Anyone else get worse before they got better?

[JollyWalter]

Had my first session of circuits last Wednesday and was well prepared. Had flown the circuit in my head so many times that I found it quite easy to manage and my FI told me that it looked like my 5th session rather than my first.

 

Went home felling good about the whole thing.

 

Session 2 on Saturday and although I flew the circuits well enough I found I was really struggling managing the descent on final and then couldn't judge the roundout when we got to the landing. So we flew low approaches for a few circuits which to be honest I didn't really get the swing of. I was touching down instead of holding off, then zooming instead of levelling out.

 

Went home feeling a bit disappointed but determined to do better next time.

 

Had a third session today and the wheels fell off. (Not literally fortunately). Admittedly we had a stiffish crosswind that I hadn't experienced before, but I had a bad first circuit and to my horror the FI took the controls and flew an entire circuit showing me where I had gone wrong. From then on I never really recovered and tensed up so much I forgot half the basics, stuff I had committed to memory. And my control input was all over the place.

 

Left for work feeling like I am going backward.

 

I'd like to get an indication from other low hour students about their progress at this stage. I don't really want to ask my FI about my progess be it good or bad. I just rely on him to tell me what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. And he's very good at that.

 

Not looking for anyone to 'pump up my tires', just for an idea of how it played out for you at this stage.

 

And sorry about the long post.

 

Cheers

 

Mick

 

 

[XP503]

Don't give up you'll get better.

 

 

[Tomo]

Mick, It wouldn't be much of a comfort to you if I just said 'that's normal'. But it is.

 

You'll get better, best advice I can give you, is keep at it, you'll find it much much easier as time goes on.

 

 

[Bidgee]

This is quite common. I had exactly the same thing happen - couldn't judge base turns, crappy airspeeds and attitudes on final, lazy feet and generally sloppy flying - not by choice, I just couldnt get it together.

 

Dont worry, you will come out the other side of it. Best thing I found was to relax. Not easy I know. Before you turn base consciously relax your grip and take a few calming breaths. I also made sure I had the next leg of the circuit planned in my head before I got there rather than reacting to what occurred. And if the CTS aren't working go and do some air work.

 

Good luck

 

Scott

 

 

[bones]

Mick,

 

From an instructors point of view, the most frustrating part for me anyway is when the student HITS the wall, and actually goes backwards usually for about 3 hrs i find, somewhere around the 10-15hr stage.

 

The only thing i have found is to just keep telling them where they are going wrong, and praying from the plateu to end, cause i can see and hear the frustration in the student as well, it is very natural what your going through, havent had one that didnt yet, hoping for the first soon :)

 

 

[GraemeK]

Mick - don't worry, absolutely normal but very frustrating!

 

It's a bit like golf - just when you think you've got it licked you suddenly go downhill rapidly!

 

Stick with it - things will get better. As my instructor once said to me, if it was easy, everybody would be a pilot .... :)

 

 

[allanw]

Hi Mick

 

I have done 4 lessons of circuits so far with my 5th coming up this weekend and my experiences were not unlike yours. I went into my first session as prepared and excited as I would ever be, and came out of it quite pleased with it all.

 

In my next lesson there was a crosswind and updrafts on late base and final which made the descent a little more challenging but overall I was just a little disapointed that I thought I had not performed as well as I did the first time around.

 

On my third session there were showers around and with them came gusty winds that were changing direction every circuit. This obviously made it harder but my attmepts to cope with this new situation were not proving very successful and towards the end of the lesson the instructor took over to show me what I was doing wrong. I struggled mentally to keep on top of everything that was happening and I came away from that lesson really disapointed in how I did.

 

The next time around I was determined to improve from last time, and while I still didn't think my landings were as good as the first session I was happy with the improvement from last time around.

 

After each lesson I try to think about why things did or did not go well and I believe that it comes down to being mentally prepared and having been through what you have to do in your mind and then just going out there and doing it. If I get nervous about something I tend to make mistakes and then that makes me make more mistakes. If I take a second to calm down and refocus I can usually fix that situation.

 

 

[The Wolf]

After about 60 Landings on my own, i went for a lesson and over 2 hours, didnt manage to land a single one un-assisted. I dont mean the instructor saying "watch your speed" or anything. I mean he had to take over. The next weekend when i was there i was "fixed" and landed on my own perfectly again.

 

It happens from time to time i guess, just use it to help you cope with things "going abnormal" and all will be well.

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

If you take a look at my blog, you will find a lot of posts with me lamenting the fact that something I thought I had gotten the hang of last lesson had suddenly fallen to pieces the next lesson. It happens to everybody :)

 

My FI said something similar to Graeme's - "Nobody's born knowing how to fly an aircraft, we all learn by up". So just remember that every time you make a mistake you're getting more experienced at how to deal with it which can only be good experience in the long run :)

 

 

[Tomo]

As hard as it might sound, the best thing to do, as been mentioned by a few, is to relax. In my opinion. If you make a mistake from last time, learn from it rather than shooting yourself down.

 

Not sure if you've ever ridden a horse? but teaching people to ride them when they're all as stiff as cardboard (the riders that is) only scares and frustrates them all the more.

 

 

[GraemeK]

Not sure if you've ever ridden a horse? but teaching people to ride them when they're all as stiff as cardboard (the riders that is) only scares and frustrates them all the more.

Good point Tomo - for a while I used to be so tense I couldn't "feel" the messages the control surfaces were sending me through the stick.

 

Now, every now and then (and on every approach) I let go of the stick completely (only briefly) just to ensure that I've got the thing trimmed properly and to release any tension in my hands.

 

Plus wriggle your shoulders a bit also to relieve tension, just like you're lining up for a golf shot.

 

Much better if you're not tense!

 

 

[JollyWalter]

Guys and Girls

 

Thanks for the responses, particularly those that reflected or at least resembled my current experience.

 

Until now when I've taken on something new I guess I've been used to some level of improvement up to the level of my ability, whatever that may turn out to be. However with flying it seems to be more of a 3 steps foward, 1 step back currently.

 

Thanks again, I'm keen and committed and ready to take it on again this weekend.

 

Cheers

 

Mick

 

P.S. - GraemeK, Please don't compare flying with golf. If I wind up as good a pilot as I am a golfer then the skies are not safe for anyone.

 

 

[JollyWalter]

After each lesson I try to think about why things did or did not go well and I believe that it comes down to being mentally prepared and having been through what you have to do in your mind...

I do this also. In fact I have a sheet of paper (soon to be several sheets of paper I suspect) titled "Things to remember from this lesson" and I write down all the things the instructor has picked me up on. The idea for me is to not repeat the same mistakes, because I know I'll be making plenty of new ones.

 

Mick

 

 

[Mazda]

No need to despair! It's very normal to have some good days and some bad days, especially when conditions are different to what you are used to.

 

As you progress you will find the bad days become fewer, and the good days become more frequent.

 

 

[Guest eland2705]

G'day JollyWalter,

 

Have faith in yourself, it does work.

 

It was explained to me this way (Lecture on)

 

There are 4 stages of competency:-

 

1. Unconscious Incompetence :- Where you don't know what you don't know.

 

2. Conscious Incompetence :- Where you know what you don't know.

 

3. Conscious Competence :- Where you are aware of what (or how little) you know (I would suggest that is where you are now)

 

4. Unconscious Competence :- Where you do it without thinking, and are happy in yourself with it. (This is where you want to be)

 

A bit like learning to drive.

 

At 12 you knew you wanted to, but had no clue where to start. (Stage 1)

 

At 16, on L's, you bunny hopped, had trouble steering around corners, had to think about gear changes and so on. (Stage 2)

 

At 18, on P's, you were Ok to drive, you still had to think about things as they happened and on occasions had to rethink and the car got ahead of you a couple of times. (Stage 3)

 

At >20, full license, you happily jump in the car, drive across the state/country, able to handle the odd emergency with no issues etc. etc.

 

(Lecture off)

 

It will come, trust me. I still have off days, and just take a tug to 1000' AGL (I know - I admit to being glider thingy - can you say Pilot?), cast off, do a circuit and landing to get it "right" if I haven't flown for a couple of weeks.

 

Regards.

 

 

[markendee]

Mick,

 

Hmmmmmmm. Sounds to me like you will never be very good at this - give it away now would be my advice.

 

Just joshing - the improvement comes in fits and starts with the odd backslide. If it wasn't difficult it would not be anywhere as near as much fun.

 

Keep us posted Mick.

 

Mark

 

 

[GraemeK]

At >20, full license, you happily jump in the car, drive across the state/country, able to handle the odd emergency with no issues etc. etc.

Nearly right, but there's more ....

 

At 60, you had to think about things as they happened and on occasions had to rethink and the car got ahead of you a couple of times.

 

At 70, you bunny hopped, had trouble steering around corners, had to think about gear changes and so on.

 

At 80, you knew you wanted to, but had no clue where to start.

 

At 85, your kids handed in your licence.

 

 

 

[JollyWalter]

It was explained to me this way (Lecture on)

There are 4 stages of competency:-

 

1. Unconscious Incompetence :- Where you don't know what you don't know.

 

2. Conscious Incompetence :- Where you know what you don't know.

 

3. Conscious Competence :- Where you are aware of what (or how little) you know (I would suggest that is where you are now)

 

4. Unconscious Competence :- Where you do it without thinking, and are happy in yourself with it. (This is where you want to be)

 

(Lecture off)

I like that! :thumb_up:

 

I'm only 9 hours in, so I know I can't expect too much in the competence department, but not having any flying friends with whom to discuss my progress (or lack of) I thought I'd put it out there and see how others were handling it at this stage.

 

Thanks again for all the positive feedback.

 

Mick

 

 

[Guest eland2705]

Nearly right, but there's more ....At 60, you had to think about things as they happened and on occasions had to rethink and the car got ahead of you a couple of times.

 

At 70, you bunny hopped, had trouble steering around corners, had to think about gear changes and so on.

 

At 80, you knew you wanted to, but had no clue where to start.

 

At 85, your kids handed in your licence.

 

Hey - I resemble that remark:ah_oh:

 

Brilliant:thumb_up:

 

 

[sfGnome]

Cruel but fair, Graeme, cruel but fair.

 

 

[Guest studentbiggles]

Hi JW Don"t dispare I went through the very same experience in the Jab230 last Sat morn!!!!!!!!!!!!............Then did TWO!!!! unintentional YERY BIG SPINS in the Blanik glider in the arvo...My life past infront of me twice in a space of a five minute interval??...Talked it through with both my CFI (Jab) and FI (Blanik)...And thought it throuh myself and I came to the conclusion...Two sold lessons in one day(2.40mins)????...Plus about 3hrs plus of preflight and post flight breifings and being tried and not on top of my game even before I started...thought I'd improve through the day but just got worse...Have learnt not to do that again at this stage of my training...Like me, don't give up and we both know it will all gell together down the track...But don't you hate yourself when the CFI has to take over in circuits when you had it nailed the week before?????????? your not alone in your journey being a student pilot...Fly Safe and like me try not to be hard on yourself...like I'm trying to do..Studentbiggles (Alley)

 

 

[JollyWalter]

...with flying it seems to be more of a 3 steps foward, 1 step back currently.

Made a better effort on Saturday. Maybe two steps forward...

 

Mick

 

 

[Benjamin Pitt]

Its vital to give yourself (meaning your brain) time to process the large amount of data generated in the average flying lesson.Remember you spend a lot of time watching and practising sequences you haven't done before, often with only (be truthful) a basic theoretical understanding.

 

In your early flying career (up to solo) I'd recommend that students limit themselves to 2 lessons a week....otherwise "information overload" will ensure "3 steps foward, one step back"

 

Just my musings.........

2 lessons a week?

 

I do not agree at all, that is almost to the point of taking more time to get up to speed, you struggle to remember the correct checks, radio calls, fuel burn etc.

 

I was doing 3x1 hour lessons a day for 5 days in row at the beggining of my training, that was information overload at times, but not too bad and you really got into a rythem.

 

2x1 hour lessons a day is closer to the mark with correct preparation I'd say.

 

 

[JollyWalter]

I'm currently doing 2 lessons a week and I really feel like I could do a third and maybe a fourth now that I'm onto circuits. There's no way I'd like to do less than 2 a week because I need to put into practise all the subtleties that arise from each new round of circuits. I'm sure I'd forget if I didn't get to practise them.

 

It's not cheap doing concentrated lessons but I believe it's false economy to stretch them out. You do have to acknowledge however that for some (most?) of us funds are limited and if you can only afford a lesson a fortnight then it's better than no lessons at all.

 

 

[stanzahero]

I agree with cficare...

 

I did one lesson a week and had no issues.

 

I also had a six week break (busted ribs) with little ill-effects to anything but confidence.

 

I drew a picture of the dash on a piece of cardboard to practice while I wasn't flying and it helped with my circuit checks.