MCube78
Filing Flight Plan
Dear fellow aviators, here is my little contribution to the community. It's a small (and trite?) issue, but it brought me back from no-flying-land..:
So, after a couple years away from flying -- due to expat-ting -- I found a new home in the US and got back to that IFR ticket I dropped half a way to go across the atlantic. Can't even begin to tell you how much I missed flying and the amount of couch and e-flying I had done in the meanwhile.. (but you guys already know if you are here
)
Started well, but 2 lessons into it my instructor just wouldn't listen to me, wouldn't listen to how I learned, it was pretty much like military camp. I had no space to understand anything, just had to do what he said (but if I don't understand I just forget..!!) I tried explaining my needs, but it was just his way or the highway. I just wasn't learning. Now, I pride myself of being an excellent private, but gosh the C172's cabin is pretty small, can't even begin to tell you how much smaller it became and how stressed I was at every lesson, at every knob twist, at every word on the radio, at every single thing. As if IFR doesn't already give you enough stuff to juggle..!!!
Was it me? Am I just not cut for this? Am I not understanding his (brilliant) lessons? Is it him? How do I know? I mean the guy has a CFII and plenty experience, who am I with 160+ hours and a PPL to judge??
Eventually I started cancelling lessons, making up excuses, and one week, and another, and I was just not flying anymore.
Just around the same time, a friend of mine, a pilot with some million logged hour, was in the area, and we went flying together. We had an instructor on board (a different one), since I never flew the 182, and he is unfamiliar with the region.
He asked about my instrument ticket and I fessed up I had 'lost it,' and explained why. He didn't say a word, and didn't waste a single second. At the end of the flight he took the (new) instructor on the side and told him I needed a new IFR instructor, could he pick me up? I felt terrible saying I had a problem with my instructor, but, turns out, I'm not the first! (Although in all fairness, many students have gotten their ticket with that instructor, so..)
One week later I was back into it, and several months later, I twist knobs, work the radio and shoot approaches like there is no tomorrow -- and can't get enough of it. I told my friend about the progress, all he said was "I've seen that movie a thousand times before".
MORAL OF THE STORY:
IT'S OK, YOU CAN CHANGE. Students learn differently, and instructors teach differently. If it's not a match, find another one. It's not your fault. No hard feelings. Sometimes it just happens. But above all, don't let crap like this interfere with your passion!
I hope this may help any lost soul out there,
cheers
MCube
So, after a couple years away from flying -- due to expat-ting -- I found a new home in the US and got back to that IFR ticket I dropped half a way to go across the atlantic. Can't even begin to tell you how much I missed flying and the amount of couch and e-flying I had done in the meanwhile.. (but you guys already know if you are here
)Started well, but 2 lessons into it my instructor just wouldn't listen to me, wouldn't listen to how I learned, it was pretty much like military camp. I had no space to understand anything, just had to do what he said (but if I don't understand I just forget..!!) I tried explaining my needs, but it was just his way or the highway. I just wasn't learning. Now, I pride myself of being an excellent private, but gosh the C172's cabin is pretty small, can't even begin to tell you how much smaller it became and how stressed I was at every lesson, at every knob twist, at every word on the radio, at every single thing. As if IFR doesn't already give you enough stuff to juggle..!!!
Was it me? Am I just not cut for this? Am I not understanding his (brilliant) lessons? Is it him? How do I know? I mean the guy has a CFII and plenty experience, who am I with 160+ hours and a PPL to judge??
Eventually I started cancelling lessons, making up excuses, and one week, and another, and I was just not flying anymore.
Just around the same time, a friend of mine, a pilot with some million logged hour, was in the area, and we went flying together. We had an instructor on board (a different one), since I never flew the 182, and he is unfamiliar with the region.
He asked about my instrument ticket and I fessed up I had 'lost it,' and explained why. He didn't say a word, and didn't waste a single second. At the end of the flight he took the (new) instructor on the side and told him I needed a new IFR instructor, could he pick me up? I felt terrible saying I had a problem with my instructor, but, turns out, I'm not the first! (Although in all fairness, many students have gotten their ticket with that instructor, so..)
One week later I was back into it, and several months later, I twist knobs, work the radio and shoot approaches like there is no tomorrow -- and can't get enough of it. I told my friend about the progress, all he said was "I've seen that movie a thousand times before".
MORAL OF THE STORY:
IT'S OK, YOU CAN CHANGE. Students learn differently, and instructors teach differently. If it's not a match, find another one. It's not your fault. No hard feelings. Sometimes it just happens. But above all, don't let crap like this interfere with your passion!
I hope this may help any lost soul out there,
cheers
MCube
