I need help with getting over a sensation

[murphey]

I hate roller coasters also, and the water drop coaster is horrible. I really don't enjoy getting soaked. My problem is under the hood working on my instrument. At 400 AGL I freak and take off the foggles. Intellectually I know nothing can happen, the CFII is sitting right there. But I need to get down to 200 AGL for the checkride.

As a very wise person explained to me....I only need to do the 200 AGL once, and only once, at the checkride. After that, my personal minimums will be 400AGL, which is perfectly reasonable.

Think of that for the CFI ride - you only need to demonstrate the spins once, for the checkride (but do them correctly!).

Another option - find a very considerate acro instructor, explain the problem and work with them in incremental stages until you can tolerate the sensations.

 

[brcase]

Ever seen the movie "RIPD?" There's a part where Jeff Bridges is teaching Ryan Reynolds how to get hit by a bus (just go with it if you've never seen the movie). He walked out into traffic, spreads his arms and says "relax body," right before the bus hits him. I did a pushover once where as I pulled power and pushed the yoke forward I said "relax body," as a reminder. Oddly, it helped.

 

[Ed Haywood]

Another option - find a very considerate acro instructor, explain the problem and work with them in incremental stages until you can tolerate the sensations.

Very good advice. My first acro flight wiped me out. Had to go home, turn out the lights, and lay on the couch for an hour. 20 years later, I sometimes fly 3 acro flights a day without issue. It's all in the mind, or at least the mind's interpretation of feedback from the body. Anxiety increases negative physical responses, which creates more anxiety.

 

[rickgn]

I need some help with getting over a fear of falling. I would like to get my CFI, and I need to do my spin endorsement to do that. I also want to get aerobatic training, not because I anticipate routinely flying aerobatics, but because I want to have that level of knowledge, confidence, and control in the flight envelope.

I hate the sensation of falling and weightlessness, though. I HATE rollercoasters, to the point where if I go to an amusement part with friends and they want to ride them I'm the person that says I'll hold your keys/wallets/whatever and see you at the end. I obviously need to get over that. I've had to get over some of it practicing the stalls in the PPL. I had a spin demonstrated for me with the acro instructor at my school, and when the pitch and roll initially happened I completely froze and closed my eyes until I felt positive G's again. Positive G's I'm fine with and I actually enjoy the sensation of being pressed back into the seat, but I really hate the feeling in your gut of weightlessness.

Any advice?

Have you tried indoor skydiving? Scuba?

 

[eman1200]

I need help with getting over a sensation............

Any advice?

A little bit of penicillin can help with that.

 

[LoLPilot]

LoLPilot,
Were you able to overcome these issues? I have the same issue and I’m wondering if it’s possible to proceed with being a pilot with these issues.
Thanks!

Have you tried indoor skydiving? Scuba?

I have not tried indoor skydiving or scuba. Oddly enough being upside down doesn’t bother me.

@RyFly I have gotten better but there’s a weird caveat - I’m generally a lot better with it if I’m the one flying. I’ve done pushovers with a friend who thought being weightless was fun and when I was prepared for it and relaxed I was okay. I still don’t like riding along for it! But I think that repeated exposure in increasing levels is key. I’ve talked to a few other people who have said the same.

 

[rickgn]

I have not tried indoor skydiving or scuba. Oddly enough being upside down doesn’t bother me.

@RyFly I have gotten better but there’s a weird caveat - I’m generally a lot better with it if I’m the one flying. I’ve done pushovers with a friend who thought being weightless was fun and when I was prepared for it and relaxed I was okay. I still don’t like riding along for it! But I think that repeated exposure in increasing levels is key. I’ve talked to a few other people who have said the same.

It's a control issue. Many passengers feel the same way. Then, when you give them the yoke they have a ball. I don't know you personally, but in a generic sense, this is usually someone who doesn't like feeling like they are not in control. If you take this a step further, you might find it extends beyond flying. I have noted from managing people that these kinds of patterns show up in more than one area of one's life. The cure is learning how to manage risk. Being more planned, prepared, and muscle memory for when things go wrong will certainly help. Getting over the idea that you can't control everything is the other part.

I suggested scuba or indoor skydiving because it's a situation where you take on new calculated risk and overcome it. Do this in baby steps. (assuming it's a control issue)

 

[Mikey52]

I have not tried indoor skydiving or scuba. Oddly enough being upside down doesn’t bother me.

@RyFly I have gotten better but there’s a weird caveat - I’m generally a lot better with it if I’m the one flying. I’ve done pushovers with a friend who thought being weightless was fun and when I was prepared for it and relaxed I was okay. I still don’t like riding along for it! But I think that repeated exposure in increasing levels is key. I’ve talked to a few other people who have said the same.

Go ride the steel eel at San Antonio's sea world. Ride it 3 or 4 times till you're comfortable. It makes no loops and you don't go upside down at all.

 

[LoLPilot]

It's a control issue. Many passengers feel the same way. Then, when you give them the yoke they have a ball. I don't know you personally, but in a generic sense, this is usually someone who doesn't like feeling like they are not in control. If you take this a step further, you might find it extends beyond flying. I have noted from managing people that these kinds of patterns show up in more than one area of one's life. The cure is learning how to manage risk. Being more planned, prepared, and muscle memory for when things go wrong will certainly help. Getting over the idea that you can't control everything is the other part.

I suggested scuba or indoor skydiving because it's a situation where you take on new calculated risk and overcome it. Do this in baby steps. (assuming it's a control issue)

I could see this. Even with things that don't really bother me (like riding in cars) I will drive if given the opportunity vs. being a passenger.

 

[Dan Thomas]

I don't know if this is any help, but keep in mind that you are in control of the plane.

That's what I told my students that were having conniptions in some maneuvers. I told them the the airplane will do exactly as we ask it, so don't tell it to do something it shouldn't, and know how to fix it when it does do something you did purposely. Once you realize that the airplane doesn't really want to kill you, it gets easier.

I don't like fairground rides either. I am not in control, and I wonder about their maintenance, too. Some of those operators look perpetually hung-over.

 

[rickgn]

I could see this. Even with things that don't really bother me (like riding in cars) I will drive if given the opportunity vs. being a passenger.

It's a real issue to work out. You don't want to be that CFI who constantly says "my controls" every time the student does something trivial. You'll get fired a lot.

 

[LoLPilot]

It's a real issue to work out. You don't want to be that CFI who constantly says "my controls" every time the student does something trivial. You'll get fired a lot.

One of the things I am trying to do to work past this is volunteering to be a safety pilot for other club members who want to get instrument approaches in.

 

[Skip Miller]

I don't like fairground rides either. I am not in control, and I wonder about their maintenance, too. Some of those operators look perpetually hung-over.

I agree with that. The only roller coasters I will even consider are at Disney World/Land because the parent company has way too much at stake to risk shoddy maintenance on the rides.

Fortunately, my kids are well beyond fairground ride ages. Grandchildren are the parents problems for these rides!

-Skip

 

[Aceman]

I need some help with getting over a fear of falling. I would like to get my CFI, and I need to do my spin endorsement to do that. I also want to get aerobatic training, not because I anticipate routinely flying aerobatics, but because I want to have that level of knowledge, confidence, and control in the flight envelope.

I hate the sensation of falling and weightlessness, though. I HATE rollercoasters, to the point where if I go to an amusement part with friends and they want to ride them I'm the person that says I'll hold your keys/wallets/whatever and see you at the end. I obviously need to get over that. I've had to get over some of it practicing the stalls in the PPL. I had a spin demonstrated for me with the acro instructor at my school, and when the pitch and roll initially happened I completely froze and closed my eyes until I felt positive G's again. Positive G's I'm fine with and I actually enjoy the sensation of being pressed back into the seat, but I really hate the feeling in your gut of weightlessness.

Any advice?

Absolutely concur with your fear. I'm the same way. I hate the falling sensation when they pull 0gs or less.

Is this something you have to physically overcome with doing breathing exercises? I don't think it has to do with falling but more of the feeling that your stomach is going up instead of down.

Also agree 100% that I love the positive G feeling.

 

[Palmpilot]

I don't know that this is applicable to piloting an aircraft, but for rollercoasters, my ex-wife taught me that the secret to enjoying them is to put your arms up in the air for the drops. It worked. It probably has something to do with surrendering to the experience.

One of my mottoes is, "Never ride with a pilot who knows no fear." My thinking is that an appropriate level of fear helps us keep from doing stupid things.