a lot in that hour even though I flew like a newbie.

 

 

I went away very disheartened though. :sad:The CFI was quite right, I had a pilot certificate & yet I couldn’t even make my own radio calls. Looking back on that session I see that things just started to role down hill when my instructor changed. Not an excuse but a good reason why I need more instruction before I solo again.

 

 

Since then I have had one more dual lesson, with a different instructor again but everything was much better, apart from the aircraft having the wrong check list – that really confused me as well as the instructor. I was trying to remember the one I had been given to learn and this one was totally different. I was confident in what I was doing this time. Radio calls were good, downwind checks were more to their liking but I still didn’t quite master the landings in the J160. The faster approach speed has got me but I was getting a lot better. I’ve just got to keep that front wheel up there a bit longer.

 

 

Now my confidence is coming back & I really feel that I will be good next time round.:big_grin: I have always found that between lessons, if I go through all the phases of the flight in my mind, I analyse my errors & can see where & why I went wrong & visualise the correct way:nerd:.

 

Sadly my next lesson will be many months away as I have found out that I have a medical condition :broken_heart: :black_eye: that needs to be solved before I pilot again.

 

 

For everyone else going through the ups & downs of training, don’t let it beat you because there is always a high near a low – learnt that when I went gliding.

 

 

Keep flying, keep smiling, keep safe

 

 

H

 

 

 

 

[GraemeK]

We heard one of the Jabirus have a bit of a surge on a touch & go take off. The CFI was out the door in a flash. The aircraft returned straight away without any other issues.

I well remember that Sunday - I was the student in the Jab at the time :ah_oh: . A little scary as I'd just started the climb from the go-around (go around resulting from me being way too high on final, but that's another story ), but the instructor responded quickly and decisively and flew a very tight circuit back on to 18R.

 

I know what you mean about the highs and lows - there's been some lessons where I can't do a thing right, I know what I have to do but just somehow stuff up on really basic stuff.

 

After one particularly frustrating lesson I suggested to the instructor we just spend an hour in the training area practising the basics, just S&L, medium level turns, climbing, descending etc. It really got my confidence back, and my flying improved. I think in my situation, I was too tense and gripping the stick so tightly I lost the feel for the plane - and the more feel I lost the worse I flew and the tighter the grip. So that lesson I concentrated on relaxing, and feeling the pressures and things were better.

 

The ups and downs can be very frustrating, but at least things are heading in the right direction I think.:thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

G'day H, great post mate. I'm going through a cashless phase right now and haven't flown in nearly 4 weeks. I'm nervous about my next session because I'm only 4 to 6 hours away from completion.

 

I think it's about preparation, getting ahead of where you currently are.

 

I've even been getting on flight sim x just to get my procedure right in my head.

 

It's good to hear you've got your confidence back though, keep up with the flying!

 

 

[Ultralights]

Dont worry too much about variation in procedures, every pilot has their own habbits and ways of doing things, if you have a few instructors, even at the same schools, they will each do things a little differently, so eventually you will come up with your own, but for the major things, Always use the Checklists! that way you wont go wrong with any Vital actions, and if in doubt, read the POH.(pilots operating handbook) it is the aircrafts bible.

 

 

[Guest drizzt1978]

It took me quite a while to go SOLO, but when I did it was so natural.

 

My dad says nothing beats hours in the saddle. And dam it he is right, Im just finishing my exams and just buzzing around doing solo hours, and I had so many set backs and stuff ups on the way, now it feels like part of me!!!

 

But the things I did wrong when I thought i was getting there!!!

 

Wow just like youre little list!!!!!

 

But I believe You gota use it! Or it gets rusty! Ohh And when the CFI gets in, I get nerves and stuff up!

 

Lets hop you are in the air soon!!

 

 

[Simonflyer]

Great post..

 

I wished id read it ten minutes ago, as i just posted a "need help" in the Navigation section..

 

I had a flight like that today where i felt like id never set foot in a plane before, and it was i think mainly due to rust(in me) from not flying..I think i may be being too hard on myself?..Maybe you are too?..

 

This flying business is quite challenging, and ultimately rewarding, but we are bound to have good days and bad days, and it sounds like you felt you had a shocker, yet no-one got hurt,no damage to the plane, and apart from feeling pretty crappy about it there was no harm done..

 

Next time will be better..(hopefully for me too!)

 

and it does keep getting better.

 

:thumb_up:

 

 

[facthunter]

Variations.

 

I CAN believe that there are lots of variations from one instructor to another, and why wouldn't this be a problem? It has to be, as the student not only has to fly the plane but take account of the instructors IDIOSYNCRACYS, and sometimes that is ALL they are. There should have to be a good reason for variation from a fairly simple standard programme in the early stages, especially within the one school. Are you people getting a good pre-flight briefing? You should be..

 

These periods of self-doubt can be avoided by the instructor being alert to the state you are in. If confusion about a check-list enters the scene, (because it is different) then why wouldn't the instructor do the list and allow you to continue to fly the circuit?. You are the one paying and you should get value for money and a positive experience from EACH lesson. I have been a bit troubled by your initial post and am sorry that this is happening to you, as I feel it shouldn't be..

 

(One of my oldest friends calls ME, Mr.H too. )...Nev.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Yea, im with Nev..

 

You were there for a long time before your lesson, you got mucked around, preflighted 2 aircraft, change of instructor, its no surprise you weren't on top of the game.

 

It seems to me you were stressed, and as little mistakes crept in the stress level increased (as it does) and performance starts to suffer, causing more little mistakes.. A vicious cycle..

 

I reckon sticking with 1 instructor in the early stages is a real must. After your ontop of things then a change can be and often is a good thing, you WILL learn and benifit from a different point of view and way of doing things..

 

But, the fundementals should be the same, especially within a school..

 

I didn't read much in your post about a pre-flight brieffing???

 

cheers

 

 

[MrH]

Thank you all for your concerns & responses.

 

Firstly to Graemk - I bet that did put the wind up you. I wondered about the low tight circuit. He must have had confidence in the motor to do that. i_dunno

 

SimonFlyer - I think us humans need to take things in steps. Once you master one step you move on to the next & so on. One day it all clicks & away you go. Navs are fun - were you solo?? Sounds like the conditions weren't ideal which aggravated your situation a lot. It made you aware of your needs but you made it back & will now think that flight through to your advantage. Like you say - It keeps getting better :big_grin:

 

Facthunter - the checklist card was very different to the one that normally resides in the aircraft. It threw the instructor as much as me. I had been trying to memorize the normally supplied one & other procedures that apply at Lilydale to get my head ready so I wasn't tied up worrying about what they expected. As soon as I looked at the list I knew it was wrong. Apart from that hiccup that lesson I was much more on top of things.:thumb_up: I must admit I am one for consistancy & prefer one instructor but as I have got a pilot certificate, though low hours, I should be able to handle that. I shouldn't need much of a pre brief. That is what made me feel so down on myself:angry:. Lack of regular flying is a major cause of all of these issues. Practice makes perfect they say.... (Mr.H - I'm not alone;). My nick name was derived from "H" (for Howard) to Mr. H" when working in Korea for 88 Olympics. The translators always put Mr. in front of your name:laugh:)

 

Motzartmerv - Your right, I stressed out :juggle:but with the good instruction I was given I relaxed more & more as the lesson went on. I only described the first circuit, I did improve & it was really only the faster landings that were tossing me though I avoided the radio calls so I could concentrate. I must admit to feeling more comfy in a glide approach than at 75kn something to do with my gliding background I guess.

 

I guess out of all of this for us low hour pilots is to try & get a better pre brief & try for consistancy of instructor in the early days. I might add that staying at one school would help also. Should instructors change at least the basic checks & flight procedures remain consistant. (this is what threw me anyway)

 

Cheers

 

H

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

I agree, having the same instructor is extremely important. I've only had about 6 lessons so far, all but one with the same instructor.

 

When I turned up for my 4th lesson, I was told that my normal instructor was teaching someone theory, so I'd be flying with a different instructor that day. I learnt nothing that entire lesson. His entire teaching style was different...my normal instructor teaches by doing a demonstration so I can see what to do, the effect it has on the plane and check attitudes etc (for our heights are quite different). The other instructor insisted I kept my hands and feet on the controls at all times, and gave me each instruction separately (like 'increase the power' then after I'd done that' raise the nose'). I just couldn't get the hang of it without having that nice overall picture of what I should be doing. I also like having the demonstration beforehand because then I know what power setting and attitude I need beforehand, which I didn't get without the demonstration.

 

Another thing this instructor did which irritated me was that, when I was doing something wrong, instead of telling me how to correct it, he would reach over and move the controls himself. It made it feel less like I was actually flying the plane myself. I mean, it wouldn't have been that hard for him to say 'move the stick left to make the wings level' instead of reaching over and pushing it himself.

 

Overall, I can say that the lesson was vaguely beneficial only because it taught me about my learning style. I think I was just lucky to end up from the start with an instructor who's learning style suits me :) It definitely demonstrated to me how important an instructor's style is...

 

 

[MrH]

Hey DarkSarc - make sure you let the school know that you wish to maintain continuity with the one instructor, if that is what you wish. That way they know & no surprises for you :big_grin:

 

As someone has already pointed out you are paying the $'s

 

Cheers

 

H

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

Hey MrH,

 

Yeah, the only reason continuity was interrupted is because my normal instructor was doing something to do with an exam, which is fair. Other than that, it's pretty guaranteed I'll fly with him all the time...now I'm just hoping he doesn't run off to the airlines or something (the perils of a younger instructor I guess)

 

- Darky:cool:

 

 

[Guest Wendy]

Quite inspirational!!! I am only a Student Pilot with only 7 hours of flying but it is quite inspirational to read the experiences of the others who have gone before. And it helps to build the confidence of all of the students and the not so experienced pilots. Thank you! Again quite inspirational!!!

 

Regards Wendy, Aldingarite, Aldinga Traffic.

 

 

[shags_j]

Great post. Having just spent a week flying and only about 3 hours short of my pilot certificate I can understand your frustration. I started the week off well then on friday, my last flight of the week coming back from my first area solo botched my landing (was short, put power on, didn't counteract yaw, pulled power off too low when Ishould have left it on, landed crooked, bounced.... yuck).

 

I understand completely the flow on effect from one earlier mistake also. My instructor I think was sick of me berating myself and worrying about earlier mistakes and not thinking about what was happening next. I think the key is that if you make a mistake forget it. Make sure you are not currently in trouble and start thinkinga bout the next thing.

 

Anyway hope you enjoy the rest of your flights.

 

Cheers,

 

Shags

 

 

[Chird65]

Hi MrH,

 

I was thinking about the gliding bit. At lilydale, at least 20 years ago, the final was pretty long as you had to turn from the power lines to keep the residents happy. i would be surprised if the glide would be possible from that height / distance. I remember dragging VH-BZA (B C D) all the way in, I doubt the 160 would be much better.

 

I wounder if the local conditions lead to different training practice ie the long final the hills to the west and coldstream airfield to the south east.

 

Given the time from your first post how do you find the training now?

 

Chris

 

 

[shags_j]

The suspense is killing me ;)

 

 

[GraemeK]

At lilydale, at least 20 years ago, the final was pretty long as you had to turn from the power lines

We now turn roughly at Coldstream West Road, ie 1.2nm final or thereabouts compared to power lines 2nm. On final in the Jab we keep a bit of power on until over the fence. We also do glide approaches, but obviously turn base much earlier.

 

To avoid meat bombers and stay well clear of YCEM, circuits are to the West - so yeah the hills and Coldstream are limiting factors, plus one or two houses we dare not fly over!

 

 

[MrH]

Hi MrH,I was thinking about the gliding bit. At lilydale, at least 20 years ago, the final was pretty long as you had to turn from the power lines to keep the residents happy. i would be surprised if the glide would be possible from that height / distance. I remember dragging VH-BZA (B C D) all the way in, I doubt the 160 would be much better.

I wounder if the local conditions lead to different training practice ie the long final the hills to the west and coldstream airfield to the south east.

 

Given the time from your first post how do you find the training now?

 

Chris

Hi Chird65,

 

It was 28 years ago when I last did gliding & all of that was at Narromine.

 

GraemeK has anwered your first question beautifully. :thumb_up: By the way the circuits were R/H to runway 18.

 

As for my flying... Its been on hold since January :Disappointed: (I wrote the post after that flight).

 

I'm recovering from an operation & don't yet feel fit enough to fly again:ecstatic:. Hopefully soon & I imagine it will be very much like starting from scratch :DirtDOG:

 

Cheers H