Do you go through a cycle of emotions every time you go flying?

N918KT

N918KT

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Hey guys. Every time before, during, and after a flight, do you have a cycle of emotions going through you?

Like for example, before a flight do you feel a little nervous or apprehensive, then during the flight you feel okay, and if nothing goes wrong, after the flight you feel great with a sense of accomplishment? Then the cycle repeats itself for the next flight?
 
N918KT said:
Hey guys. Every time before, during, and after a flight, do you have a cycle of emotions going through you?

Like for example, before a flight do you feel a little nervous or apprehensive, then during the flight you feel okay, and if nothing goes wrong, after the flight you feel great with a sense of accomplishment? Then the cycle repeats itself for the next flight?
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Is there any other way to go through life.:dunno::dunno::dunno:
 
Depends on what type of flying I'm doing. If it's a training flight I feel nervous in the hopes that I perform well. Depending on how well I'm doing my mood changes accordingly. I then get excited as I'm approaching to land the final time hoping to prove myself but generally once pulling off of the runway I sadden wishing I was still in the air.

If the flight is by myself or with a pilot passenger I'm generally excited throughout the flight but can get bored on long XC's over flat terrain.

If flying with a non-pilot passenger I'm generally focused on making it as enjoyable as possible for them.
... so to answer your question... yes :)
 
N918KT said:
Hey guys. Every time before, during, and after a flight, do you have a cycle of emotions going through you?

Like for example, before a flight do you feel a little nervous or apprehensive, then during the flight you feel okay, and if nothing goes wrong, after the flight you feel great with a sense of accomplishment? Then the cycle repeats itself for the next flight?
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That about sums it up for me, except I generally feel pretty good but a little on edge during the fight, and then nervous again when I'm getting ready to land. Unless I hit some bad turbulence or something, I really do enjoy every moment of the flight.
 
Nope. After thousands of hours it's just another evaluate/evalutate/task.
 
Sure, if I'm paying I go through the five stages of grief.
 
Yep, I walk up to my plane and smile because she's beautiful, I fire her up with slight trepidation until her gauges come alive and she starts purring. I become serious and attentive as I do my run up, I get excited as I line up, I feel exhilaration as I push the throttles forward and 520hp take bite, and I get very calm once the gear hits the wells and I am back in the air where nobody can f- with me. Once I shut her down at the other end, I feel appreciative she got me there in style and that I got to travel and enjoy the view that keeps me spending the money I do.
 
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N918KT said:
Hey guys. Every time before, during, and after a flight, do you have a cycle of emotions going through you?

Like for example, before a flight do you feel a little nervous or apprehensive, then during the flight you feel okay, and if nothing goes wrong, after the flight you feel great with a sense of accomplishment? Then the cycle repeats itself for the next flight?
Click to expand...

Well, it is kind of like a "first date" for me...

If it is not something one does every day or week then I would think it is very common for one to feel this way. I try to run as many scenarios through my head and if I don't know the answer, I go searching or asking more experienced pilots. Study, fly as often as you can and it will get easier.
 
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Getting to the plane I feel somewhat excited but mainly serious. If there's something wrong, I want to find out. My preflights are fairly quick but thorough. Once you fly the same type plane for almost 80 hours you start to get to know it (those with hundreds or thousands of hours in the same plane are sniggering right about now) and what you need to watch out for. HV, for example, likes to shed muffler springs (or the old engine did...it just got a new one.) The trim switch on ES bit me once. On the ground, but you could run it nose up, but couldn't get it back nose down. Etc etc. Same feelings through taxi, runup, and at the hold short line.

On the runway when I push the throttle forward, I get kinda giddy, and then when I start lifting off the ground, I get a silly grin on my face that I can't wipe off. If I'm just purring around, that silly grin goes nowhere. If I'm going xc, I'm still oh so happy, but you can't see it on my face, because I'm focused on looking for traffic, but also checkpoints and ATC transmissions (I try to be on flight following as much as possible). Though admittedly I've had to think less and less about hearing when ATC calls me...I only realize this after whoever is in the right seat questions every call making sure it's not us.

Approaching for a landing, I get really giddy again...landings are a lot of fun :). But it's business time too. It's becoming second nature, but you can never let down your guard. As some of you have seen, I was cut off on final last time I was out by some crazy not on the radio who was dancing around the pattern.

And taxiing back, I want to be taking off again...but it's never that easy, is it?
 
I cry while watching the dollar meter spin on the fuel truck. Other than that, just another day at the office.
 
Henning said:
Yep, I walk up to my plane and smile because she's beautiful, I fire her up with slight trepidation until her gauges come alive and she starts purring. I become serious and attentive as I do my run up, I get excited as I line up, I feel exhilaration as I push the throttles forward and 520hp take bite, and I get very calm once the gear hits the wells and I am back in the air where nobody can f- with me. Once I shut her down at the other end, I feel appreciative she got me there in style and that I got to travel and enjoy the view that keeps me spending the money I do.
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Exactly! What he said.
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I'm just learning to fly so I'm a bit anxious on takeoffs, but never landings oddly enough. Once I'm aloft, I beam at the thought that not only have I overcome a major fear in my life, by learning to fly, I'm actually doing something I once thought impossible and I'm rewarded with a tree top view of the earth that most will never experience on their own terms....do goosebumps count as an emotion? Driving home afterward, I feel like I drove in the winning run of a championship game.

So, to recap: Anxiety, followed by glee, followed by pride.
 
KeithASanford said:
So, to recap: Anxiety, followed by glee, followed by pride.
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I recently started training myself and I have to say it kinda feels like getting ready for a race. I used to race motocross when I was younger and I think the nervous feeling you are getting is more just your body being excited to get things started. You will not want to explain that as Anxiety or you will have to make a trip to Doc. Bruce. ;)
 
I'm glad to see some delight left in aviation! In spite of the efforts to remove the wonder and romanticism of flight.
 
stage 1: hurry up everyone is excited to be on our way to see aunt fricket
stage 2: we're finally in the air everyone can settle down for the ride
stage 3: ho hum not much to do here
stage 4: this is taking forever
stage 5: I have to go to the bathroom
stage 6: finally time to start descent, i didn't think we were ever going to get here
stage 7: landing, it's about time
stage 8: fuel receipt, pain & agony, we don't need to see aunt fricket again for a long time.
 
The more experience you gain flying, the less the emotional roller coaster.
 
So I guess what you guys are saying that for the inexperienced or student pilot, going through cycles of nervousness and pride is normal?
 
I find that if it has been a couple weeks since I last flew that I can have a bit of doubt about my ability, is it too windy, am I up to this, will the plane function properly,and other doubts. What I find is that as soon as I open the hanger and see my airplane, all that goes away and I am very calm. As I go about the pre-flight everything turns to business and and there is no room for the doubts anymore.
 
The only times I was nervous before a flight was

When the landing on the previous flight went bad. Student pilot+botched forecast+LLWS+right brake lockup on touchdown and rollout = nervous next time up.
Private Checkride
CFI Checkride

Other than that, "yawwwwwwwwwn"
 
Since I retired, flying has been just a great way to relax and a very enjoyable means to get somewhere. Before I retired it was often exciting, sometimes more than a little spooky, (and a few times required assistance removing crumpled seat covers from my lower digestive tract), but it is always rewarding.
 
N918KT said:
Hey guys. Every time before, during, and after a flight, do you have a cycle of emotions going through you?

Like for example, before a flight do you feel a little nervous or apprehensive, then during the flight you feel okay, and if nothing goes wrong, after the flight you feel great with a sense of accomplishment? Then the cycle repeats itself for the next flight?
Click to expand...

Flying isn't much of a roller coaster to me anymore. Certainly no apprehensive feelings. It's just a very relaxing activity that I try and appreciate each time.
 
As a student doing solos, yeah kinda. Before I go up I know I certainly haven't seen everything yet, and I'm basically responsible for not killing myself in a myriad of ways.

After the first landing though it's just cloud nine the rest of the way.
 
At just 220 hours, I still get butterflies just before I fly. I'm told butterflies are a symptom of your body going on alert, adjusting your chemistry to sharpen your brain's cognitive powers.

I haven't been bored yet.
 
It's excitement true enough, but the anxiety is real.

For whatever reason, my biggest fear is a power on stall. The near bird strike during one of my takeoffs while having my first lesson certainly didn't help to ease what I know to be genuine anxiety until I'm at about 500ft agl.

JasonM said:
I recently started training myself and I have to say it kinda feels like getting ready for a race. I used to race motocross when I was younger and I think the nervous feeling you are getting is more just your body being excited to get things started. You will not want to explain that as Anxiety or you will have to make a trip to Doc. Bruce. ;)
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Mtns2Skies said:
Surely there must be pleasure in there somewhere?
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Absolutely. But that is separate from the actual preparations and mechanicals of flight.

The view of the planet from 1,000 feet, and from 22,000 feet is always a wonder to behold.
 
44 years of doing it and the answer is yes, the cycle of emotions still exist. Maybe not always as extreme as you describe but they are there never the less.

If they aren't. If they are absent. Then why? are you flying :dunno:
 
N918KT said:
Hey guys. Every time before, during, and after a flight, do you have a cycle of emotions going through you?

Like for example, before a flight do you feel a little nervous or apprehensive, then during the flight you feel okay, and if nothing goes wrong, after the flight you feel great with a sense of accomplishment? Then the cycle repeats itself for the next flight?
Click to expand...
Cycle of emotions...
Definitely. With 600+ hours I still definitely cycle through. It starts days beforehand with the cycle of emotional highs and lows as I watch the Wx for a planned flight. The hour's drive to the airport is a time of de-stressing from everyday junk and psychologically easing into the flight and a smile twitches the corners of my mouth.

By the time of airport arrival I'm all airplane business. Everyone there is my friend (even the people I don't like), a few congenial Hellos, some convos, call to the fuel truck, preflight, update the airplane log....

I am pilot. I am strong; my well maintained airplane glistens and I smile pridefully as a click of the key turns her over to a gentle purr. Checklists complete and a call to ground actualizes the anticipation and I'm taxiing... Two-four at Bravo for intersection departure via Delta, Bravo, Hold short three-three.

Taxiing along Delta, I'm comfortable, confident, watching for ground traffic, checking the wind sock and trying to keep ground speed under a gallop. I'm happy, knowing that (barring a bad run-up) events are in motion for the inevitable departure. It's going to happen, YIPPEE.

My best, most gleeful moment is the instance at which the ship separates from Earth. Briefed, line up, instruments fine, finesse throttle to full open, rudders, instruments, airspeed, lift, breathe and up! And then the involuntary grin, almost a giggle. Hundreds and hundreds of take offs and that glee has been there for each one.

The rest of the flight is just a great big Awe. I can fly the same route over and over, avoiding Deltas and determining ETA by pilotage alone. And the light, snow, sun, etc changes each trip in such a beautiful way as to make the trip seem brand new and I'm awed anew. I stopped taking pictures a while ago because my camera can never duplicate what I see and have therefore just resolved to come back and look at it again and again.

Landing and buttoning up are equally emotional. It is emotional, all good and I love it. :yes:
 
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