Big Rant. 100 Hours in and no solo. Need any advice.

[rhkennerly]

Again, I disagree. For an experienced pilot, flying doesn't take much effort by itself.

Let's see, you are driving a 4000 pound vehicle, within 3 feet of several other 4000 pound vehicles at 70+ MPH, while half the drivers are not paying attention. Yeap, that doesn't take any effort to do so safely.

I agree, I think the goal is to make basic aircraft control & decision-making as comfortable & automatic as driving is for most people (feel that slight sink in your butt on final? Bump the power without thinking).

At the very height of my flying proficiency, there was no real difference between the two. I wore that L-19 & my Ford Mustang back home in the States like gloves. The rest of my flying career has been a quest to feel that comfortable & autonomous again in a plane.

Unfortunately, some people never get the hang of either flying or driving.

 

[rhkennerly]

I have a 40’s ad (solo your piper cub in 6 hours) which I think came with a different mindset. There’s lots to learn, let’s see if they can solo before teaching it to them.

is the op in high density area, dealing with a class b or SFRA etc? 80 90 hours of extraneous crap is the problem.

the school should let him pound out 25 landings with new cfi and let him solo (or fire him as a student)

actually, not much different from today in the LSA fleet. After all, it’s only 20 hrs for a certificate, with add-on endorsements for controlled fields, etc. 5 hr soloes are common.

as I’ve aged, I have downshifted from performance iron to fabric-covered LSAs and find it delightful to get back to the very basics of flying “leafs with a motor.” it’s a joy to hang out where I started: among champs, T-crafts, cubs, & silver Airs.

I’ve started several time to suggest such a shift in focus to the OP, but he’s got a lot on his plate right now salvaging his sunk costs in that program. I think we all agree with you: the instructor is at fault for stinging him along. If the school didn’t already have all that cash up front, this wouldn’t have happened.

A couple of years enjoying pushing fabric around the sky at 60kts would have saved the OP a lot of heartburn. 141 schools are the Military Academies of flying: standardized, rigorous, regimented, & inflexible. Pipelines for the airlines. I’ve flown with two instructors who were building time after their 141 education. Rigid & humorless, both.

 

[afterburner10986]

Thanks for everyone giving their inputs, as of right now I've decided to take a small break from flying to really gauge the situation as well as how I'm taking it. Seems like a combination of confidence, study habits, and the school/CFI is adding up to the overall problem as well as I want to make sure that flying is what I want to do.

Something I'd like to ask is on building better study habits. I think to what I can assess, the reason why I'm not preforming is because studying feels like its more of me "glossing" over information, rather than it being a challenge in retaining it, Wanted to know any suggestions to finding what works for me instead of reading blankly at the PHAK for an hour.

Maybe I'm more of a fatalist but I think I might give it up in this kind of situation. Maybe take a shot at a different flight school, but with a highly open mind.

It sounds to me like you need to cut ties w/ this school, regroup, and try again somewhere else.

As of now, I'm looking into having a meeting with both CFI's as well as the director to really talk on where improvements needs to be made, but as guest user had said it's likely that I have a rep at the school and a fresh start could be what'll work. However as much as I'd want to keep flying for a carreer, if it comes down to me not being cut to fly then I think I have a fairly open mind to understanding, but I'd rather peruse other options before getting to that.

(Also, having read a few replies I see some things in my post may be missing and I'm just not understanding how to explain, if anything seems out of place please ask)

 

[Randomskylane]

They put the cart before the horse. Forget study etc. Go 3 straight mornings at 7am or whenever the weather is good. Takeoff and land 10 times. Repeat day two. Day three go five times.

that’s it, that’s all you should do. All the other stuff is distracting you from soloing. Your confidence and mental state needs just one thing. Pound them out, get the solo noose off your neck, and figure out the other stuff afterwards.

 

[rhkennerly]

• I think we have a good feel for your situation. I also think we've about exhausted our advice...at least I have.
• Consider an online course with videos. or maybe just the videos on YT. You've passed the written (if I remember right), so concentrate on the basics. I like Free Pilot Training on YT, but there are many. Baron Pilot's SO filmed a series of her beginning training and struggles.
• Perhaps refocus for a while on just flying for pleasure and consider LSAs for training.
• Flying for money is a long, hard, expensive road. At the "bigs" your career is on a very short 6-month leash. A bad turn of luck with your health will kill your 1st class med.
• OTOH, earning a living at something you're good at and then flying for pleasure is quite achievable. With your 3rd Class devolving into a Basic Med or LSA (Med on a Driver's License) instead, you'll stay in the left seat for many years, even with mishaps in your health.
• good luck, and let us know what you decide and how things turn out.

 

[Albany Tom]

They put the cart before the horse. Forget study etc. Go 3 straight mornings at 7am or whenever the weather is good. Takeoff and land 10 times. Repeat day two. Day three go five times.

that’s it, that’s all you should do. All the other stuff is distracting you from soloing. Your confidence and mental state needs just one thing. Pound them out, get the solo noose off your neck, and figure out the other stuff afterwards.

This sums it up better than I did.

When saying a bit of flying needs to be done without thought, I didn't intend to diminish all of the knowledge and procedures that DO need to be thought out. But there's a part of flying, especially landing, that's just feel. And it just 'clicks' on day, at least with many I've talked to with landing. Trying to focus on two things at the same time is maybe going to drive you nuts, and if you tend to over think things, landing is going to be tougher. Because it's an analog/feel kind of thing, more than logical process. You can't logic fast enough to do it.

 

[PaulS]

Thanks for everyone giving their inputs, as of right now I've decided to take a small break from flying to really gauge the situation as well as how I'm taking it. Seems like a combination of confidence, study habits, and the school/CFI is adding up to the overall problem as well as I want to make sure that flying is what I want to do.

Something I'd like to ask is on building better study habits. I think to what I can assess, the reason why I'm not preforming is because studying feels like its more of me "glossing" over information, rather than it being a challenge in retaining it, Wanted to know any suggestions to finding what works for me instead of reading blankly at the PHAK for an hour.





As of now, I'm looking into having a meeting with both CFI's as well as the director to really talk on where improvements needs to be made, but as guest user had said it's likely that I have a rep at the school and a fresh start could be what'll work. However as much as I'd want to keep flying for a carreer, if it comes down to me not being cut to fly then I think I have a fairly open mind to understanding, but I'd rather peruse other options before getting to that.

(Also, having read a few replies I see some things in my post may be missing and I'm just not understanding how to explain, if anything seems out of place please ask)

I wouldn't stop, if you must, don't stop for long. Sounds like you want it, one thing you need to do is persevere. I think you'll get it done.

The study thing, that's an excellent question. Once again, it depends on what materials you are using. The FAA materials are great, but for me, I need tests to make sure I'm retaining what I need. I often read something, feel I understand it, but when I do a test the holes in my knowledge are readily apparent. I break it down into 3 buckets. Rules and regulations are one, then things like navigation, systems, operations, things like that are another. Finally the actual how to fly an airplane is the last.

For the first two, something like a Sporty's, King's or other course was best for me. I would study the material, take the practice quizzes. When I consistently score in the upper 90s, I feel I'm good.

For the third, actually flying the plane, again the King or Sporty's is great. There aren't really quizzes for that stuff, but there are little nuggets in there beyond the basic instruction that are priceless IMO. Especially for students. Control of the aircraft requires a lot of conscious thought to start, but fades into the background when you've got it. Thinking of it in terms of needing to add 15 degrees of aileron and 2 inches of right rudder is useless. Flying is more of doing what needs to be done. King summarizes it very well in his videos. On his landing video he says something to the effect of "Students trying to figure this out ask, 'how much rudder do I add?' or 'how much aileron do I add?'" "The answer is, 'just enough'.

Rather than worrying about how much input is needed. Add the input until you get the desired result. If you run out of control, then you need to figure something else out.

It's important to understand why and when to do things, but at the end of the day, on different days, different things or different amounts of inputs are required. It sounds impossible, but it's what makes it so rewarding when you figure it out.

It's important to understand when to use what control, that's best figured out at home with out all the stressors of flying. Once you understand and have these things committed figuring out how to do them is much easier.

Chair flying is the best way to commit these things you have studied to memory. Picture the scenario in your head. For instance, strong right crosswind. Then start on final from 500 or so feet (in your head) and ride it down. You are crabbed until it's time to slip. I like to transistion and about 25 feet. Starting out I would do it at about 100 feet. The actual height is unimportant, just give yourself ample time to keep the plane aligned before the flare. So chair flying, you get to think it out. The plane is pointed right, time to transition to slip, step on left rudder, align nose, add right aileron to arrest the side motion. And so on. Do this for each scenario. Spend a half an hour at time going through it in your head. It will really help.

 

[donjohnston]

For me, one very important question that I don't see answered (as best I can tell), is how often are you flying?

At a 100 hours in 9 months that's a little over 10 hours per month. Or about 2.5 hours per week. If that's the case, then I'm not surprised that you're at 100 hours with no solo yet. For me, when I was training, if I didn't fly for a week, I spent about an hour trying to get my skill level back to where it was at the end of the last flight. More than week, it took even longer.

Flying is like any other skill. Learning a musical instrument, learning a new application, etc. If you only spend a couple hours every week, you're never going to get any good at it.

IMHO, if you can't fly a couple hours three or four times a week, it's going to be a LONG journey.

 

[afterburner10986]

For me, one very important question that I don't see answered (as best I can tell), is how often are you flying?

At a 100 hours in 9 months that's a little over 10 hours per month. Or about 2.5 hours per week. If that's the case, then I'm not surprised that you're at 100 hours with no solo yet. For me, when I was training, if I didn't fly for a week, I spent about an hour trying to get my skill level back to where it was at the end of the last flight. More than week, it took even longer.

Flying is like any other skill. Learning a musical instrument, learning a new application, etc. If you only spend a couple hours every week, you're never going to get any good at it.

IMHO, if you can't fly a couple hours three or four times a week, it's going to be a LONG journey.

To answer this on average I'm flying about 3 week (6 on a lucky one). Lots of time either maintenance or weather keeps me down which'll keep it at that average time.
Another thing to add is that there was a month where I had trouble setting a schedule with the school & couldn't fly, prolly why there is a bit of length to how long it's taking.

 

[donjohnston]

To answer this on average I'm flying about 3 week (6 on a lucky one).

Sorry, I don't understand this. Are you saying that you're flying 3 times a week? Or once every 3 weeks? How long are your flights?

If you're flying 3 times a week. And those flights are 2 hours, then that's about 25 hours per month. So you would hit 100 hours in four months.

So what happened to the other 4 months (factoring in the month you lost because of scheduling and mx)?

 

[Fearless Tower]

Use your analytical skills: 4 CFIs. Which one doesn’t match the others. There’s your simple answer.

I don't think it is that simple. If what the OP says is true, they have flown 100 hours in 10 months and are still not ready to solo. That's more hours than the average GA pilot flies in a a whole year.

This sounds like a big flight school operation and at this point (100 hours no solo) I believe the school has a responsibility to OP to not waste their money and at least tell them straight up whether or not they are cut out for flight.

We (those of us here on the internet) are really not able to accurately say one way or another if the OP should hang it up.

At this point for the OP to really get the best feel for whether the issue is the student or the school, I think the best option is to find another outfit and go on a couple instructional flights to get a second opinion.

 

[dbahn]

One of the issues in this kind of situation can relate to the "law of primacy", i.e. what you learn first is what carries through the longest, and it can sometimes be very difficult to eradicate. Trying to apply a bad technique to the same situation over and over again doesn't solve the underlying problem. I think this is where a whole new flight school becomes the most rational recovery option this far down the road, and even that might not do the trick.

 

[4RNB]

Thanks for everyone giving their inputs, as of right now I've decided to take a small break from flying to really gauge the situation as well as how I'm taking it. Seems like a combination of confidence, study habits, and the school/CFI is adding up to the overall problem as well as I want to make sure that flying is what I want to do.

Something I'd like to ask is on building better study habits. I think to what I can assess, the reason why I'm not preforming is because studying feels like its more of me "glossing" over information, rather than it being a challenge in retaining it, Wanted to know any suggestions to finding what works for me instead of reading blankly at the PHAK for an hour.





As of now, I'm looking into having a meeting with both CFI's as well as the director to really talk on where improvements needs to be made, but as guest user had said it's likely that I have a rep at the school and a fresh start could be what'll work. However as much as I'd want to keep flying for a carreer, if it comes down to me not being cut to fly then I think I have a fairly open mind to understanding, but I'd rather peruse other options before getting to that.

(Also, having read a few replies I see some things in my post may be missing and I'm just not understanding how to explain, if anything seems out of place please ask)

F that man!

you passed the written. Ignore the books and studying until much closer to check ride. Totally different beast than flying.

if you worry you are not ready to solo, YOU ARE NOT ready. Might it just be destroyed confidence, yes. Might you have some young buck minimal hour instructors wanting commercial standards? Practice beach landings on a point? Hell no!

get cloud ahoy and debrief yourself.

when I read posts like these I wonder if the poster can write out pitch power settings, airspeed, etc for a loop around the pattern. By now, can’t you teach the stuff to some kid? Then just go do it.

people with more hours will always be able to nitpick.

 

[SkyChaser]

Sorry, I don't understand this. Are you saying that you're flying 3 times a week? Or once every 3 weeks? How long are your flights?

If you're flying 3 times a week. And those flights are 2 hours, then that's about 25 hours per month. So you would hit 100 hours in four months.

So what happened to the other 4 months (factoring in the month you lost because of scheduling and mx)?

I think the OP probably meant 3 hours a week, sometimes 6 hours a week?

 

[donjohnston]

I think the OP probably meant 3 hours a week, sometimes 6 hours a week?

If that's the case, then those 3 hour weeks are a contributing factor to the "100 hour, no solo". The CFI issue is another factor that's been covered.

 

[afterburner10986]

Sorry, I don't understand this. Are you saying that you're flying 3 times a week? Or once every 3 weeks? How long are your flights?

If you're flying 3 times a week. And those flights are 2 hours, then that's about 25 hours per month. So you would hit 100 hours in four months.

So what happened to the other 4 months (factoring in the month you lost because of scheduling and mx)?

I think the OP probably meant 3 hours a week, sometimes 6 hours a week?

Didn't explain that well but yeah the 3 hours a week sometimes up to 6 is what I had meant.

As of now, I'm looking into my schools refund policy when it comes to a loan before giving them a call and look into another school. Hope to have a discussion later within the week with the school on progression as well.

 

[Clip4]

With out flying with you it is about impossible to identify what problems you may be experiencing. Here are what I generally see in students who are at very high hour values before solo.

1. Poor ADM - the students does not make enough perceptual evaluations, make timely decisions, take action and reevaluate constantly throughout the approach.
2. Poor trim - the student does not properly trim the aircraft properly throughout the approach.
3. Poor airspeed control - the student chases the airspeed indicator varies pitch through the approach vs using pitch attitude.
4. Poor distance / altitude judgment skills.
5. Poor task management.

 

[Llewtrah381]

Some people just aren't cut out to be pilots. No harm in admitting that.

And some people aren’t cut out for college. And when “we” tell them college is a must for everyone so they can have a successful life, we’re definitely doing those people a disservice.

While I’m proficient as a pilot, I’ve tried for YEARS and spent thousands on golf lessons, including a lot at Golftec (which is excellent) and with excellent instructors, to no avail. It’s just not for me, no matter how much I want to be a reasonable golfer. Same for skiing with some people.

I built my gyro 5 years ago with another new pilot building theirs in the factory. We both had/have the same excellent instructor. I got my ratings, including Commercial, pretty quickly. She has soloed maybe half a dozen flights SO FAR - and the instructor is scared to death every time she goes up to do so. And she actually has more hours on her gyro than my 250 hours!

For all of these and more, yes, good instructors and good fit with instructors is important. But to say anyone can be good at XX with enough money, instruction, and time is just not correct.

 

[Pinecone]

Another thought. Is there another flight school within even 100 miles? If so, book a lesson and fly with a totally different location/school/instructor. See how it goes.

But based on what you said, I think the problem is your instructor. Not necessarily that they are not good, but there is a mismatch. The fact that other instructors say you are ready, there is a disconnect.

You do not need to be perfect in all your flying to solo. You need to be SAFE, in the pattern. And at worse, know how to re-enter if something happens. You do not need to be able to do to/from the practice area and do steep turns and stalls perfectly.

 

[aterry1067]

This all sounds similar to my flight training. I ended up switching flight schools, but feel a different instructor would have been fine as well.

Feel free to pm if you like. I’m not going to bash an instructor in a public forum, and I know other student pilots that had a better experience with said instructor.

 

[danhagan]

100 Hours in ... that's a lot of funds ... your instructor doesn't like your emergency procedures and basic airmanship-control over the runway (holding center line) ... after 100 hours, this shouldn't be an issue ...in his head, he still has to worry about you in cross-wind landings and near adverse weather ... and all the other items necessary to fly safely. He doesn't want to solo you as you haven't given him confidence in your skill level.

 

[Bob Noel]

Another question... how many students has the CFI solo'd? how many hours did those student have? Sometimes students are afraid to solo, sometimes the CFI is afraid.

and regardless of whether or not there is a mismatch between the CFI and student, after spending 100 hours without soloing, what could it hurt to change instructors?

(I'm willing to bet most of us on the interweb would suspect a mismatch).

 

[Initial Fix]

To pile on - it’s time for a new instructor. You may have built a “relationship “ with this one, but I’ll suggest they have done the opposite and are not living up to their teaching commitments.

 

[Dana]

When I see threads like this I wonder if we aren't doing students a disservice by starting them out in an environment with so many distractions, tower, radios, checklists, systems, etc., etc. In the old days most people soloed in under 10 hours in a no-electric Cub or Champ. Not only were there less distractions, but in a slow light aircraft it's much more obvious what the wind is doing to the plane, and more immediately obvious whether you're reacting appropriately.

I realize that most flight schools can't afford to keep a Cub or LSA on hand for low time students or can't operate a NORDO aircraft at a busy towered field, but I think it would really improve training.

 

[SebIp]

When I see threads like this I wonder if we aren't doing students a disservice by starting them out in an environment with so many distractions, tower, radios, checklists, systems, etc., etc. In the old days most people soloed in under 10 hours in a no-electric Cub or Champ. Not only were there less distractions, but in a slow light aircraft it's much more obvious what the wind is doing to the plane, and more immediately obvious whether you're reacting appropriately.

I realize that most flight schools can't afford to keep a Cub or LSA on hand for low time students or can't operate a NORDO aircraft at a busy towered field, but I think it would really improve training.

OP wants to be a professional pilot, all those things comes with the territory.

And I know it’s OP’s choice in the end, but I can’t help but keep wondering if suggestion changing school etc will ultimately help in that goal of making this a career.

Sure go to another school, get another instructor, try it out and see. However, isn’t the world of airliners going to lack that wiggle room of finding the right conditions for yourself? And it just gets more complex and the expectations for a pass higher for CPL over PPL isn’t it?

And there are, we have seen them post here, people who ultimately just can’t. Whether it is the first ticket or the check ride for a job.

 

[Albany Tom]

When I see threads like this I wonder if we aren't doing students a disservice by starting them out in an environment with so many distractions, tower, radios, checklists, systems, etc., etc. In the old days most people soloed in under 10 hours in a no-electric Cub or Champ. Not only were there less distractions, but in a slow light aircraft it's much more obvious what the wind is doing to the plane, and more immediately obvious whether you're reacting appropriately.

I realize that most flight schools can't afford to keep a Cub or LSA on hand for low time students or can't operate a NORDO aircraft at a busy towered field, but I think it would really improve training.

I've wondered this, too. I'm not a career pilot, or a CFI, but I learned about 10 years ago in a cub. I told the instructor that my goal was to learn to fly, no rush, and the goal wasn't to get the cert...which I eventually did. I think it worked out better for me, because I'm a geek by trade and I didn't want to worry about the least important stuff first.

Back to OP...I haven't taught full size, but I have taught kids to fly RC. And it's been my experience that if they pay attention, they can all learn it. Some pick it up crazy quick, and some it takes a long time, but they all can pick it up if a) they can focus and b) they have vision and muscle control enough to do it (meaning not disabled). The interesting point to me...that our group had to point out to parents on more than one occasion is that we saw NO correlation to how quickly a kid picked up flying, and how well they flew once they learned it. I don't believe that basic stick/rudder flying is a skill out of reach of anyone. Now that said - I do think that some people might not be able to pickup all of the memorization required for large aircraft, or be able to think fast enough to do IFR, or have the maturity to make appropriate decisions. But I'm just talking about the VFR flying/landing aspect.

So I'm wondering how many people walk away because they just gave up, or that they didn't fit in fast enough to meet the particular 141 model. Maybe the 141 part is right, and what it's really saying is that they can't task-switch fast enough, or they mentally saturate too quickly, but that just doesn't seem like a valid way to prove it out. To me, anyway.

 

[Llk]

My 1st flight instructor was a grumpy stickler.
When I considered switching, the instructor let his ego get engaged and I was ridiculed.

The next instructor continues to be a friend to this day. I buried the first instructor at age 75.

I have about 3500 hours with a lot of heavy IFR. I’m a former marine and also former law enforcement - not shy.

Many instructors are great at growing their total hours at student expense.

Remember schools are a business to make money by renting airplanes and utilizing instructors. That students get Checkrides and pass is a nice to have.

I remember at over 3000 hours, I went to a 141 school to get my helicopter eating. 10 hours in, even though I also had an instrument ticket, I wasn’t allowed to hover. The CFI gets sick, another one takes over, and after a few maneuvers including hovering, I’m asked when I plan on booking my check ride….

It’s extraordinarily easy to let others guide our path. Lucky for us, there’s this thing called a SYLLABUS. Gleim made a great one which discusses how much time on average each lesson adding up to 40 should take. A private ticket is pretty boring: hold heading, hold altitude, talk on the radio, know charts and weather, take off and land….

Never underestimate a school or an instructor’s ability to be predatory and try to passively wreck your self esteem.

Solo? I find it hard to accept most mortals can’t take off and land and talk to a tower within 10 hours at most.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[4RNB]

My 1st flight instructor was a grumpy stickler.
When I considered switching, the instructor let his ego get engaged and I was ridiculed.

The next instructor continues to be a friend to this day. I buried the first instructor at age 75.

I have about 3500 hours with a lot of heavy IFR. I’m a former marine and also former law enforcement - not shy.

Many instructors are great at growing their total hours at student expense.

Remember schools are a business to make money by renting airplanes and utilizing instructors. That students get Checkrides and pass is a nice to have.

I remember at over 3000 hours, I went to a 141 school to get my helicopter eating. 10 hours in, even though I also had an instrument ticket, I wasn’t allowed to hover. The CFI gets sick, another one takes over, and after a few maneuvers including hovering, I’m asked when I plan on booking my check ride….

It’s extraordinarily easy to let others guide our path. Lucky for us, there’s this thing called a SYLLABUS. Gleim made a great one which discusses how much time on average each lesson adding up to 40 should take. A private ticket is pretty boring: hold heading, hold altitude, talk on the radio, know charts and weather, take off and land….

Never underestimate a school or an instructor’s ability to be predatory and try to passively wreck your self esteem.

Solo? I find it hard to accept most mortals can’t take off and land and talk to a tower within 10 hours at most.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I recall during PPL showing up for the big lesson of flying to a towered airport. Super anxious, but prepared, studied. Lesson changed on the fly to steep turns which ended up including 60 degree. Rocked my confidence big time. I've wondered if school owner told instructor to change lesson? When I bought my own plane, school would not provide lessons to be further, called in an insurance issue. CFI stopped instructing me, and school would not rent me a plane when mine went in for maintenance.

 

[AeroLudite]

OP, you need to seek out another source for instruction.
With an 88% on the written, and 100hrs you should be well past getting your ticket.
You need an older instructor with years of experience.
I’ve seen, experienced, and know of several flight schools that are what were call “dairy farms”. They consider YOU a cash cow to be milked.
Sit down and read the Private Pilot ACS. This is what the Examiner expects you to be able to perform. Not some arbitrary decision making and skill level beyond your experience and training level by a young, inexperienced CFI. Part of learning good aviation decision making skill is being set up to succeed, not to fail with an impossible scenario…

 

[Gary Ward]

I instrument trained at one school and then my instructor quit the flight school forcing me to get a new instructor. I got a whole new flight school at my home airport.
So I was very lucky to get a very experienced CFII to take me on at my home airport to finish it. We flew together so much better and he sent me for my checkride in only 4-5 flights together. I felt that I was months away from a checkride at the first school. So the forced change was good for me. Plus I learned more from the older experienced CFII in the 4-5 flights with him.

 

[Gary Ward]

I recall during PPL showing up for the big lesson of flying to a towered airport. Super anxious, but prepared, studied. Lesson changed on the fly to steep turns which ended up including 60 degree. Rocked my confidence big time. I've wondered if school owner told instructor to change lesson? When I bought my own plane, school would not provide lessons to be further, called in an insurance issue. CFI stopped instructing me, and school would not rent me a plane when mine went in for maintenance.

I learned to fly at a class delta airport, so the radio work was learned from day one.
I used a school plane to learn how to fly.
I used my own plane to instrument train and neither school I used had a problem with me using my own plane.

 

[afterburner10986]

Hey yall, thank you all for your insight and have been working towards a possible change of pace in my flight training.

Had went up to the school to meet with the chief with the decision to just go for the PPL and asked for a possible refund due to how long my training has taken, and they couldn't offer me it due to the contract I had signed when I first started. No surprise.
Was also given an "Academic warning" to be taken off performance matrix (since I haven't been progressing the way I should have been in accordance to it) and will just be going through course without it. There wasn't much talk on a CFI change (hadn't directly bought it up), but was told to speak up on the pace I feel my performance is moving so the school can bring that to my instructor.

In terms of flying, I have been signed off for solo and now I'm working with my CFI on cross countries while we wait for a good time/day to go solo, and will be trying to get through the other certifications ASAP so I'm not eating through more time.

That's pretty much a short summary of it, hoping to solo soon and continue pushing through with my training

 

[kgruber]

Not EVERYONE is predisposed to be a pilot. Take a hint........maybe buy a boat.

 

[Daleandee]

In terms of flying, I have been signed off for solo and now I'm working with my CFI on cross countries while we wait for a good time/day to go solo

Can't say that I understand this. Usually the solo is signed off and away we go ...

 

[Salty]

Can't say that I understand this. Usually the solo is signed off and away we go ...

He did the initial solo. Now he’s talking about further solos. I think.

 

[dbahn]

He did the initial solo. Now he’s talking about further solos. I think.

It's certainly not clear, but I read it as he's now ready to solo (maybe not literally "signed off" with a log book entry), but the weather wasn't good enough so they started working on cross country preparation while they wait for better weather.

 

[Salty]

No, that’s my bad. I thought he posted a solo, but I think that was a different thread.

 

[afterburner10986]

It's certainly not clear, but I read it as he's now ready to solo (maybe not literally "signed off" with a log book entry), but the weather wasn't good enough so they started working on cross country preparation while they wait for better weather.

This is what I had meant, sorry I wasn't clear enough.

Not EVERYONE is predisposed to be a pilot. Take a hint........maybe buy a boat.

I get it, and if giving up is what it leads to I'll make that decision, but I feel there is a lot of other factors that I want to clear up and I'm actively trying to make that difference before getting to that point. This could just be me being hardheaded, but having two other CFI's tell me I'm ready as well as all three instructors telling me they're confident in my flying skills everywhere else, I figured it's better to keep pushing through than to give up and let the school keep my money without trying.

 

[Tai]

This is what I had meant, sorry I wasn't clear enough.


I get it, and if giving up is what it leads to I'll make that decision, but I feel there is a lot of other factors that I want to clear up and I'm actively trying to make that difference before getting to that point. This could just be me being hardheaded, but having two other CFI's tell me I'm ready as well as all three instructors telling me they're confident in my flying skills everywhere else, I figured it's better to keep pushing through than to give up and let the school keep my money without trying.

Can't wait to hear about your first solo! Have fun and fly safe!

 

[FrankPilot]

Here in Australia got my PPL at age 60. Went solo after 30 hours. Seemed a long time to me but I think the instructor got it about right. I was very committed to it and wanted to know and practice EVERYTHING. Mistakes were always corrected in a positive, helpful manner - never a rude, hurtful, negative etc comment. You may need a re-boot - different instructor, place? I really do hope it works out. Cheers.