The XC that our OP has talked about is not long at all. The fact that most people thing it is I think is a reflection on Jesse's point. I do know a number of private pilots who think that trips that long are nuts, and a good number on this forum. If you don't want to do them because that's not your goal in flying, that's fine. To not want to do them because you're afraid is indicative of a problem.
I'm not sure. Fear arises from many different motivations, some unreasonable, many inexplicable, but not all unfounded.
Flying airplanes increases risk to life, limb, and property -- pretending it doesn't is a disservice. Flying long distances VFR entails risk. So does flying low, aerobatics, IFR, pattern work, hand propping, and refueling.
CFIs can counsel, argue, cajole, and demonstrate, but ultimately the pilot must determine the level of risk he or she is willing to accept and the methods used to create a buffer between event and activity. Good old ADM and all that.
"Safety first" is an inane mantra -- if it really was "safety first" we wouldn't be flying -- we'd be safely ensconced on a couch.
There's a bit of both going on. How many students have you had to fix problems in because a bad CFI instilled fear or some other problem into the pilot? I've seen it more times than I care to count.
I've encountered a few CFIs, DPEs, and FAA ASIs that put out bad info, some inculcated unfounded fears, others had poor teaching skills, and more than one had poor judgment.
They're all people, and each has all sorts of motivations going on in the stew that makes people do what they do. I'm sure more than one pilot on this board approaches each flight with a sense of dread and only truly feels release when the flight is over -- and he/she may continue to fly just for that "Face the Dragon" sensation.
Others talk a good game -- "Yeah, I lost both engines in IMC and on the way down we iced up and then I slid it onto the interstate. So what?"
This is mere defense mechanism, honed by years of false bravado. This type needs to constantly prove himself, and fear most the inability to face down fear.
Others have varying degrees of anxiety -- some days the flight goes on like driving a bus, others there's nagging premonition of doom that only dissipates on the drive home.
We CFIs have to admit there's risk, help the fledgling learn to manage risk, and then accept the risk once the decision is made.
And there are a lot of people who don't, which I would attribute to a combination of attitude and training. The training should never restrict you.
Again, I think this is based on the individual. Some people lack the imagination required to admit something might go wrong. I'm sure you've seen these kick the tires, light the fires types in your travels -- these folks needed a bit
more warning during training.
Instead they lope merrily along until the NTSB report.
Others are fearful and only learning to fly to face down that fear, or there's some other motivation that's forcing them to face the fear. Training and mentoring has to help these folks deflate the fear balloons to actual size.
I'm not arguing that the OP should or shouldn't go on this trip -- heck, my second long solo XC was across the Alleghenies in a clapped out 152 with no electric and I blithely flew along, enjoying the view.
Anyway, the CFI in this case knows the OP better than any of us do, and should be providing the best advice. The comments on here may be useful, interesting, or even perfectly correct -- but no poster here is signing the OPs logbook.
