Page 3 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 43

Thread: Dealing with anxiety before flying

  1. #21
    rosiejerryrosie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Carlisle, PA
    Posts
    392
    Quote Originally Posted by Floatsflyer View Post
    Fair enough. But that leaves you with a bit of a dilemna. Is not dealing with the reality of a medical condition more or less important than the possibility of losing your class 3? What good is your class 3 if you can't solo?
    I am a mental health 'professional' (retired) and I'd be careful about seeing a shrink about this problem. First, if pre-flight is the only time the anxious feelings occur, it is probably a situational thing, and not an "anxiety disorder" requiring professional intervention. Secondly, it is very important to assess the severity of the 'anxiety'. Feeling a bit anxious about getting in an airplane is no where nearly as serious as an anxiety that produces immobility, hyperventillation and panic. (there has been a lot of mention about panic attacks in this thread - but I did not get that 'flavor' from the OP's description of his problem). Thirdly, we need to consider the possible results of having a diagnosis (valid or invalid) on record. I, in my early years of flying, experienced what I think is a similar reaction. I wanted to learn to fly, but I found myself, while driving to the airport, watching the flags and tree limbs, hoping that the wind would be too strong to fly that day. What helped me the most was to really, really concentrate on doing a GOOD pre-flight. The concentration took my mind off my anxiety, and once the engine was turning, I was "ready to go". There are some very good sugestions offered in this thread, but, I don't think seeking professional help, at this point, is one of them. Good luck and let us know how you make out....
    Cheers,
    Jerry

    NC22375
    65LA out of 07N Pennsylvania

  2. #22
    Bugs66's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Spokane, WA
    Posts
    28
    Quote Originally Posted by wtmurrell View Post
    Of all the posts, this one best connects the dots for me. I don't think I need a shrink. On the whole, I'm a pretty well adjusted person.
    Yep, get back on the horse. Fly, and fly often! If you do it should be no more anxiety than taking your bicycle out for a ride.
    Bugs
    EAA 459462
    www.supercubproject.com

  3. #23

    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    St. Louis/Omaha
    Posts
    115
    Quote Originally Posted by cdrmuetzel@juno.com View Post
    Bob, you and Frank and Smitty and Aerco gave wtmurrell some really good advice. i admit my stuff is a bit rough, but it was meant as "tough love". i've only been a CFI since '75 so i still have a lot to learn. that's why when a person i fly with hits a plateau, instead of dusting off the Dairymaster i acknowledge MY limits and get another instructor in the mix. sounds like you do the same.

    wt, do what those guys said! go fly! have FUN!

    or not. your choice.
    Well, I've only been CFI-ing since 2001, so I don't have your experience. I have been supervising and managing people for 33 years, though, and the issues are often similar. I'm one the guys that people send anxious pilots to in the areas where I instruct. Yes, if I can't help them, I find someone else to help me, but I'm not at all uncomfortable with working with someone to get between their ears.

    My problem is with the CFI's that think this is a purely mechanical skill and have no empathy whatsoever with what's going on with the pilot. Just flying by itself won't necessarily fix the issue. However, most issues are easily resolved once you figure out what's going on. Sometimes, it's finding out that the monster under the bed is merely a dust bunny. Sometimes, the "monster" is real, but the pilot hasn't been given the tools to deal with it. In any case, the most important thing is identifying the issue(s) and dealing with it (them). (I'm sure jerryrosie will understand and help articulate what I'm trying to express - I have a BA in psychology, which leaves me a bit inadequate in explaining my intuition).

    In my own case, I hated forward slips to a landing way back when. I was worried about a cross-controlled stall close to the ground, although I never articulated it to myself. During a session with a wise old CFI, he kept asking until I finally said that, instead of "I'm uncomfortable with them". After that, we were able to sort them out, both from an aerodynamic and, with knowledge gained, the psychological standpoint.
    Anxiety is nature's way of telling you that you've already goofed up.

  4. #24

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    2,575
    For me, flying is a relaxing thing, it is like therapy itself and takes away, at least for a time the stresses of much of life, like when the stock market drops, or we are in a new pre war state somewhere overseas, or the news is full of horrible events like child abuse.

    Of course, the easy and fun part of flying is when all the elements are right. You would not go out on a day with gusty winds or low visibility or an airplane with serious problems when you are either a student or a pilot just getting back into flying after a lay off.
    But 20 hours is a lot of instruction and most people can certainly solo safely in that time, even starting from scratch with no previous training. If not, then something may be wrong with the way is going, or else the CFI has a big mortgage to pay,and you are a source of funds. I did my solo after about 12 hours in a Piper Cherokee 140, and certainly had no trouble. I got my license in 43 hours. By the way, I don't see that is makes any significant difference whether you call it a license or a certificate or a rating. If you have it you are a pilot.
    The mental part of being a private pilot is not very hard, the written test is about the equivalent difficulty of a jr high school math course, not big deal , but still takes some learning. After all the FAA gives out all the test questions, verbatim, you just have to learn them. And a mere 70 is passing. Frankly, I think they ought to make the questions a little easier, plain and simple wording, but require an 80 to pass. If you only get 70, then there is almost 1/3 of the info that you don't know. Some of it is minutia (sp) but some is important. Why not learn it all?
    The basic flying is some skills, but a lot about just following safe procedures with good judgement, just like using your checklists before takeoff and landing, checking the weather, etc.
    Most of it is not something that requires great reflexes or coordnation. It's not like a batter hitting a big league slider or returning a 100 mph serve in tennis or skiing on a race course.
    Really is some ways, flying is much like driving. If you fly to OSH , there is going to be a large part of the time when you are just in level cruise and don't need to change or react to much. If you were to drive from say one side of Houston or Chicago to the other side, think of all the other traffic and signs and turns and stops and starts that you'd have to react to.
    Just basic flying in good weather is not that hard.
    And what does the CFI that gave you the 20 hours say about your ability? Are you good or do you have some major weaknesses? If he says you are competent, go fly!

  5. #25

    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Alabama
    Posts
    2,236
    But 20 hours is a lot of instruction and most people can certainly solo safely in that time, even starting from scratch with no previous training. If not, then something may be wrong with the way is going, or else the CFI has a big mortgage to pay,and you are a source of funds. I did my solo after about 12 hours in a Piper Cherokee 140, and certainly had no trouble. I got my license in 43 hours. By the way, I don't see that is makes any significant difference whether you call it a license or a certificate or a rating. If you have it you are a pilot.
    I'm going to chime in on this because of a really neat dressing down I got over the issue of time to solo and get the ticket.

    We don't know the type of airspace the training was in.

    I was kinda puffed up at making my solo in eight hours (two more than either my CFI or I anticipated; the bugaboo of real crosswinds raised their head and I needed the extra time) and getting my SPL in 28 (with three extra hours of solo time due to difficulties in getting the examiner up to our field) and my fantastic instructor put me down a peg or two.

    At an uncontrolled airfield that has almost zero traffic one can really get some training done. We could do ten landings in an hour no sweat. We could exit the pattern, do something, enter the pattern, touch and go, exit the pattern, do something else, and then come back in again at will.

    I really feel for the guys that have to learn in controlled airspace that has regular traffic.
    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

  6. #26

    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    St. Louis/Omaha
    Posts
    115
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Giger View Post
    At an uncontrolled airfield that has almost zero traffic one can really get some training done. We could do ten landings in an hour no sweat. We could exit the pattern, do something, enter the pattern, touch and go, exit the pattern, do something else, and then come back in again at will.I really feel for the guys that have to learn in controlled airspace that has regular traffic.
    Not trying to be argumentative, or take anything away from you, but I have to ask what does airspace has to do with it? I train folks at both towered and non-towered fields. Even with my policy (since 2004 or 2005) of not doing touch and goes, I can 9 or even 12 landings in an hour, depending on whether we make the landings taxi-backs or stop-and-goes. In fact, I sometimes get better utilization at a towered airport because the controllers will have the plane calling to taxi from the ramp taxi behind me to the runway; that way I'm not stuck behind someone doing their run-up.

    As for leaving an entering the pattern, all I've ever had to do is tell the tower that we'd like to exit the pattern to come right back in to practice joining. Even in the days when Spirit of St. Louis was so busy that they had to split the tower and assign a frequency to the north runway, adding an extra controller to handle the traffic could I do that. In fact, I relished those days because I would ask if my student and I could alternate runways. It would get the student used to changing frequencies and dealing with multiple controllers in a benign environment without having to spend a lot of time going somewhere to do it.

    So there are two things I've learned as a CFI regarding this: everything's a training opportunity if you do it right, and; people who learned to fly at towered airports seem to dislike non-towered ones and vice-versa.
    Last edited by Bob Meder; 01-25-2012 at 06:05 AM.
    Anxiety is nature's way of telling you that you've already goofed up.

  7. #27
    Since I started this whole business, I guess I need to clarify something. The 20 hrs of dual was my choice. My BFR was signed off well before then. It did take me about 9 hours. I don't feel as if I was taken or gouged by a CFI in any way. Several of the hours were being checked out in a few different aircraft including an Ercoupe I own. In all cases, the CFIs I've worked with since I returned (4 total) were all very sensitive to the cost. By the way, before you jump on the fact that I had 4 CFIs, just know that circumstances dictated the number. Unfortunately I don't have access to any of them any longer so I will need a 5th to when I need one again.

    The CFIs I worked with were all great pilots but one thing I sensed was that they didn't exactly know what to do with an someone like me who had been away from flying for so long. I had never worn a headset in a cockpit...that is how long it had been. They were not advancing me with the purpose of getting me a rating or license and yet I probably needed to essentially start from scratch. It was clear from the start that I had experience flying but it isn't exactly like riding a bike as I soon found out. If I had it to do again, I would have had my CFI at the time do a supervised solo. I may still do that.

    By the way I want everyone to know that I am going flying this weekend with a one of my partners weather permitting so I'm determined to get back up. What I gather from all the feedback is what I guess I already knew, I just need to get my a$$ in the plane and go. I've grown overly cautious in my old age and lost some of those male hormones referred to previously. Perhaps I should try the supplements they advertise on sports talk radio

    Thanks for the supportive responses.

    wtmurrell

  8. #28

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    2,575
    Wt , maybe this flying thing is not for you. There's lots of other activities that people like to do , golf, bowling, and where there is no real danger in failing.
    Frankly, it sounds like you have somehow convinced yourself that for some reason, perhaps age, you are not good enough to fly and you are happy with that image of yourself. And you know yourself better than anyone else; maybe you really are not up to it. So be it. Nothing anyone else says can change what is inside your head anymore than someone telling me how good beets taste is going to make me like them. I am a terrible dancer even after taking lessons, and others telling me how easy it is.
    About the only other thing I could suggest is to go out to an airport and watch other students make practice landings. If that doesn't give you the urge to want to do it yourself, then why bother?

    And wearing a headset in a normal plane is about as vital as wearing a batting glove to play baseball, or a do rag to play football. A headset is nice especially in a noisy airplane, and at tower airports, but people flew for decades before they had radios, much less headsets. What kind of headset did Lindberg wear on the way to Paris? What kind do most glider pilots wear?
    Last edited by Bill Greenwood; 01-25-2012 at 06:29 PM.

  9. #29

    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    FA40
    Posts
    767
    GO FOR IT , WT! FAIR WINDS CLEAR SKIES, HAVE A BLAST WITH A BUDDY!

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Greenwood View Post
    Wearing a headset in a normal plane is about as vital as wearing a batting glove to play baseball, or a do rag to play football. A headset is nice especially in a noisy airplane, and at tower airports, but people flew for decades before they had radios, much less headsets. What kind of headset did Lindberg wear on the way to Paris?
    say again? couldn't quite hear you over my tinnitus.

  10. #30
    steveinindy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Indiana
    Posts
    1,449
    I really feel for the guys that have to learn in controlled airspace that has regular traffic.
    I'd much rather learn in controlled airspace than the other way around and not have that experience when I encounter a full traffic pattern.
    Unfortunately in science what you believe is irrelevant.

    "I'm an old-fashioned Southern Gentleman. Which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-***** when I want to be."- Robert A. Heinlein.



Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •