Regaining Confidence after a couple bad flights??

Ramp Monkey YYJ · Post by **Ramp Monkey YYJ** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 6:54 pm

Hey guys, this is my first post here so just bear with me.
I'm a student pilot going for my Rec. Permit (for now), with about 26.6 hours so far. The flight training had been going great all along, and I'm supposed to do my Pre. F.T. 2 days from now. Oh, how things change!
I did an evening flight with my instructor a couple days ago, and for whatever reason, it was a TERRIBLE flight! We were working on Forced Approaches, Precautionaries, Diversions, a couple Slow Flights, Stalls, and Spiral Dives, all things that I NORMALLY have no problem with. But for whatever reason, I just started screwing up everything I possibly could.
So I had a bad flight, no big deal, happens to everyone right!? I figured I was just tired after about 2 straight weeks on the ramp without a break, and after a nice long sleep and some studying, I'd be fine. Well, not the case. I did a solo this morning and practiced more or less the same things, and although it was a LITTLE bit better, I still found myself unable to remember the simplest of details, ie ITS HARD TO OVERSHOOT WITH 40 FLAPS!! I capped it all off with possibly my ugliest landing yet (usually my strongest point), and a note from the tower because I had intruded on restricted airspace without clearance (another first).
Anyways, so I've postponed my Pre FT, and don't plan on doing it until I feel good about my flying again. I apologize for leaving you guys with an essay here, but any suggestions for regaining confidence?

Donald · Post by **Donald** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 7:29 pm

Everybody has that point in their training where they hit a block and it feels like they are going backwards a bit. Just keep studying, armchair (or hangar) flying, and let your instructor know if there is a particular area you need to review.

Don't worry, it'll all come together soon enough.

Ramp Monkey YYJ · Post by **Ramp Monkey YYJ** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 7:47 pm

Donald,

Thanks for the advice/support. I have been doing some armchair flying, and thats been just fine. I feel that my knowledge of the material is at worst adequate, and if somebody were to ask me how to do any of the manoeuvers I mentioned earlier, I could tell them how to and include every last detail, but again, I just kept missing things when I was actually flying. What I think I'm going to do is just make some quick, very specific, personal checklists so that I can stop questioning myself in the air, and try to alleviate all the doubt that has suddenly shown up in my head when I'm flying.

JoeCanuk · Post by **JoeCanuk** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 8:25 pm

They'll be many things that shake your confidence in your flying life im sure. I've had my oil cap blow off and oil spread over the windscreen at 2000 feet and with the landing that followed for all intensive purposes crashed the plane into runway, ive flown into a snow storm at night and gotten into a spiral dive, but the main point is that thru out everything even if it may not seem like it at the time, when it matters the training youve been doing is in your head and its there for when its needed , without even thinking. I always had a personal checklist in a lil blackbook i brought on the plane during my flights at first, it helps when your really drawing a blank.. but the thing about confidence is that just remember if you didnt have faith in your abilities you probably would of never of done that first solo, all this is is a turbulent patch

Fish · Post by **Fish** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 1:00 am

Maybe its because... oh... I don't know... because you have 26 hours? There's a reason its called a wreck permit.

Miss Mae · Post by **Miss Mae** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 5:14 am

Try not too get too stressed out.

It has happened to all of us at one point or another, and it's completley normal.

Take a couple days off, and do some hanger flying of the procedures.

It will get better...best of luck!

AV8OR · Post by **AV8OR** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 6:29 am

When it does comes to your flight test and you screw something up, don't look back on it. Put it behind you and go on. The worse thing you could do is think about your screw up. You should be thinking forward to the next exercise as you may have done better than you first thought. All the best for your flight test.

scm · Post by **scm** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 9:32 am

Make sure you're relaxed when flying; if you're not that will definitely make memory items hard to do. If you screw something up and don't let it go the rest will suffer, as said by the above poster.

If all else fails....

Ramp Monkey YYJ · Post by **Ramp Monkey YYJ** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 1:15 pm

Thanks for the advice everyone, much appreciated.

BTD · Post by **BTD** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 2:08 pm

Remember Ramp Monkey, it is when you screw things up that you really learn. If you do it perfect everytime (or think you do) there is nowhere to go but down. Making mistakes(as long as they are not dangerous ones) is when the learning occurs.

I found that when I was doing the training I always came back much stronger after a bad flight than I did after a good one. It is the same thing that I see with my own students now.

Its all part of the learning process.

And about that "Wreck" permit comment. Most people are solo by 26 hours anyway whether for a Private or a Rec. This has nothing to do with the type of course. And, while I agree that the min times for the Rec should be higher, the level of skill depends on the individual. There are some Rec pilots out there with more skill than some Private Pilots. They have just chosen to only go so far.

PPLStudent · Post by **PPLStudent** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:34 pm

I made mistakes when I trained too, (climbing out with the carb heat full, flaps 20) wondering where the performance went

then i bashed myself for a while and got over it, its how we learn

master switch · Post by **master switch** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 6:51 pm

what were the wx conditions?

Servisair · Post by **Servisair** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:40 am

When I booked my simulated test with my instructor I thought I was ready but when we went up there were so many things that I missed out on, a bunch of little things that just added up. I had been working alot and when I wasnt working I was studying. Just take a break for a day or something and relax for a bit and get back to the books. I did some more solo practice and I took a little check list up with me. Do the exercise as best you can remember and once you finish it look at the list and see if you got it all. I think I went up 3 more times solo and then did my sim test again and it was fine.
Nothing wrong with studying hard but know when your burning out and take a break.

ScudRunner · Post by **ScudRunner** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 11:10 pm

Dude take it easy man, Instructors will try to push you to your limit and test your metal before a flight test to see what you can do under pressure!! You will @#$! up I even Have a bad landing's now and then. keep at it my friends your a better pilot than you think, you have just had your confindence shaking and rightfully so but like Viper ala top gun says a good pilot will review what happend and learn from it. Keep at it man

shitdisturber · Post by **shitdisturber** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 12:33 pm

Ramp, I call it "flight test-itis" and it's completely normal, it happens to everybody to varying degrees. As everybody else has told you, just relax and learn from your mistakes and this will pass. It could also be that your instructor is deliberately putting more stress on you to prepare you for the flight test. When I used to instruct, I would deliberately change from my mellow self to Mr Hyde on pre-flight day; the idea being that the students would get used to being pushed hard and stressed out. Then when the actual flight test came along, I would usually get comments like; "man the examiner was easy going compared to the way you were on the pre-flight, that was a breeze."

. ._ · Post by **. ._** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 1:42 pm

Oh yeah, Rampmonkey, I can beat that. On my commercial flight test, I was fiddling with the radio while taxiing (also something I never do) when the examiner said, "Uh, ISTP!" I looked up, locked up my brakes and slid over the hold short line! FAIL! Incidently, I had NEVER unintentionally gone past that line before, and have never since.

After that @#$! up, I paid attention to what Perdita Felicien (the Candian hurdler expected to win gold in the Athens Olympics, 2004 and tripped on the first hurdle) said regarding the rest of her races after the big let down.

She said she KNEW she could win big, so she just went out, and did what she knew she could do.

So I got my commercial licence on the second try.

EVERYONE will screw up with enough pressure applied.

By the way, let us know the good news when it happens!

-istp

AntiNakedMan · Post by **AntiNakedMan** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:51 pm

When I was doing my PPL, I went and did the normal Pre-Flight Test rides with my instructor.

Failed the first one because I didn't do any pre-stall checks

Barely passed the second one because my landings were shit.

Afterwards, my instructor told me that he figured I "might" pass, and I should try it, and if I got about a 4 on my landings he'd buy me a hamburger.

I went out, did my Flight Test and got a 94% on it...... I was in the cadet program so I got a little plaque for getting the "Top Flight Test" mark out of our group of 20.

I always keep in mind that every flight is different than the last.

Anti

canpilot · Post by **canpilot** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 12:44 pm

Ramp Monkey!

I'd be rich for everytime I beat myself up for a minute mistake or even a bigger one and didn't let go for WEEKS! Or, for everytime I got close to a CPL ride and made some small mistake on a pre-ride and thought it was the end of the world, then canned the ride. (I would also have my CPL

) Also, would the school let you rent the plane if you were a complete f*&*^% up? Likely not. You will most likely make a ton of small mistakes in the life of your career, learn to deal with it.

I've seen an Air Canada A340 F/O and Ex CP140 captain make some mistakes along the lines of, and worse than yours. All in the same day!!

Ultimately, the key is evaluating what went wrong, learning from it, not doing it again, and MOVING ON. (This is easier said than done) Why not take up another instructor, the CFI or just talk to someone about what happened? Most likely, they will all tell what I, and other have said.

MOVE ON! I'll agreed to do the same, maybe by the end of this summer we can have our CPL/ PPL done eh?

..Hope this helps!

trey kule · Post by **trey kule** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 2:13 pm

Ramp Monkey.

So...how are you doing now?

Ramp Monkey YYJ · Post by **Ramp Monkey YYJ** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:57 pm

Hey guys (and girls??), again thanks a lot for all the responses and encouraging words. It has definately helped.

I suppose this will be relevant to the 2 most recent comments, by Trey Kule and canpilot.

So I indeed talked it over with another instructor after the bad solo, and as my instructor was (and still is) away from work getting married, I went up with that other instructor a few days later. I have to say, it was really nice going up with somebody else for a change. Not that I have anything against my current instructor, but as they say, sometimes a change is as good as a break!
My flying was much better, and I had less doubt in my mind while I was up there. It wasn't my best, but it was much better.

Anyway, I'm doing another solo tomorrow to the practice area to just iron out any kinks, and after that hopefully I can do my flight test and written exam ASAP.

Again, thanks everyone, it has definately helped. I just think its great that there's this website full of pilots of all ages and experience levels who one can turn to in the hard times. Cheers

Front. · Post by **Front.** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:08 pm

Well it's great that you're getting back at it. I've been there before, not that significantly thrown off flying, but definately pissed of and lack of confidence in flying, and all i did was take my butt down to the airport and fly it around more, and that helped me.

Glad you're back on your review and are able to finalize for your flight test.