Convince me to stick with it . . .

OK, I had just about "2 steps backward" day yesterday flying.

We're just focussing on pattern and landing.
I'm fine on everything. then after the turn to final,
things start falling apart.
Holy crap!
In fact, I did so bad, I called it quits after 3 times
around. I was just completely flustered and embarassed.

I'm not 100% starting abeam the numbers, not getting the
plane setup right - but I generally make up for that.

I correct a bit on base and final for "high/low fast/slow",
but still have a few issues getting the right airspeed.

By short final, I'm not on the centerline, can't quite
get back on, and then blow the flare, and things go goofy.

OK - I've read the posts before. But now I'm just about
to the solo point, and am feeling that I'm not having any
fun now.
I am embarassed by my peformance.

- So, ar there some tactics I should consider?
- Take a couple weeks off and relax?
- Take some time to read and review some videos?
- Go fly somewhere else once or twice and see if a different
instructor can connect?
- Take clarinet lessons with Squidward?
- Get a vasectomy?

I'm really frustrated today and haven't even booked another flight
because I'm pretty underconfident at the moment.

OK-the boilerplates.
About 18 hours flying.
About 42-45 landings (although I figure the first 10 or so don't count
as they are just still in the "what the hell is an airplane" phase -
ha!)

Thanks and regards,

Gary

Sorry - I posted this to the wrong group.
Meant to post to .student

Gary
As a check pilot in a 141 school, I do the pre-solo phase checks and
you are just about at the point of can or can't. I've found it takes on
average 45-55 landings to get the idea of how to do it safely? You are
not off the mark and going thru the usual frustrations. Stick with it
and suddenly it will make sense and you'll look back and laugh.

Gary G wrote:
Sorry - I posted this to the wrong group.
Meant to post to .student

No problem - go ahead.

I started flying powered aircraft at an age
of nearly 40, and it's not as easy to learn
as earlier. I flew gliders for some time
and started again after a pause of 20 years.

It took me 10 hours and 103 landings before
the first solo. The airspeed problems feel
familiar - IMHO, they belong to the learning
curve. My training airplane, a Piper Tomahawk,
is particularly difficult to trim properly
for an airspeed, as the trim mechanism is a
spring instead of an aerodynamic tab.

Just count the frustration as a necessary
evil, bite the bullet and go ahead. Training
makes the master.

The feeling of the first solo is unique, you'll
remember it the rest of your life.

--

Tauno Voipio (CPL-A, CFII)
tauno voipio (at) iki fi

Gary G wrote:

snip

OK - I've read the posts before. But now I'm just about
to the solo point, and am feeling that I'm not having any
fun now.
I am embarassed by my peformance.

snip

I'm really frustrated today and haven't even booked another flight
because I'm pretty underconfident at the moment.

snip
Thanks and regards,

Gary

Hi Gary,

I've often found, for myself, that I suck worst JUST before the "click".
that indefinable moment when it starts to come together on a particular
maneuver or procedure.

Early on, once I was cleared for solo, I went up by myself and did nothing
but landings because I was unhappy with them. One after another.

first 11 were just awful. Rotten. Then, all of the sudden, the 12th was
pretty good. From there it was onwards and upwards.

Lots of people feel embarassed at one point or another. Feel like the
present problem presents an insuperable wall. But they get through it.

I won't presume to try and convince you of staying with it, but just recall
you aren't the first person to be in this situation. and lots of them got
though just fine.

Gregg

On Tue, 06 Dec 2005 09:55:23 -0600, Gary G
wrote:

OK, I had just about "2 steps backward" day yesterday flying.

We're just focussing on pattern and landing.
I'm fine on everything. then after the turn to final,
things start falling apart.
Holy crap!
In fact, I did so bad, I called it quits after 3 times
around. I was just completely flustered and embarassed.

I'm not 100% starting abeam the numbers, not getting the
plane setup right - but I generally make up for that.

I correct a bit on base and final for "high/low fast/slow",
but still have a few issues getting the right airspeed.

By short final, I'm not on the centerline, can't quite
get back on, and then blow the flare, and things go goofy.

OK - I've read the posts before. But now I'm just about
to the solo point, and am feeling that I'm not having any
fun now.
I am embarassed by my peformance.

- So, ar there some tactics I should consider?
- Take a couple weeks off and relax?
- Take some time to read and review some videos?
- Go fly somewhere else once or twice and see if a different
instructor can connect?
- Take clarinet lessons with Squidward?
- Get a vasectomy?

I'm really frustrated today and haven't even booked another flight
because I'm pretty underconfident at the moment.

OK-the boilerplates.
About 18 hours flying.
About 42-45 landings (although I figure the first 10 or so don't count
as they are just still in the "what the hell is an airplane" phase -
ha!)

Thanks and regards,

Gary


Man, you need to relax a little and focus on throttle corrections and
slow corrections on control inputs.

Make one good pattern entry and remember to maintain the exact pattern
altitude each time.

Sheesh when you get to the right position on the runway cut the
throttle your bound to land.......lol

Are these all solo?


Regards
Daveb

On Tue, 06 Dec 2005 09:55:23 -0600, Gary G
wrote:

OK, I had just about "2 steps backward" day yesterday flying.

We're just focussing on pattern and landing.
I'm fine on everything. then after the turn to final,
things start falling apart.
Holy crap!
In fact, I did so bad, I called it quits after 3 times
around. I was just completely flustered and embarassed.

I'm not 100% starting abeam the numbers, not getting the
plane setup right - but I generally make up for that.

I correct a bit on base and final for "high/low fast/slow",
but still have a few issues getting the right airspeed.

By short final, I'm not on the centerline, can't quite
get back on, and then blow the flare, and things go goofy.

OK - I've read the posts before. But now I'm just about
to the solo point, and am feeling that I'm not having any
fun now.
I am embarassed by my peformance.

- So, ar there some tactics I should consider?
- Take a couple weeks off and relax?
- Take some time to read and review some videos?
- Go fly somewhere else once or twice and see if a different
instructor can connect?
- Take clarinet lessons with Squidward?
- Get a vasectomy?

I'm really frustrated today and haven't even booked another flight
because I'm pretty underconfident at the moment.

OK-the boilerplates.
About 18 hours flying.
About 42-45 landings (although I figure the first 10 or so don't count
as they are just still in the "what the hell is an airplane" phase -
ha!)

Thanks and regards,

Gary
I was checked out for solo at about 12 hours and with the exception
of wind it just seemed second nature, lucky I suppose.
This was in a pa-28-140
Daveb

Way too early to throw in the towel....you're just getting started. Did you
run into someone in the airport coffee shop who told you that s/he soloed in
10 hours? 15? Who are you comparing yourself to?

KIck back, take on one problem at a time, and try to put them in context.
Not starting abeam the numbers every time? Horrors! Can't find that in the
regulations or practical test standards. Whatever "errors" are made at that
point are easily corrected further down the road, so don't sweat it.

As I understand it, you get to the final approach leg more or less
satisfactorily. At that point you are, what, a mile out? A minute at a
nominal 60 knot groundspeed? A whole minute available for you to use as you
wish? Fine. Establish a power setting of your choice, with a little help
from the POH. Configure the airplane for landing (flaps). You should be able
to see the desired landing spot directly over the nose. Trim, Check your
airspeed and adjust the power accordingly. Trim. Watech how "the spot" moves
on the windshield...if it moves up the runway, you will overshoot and
should re-adjust power. Trim. If it moves off of the runway surface into the
grass or whatever, you will land short and should add a touch of power.
Trim. You should be able to take your hands off of the yoke at any time
without having the airspeed change. While doing all this, remember that good
landings are slow landings and that you should avoid being too fast.

When you pass over the end of the runway you should be no more than ten feet
up, max. Pitch up to level flight and pull the power off. Now the airplane
has lots of aerodynamic drag and no power. What is going to keep it flying?
Kinetic energy, but that is ebbing fast and the nose wants to drop. Pick it
up to level flight again and repeat the process. As you feel the airplane
sink, and you will, make the front of the cowling just obscure the far end
of the runway and wait for the wheels to touch. If you drift sideways, add a
touch of aileron into the wind and keep the airplane straight with opposite
rudder.

Didn't land on the centerline? I can remember my instructor hounding me
about that when I was working on my ATP, but not when I was a student pilot.
Sure, it's a laudable goal, but if you land to one side or the other the
world will not stop revolving.

Only one of your thoughts I go along with is taking a flight or two with
another instructor.

Bob Gardner


"Gary G" wrote in message
...
OK, I had just about "2 steps backward" day yesterday flying.

We're just focussing on pattern and landing.
I'm fine on everything. then after the turn to final,
things start falling apart.
Holy crap!
In fact, I did so bad, I called it quits after 3 times
around. I was just completely flustered and embarassed.

I'm not 100% starting abeam the numbers, not getting the
plane setup right - but I generally make up for that.

I correct a bit on base and final for "high/low fast/slow",
but still have a few issues getting the right airspeed.

By short final, I'm not on the centerline, can't quite
get back on, and then blow the flare, and things go goofy.

OK - I've read the posts before. But now I'm just about
to the solo point, and am feeling that I'm not having any
fun now.
I am embarassed by my peformance.

- So, ar there some tactics I should consider?
- Take a couple weeks off and relax?
- Take some time to read and review some videos?
- Go fly somewhere else once or twice and see if a different
instructor can connect?
- Take clarinet lessons with Squidward?
- Get a vasectomy?

I'm really frustrated today and haven't even booked another flight
because I'm pretty underconfident at the moment.

OK-the boilerplates.
About 18 hours flying.
About 42-45 landings (although I figure the first 10 or so don't count
as they are just still in the "what the hell is an airplane" phase -
ha!)

Thanks and regards,

Gary

"Gary G" wrote in message

OK, I had just about "2 steps backward" day yesterday flying.

Relax. You're fine. Spend 2 or 3 days doing something else - don't even
think about flying. So far, no one here or anywhere was born knowing how to
fly. 9,982 hours from now, you'll still occasionally say "God, that landing
sucked!"

John Gaquin wrote:
Relax. You're fine. Spend 2 or 3 days doing something else - don't even
think about flying. So far, no one here or anywhere was born knowing how to
fly. 9,982 hours from now, you'll still occasionally say "God, that landing
sucked!"


I never say that. My passengers, OTOH....



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE