Private Pilot Flight Training and Instruction
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Self-Doubt is Normal
Every so often the instructor finds a student who is going
through a phase of flying that is very disturbing to the student.
A student may be making an excuse not to fly. Pilots making excuses
not to fly start thinking about the happenings, 'might have's',
and dangers seemingly associated with flying. The discomfort
of flying is greater than the pleasure. If a student quits for
a few weeks thinking about flying may produce discomfort. Flying
and driving are risky. Things can happen and do go wrong. In
driving what occurs is much more likely to be by another driver.
A pilot is in complete control of the risk of flying. Flying
is one of the most self-deterministic activities you can undertake.
The pilot decides what is going to happen.
The discomfort associated with not wanting to fly comes from
self-doubt. The student questions whether learning to fly is
worth the money, time, effort, and stress. A concern for safety
causes doubt as to one's ability to fly safely. The self-reflective
and introspective pilot is seeking answers to questions for which
there are no answers. Getting back into flying means that we
recognize that part of being human is to question, have doubts,
and to seek the high pleasure that goes with taking risks. Flying
is a pleasure too important to be monopolized by the young.
The anxiety of flying can only become the relaxation of flying
if the pilot is mentally prepared for it. When the pilot is insecure
with a particular flight operation, be it radio, cross winds,
airport arrivals, or some other aspect, he tends to avoid that
situation. This is normal but dangerous. We cannot predict what
flight operation will become essential to safety. As a pilot
you must make constant evaluations of the what and why you make
certain flying choices.
The solution to a student's sense of failure as a problem
interfering with learning is related to a training/learning program
that will reduce the intellectual/emotional load. A student's
overcoming of difficulties depends on the teacher's ability to
detect cause, effect, and provide solutions.
As the student becomes aware of his abilities and limitations,
he must also be aware of those which are fixed and incapable
of change as well as those which can be changed. The pilot has
a fixed physical ability to fly, see, and hear. Certain artificial
devices can improve on seeing and hearing but only structured
training in performance and attitudes can increase the reserve
capacity in ability.
The student must, also, consider his own capability and experience.
Is this a first time experience or related to previous background
such as going to another airport or even a revisit. The student
needs to base his preparation on his individual needs and weaknesses
and his expectations. This includes his ability to make the aircraft
perform in line with its published capability, his knowledge
of the area, his radio proficiency, and his safety planning.
Every phase of flight has requirements in knowledge, aircraft
management, communications, or pilot ability. All to frequently,
the greatest demands on our piloting skill occur just when the
required ability to meet those demands have reached its lowest
point. The pilot in a given phase of flight has a level of capacity
in knowledge, flying skill, communications, and capability reserve.
The analogy I have often used prior to solo is that I expect
the student to be able to fly, navigate, and communicate in the
airport pattern. At the same time he should talk to me about
a completely unrelated matter. This last item is 'reserve capacity'.
We drive cars all the time doing this. I do not want my soloed
student to become overloaded and without the reserve capacity
to handle the unexpected. I train my students in every area to
have ample reserve capacity.
When something happens that you have not anticipated, your
attention focuses. In flying, this often means that flying the
airplane ceases to maintain its priority. Your training must
cope this by teaching you to be aware of what exists in the present
flight situation and using that information to heighten awareness
of what can be expected to happen. How you react to the unexpected
can be trained. Simulators are great for this with the big airplanes.
Small aircraft 'unexpecteds' are only available in the POH and
are not practical or safe to simulate.
Written by Gene Whitt
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