pete2800
'Member?
That's what she said.
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Shoud I trust my Flight Instructor?
- Thread starter keely
- Start date
That's what she said.
surreal1221
Well-Known Member
Acadia
Well-Known Member
I hope you plan works, but you could also turn out like me. I hated commercial flying (a little lack of control fear and claustrophobia in a packed airplane) but I decided I liked flying itself. I pursued training, instructed for a while (which I really enjoyed), and did some small time commercial flying for a while before a career reality check set in and I went in a different direction. Now I hate commercial flying more than ever. I have not been on a commercial flight since the trip for my simulator evaluation during the airline hiring process (8 years ago), and I think it is very likely that I will never fly on a commercial flight again. For me the experience is miserable and I don't enjoy the kind of travel that requires flying anywhere.
I don't regret the learning experience in the least, but it did not change my attitude about riding in a cattle tube.
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keely
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your insight. So are you actually afraid of flying or is it more because you don't like the social situation? I hate them both, but I know I can manage the claustrophobia factor better than the feeling like immediate death is going to happen at any second. But yeah, one of the first things I asked my instructor was if I hated it that much, would he bring me back right then and he said yes. Can't really do that on a commercial flight!
I am doing this in hopes that even though I know in my head flying is much safer than driving, the chances of being in a crash are less than getting struck by lightning, etc., that I will actually start to believe those things instead of irrationally thinking otherwise. In my life, I have flown six times (not counting last weekend). Two separate times, I was too scared to fly back and I drove 1000+ miles (both times) back home. One of those, I refused to get on my connecting flight because it was dark and snowing and my boyfriend at the time left me in the airport and got on the plane by himself (one of the reason we are no longer dating!
). But the older I get, the more I realize how much of the world I am missing out on seeing. My best friends went to Greece without me, I have a dream to go canoeing in Alaska, I'd love to see South America, and I would just hate to look back at my life when I'm older and say I missed out on all these things because I was too afraid.I do understand where you're coming from, though. I get called crazy a lot over it (see a few pages back), but the truth is, a lot of people are irrationally freaked out by a whole bunch of things. When I didn't make my flight back home from a business trip, my coworker found me at work the next week and admitted she was deathly afraid of butterflies!!! Haha. The problem is, avoiding butterflies doesn't really mess with your quality of life (unless you work in a butterfly garden I guess), whereas not being able to travel to see the world makes me really sad and frustrated. I hope this isn't going to make things even worse! Couldn't really get much worse for me, though. I routinely make the trip from Houston to VA in a car to see my family. That gets very old.
Mark815
Well-Known Member
Do it! I love my gopro, goes just about everywhere I go!
Also not sure if it's been mentioned, but many people are afraid of commercial airline travel, but are fine in a light GA airplane. When I was a CFI, I actually flew many people like yourself. They had a fear of flying, and decided to do a quick lesson/flight to get over the fear. Pretty much all of them were amazed at how different and pleasant flying can actually be versus the airlines.
Acadia
Well-Known Member
I am not afraid of flight itself, but I truly fear the lack of control and the environment you are sealed into once the door is shut. I rarely feel stress or anxiety, but even giving the idea of going on a commercial flight serious thought starts to raise those sensations. If I could sit in the jump seat away from the crowd, and be privy to the status of the flight, I would probably be fine and even enjoy it in most cases.
It sounds like you have real fear of flight itself, so some time in a plane learning to understand it might be helpful for you.
stormchaser
Well-Known Member
I am terrified of women, but I keep goin' on dates with 'em. Just sayin'.
elmetal
Ain't nobody got time for that
Flying is expensive enough as is... don't add gadgets! It's a slipper sloppppppe!
pete2800
'Member?
That's what she said.
That's what she said.
I know, I know, the first one is a bit of a stretch. (that's also what she said.)
Flagship_dxer
Penske Material
Pilots always get the chicks. We in dispatch would get the chicks but nobody knows what we do anyways so we give pilots extra time to get the girls by doing their flight planning for them lol. The best wingmen in the world!
CaptBill
Well-Known Member
Welcome to JC Keely. You have gotten more than your share of friendly advice here I see. This is a great place to ask the questions that weigh on you as there is no shortage of aviation enthusiasts here that represent every level of aviation experience. And, there are just enough goof balls and knuckleheads in the crowd to keep it fun and interesting. I have found it very interesting reading through your thread and have a suggestion...
Rather than dwelling on the flying aspect of your fears, why not just focus on the fear itself? It sounds like to me that you are fascinated with the idea of flying, and actually seem to enjoy it when you allow your fears to abate. All you need to do is figure out a way to allow yourself to enjoy what you love. The magic of flying is every bit as exciting and magnificent as you can imagine, and then some. You will see and experience things in the air that you will never be able to explain or describe to others, because frankly, there are no words to accurately describe those things. Flying provides a very personal and deep sense of accomplishment and an inner contentment that one can't describe.
Stop trying to figure out how much experience your instructor has, what will be on your first lesson or even what kind of an airplane it is. Stop allowing your head to block what your heart is screaming to tell you. It's OK if it's a bit scary because the friends, instructors and mentors who will help you on your journey have all felt that same way at one time or another. Being vulnerable and fragile only makes for good fertile ground that allows learning seeds to flourish and grow.
Whether it's mountain climbing, skiing, running marathons or flying, it's more about mustering the inner strength to do it than it is mastering the technicalities of the event itself.
On your next lesson, take a deep breath and just go where the airplane takes you. Listen to the air rushing by and imagine what it would be like to be a bird. Look at the lakes and marvel at a unique cloud or a beautiful sunset. Ask your instructor what he/she loves most about flying and then listen, really listen.
When you allow your heart and soul to embrace what you love, the skills to accomplish it become easy.
That's what flying is.
Rather than dwelling on the flying aspect of your fears, why not just focus on the fear itself? It sounds like to me that you are fascinated with the idea of flying, and actually seem to enjoy it when you allow your fears to abate. All you need to do is figure out a way to allow yourself to enjoy what you love. The magic of flying is every bit as exciting and magnificent as you can imagine, and then some. You will see and experience things in the air that you will never be able to explain or describe to others, because frankly, there are no words to accurately describe those things. Flying provides a very personal and deep sense of accomplishment and an inner contentment that one can't describe.
Stop trying to figure out how much experience your instructor has, what will be on your first lesson or even what kind of an airplane it is. Stop allowing your head to block what your heart is screaming to tell you. It's OK if it's a bit scary because the friends, instructors and mentors who will help you on your journey have all felt that same way at one time or another. Being vulnerable and fragile only makes for good fertile ground that allows learning seeds to flourish and grow.
Whether it's mountain climbing, skiing, running marathons or flying, it's more about mustering the inner strength to do it than it is mastering the technicalities of the event itself.
On your next lesson, take a deep breath and just go where the airplane takes you. Listen to the air rushing by and imagine what it would be like to be a bird. Look at the lakes and marvel at a unique cloud or a beautiful sunset. Ask your instructor what he/she loves most about flying and then listen, really listen.
When you allow your heart and soul to embrace what you love, the skills to accomplish it become easy.
That's what flying is.
gne in prog
Well-Known Member
Tarmac.
pete2800
'Member?
No. Call it the 'Ramp.'
Tarmac is what they used to make ramps out of. It's like calling the parking lot the 'asphalt.'
PhilosopherPilot
Well-Known Member
Flame bait!
gne in prog
Well-Known Member
Autothrust Blue
Welcome aboard the Washington State Ferries
You're not going THAT fast.
In the words of Clyde Cessna, "This airplane is just fast enough it'll kill you."
If you get the chance to fly a Diamondstar (DA-40), take it. IMO, it's a much better airplane than anything that single-engine that Cessna ever built. Much snappier on the controls, and the view (thanks to the canopy) is just great. Of course, it gets hot under that bubble, but whatever.
One of the worst pilots I've ever flown with was a member of the "I have 10,000 hours in type and therefore know everything, you will therefore kindly say nothing" club. A few things happened and then there was a call to Pro Standards and a bid avoid. Not worth it.
My one and only female CFI was this way as well; awesome instructor, great pilot.
keely
Well-Known Member
That is really wonderful advice, thank you so much. This makes me really glad I decided to take the first step in facing my fear. You guys are all really great around here, and I'm glad I wandered into all this.