A few days ago on Reddit a struggling Student Pilot asked “Is it normal to be this bad”? One response was so thoughtful and sensible I asked permission to “steal” it and share here:
Comparison is the thief of joy. Here are a few suggestions to help you with your training:
- Procedure procedure procedure. Write out the exact procedure to do every maneuver. Draw it out. Then chair fly- basically sit in a chair and visualize what you are doing while verbalizing out loud. For instance “I’m reducing the power to 1500 rpm, I’m focusing on the horizon, I’m trimming aft”
- Be early to every lesson. If they will let you, have the preflight done before your instructor arrives
- Temporarily forget about working on your certificate. Instead focus on just having fun and enjoying the maneuver. How cool is it to fly a plane ridiculously slow? Keep the magic of flight alive
- Get good rest before a lesson
- Keep training lighthearted. Yes safety is serious business. But aviation should be fun. Have a laugh and keep forging ahead.
Best of luck!
I thought the above was so useful a posted it here. Hope you find value in it too!
