Some questions

Late Bloomer

Late Bloomer

Pre-Flight
Joined
Jan 21, 2012
Messages
30
Location
FL
Display Name
Display name:
Late Bloomer
I've been on hiatus in my training since July. My father had some health issues,and then my wife had some issues as well.

I still haven't yet soloed, because I'm having trouble with my landings. Is it normal to get somewhat scared when you see that big slab of asphalt coming up at you quickly? I tend to pull up and flare level off too high.

Also, is it normal to get completely lost when just a few miles away from your home airport? Everything looks so different, yet it all looks the same.

I guess I just need some encouragement to get over these plateaus.
 
Don't look at where you are landing, that big hunk of concrete creates "ground rush".
On short final, adjust your eyes to look at the far end of the runway, that will help with alignment and you'll adapt to picking up the runway in your side vision to help with depth perception above the runway during the flare.

Practice, practice, practice.
 
Late Bloomer said:
I've been on hiatus in my training since July. My father had some health issues,and then my wife had some issues as well.
I still haven't yet soloed, because I'm having trouble with my landings. Is it normal to get somewhat scared when you see that big slab of asphalt coming up at you quickly? I tend to pull up and flare level off too high.
Click to expand...

Being ground-shy is common for new pilots. So is parking a car in one side of a double garage for new drivers. You've probably learned one of these skills already and will able to learn the other.

Also, is it normal to get completely lost when just a few miles away from your home airport?
Click to expand...

That also comes with time and experience, up to a point. At this age I can get lost in the men's room.

Everything looks so different, yet it all looks the same.
Click to expand...

It will until somebody starts showing you how to identify easy-to-find landmarks and features. Midwesterners have a hard time driving in New England for the same reason. All the intersections look the same.

I guess I just need some encouragement to get over these plateaus.
Click to expand...

Fortunately, all of your problems are those that most pilots experienced early in the game. We figured it out and you will too.
Click to expand...
 
There was a point where I never thought I'd be able to find my way back from the practice area. I was genuinely afraid of getting lost going 10 miles. It gets better, and things begin to look familiar from the air, much like they do in a car when you travel to a new place frequently (such as the airport!).

As far as landing goes, it was certainly a struggle for me also. It was a struggle when I was training and then it was a struggle when I switched to a Cessna. The key, IMO, is your sight picture. You'll begin to develop a picture for what things are *supposed* to look like in a landing and how they feel. You can always ask your CFI to demonstrate a landing while you shadow the controls to help you gain that sight picture. Also don't look at the nose, look towards the end of the runway. And for heavens sakes TRIM for the flare! You'll flare much more effectively and easily if you are trimmed well so you're not fighting it.
 
I have not yet gotten my PPL, but I have done all my solo work.

Yes, for me, everything looks kind of the same from the air. Luckily, I live in New England, so lots of landmarks. If I lived in the midwest, I would need to learn a different way of identifying landmarks. For example out here, power lines are incredibly obvious, and they have to cut a line in the forest for them.

As for landings, I never really worried about the ground coming up. The only thing that got me the first few times, was that turn from base to final, when your still descending, and staring at the ground. The airport I land at is in the woods, so I see trees rapidly getting larger. Now it's nothing more then another reference point to know if I am at the right altitude, but it took a few trips around the pattern to get over it.

The technique I use to land, and this is in a 150 and 172, not sure if this doesn't work in other aircraft, is when I am coming in, look at the end of the runway, and never let the nose of the airplane get higher then it. So when you flare, flare to the point where the nose is lower then the end of the runway as you bleed off speed. This helps prevent ballooning, if that's your problem.
 
Late Bloomer said:
I've been on hiatus in my training since July. My father had some health issues,and then my wife had some issues as well.

I still haven't yet soloed, because I'm having trouble with my landings. Is it normal to get somewhat scared when you see that big slab of asphalt coming up at you quickly? I tend to pull up and flare level off too high.

Also, is it normal to get completely lost when just a few miles away from your home airport? Everything looks so different, yet it all looks the same.

I guess I just need some encouragement to get over these plateaus.
Click to expand...

Hang in there.

It took me as long to solo as it takes many people to get to their checkride. In the end, I will share the same title: pilot.

Here's what you need to remember. When you are at the numbers, its time to adjust your point of aim. If you look right off of the cowling, you'll see the ground rushing up at your and will pull back too much. If you look too far down the runway, you'll fail to flare. Look down the runway like you are driving a car. Add trim as you're starting the round out to help the control pressures. Make sure you pitch for the proper airspeed. Do these things, and you'll get there. You will make mistakes from time to time.

Remember to adjust your seat to the same position, every time. If you are too high, you'll generally flare too late as well.

Also try this: have your instructor do a low approach at 10' through most of the length of the runway. Then have him/her do it at 5'. Memorize that sight picture. That's what you're looking for.

Rod Mochado has some good advice:

http://www.rodmachado.com/_become_private_pilot/landings.php

You'll get the practice area down with time. Take your sectional / terminal area chart and study it. When you are flying there, keep a sectional in one hand and yoke in the other. Ask yourself "where am I?" Once you do that, it becomes ten times easier.

Normal people quit their training. The rest become pilots. DO. NOT. QUIT.
 
Everyone else has covered it. All normal. Just adding a note of encouragement. We've all been there. The speed sensation, the lost sensation... All normal.

Ironically after you get to where it makes sense, then you don't want to go a week without seeing that different view of the world! :)
 
Late Bloomer said:
I've been on hiatus in my training since July. My father had some health issues,and then my wife had some issues as well.

I still haven't yet soloed, because I'm having trouble with my landings. Is it normal to get somewhat scared when you see that big slab of asphalt coming up at you quickly? I tend to pull up and flare level off too high.

Also, is it normal to get completely lost when just a few miles away from your home airport? Everything looks so different, yet it all looks the same.

I guess I just need some encouragement to get over these plateaus.
Click to expand...

Since it's already been covered, I'll go ahead and repeat it all anyway.:rolleyes:

The landings will come to you in time, you just have to do enough of them to get the hang of it and then it will click. And remember that every landing is different. Pretty much ALL pilots are still waiting for that perfect landing.

As far as the feeling of 'getting lost', you'll get over that soon enough once you learn how to pick out some landmarks and remember to keep track of which direction you are heading. That river over there? That lake? That highway? They are all clues that you'll figure out how to use. Wait until your solo cross countries,you'll have it figured out by then.

Just relax and enjoy!
 
Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'm looking to start back up again!
 
Spend some time hanging out with google earth and a chart - cross reference everything on the chart with something you see on your screen. No pressure to fly the airplane, no worries about getting lost. Just sorting out what the ground looks like compared to the chart.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Spend some time hanging out with google earth and a chart - cross reference everything on the chart with something you see on your screen. No pressure to fly the airplane, no worries about getting lost. Just sorting out what the ground looks like compared to the chart.
Click to expand...

One of the nice things about training without a GPS was learning how to correlate what's on the sectional with what's on the ground. Next flight, take a little time to match up what you see on the sectional with what's on the ground. Around here, there are a lot of private airstrips that show on the sectional, but are very difficult to find from the air. You really have to find the tower, the bend in the highway, the railroad line, and whatever other info there is no the chart in order to find the strips. That makes for some good practice, and some fun flying.
 
Late Bloomer said:
Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'm looking to start back up again!
Click to expand...
I had this landing problem too. My instructor took me up and then he had me fly just above the runway in ground effect for about 1/2 the runway. We did that for several attempts finally it started coming together. Landings at good now. Follow others advice it works
 
Late Bloomer said:
I've been on hiatus in my training since July. My father had some health issues,and then my wife had some issues as well.

I still haven't yet soloed, because I'm having trouble with my landings. Is it normal to get somewhat scared when you see that big slab of asphalt coming up at you quickly? I tend to pull up and flare level off too high.

Also, is it normal to get completely lost when just a few miles away from your home airport? Everything looks so different, yet it all looks the same.

I guess I just need some encouragement to get over these plateaus.
Click to expand...
It's so common that someone coined a name for the condition: "Ground Shy".
 
I have over 300 hours and probably should not say it on a public forum, but I am still impress myself every time I land my plane. Though I am quite sure some of landings are probably not something to be too proud of. But then again maybe I am just impressionable.
 
I just didn't "get" landings for a while either.. I looked back through my logbook and see I had 16 lessons before I solo'd, 8 lessons have notes that they were basically focused on landings.. It seemed like more than that, but we would only do about 1 hr of landings before calling it quits..

I was lucky that my home field had a VOR on it, so I could generally find my way back.. It will make a lot more sense after your first Dual XC with a sectional and looking for landmarks..
 
I went out in the pattern today and did 6 touch and goes.

I didn't like any of them. Some days are better then others.
 
If it makes you feel any better today I did not land very well. I really wish I could have logged it as 2 landings, but that wouldn't have been politically correct! :lol:
 
Mafoo said:
I went out in the pattern today and did 6 touch and goes.

I didn't like any of them. Some days are better then others.
Click to expand...
I think you meant than. Sorry could not resist.:wink2:

Doug
 
Oh believe me, me too. I was just pulling your chain. Sorry.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top