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As a society, we are obsessed with Numbers. We use them to compare
ourselves to others. I make X number of dollars, I have house of Y square feet. My car, truck or other vehicle has an engine of W liter (cubic inches for the metrically challenged). As such, when someone asks "What is the average hours before soloing?", they are trying to compare themselves to the 'average' pilot. If they do it in less than the average, then it's 'look at me, I'm great'. If they do it in the 'average' amount of time, then they are doing OK. But, when their number of hours is greater than the average, they may feel that something is wrong with them. "Am I stupid?". "Am I slow?". "Should I quit now?". I unfortunately find myself in the latter category... 47.7 hours and no solo yet. Only two issues remain: simulated instrument flight and landings. With simulated instrument flight, I can do straight and level and turns. But when combined with climbs and or descents, I don't meet the PTS requirements. Either I blow the altitude or the heading. Take the hood off and I can climb, turn, fiddle with the radio and look for traffic (while chewing gum) without blowing headings or altitudes. Landings. I fly out of LGB (Long Beach) and LGB is cursed with WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE runways. I say cursed, since when we fly to CMP (Compton) or TOA (Torrance), I have no problem staying on the runway center-line. But at LGB I can track the center-line up to the flare, after the flare at touchdown I'm off the centerline. Am I in the weeds? No. I'm usually 20-30 feet left or right of the centerline. Am I stupid? I don't think so. I studied Chemical Engineering and Computer Science in college and I work as a Software Architect for manufacturer of large transport category airplanes. Before someone concludes that I'm a bookworm, I've renovated two houses mostly on my own. When I say renovate, I mean gutting most of space down to the framing and bringing the space back to code. Am I slow? I read slowly, but otherwise see above. I don't think it's the instructor. He is not someone who is teaching just to build time and then move on to bigger airplanes. The only comment I could make and I suspect that it would apply to many instructors, is that he points too many things out. Yes, I know I blew the altitude or the heading, pointing it out each time can get really old, really fast. A suggestion for CFIs, sometimes it's better to wait until the maneuver is completed before saying something. Of course, if it's a safety of flight issue, then by all means say something. At the school where I am learning, the instructor grades your performance after each flight on a scale from 1 to 5. Where 1 is deemed excellent and 5 is considered unsatisfactory. With 3 being average. Reviewing my training records, I haven't scored greater than a 3 since lesson number 13. From lesson 14 through lesson 33, I've scored average to excellent. Should I quit now? That is what I'm pondering. 47.7 hours and still no solo. Constructive suggestions or criticisms welcomed. Please refrain from only saying 'don't give up'. |
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