Funk

R

ralphbrynard

New Member
Anybody have any suggestions for working through a midtraining funk? it's been about 2 mos since I finished my PPL training. Looking to start Instrument Training in 2-3 weeks, but I am so NOT motivated....
 
Start by diving into a subject that interests you concerning instrument training. Procedures, charts, physiology, instruments, regs....something has to peak your interest a little.

Personally I found instrument (and later multi) to be the most interesting. Worst comes to worst the flying is more fun than PPL training too.
 
I always really liked Funk's. I want a blue one, so people can say "Yeah...he is always in a blue Funk".

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Well, I think we need a little more to go on before we can give you our best advice. What tpe of "funk" are you in? You say you aren't motivated... but what are you not motivated about... studying, flying, maneuvers, hood time, simulators, Instrument Flying Handbook, etc...? There are so many different things that you could not be motivated about!

I like Clock's suggestion. (BTW, my bpss at my last job, the director of aviation at an Oklahoma college, has your avatar printed out and laminated onto the back of his ID badge... I taped it to the front of his desktop monitor and he thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen!) Anyhow, I digress.

But yes, Clocks has the best suggestion so far. Find something that you find interesting, one small facet of instrument flight, and start from there. I personally liked the Approach Plates and flying the Instrument Approach Procedures. So what I did was constructed myself some customized flights on MS Flight Simulator and used the approach plates to fl the approaches. When the time came in my training o fly instrument approaches, I had them down to the N'th degree and it was awesome.

Also, here is my suggestion... and it is not a cheap one. IF you can AFFORD it, take a rental plane up for a couple hour flight, maybe take a friend along, and just go for a joyride. Get back to remembering wh you started flying in the first place. You thought it was cool and fun, right? Well I know I did, so about every 50 hours of training I'd go rent me a 172SP from the local FBO and I'd take a friend up for an hour or so and bring back the joy... that should motivate you well enough!
 
I think everyone has a different way to study and get motivated. For me, I went a year of not reviewing much and was in the same boat you are. I decided to take an online test and then reviewed anything I felt weak on. From there I found subjects that I wanted to study and be more proficient on.

For me, this showed in what I areas I was lacking, and motivated myself to stay current.
 
jwp_145 said:
Also, here is my suggestion... and it is not a cheap one. IF you can AFFORD it, take a rental plane up for a couple hour flight, maybe take a friend along, and just go for a joyride. Get back to remembering wh you started flying in the first place. You thought it was cool and fun, right? Well I know I did, so about every 50 hours of training I'd go rent me a 172SP from the local FBO and I'd take a friend up for an hour or so and bring back the joy... that should motivate you well enough!
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:yeahthat:
 
jwp_145 said:
Also, here is my suggestion... and it is not a cheap one. IF you can AFFORD it, take a rental plane up for a couple hour flight,
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Good idea, I would take it one step further. Again if you have the dinero take a trip somewhere fun a short flight not like way cross county but within an hour or two of home. spend the day walking around checking out some other place have lunch make it fun. if you can make it an overnighter do it, or just make it a good fun day trip.

Next don't get a negative attitude about IR training. Some people dread it saying it boring. I encourage my students to really look at how cool the IR is. You can take off fly anywhere you want and land all with out looking out side the airplane...except for a few minutes at takeoff and landing. Its an amazing thing really kinda like a choreographed dance, there are all these different activities you have to do, but they all come together to make a flight in the clouds work. It really is cool! You will enjoy it!
 
I highly recommend taking a flight for fun, or even get a CFI and take an instrument flight on a good IMC day to get a feel of what flying IFR is like.
 
When you blast through clouds and it looks like you're going a million miles an hour it'll be worth it. Helps to break up the book study with flying. I got a little burned out when all I was doing was studying the gleim.
 
ralphbrynard said:
Anybody have any suggestions for working through a midtraining funk? it's been about 2 mos since I finished my PPL training. Looking to start Instrument Training in 2-3 weeks, but I am so NOT motivated....
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Schedule a rental for a forecast mild IMC day. Then, when you can't fly because of the clouds, think, "If I had my Instrument rating, I'd be flying today." ;)
 
If it helps, the instrument was way better in terms of fun compared to the private. Nothing beats the feeling of descending to minimums on an ILS and breaking out right at minimums to have the runway perfectly aligned with you.
 
If your funk is with flying in general, then go have fun. Whatever it is that gets you going about flying, go do it. Get a hundred dollar hamburger, go fly landings at your favorite grass strip, or yank and bank out in a practice area.

If the IR intimidates you, then see if you can get a CFI to do an initial lesson with you on a nice IFR day. They can have you do the basic attitude stuff in the soup and then demo an instrument approach. That should up your motivation to fly in clouds.

Also, watch this video.
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Mainly it's just been not being that psyched to study for the instrument written. I'm getting over it because hopefully in two days I will hopefully get a disbursement for school.

Thanks for the advice guys! I've been watching alot of the youtube aviation videos to get psyched about it...

Any tips for instrument training BTW??
 
ralphbrynard said:
Mainly it's just been not being that psyched to study for the instrument written. I'm getting over it because hopefully in two days I will hopefully get a disbursement for school.

Thanks for the advice guys! I've been watching alot of the youtube aviation videos to get psyched about it...

Any tips for instrument training BTW??
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Hmmm, I guess what helped me with mine was not to over control the aircraft, do not chase the needles, stay ahead the aircraft, and always keep in mind the wind.
 
ralphbrynard said:
Mainly it's just been not being that psyched to study for the instrument written. I'm getting over it because hopefully in two days I will hopefully get a disbursement for school.

Thanks for the advice guys! I've been watching alot of the youtube aviation videos to get psyched about it...

Any tips for instrument training BTW??
Click to expand...
Learn a rock-solid scan! If there's one thing that will cause problems in the later part of your instrument training (approaches, etc) it's a shaky scan.
 
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