Burnt out

Lizzyduff

Lizzyduff

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Apr 3, 2014
Messages
12
Location
Yakima, WA
Display Name
Display name:
Liz
I started training in college and passed the written before running out of funding despite a small scholarship from the 99s. Started up again last summer and bought a 1965 c172 to train in. I adore my CFI and have upmost respect for the years of experience he has. However I work full time and have spent every free minute of my time studying. He says I don't need him anymore and I fly on my own frequently to build hours up and enjoy playing in the wind. I'm tired. I'm not getting any better than an 80 on practice tests and am truly ready to throw in the towel. I've signed up to take the written test again in 2 weeks (original one expired years ago) and I find myself not caring if I pass or not. I'm so frustrated with my lack of progress despite sacrificing everything I used to enjoy that I decided to sell the plane if I don't pass. I'm sick and tired of hearing patronizing remarks from other pilots that "oh you'll do fine, I got a 98% on mine". I spent every weekend, every evening for past year studying and I don't get any higher score on practice tests. I figure not everyone is cut out for it and it's unfortunate it took me 100 hours and thousands upon thousands of dollars to figure it out. My CFI thinks the charts and graphs in the supplemental material have been copied so many times their distorted size is throwing off my calculations, but I wonder if he's just trying to make me feel better. I just thought other students who are wondering if they'll ever realize their lifelong dream of becoming a pilot should know that sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you try, it's not for everyone.
 
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Short answer, I think your CFI is probably right. It just sounds like you are having trouble with the written, which is just one part of getting your certificate..


What practice exams are you testing with? They are not all the same, and yes the charts and graphs do truly suck but you should be able to pass it..

What are you using to study?
 
As long as you get a passing grade on the written it really doesn't matter what amount you passed by. People who score high will let everyone know - the rest who just got by remain silent.

The important question is - how is your flying? How do you do on practice practical exams?
 
Jhernandez04 said:
I scored a 77% on my written :(

Still passed my checkride :)
Click to expand...

This. I got a 71% of my commercial written, and a 72% on my CFII written. I've never scored in the 90's on any written, I think my average is around 84%. A perfect written does not determine your ability as a pilot. Please, keep your chin up and keep trying if this is something you really want. What chapter of the 99's are you in? I'm in teh Southwest/Phoenix chapter.
 
Better to pass the flying test and fail the written than the other way 'round.

Go fly, don't worry about it. 70% is passing. If you don't pass, there are ALWAYS other ways of studying to get around that roadblock. Frustration is never worth it

In the meantime, get your signoff to a XC airport, launch, and just enjoy the flight.
 
I believe 70 is still the passing grade.

Lizzyduff said:
I'm not getting any better than an 80 on practice tests and am truly ready to throw in the towel.
Click to expand...

Hate to be blunt but if you're looking for an excuse to hang it up, getting an 80% on the written isn't one of them.:no:

Maybe you just don't enjoy it as much as you thought you would:dunno:



By the way, I got a 100. Just kidding:rofl:

Lizzyduff said:
sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you try, it's not for everyone.
Click to expand...
That's true.
 
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I use the Gleim series and Sportys study buddy. My CFI says my flying is fine and that I'm a good sick. I'm comfortable in the cockpit. Rusty with navigation while trying to see through a sectional and do calculations with e6b ( can anyone actually SEE the little dashes and lines on that thing? ?) I'm taking the test in 2 weeks. One way or another I'll be done. Maybe an electric e6b would be easier to see. Tired of dragging this out, ready to remember what it used to be like to have fun.
 
Liz, where are you located?
 
Lizzyduff said:
I use the Gleim series and Sportys study buddy. My CFI says my flying is fine and that I'm a good sick. I'm comfortable in the cockpit. Rusty with navigation while trying to see through a sectional and do calculations with e6b ( can anyone actually SEE the little dashes and lines on that thing? ?) I'm taking the test in 2 weeks. One way or another I'll be done. Maybe an electric e6b would be easier to see. Tired of dragging this out, ready to remember what it used to be like to have fun.
Click to expand...

I took ground school for a week before flight lessons. Learning how to use the E6B was fun, but before I took the written, I bought an electronic E6B from sporty's and haven't picked up that tedious Slide Rule since. ;)
 
Hi Liz,

I am a low-time student and some of those questions with lots of
calculations can be confusing. I'm not an expert but here's a couple of
study techniques I use which have helped me do better on the practice exams...

1) If you don't already have one snag a handheld electronic flight
computer from Sporty's and use that instead of that crazy E6-B.
I have an engineering degree and I started playing with that damn E6-B
and realized it was just silly. It's like going to a math test with
a slide rule (please no ranting from loyal E6-B users :) ).
The electronic computers are so much easier to use and they
are approved for use during the written test.

2) As you go through practice exams and you get a question
wrong that does not involve a diagram make a flash card
and use that for study. I have a stack of about 75 items that either I missed
or require rote memorization such as VFR minimums in the different
types of airspace.

3) Check out written test prep software. I used the one from Dauntless
which gives you detailed explanation for all the answers which can help
you determine what part of the calculation you are having trouble
with. The Dauntless software was less than $50 and worth every penny.

4) There are several types of questions where the "correct" answer involves
some sort of rounding of the numbers. It's usually safe to round on the
side of safety. Try to remember those situations where rounding is
used.

5) Don't do practice exams at 1am in the morning. A tired body is a
tired mind.

At this point you recognize that your current study methods are not working
as well as they should so it's a good time to evaluate what needs
to be changed and figure out how to do it.

Insanity: "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting
a different result."

- Albert Einstein


I wish you the best of luck!

Victor
 
I passed the written and medical before the intro flight... They don't really have that much to do with each other....
 
Yakima, WA. I fly out of ykm McAllister Field

...I knew it!!! Nobody uses those darn things after they pass the test! I've suspected this for some time now but everyone keeps saying I have to learn it. :no: if they made the font any smaller it would be non existent. I've never even seen an electronic version of an e6b. Found one online like you said...it looks much better from the get go, bigger display. I'll order tomorrow first thing. You're absolutely right about studying this late. My brain is mush. I never knew I could use an electronic version on the test before. I guess I always just assumed they'd make you do it the hard way. Huh.
 
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What part(s) are you having the most trouble with? If you are using some kind of practice test software it should break it down by subject area (the same way the DPE sees it...he doesn't see the exact questions you missed, just the general topic area) to give you a better idea of where you need to focus.

I had a trouble with a few things too...ADF's for one (mostly because I knew I'd never use it and didn't care but tried to make myself learn it), some weather stuff, etc...

From my practice tests I could tell where I was having the most trouble and could spend more time focusing there vs just going through a bunch of questions I already knew the correct answers to.

And yes, since I've had my PPL I have yet to use my E6B and ruler. That doesn't mean that it's not an appropriate exercise to understand the fundamentals and concepts you learn.
 
Lizzyduff said:
Yakima, WA. I fly out of ykm McAllister Field

...I knew it!!! Nobody uses those darn things after they pass the test! I've suspected this for some time now but everyone keeps saying I have to learn it. :no: if they made the font any smaller it would be non existent.
Click to expand...

You should learn how to do wind triangles or use a mechanical E-6B.:yes:

Not because you're going to use it after your license (You won't unless it is some sort of app), but because it can help teach you about and visualize crosswinds, wind corrections, effects of headwinds/tailwinds on speed & fuel consumption, etc...

But on the test? Borrow a CX-2 or other electronic version- your CFI should have one or be able to help you find one to borrow.
Also serves as a sanity check for electronic planning.
 
Most problems: movable card ADF (never seen or used in real life), charts for determing roll or takeoff with 50 foot obstacle (always a millimeter or 2 off even with Straight edge which results in wrong answer), cross wind chart, and anything where it makes you interpolate between two givens (if it's not exactly half way in the middle).
 
Lizzyduff said:
Most problems: movable card ADF (never seen or used in real life), charts for determing roll or takeoff with 50 foot obstacle (always a millimeter or 2 off even with Straight edge which results in wrong answer), cross wind chart, and anything where it makes you interpolate between two givens (if it's not exactly half way in the middle).
Click to expand...

ADF: forget it. just take the points hit.

Charts: Answers should not be THAT sensitive to eyeballing errors. You may need to reprint the charts.

Crosswind: electronic E-6B to the rescue!

Interpolation: deltaY/deltaX * (x-x1/deltax)

Good luck!
 
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The "I don't need to learn this" is not the attitude you should have and might be the reason you're having trouble with your practice tests. You DO need to learn the stuff, even if you don't ever use it again because it's your foundation.

I had some trouble with the charts as well, as sometimes they are hard to read. I just kept practicing and figuring out where/how I was measuring or calculating wrong and in the end it was usually me, and not the problem itself. I think interoplation is an important thing to learn as you'll use it a lot with weight/balance and performance calculations.

ADF - I knew there would be maybe one ADF problem on the test and they really aren't used anymore, so I just studied up on them slightly. Didn't get any ADF questions on my test, but you could very well see one on there. I say don't bother, if you get one wrong, oh well.

The E6B is easy to use, it's not the "hard way" and likely easier than an electronic version.

I don't agree with the "any passing score is fine". Yes, passing is passing, but the DPE is less likely to dig you into a hole if you get a high score vs. barely passing. Besides, you need to know the material and if you aren't getting 30% of it, that's a lot to not know, IMO.

Keep on studying, and keep taking practice tests. Take all the areas you're getting wrong consistently and buckle down in a quiet room and learn them. Good luck:)
 
yup - on the crosswind stuff I just used that function on my E6B - didn't even bother trying to figure it out on the chart.

The most you'll see is 2-3 ADF questions - just take the hit. No one cares. If you don't get it - don't waste your time with it - spend time elsewhere.

Not sure what you mean on the interpolation one...

I don't see how with those problems you're missing 20'ish questions out of 60 and failing practice tests?

As others mentioned, it's great if you can make a high score...but it doesn't mean, generally speaking, the DPE is going to give you a break. I missed 3 questions on my test and had a nearly 3 hour oral...covering E V E R Y T H I N G...and I was killing it. Expect a DPE to probe into areas where you have problems on the test though if you make a low score.
 
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1. You are too hard on yourself.
2. You DO care if you pass or not (otherwise why post?)
3. Sometimes you need to take a breath and do things other than studying.
4. See #1.

Bonus: I have both Kings and Sporty's. Kings is quite corny but it works so much better than Sporty's IMHO.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I got an Asian F (97%) on my exam. I got the same certificate that a guy who got 75% got. As long as you are passing you are fine. You may have truly burnt out on the info and would be better to get it over with and move on. When you do the check ride, nail the maneuvers and oral portion!
 
Please don't take this the wrong way, but how is your vision?

I ask because I have horrible vision that needs ~9.0 diopter of correction with contacts. Add in my age (I ALMOST need reading glasses), a little eye irritation or a not-so-new contacts and my vision just isn't that great. Don't get me wrong, I'm not Mr. Magoo and I had no issue passing the medical but the performance charts on the test are small and blurry. Take your time and realize that precision is critical to getting the correct answer. If you are impatient with those things you won't get the right answer.

If you enjoy flying, don't let the test hold you back. Focus your study on areas you have issues with. If you don't enjoy the flying part, sell the plane.

Oh ya... I took a hit on the ADF questions because the plane I trained in didn't have one. I need to read, then do, then read again. I was missing the "do". Since getting my license I've rented a plane with an ADF and nothing could be simpler to understand. So check around and see if you could do one lesson in a plane with an ADF. A few minutes of hands on experience is probably worth hours of reading and doing practice ADF questions.
 
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I should mention that the testing software has a built in e6b calculator, so you could just as easily study using an e6b app and then use the built in calculator when you take the actual knowledge test.

Good luck with the training. It's not uncommon to hit learning plateaus and the frustration that goes along with it. Just remember that perfection is not the expectation.
 
Hi Liz.

You are stressing out too much with this. As long as you pass, what difference does it make what your grade is? As far as the ADF, I have used on in a airplane for years, but the test questions bear little resemblance to how easy it is to actually use. This flying thing is supposed to be fun!

Stacey
 
Lizzyduff said:
I started training in college and passed the written before running out of funding despite a small scholarship from the 99s. Started up again last summer and bought a 1965 c172 to train in. I adore my CFI and have upmost respect for the years of experience he has. However I work full time and have spent every free minute of my time studying. He says I don't need him anymore and I fly on my own frequently to build hours up and enjoy playing in the wind. I'm tired. I'm not getting any better than an 80 on practice tests and am truly ready to throw in the towel. I've signed up to take the written test again in 2 weeks (original one expired years ago) and I find myself not caring if I pass or not. I'm so frustrated with my lack of progress despite sacrificing everything I used to enjoy that I decided to sell the plane if I don't pass. I'm sick and tired of hearing patronizing remarks from other pilots that "oh you'll do fine, I got a 98% on mine". I spent every weekend, every evening for past year studying and I don't get any higher score on practice tests. I figure not everyone is cut out for it and it's unfortunate it took me 100 hours and thousands upon thousands of dollars to figure it out. My CFI thinks the charts and graphs in the supplemental material have been copied so many times their distorted size is throwing off my calculations, but I wonder if he's just trying to make me feel better. I just thought other students who are wondering if they'll ever realize their lifelong dream of becoming a pilot should know that sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you try, it's not for everyone.
Click to expand...

So your ready to quit when you haven't even taken the test? The VOR nav stuff bit me pretty hard back then because my airplane didn't have one, but I found a great article years later and now I know them well.

I'm the kind of guy that gets so bored studying that I eventually just go take the test, I've never failed, PPL A&P and IA. My PPL was the lowest score and the A&P highest. Since then I've taken a FSDO ride to get passed multiple amputations I endured in 2009. That was actually kinda fun flying with the FAA.

PS: I was pretty sure I failed the IA when I was ready to click the "SUBMIT" button.
 
I got a 71%, I was 16 and I had no idea that I should study anything. Never took ground school and just lucked my way through the test. I barely passed my oral from my DPE when I took my PPT checkride a few months later. It's really held my flying career back...

(ATP, CFII/MEII, F-15 Instructor pilot)

IOW: Don't sweat the test! Remember the license is a license to learn! No matter how much 100 hour pilots think they know - YOU DON'T KNOW JACK! But you will have a license to teach yourself. Take the test, get above a 70 and move on. You'll rediscover the fun parts of flying and once you relax a little (but still have a desire to be a better pilot) you will learn the stuff you missed on the test. Knowing how to apply the concepts is much more important than being able to get them perfect on the test. (both is better of course). Don't give up!
 
I took mine ages ago so not sure if any of this applies and back then they had those weekend classes (maybe they still do) where you go they do the review and you take the test. I passed with a grade in the high 90s.

I have a recommendation for you and this applies for any test with a question pool. Now before I tell you this know that you need to know the material as it will come up in real life and it may come up on the oral exam.

So here it is. Get a copy of the question pool a list or flash cards all of the questions. Using a key go through the questions and circle ONLY the right answer. Then spend a bunch of time reading the question and ONLY the correct answer. Do this over and over. Eventually the only answer to the question that will look right is the right answer as you will only associate the correct answer with the question.

Warning: The questions that will throw you off are the ones that are off by one word like when they throw a NOT in there.

Good luck!
 
Hi

I scored well but I wanted to pass this on. Like the PPL test having a minimum, becoming a CPA years ago required a 75% on the exam. If you scored in the 90s you won a medal. I didn't score in the 90s but I passed with scores in the mid to high 80s. My colleagues jokingly ribbed me about being inefficient...ie working so hard but not getting the medal when all I needed was to get a 75. Point is, if you get a 70 you pass. While it's great to get a fantastic score and you should strive for it, don't let it get you down. When all is said and done, they don't print your score on your license. With that said, good luck!
 
As an addendum, I read Bob Gardners book when I could, and listened to Gleim audio CDs while driving, flying commercially, and at night. A weekend cram course may help if you are really nervous. It's really not the end of the world.
 
DFH65 said:
So here it is. Get a copy of the question pool a list or flash cards all of the questions.
Click to expand...

Questions aren't published anymore. Sheppard Air has a pretty good idea since they pay for the questions.

I PM'd Liz...hopefully all this advice does her some good.
 
DFH65 said:
I took mine ages ago so not sure if any of this applies and back then they had those weekend classes (maybe they still do) where you go they do the review and you take the test. I passed with a grade in the high 90s.

I have a recommendation for you and this applies for any test with a question pool. Now before I tell you this know that you need to know the material as it will come up in real life and it may come up on the oral exam.

So here it is. Get a copy of the question pool a list or flash cards all of the questions. Using a key go through the questions and circle ONLY the right answer. Then spend a bunch of time reading the question and ONLY the correct answer. Do this over and over. Eventually the only answer to the question that will look right is the right answer as you will only associate the correct answer with the question.

Warning: The questions that will throw you off are the ones that are off by one word like when they throw a NOT in there.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

There is some truth to that. I wrote several questions that were accepted for the CPA exam. In the workshops for exam item writers they stressed to give two answer options with one word being different.
 
It sounds to me like you need reading glasses, have you had your eyes checked lately?

Try using a pair of cheap cheaters from a drug store.
 
Here's what you do.

1) Take a break from studying. Don't think about the written, don't think about how you did or didn't do on practice tests, or how you may or may not do on the actual test. You need a break from all the crap that you're trying to stuff into your head. At this point, you're on overload, and stuck. You need to reboot your brain.

2) Go out and fly. Know the plane, feel the plane, be the plane.

3) When you've forgotten about all the useless FAA written information, talk to someone who can completely simplify the concepts behind it. I mean really, really simplify it. Too many instructors, or instructor wannabes, have ZERO clue how to teach - I mean really teach. Find someone who can explain it sufficiently to a ten year old. That's not a knock on you. I've seen way too many CFI's try to explain simple concepts, but explain it as if their students have a PhD in 5 subjects.

Oh, and yes, the graphs and charts do indeed suck on the FAA written.
 
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E6B -

I used my Sporty’s Electronic E6B for my PPL and my Instrument rating. I did not have to use the old Slide Ruler.

I was wondering if the E6B Smart Phone APPs would work as good as the Sporty’s Electronic E6B?
 
saracelica said:
Questions aren't published anymore. Sheppard Air has a pretty good idea since they pay for the questions.

I PM'd Liz...hopefully all this advice does her some good.
Click to expand...


Sara,

Not sure if Sheppard has prep for the PPL.
 
They're published in Study Buddy, exams4pilots.org and every FAA test study guide.
 
Scott@KTYR said:
E6B -

I used my Sporty’s Electronic E6B for my PPL and my Instrument rating. I did not have to use the old Slide Ruler.

I was wondering if the E6B Smart Phone APPs would work as good as the Sporty’s Electronic E6B?
Click to expand...

You are not allowed to have a smart phone with you on the test.
 
Not everyone does well on written tests. It really does help to brute force the question pool a bit if you want to bring up your score more.

That said I received a 75% on my private written and I'm probably not the worst pilot in the sky. I've had some students that score really well on writtens and others that don't. I've seen no correlation between that and how skilled and safe of a pilot they become.
 
I won't say what I think you should or shouldn't do, everyone here has given good advice. I will say:

YOU CAN DO IT!! (said in my best Rob Schneider voice)
 
Scott@KTYR said:
E6B -

I used my Sporty’s Electronic E6B for my PPL and my Instrument rating. I did not have to use the old Slide Ruler.

I was wondering if the E6B Smart Phone APPs would work as good as the Sporty’s Electronic E6B?
Click to expand...

I'm sure the smart phone E6B app will work just fine....but not in the test room....I'll pretty certain phones are not allowed in there with you ...
 
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