So close...but not really...

[steamee]

90+ hours in and I'm theoretically near the end. Did my final stage check yesterday and I'm disappointed. Wouldn't have passed the check ride with that performance. Messed up my short field take-off (got confused with soft field), power on stall (didn't react fast enough and the CFI said I moved the wheel when right wing dipped some), steep turns (altitude), pattern (altitude), slow flight (altitude). I even missed repeating my call sign twice talking with tower. Maddening. Simply maddening. I seemed to have spent so much time getting my flight planning and navigation skills up that it looks like I've slid on the basics.

Worst flight in 3 months from a performance standpoint. The only consolation I'll give myself a bit is that I wasn't feeling 100% (recovering from cold) and I did mention just prior to the practice oral that I felt a step behind in thinking (which was true, I was kind of out of it by the time I landed). Still, I won't use that as an excuse since I could have just exercised some ADM and declared myself unfit. But since this wasn't for real I thought there was no harm in trying and getting the practice. Maybe I set myself up.

Having run worked on the end of course requirements for a month leading up to this - including practice flying - I'm getting frustrated. I've got a vacation in 2 weeks and a lot of work until then. I can either try and cram in as many flights as I can and try and get to where I need to be for a checkride (no guarantee I could get my CFI to sign-off if I did this or if weather would cooperate) or punt on this until next year. I'm wondering if I'm just burnt out from trying to do this. I've spent a zillion dollars on this already and I know if I put it off some more I'll just spend more. For the 1st time since I started flight training, I'm questioning whether I should continue. If I never flew again I would have already had a great life experience. What am I trying to prove here? Is it possible that I just don't have aptitude for this?

A certain stubbornness in me says I must plow through. I've never failed at anything I can think of (although I almost didn't pass microeconomics), but this just doesn't seem to be coming together smoothly at all after so much time that I have to wonder. Suggestions?

 

[RMCN172RG]

Relax.

You're being harder on yourself than you need to be.

Don't think of it as a test. It's an oppurtunity to fly with a new, highly trained professional who will teach you a few things while you're there.

 

[tonycondon]

this is a pretty standard thing to happen. don't sweat it. everyone has a lousy flight near the end of training. you had several small individually insignificant things conspire to make it a lousy flight. this is a good experience to have, thats what happens in the real world. now you know...

my bets would be that your next flight will be fine. you haven't had any problems until now there is no need to worry that you aren't cut out for this. that would've been apparent in the first 10 hrs.

 

[Bob Noel]

90+ hours in and I'm theoretically near the end. Did my final stage check yesterday and I'm disappointed. ...

Don't sweat it. Relax. Flying is a wonderful experience.

The night before my instrument checkride I went for a tuneup lesson
with my CFII and ohmygawd how badly did I do... it was horrible.
I screwed up so badly that I went home and puked because
of the stress.

But the next day I proved I still knew how to fly under the hood and
passed the checkride.

 

[Clark1961]

Don't sweat it. Relax. Flying is a wonderful experience.

The night before my instrument checkride I went for a tuneup lesson
with my CFII and ohmygawd how badly did I do... it was horrible.
I screwed up so badly that I went home and puked because
of the stress.

But the next day I proved I still knew how to fly under the hood and
passed the checkride.

Or you can do like I did and not screw up the last prep flight with the instructor and then totally blow the check ride...ouch...that smarted. Oh well, I tried again and passed the second time. No big deal other than the extra fee.

 

[bbchien]

A certain stubbornness in me says I must plow through. I've never failed at anything I can think of (although I almost didn't pass microeconomics), but this just doesn't seem to be coming together smoothly at all after so much time that I have to wonder. Suggestions?

Microeconomics? Heck, I had to audacity to ask Prof. J.K. Galbraith, FROM THE LECTURE FLOOR, why his graphs had no marks or calibrations on the axes and what the units of the "UTILE" were. Wanna guess my grade?

Just persist. You actually sound very, very close.

CFI.

 

[SCCutler]

Microeconomics? Heck, I had to audacity to ask Prof. J.K. Galbraith, FROM THE LECTURE FLOOR, why his graphs had no marks or calibrations on the axes and what the units of the "UTILE" were. Wanna guess my grade?

Just persist. You actually sound very, very close.

CFI.

(Chuckle!)

 

[Ted]

Don't sweat it. You'll get it done. You just had a bad day - it happens to all of us, no matter how many hours we had. You're probably best off not overpracticing, since that might wear you out and just frustrate you.

Also don't let it get to you. Everyone takes their own amount of time to get it done. Some people do it in 40 hours, some do it in 200 (no joke). You'll get it done.

 

[gismo]

this is a pretty standard thing to happen. don't sweat it. everyone has a lousy flight near the end of training. you had several small individually insignificant things conspire to make it a lousy flight. this is a good experience to have, thats what happens in the real world. now you know...

my bets would be that your next flight will be fine. you haven't had any problems until now there is no need to worry that you aren't cut out for this. that would've been apparent in the first 10 hrs.

I think I've had something similar happen just prior to almost every checkride I've taken (7 so far but who's counting). And every time the checkride went fine. Now if I don't have problems on the last minute prep flight before my next ride I'll thing something's seriously amiss.

One thing I think might be worth considering is whether you let one mistake distract you enough to precipitate more problems. On the checkride and in your post checkride flying you need to get with the idea that mistakes in the past are irrelevant to the current task.

 

[rottydaddy]

Your post reminds me of more than one day in my last few hours before the PP check ride...it can be discouraging. Your brain is overstuffed, and you're pushing yourself very hard. You catch yourself making stupid little mistakes. It seems to be a very common syndrome.

Don't fly if you aren't feeling tip-top, especially now. It's not worth it, believe me. Obsessing on completing the training ASAP can just distract you from polishing what you have built up to now.

I'd imagine that if you made the same error (getting short and soft mixed up) on the check ride, the examiner would let it slide... if it was a good short or soft take-off. Simulated shorts and softs are so abstract compared to doing them in earnest, it's easy to not have them clearly defined and separated in your mind, if you've been doing both on the same runway more often than not. But do you think you'd forget your soft-field technique when taking off from a grass strip? Probably not.
And if you performed the requested takeoff type and screwed it up, that would be worse than doing the wrong one properly.

The most important thing you need to do on the check ride is show that you have full awareness of what you're doing and what you need to do next... the little brain-farts are usually not a big deal.

 

[DutchessFlier]

Steamee my man...comon dude you and I are partners in crime here!!!! Don't sweat it and relax...talk to yourself OUTLOUD in the plane as you prepare for your tasks...take your time and that lets you relax, think about the task, talk it out and then work it out. You are being way too hard on yourself!!! We have a bet you know...who gets to fly for that first $100.00 burger!!! Let me know when you pass!!!! PM me if you want to talk.

 

[steamee]

Thanks to everyone for their replies, encouragement, and humor. Did I learn anything out of all this? I think so. Just hope I can put it all together some time soon. I tried to think of something positive and overall I was happy with the landings at least (which of course now I've jinxed for all time by mentioning it). It's annoying because I know I can do this when I'm by myself. Just something about having someone else in the other seat is psyching me out. It's almost like the more they try to advise me the worse I get although that doesn't make any sense since I'm defintely still picking up tips.

Cruddier NE weather (which is to say back to normal), work travel, and vacation ends my hopes of getting this done in October. Might be able to sneak in one dual somewhere. However, maybe a few weeks break will do me well. Study my regs a bit more and be ready for some flying in Nov.

Duchess: Now you sound like my CFI. Although the time thing is interesting. I purposely extended my time between checkpoints and lowered my power/TAS on my x-country planning because I felt it was just too busy with short intervals (e.g. <10 min per checkpoint). I suppose I could do things like slow up my clearing turns.

Rotty: Yeah, I had a general "meh" feeling but nothing physically wrong with me. As it turned out I was still kind of "meh" the day after so maybe I underestimated my own fitness. I'll be straight up honest though and acknowledge that I need to be more familiar in setting up some of the maneuvers I learned early on.

Wahtor: Yep. Screwing up one thing always distracts me. How could it not? You're being evaluated. I don't know how those figure skaters fall on their butts on national TV and keep going like nothing happened.

 

[SkyHog]

this is a pretty standard thing to happen. don't sweat it. everyone has a lousy flight near the end of training. you had several small individually insignificant things conspire to make it a lousy flight. this is a good experience to have, thats what happens in the real world. now you know...

my bets would be that your next flight will be fine. you haven't had any problems until now there is no need to worry that you aren't cut out for this. that would've been apparent in the first 10 hrs.

I had so many close calls before I got my cert. Seems everytime I was just about to take the checkride, I'd slump into stupidity. You'll get it, man!

 

[Clark1961]

[snip]

Wahtor: Yep. Screwing up one thing always distracts me. How could it not? You're being evaluated. I don't know how those figure skaters fall on their butts on national TV and keep going like nothing happened.

That's just practice. Once you've fallen on your butt a few thousand times what's one more?

It's ok to strive for perfection if that's your thing but it's most certainly not ok to expect it.

 

[silver-eagle]

Microeconomics? Heck, I had to audacity to ask Prof. J.K. Galbraith, FROM THE LECTURE FLOOR, why his graphs had no marks or calibrations on the axes and what the units of the "UTILE" were. Wanna guess my grade?

Just persist. You actually sound very, very close.

CFI.

Still haven't learned.... Don't tug on Superman's cape.

90+ hours in and I'm theoretically near the end.....SNIP....

Relax. You're just going flying with another flying Dude. Remember, technically, he's your first PAX. The only skin in the game he has is signing your certificate.
After 90 hours, you got it made!

 

[John Baker]

90+ hours
- I'm getting frustrated. (no guarantee I could get my CFI to sign-off if I did this or if weather would cooperate).

I'm wondering if I'm just burnt out from trying to do this.

I've spent a zillion dollars on this already and I know if I put it off some more I'll just spend more.

For the 1st time since I started flight training, I'm questioning whether I should continue.

What am I trying to prove here? Is it possible that I just don't have aptitude for this?

Suggestions?

Lets see now, I have well over 250 hrs.

I have spent over one hundred thousand dollars.

I've been signed off for my check ride, only to have it canceled for bureaucratic reasons.

I have only one eye, that had a medium cataract in it, I could see just fine for work and driving, but not flying. I risked going blind for the rest of my life to have a cataract operation, just so I could fly.

I've been milked like a cash cow by a flight school. All of this is just some of the stuff I have gone through to get a pilots license, there is a whole lot more. Someday I will list the whole thing for you.

Many years ago, I was with the 101st Airborne Division. The one thing they pounded into my scull, and everyone else's, over and over again, was simple to remember:

DO NOT QUIT! NEVER QUIT! YOUR A PARATROOPER, YOUR SUPPOSED TO BE SURROUNDED, JUST EXACTLY WHO IN IN THE F. ARE YOU GOING TO QUIT TO?

These subtle reminders that they issued us constantly, then later on as a sergeant I passed on to other troopers, is something that has not only stayed with me my entire life, it has served me very well. It has saved me countless times in my career.

Any idiot can quit, it's easy, but very few idiots get to fly.

John

P.S. There was another major thing we were brainwashed into believing as gospel: ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION! No matter what, the mission always came first.

 

[rottydaddy]

Rotty: Yeah, I had a general "meh" feeling but nothing physically wrong with me. As it turned out I was still kind of "meh" the day after so maybe I underestimated my own fitness. I'll be straight up honest though and acknowledge that I need to be more familiar in setting up some of the maneuvers I learned early on.

Sure, but "meh" can spoil a flight lesson as much as a real ailment. The "E" in IMSAFE stands for...? Sometimes flying is just the thing to un-stress or cheer yourself up, but usually not during primary training. It's hard enough absorbing and polishing up all this new stuff without being distracted by "the blahs" or whatever.

As for the maneuvers: practice will smooth that stuff out, but taking your time and thinking of the preparation as part of the maneuver will help, meanwhile.
For example: MCA manuevers. It doesn't start when you have the airplane slowed down, etc- it starts when you decide "slow flight". How smoothly you go about setting up is just as important as how well you can maneuver at MCA. Chair flying is a huge help with that, too, just like with emergency procedures.

 

[steamee]

Got back in the left seat today for a short flight after 3 weeks away. Just a quiet fall morning dual to get my solo privileges back (school rules - no soloing if not flown in 2 weeks). Smooth air clear of traffic with picturesque rays of sunshine spilling out of clouds to illuminate a browning landscape below.

Took some time to just fly and work on maneuvers with attention to non-instrument altitude keeping and sight picture under different configurations of power.It was the first time in a long time that I didn't have to deal with precision navigation, continuous radio calls, fuel/time, or someone evaluating me and just flew. Back to the drill next time, but it was refreshing to take a look around and just enjoy for a change.

 

[DutchessFlier]

ENJOY IT!!!!! It's so cool to just remember why you are doing this...you love flying and it's the best!

 

[akite]

ENJOY IT!!!!! It's so cool to just remember why you are doing this...you love flying and it's the best!

Keep at it! I flew for approximately 3 minutes today (Single rope break training flight in a glider) and loved every minute even though there was a high overcast and smoke from a stubble fire.

 

[CT Arrow]

90+ hours in and I'm theoretically near the end. Did my final stage check yesterday and I'm disappointed. Wouldn't have passed the check ride with that performance.

I think I can speak for many... We all have been in your shoes

I never thought I was ready enough to take the PVT. Told my instructor I need more hours to steady and cram the oral. He laughed and said your over prepared. You know what, he was right!

The Instrument went pretty much as planned. Did I screw a few things up? Yes, but I learned from them and moved on. The examiner was a down to earth guy and I learned a ton from.

Bottom line, don't sweat it you will do fine!!:smile:

 

[kevin7500]

I started with the philosophy that everyone that I would encounter during this training had two things in common. First, they had been where I was and secondly, they all wanted me to succeed.

The day of my checkride the flight examiner confirmed my philosophy. We sat down for the oral portion and the first thing he said was "I am not looking for a reason to fail you". I knew going in that steep turns were going to be the make it or break it manuever. I told him as much when we were walking out to the plane and his reply was "well, we won't do those first then". (super nice guy, by the way) Everything about the check ride was well with in tolerance, except steep turns. They were marginal at best. His main concern was that I was going to be safe in the air. Chasing altitude in a steep turn was not.

He was also kind enough to inform me that short field landings are what fail most people.....as I was flying the downwind for a short field landing!

 

[Jack Spectre]

He was also kind enough to inform me that short field landings are what fail most people.....as I was flying the downwind for a short field landing!

I agonized and practiced short field landings until I couldn't stand it anymore. Going into the checkride, I was still a bit weak on it. Never during our lessons had my instructor put a 50 ft obstacle requirement into the SF landing.

The last thing we did on the checkride was a short field landing over a pretend 50ft obstacle. I'd never had to account for this, so, while on final I steepened my descent and adjusted my glide path so I was more than 50 ft. AGL when I crossed the threshold. I pulled power, flared hard, and touched down withing 200 feet of my aim point. The DPE looked at me and said "nicely done, pilot!". It was my best short field ever, with a curve ball thrown in for good measure.