Fear

I originally wrote this for a psychology group, therefore I have
written it for that crowd. However, I may have more luck with a
response in this group.

I noticed a strange thing today about myself. I am at least a
relativly intellegent and capable adult. Since a young age I have had
an interest in flying. I have finally gotten job that affords me the
income to pursue this interest. Because of this, last week I signed up

at a local flight school.

In the last week I have spent in excess of 20 hours on the simulators
and have completed more than half of my total required ground school.
Because of this I have a good understanding of the theory behind
aeronautics along with the do's and dont's.


The strange thing that I noticed is this. While on my first flight
today I expiereinced significant 'Fear' while in a climb of almost 50
degrees. This was my mistake as I had tried to trim before using the
yoke and had trimmed the wrong direction. My instructor smiled at me
and simply asked me to fix it.
I knew all was well. The readings were all fine. I had plenty of
altitude. I also had an instructor next to me with more than 8,000
hours flying expierience. Based on all this I knew I was fine.


I am curious why I was feeling fear givin all the above factors. Does
this mean I am simply not cut out for flying? Is thier a way to
short-circut this mecanism? Will this disappear with time? And most
importantly, why was my brain unable to overide my fear? I am
concerned that this may indicate a problem with me personally.


My only expierience with Psychology is through the course work that was

required in school. Any ideas would truly be appreciated and I thank
you in advance.


Micah A. Norman

The strange thing that I noticed is this. While on my first flight
today I expiereinced significant 'Fear' while in a climb of almost 50
degrees. This was my mistake as I had tried to trim before using the
yoke and had trimmed the wrong direction. My instructor smiled at me
and simply asked me to fix it.
I knew all was well. The readings were all fine. I had plenty of
altitude. I also had an instructor next to me with more than 8,000
hours flying expierience. Based on all this I knew I was fine.


I am curious why I was feeling fear givin all the above factors. Does
this mean I am simply not cut out for flying? Is thier a way to
short-circut this mecanism? Will this disappear with time? And most
importantly, why was my brain unable to overide my fear? I am
concerned that this may indicate a problem with me personally.

A fifty degree climb? What are you flying?!

Seriously, though, the more you're exposed to it, you will gradually get
used to it and be able to go into more and more unusual situations. It
may take a while; you probably won't be able to get the license in forty
hours. But keep trying; as long as you still want to, you can
eventually work it out.

I am very comfortable in an airplane at 35,000 feet or
higher. But I can't climb a ladder above the roof line, I
can't sit or stand in the picture window of a hotel room on
the 30th floor unless I move a couch in between me and the
window. Don't ask me to ride a Ferris wheel or roller
coaster.

Motorcycles are fine as long as I'm driving.

Always fly the yoke and trim the pressure to zero. Flying
with only the trim is an emergency procedure and must be
done very carefully. You were up dual and your instructor
saw you make the mistake. Learning from your own mistakes
is effective. But you didn't "feel in control" so you were
afraid. Intellectually you knew you'd be OK because the
instructor would save himself and you were along for the
ride. But YOU also knew you needed his help. Books and
simulators are not a substitute for real airplanes and real
stalls.

Have your instructor give you unusual attitude training,
including that same 50 degree nose high trim stall. Proof
to yourself that you can recover on your own and you'll
conquer the fear.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

"minoad" wrote in message
oups.com...
|I originally wrote this for a psychology group, therefore I
have
| written it for that crowd. However, I may have more luck
with a
| response in this group.
|
| I noticed a strange thing today about myself. I am at
least a
| relativly intellegent and capable adult. Since a young
age I have had
| an interest in flying. I have finally gotten job that
affords me the
| income to pursue this interest. Because of this, last
week I signed up
|
| at a local flight school.
|
| In the last week I have spent in excess of 20 hours on the
simulators
| and have completed more than half of my total required
ground school.
| Because of this I have a good understanding of the theory
behind
| aeronautics along with the do's and dont's.
|
|
| The strange thing that I noticed is this. While on my
first flight
| today I expiereinced significant 'Fear' while in a climb
of almost 50
| degrees. This was my mistake as I had tried to trim
before using the
| yoke and had trimmed the wrong direction. My instructor
smiled at me
| and simply asked me to fix it.
| I knew all was well. The readings were all fine. I had
plenty of
| altitude. I also had an instructor next to me with more
than 8,000
| hours flying expierience. Based on all this I knew I was
fine.
|
|
| I am curious why I was feeling fear givin all the above
factors. Does
| this mean I am simply not cut out for flying? Is thier a
way to
| short-circut this mecanism? Will this disappear with
time? And most
| importantly, why was my brain unable to overide my fear?
I am
| concerned that this may indicate a problem with me
personally.
|
|
| My only expierience with Psychology is through the course
work that was
|
| required in school. Any ideas would truly be appreciated
and I thank
| you in advance.
|
|
| Micah A. Norman
|

Not at all unusual. Man was not meant to fly or dive beneath the water...he
can do so only with training and equipment. Your reaction was simply your
body's response to a situation it was not built for. Everyone fears that
which he does not understand, and you have the understanding part well in
hand. Keep at it.

BTW, a 30-degree climb without jet power is really quite steep, so I have
trouble with 50 degrees...even the airlines keep deck angles at 15 degrees
or less.

Bob Gardner

"minoad" wrote in message
oups.com...
I originally wrote this for a psychology group, therefore I have
written it for that crowd. However, I may have more luck with a
response in this group.

I noticed a strange thing today about myself. I am at least a
relativly intellegent and capable adult. Since a young age I have had
an interest in flying. I have finally gotten job that affords me the
income to pursue this interest. Because of this, last week I signed up

at a local flight school.

In the last week I have spent in excess of 20 hours on the simulators
and have completed more than half of my total required ground school.
Because of this I have a good understanding of the theory behind
aeronautics along with the do's and dont's.


The strange thing that I noticed is this. While on my first flight
today I expiereinced significant 'Fear' while in a climb of almost 50
degrees. This was my mistake as I had tried to trim before using the
yoke and had trimmed the wrong direction. My instructor smiled at me
and simply asked me to fix it.
I knew all was well. The readings were all fine. I had plenty of
altitude. I also had an instructor next to me with more than 8,000
hours flying expierience. Based on all this I knew I was fine.


I am curious why I was feeling fear givin all the above factors. Does
this mean I am simply not cut out for flying? Is thier a way to
short-circut this mecanism? Will this disappear with time? And most
importantly, why was my brain unable to overide my fear? I am
concerned that this may indicate a problem with me personally.


My only expierience with Psychology is through the course work that was

required in school. Any ideas would truly be appreciated and I thank
you in advance.


Micah A. Norman

On 23 Jul 2006 12:57:53 -0700, "minoad" wrote in
.com::

I am curious why I was feeling fear givin all the above factors.

You experienced fear on your first flight, right?

While I don't recall being fearful on my introductory flight, unlike
yours, nothing unusual occurred. I don't think your emotional
response was out of the bounds of normalcy. You just need more stick
time.

On Sun, 23 Jul 2006 15:52:50 -0500, "Jim Macklin"
wrote:

I am curious why I was feeling fear givin all the above
factors. Does
| this mean I am simply not cut out for flying?

You can know everything there is to know about something. Experience
is the real teacher, especially in a hands on hobby like flying. As
good as they are, simulators don't do much for helping get used to the
sense of flying.

Give it a few hours. I think you'll get used to it.

z

I thanks you all for the response. I will admit though that 50 degrees
may be a bit of an exageration... although it seemed more like 90
degrees at the time.

When you snip, but leave my name, you really should leave
something I wrote, Jim Macklin wrote nothing on the page
below.



--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

"zatatime" wrote in message
...
| On Sun, 23 Jul 2006 15:52:50 -0500, "Jim Macklin"
| wrote:
|
| I am curious why I was feeling fear givin all the above
| factors. Does
| | this mean I am simply not cut out for flying?
|
| You can know everything there is to know about something.
Experience
| is the real teacher, especially in a hands on hobby like
flying. As
| good as they are, simulators don't do much for helping get
used to the
| sense of flying.
|
| Give it a few hours. I think you'll get used to it.
|
| z

On 23 Jul 2006 12:57:53 -0700, "minoad" wrote:

First, I am not a trained psychologist, nor do I play one on TV.
That said, I'll toss in my two cents worth.

I am curious why I was feeling fear givin all the above factors. Does
this mean I am simply not cut out for flying?

Not at all. I believe you were feeling fear because you were in a
situation that you momentarily felt you had no control over.


Is thier a way to short-circut this mecanism?

Yes, usually through the flight training you will receive in
controlling the airplane and reacting to unusual situations that
could arise. At some point you will find your reactions to be
almost automatic and will correct the "unusual situation" before it
becomes fearful.

Will this disappear with time?

Yes, with actual flight time and training.

And most importantly, why was my brain unable to overide my fear?

OK, here I'm going out on a limb and repeating what a well know CFII
out here told us in an unusual attitudes course. I don't know how
accurate this is, but here goes; The human brain can process about
ten bits of data at a time. The data input comes from all our
senses. After you get visual, auditory, physical orientation, and
all the other inputs there is not much left over to analyze what to
do with the airplane when it's doing something you don't understand.
that's when the memory of your training exercises and automatic
reflexes kick in, correct the unusual situation, and leave one more
data bit free to wonder about the beauty of flight.

The short answer is, your brain will overcome your fear after your
training lets you feel comfortable with the airplane as an extension
of yourself and you begin to feel like *you* are flying.

I am concerned that this may indicate a problem with me personally.

I don't know you, but if you are asking, it probably isn't just you.
I think most people have some doubts about their ability when they
first try something new.

Flying gets to be more fun the longer you do it. Enjoy.

Ron Kelley

On Sun, 23 Jul 2006 21:14:49 -0400, zatatime wrote in
::

especially in a hands on hobby like flying.

When I see someone refer to GA flying as a hobby, it always makes me
cringe. To me, it means that the flight training of the pilot who
wrote it failed to truly ready the airman for assuming the command
role in flight as set forth in the federal regulations.

While there is usually great emphasis on learning the technical arcana
of flying, navigating, and metrology, it would appear that the
training failed to cause the airman to fully appreciate the
responsibility a Pilot In Command assumes for the lives of those over
whom he flies and his passengers.

If the flight student's mental outlook isn't fundamentally changed as
a result of his flight training, he probably doesn't really appreciate
the depth of that responsibility. And imagine how the layman feels
when he thinks hobby-pilots are noisily traversing the "sovereign"
airspace overhead, rather than a federally certified airman who
solemnly accepts his true command responsibility for the right to
exorcize the authority granted him by his airmans certificate.

If we refer to it as recreational flying, rather than a hobby, perhaps
the lay readers of this international forum will see that we airmen
take our responsibilities more seriously than mere hobbyists.