Regaining Confidence

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ColeThePilot

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ColeThePilot
Hey guys, I'm posting in the pilot training thread despite being a licensed pilot because...not to steal a line from Jason Schappert but I believe a good pilot is always learning. :)

So I've hit a bit of an embarrassing paradox as a private pilot. I've started shying away from gusty, turbulent conditions. I'm unsure if I'm exercising good airmanship, or if I'm proving to myself I lack confidence when I call off a flight due to AIRMET Tangos and 17+ knot winds.

I flew in them early on and I don't think I'm lacking experience. While I was still a student pilot, my instructor would purposely send us out to an airport with unfavorable runways on gusty days, and he even let me make my first solo with a hefty crosswind.

Last October though I tried to take my mom flying in 15-17 knot winds, with pretty high winds aloft in the 40s-50s. She genuinely asked me if we were crashing before we even reached 1000', and ultimately I needed to bring us back. Her panic attack rattled me a bit. What if my passenger was right? What if I didn't have everything under control?

Ever since then I've pictured hitting a micro-burst, or totally losing control in a violent, invisible wave of chaos in the sky any time I see conditions ripe for chops. I need help being able to draw that line in the sand, and be able to look at conditions and know right away what's bad, and what's manageable. It's not as obvious as looking at temp/dew point spreads, and ceiling predictions on a TAF.

I end up sitting there after canceling the flight, looking at the sky. Should I have pushed myself to build that confidence? To see things weren't as bad as I had perceived them to be? Or would that be poor airmanship? The safety blanket of having an instructor doesn't seem to help either.

Any advice?
 
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How long have you been flying? How many hours do you have? How long since you went up with a CFI in windy conditions? One very important rule is to know your limitations. You can push the edges till you get comfortable, then push them a little more and repeat. But if you are not comfortable; cancel.
 
ColeThePilot said:
Any advice?
Click to expand...

first - never second guess the nogo decision - sure, watch the weather and learn but never ever second guess

second - learn about what causes windshear and microburst because knowledge is power, it will help your decision making

third - never take first timers/non-pilots (if they're dodgy) on bumpy days. I find that it helps to level with pax when it is going to be bumpy and I also tell them what I'm doing to mitigate

maybe that'll help a little, maybe not
 
Thanks for the reply. I have just under 20 hours PIC and have been licensed since this past September so...pretty new still!

The last time I flew with an instructor was actually on Monday. I like flying through all of the private maneuvers from time to time and wanted him to throw a simulated checkride at me just so I could stay proficient. I also get a tax-free rental that way, so the added cost is negligible.

I honestly can't remember the last time I had an instructor with me though on a very windy day.

Edit for the replies while I typed that ^

I didn't fly as regularly as I had been after earning my license. One every 2 - 3 weeks. I've started picking it up again, like I said I last flew on Monday. Going twice or more a week to sharpen up before starting on my instrument.
 
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ColeThePilot said:
Thanks for the reply. I have just under 20 hours PIC and have been licensed since this past September so...pretty new still!

The last time I flew with an instructor was actually on Monday. I like flying through all of the private maneuvers from time to time and wanted him to throw a simulated checkride at me just so I could stay proficient. I also get a tax-free rental that way, so the added cost is negligible.

I honestly can't remember the last time I had an instructor with me though on a very windy day.

Edit for the replies while I typed that ^

I didn't fly as regularly as I had been after earning my license. One every 2 - 3 weeks. I've started picking it up again, like I said I last flew on Monday. Going twice or more a week to sharpen up before starting on my instrument.
Click to expand...

Honest statement, easy solution:

The next available day with gusty winds (even crosswinds), call any CFI and go up for an hour. When I was instructing full time I would not let anyone cancel because it was gusty unless they were in the early stages of landings.

Bob Gardner
 
bobmrg said:
...call any CFI and go up for an hour.
Click to expand...

Clark1961 said:
...knowledge is power, it will help your decision making
Click to expand...

I like this. I've been reading up as much as I can. I find a lot of the information I find is more factual than it is practical though. Maybe I'm over thinking it. I keep thinking there's some perfect storm recipe I need to watch out for though. Like I need to study SkewT charts and have some sort of sixth sense since I have such little PIC time, if any in AIRMET Tangos. Maybe it really does just comes down to bumps, slips, and changes in ground speed, and that's all.
 
+1 go up with a CFI on bad days.

And slow down. Keep it at Va. It makes a big difference in the bumps.

When I was doing my 10 hours dual in type for insurance with a CFI, we went up on days where everyone at the FBO was asking "you're going up today?" It helped me a lot to gain confidence and tame the skywagon. :)
 
Wind makes for interesting flights,increase your wind limits in small increments. Also fly a few times with a CFI ,in the wind. You can also have a CFI with you and practice cross wind landings.
 
Let me back off a little from my earlier post....don't go up for an hour with a CFI, go up with a CFI for as long as you are learning something. Might be an hour, might be 20 minutes. No touch-and-goes...slowing to taxi speed and ground handling are part of the lesson...and you can take a moment to assimilate what has just happened. I used to take over the taxiing chores so that the student/pilot could concentrate on what I was saying. A good instructor will know when you need to take a break (or quit for the day) and go over what you have experienced.

I have had students who were reluctant to apply full aileron/rudder deflection...but there are times when a gust picks up a wing and you need full control travel to counteract it. When you catch on to the constant corrections, both hands and feet, and develop muscle memory, your normal landings will improve immeasurably.

Bob
 
Something a flight instructor once told me... You don't have to be comfortable in windy conditions and turbulence but you do need to be competent.

As long as the big fan up front keeps making noise you have options. To the advice about going for a gusty day lesson? Add MCA, slow flight maneuvers, and stalls in there. You need to know that you can maintain control. Those bumps are just potholes in the sky. No big deal.
 
I can relate completely. I have just over 100 hours, and am part-way through my instrument--so not much experience in the real world.

I decided not to fly this weekend, with winds 17ktsg25kts, and a Notam out for moderate-severe turbulence along my route.

It looked okay out the window, no PIREPs, and while pilots coming in to the FBO agreed it was windy, none reported conditions quite what the METAR was reporting.

Later, after I canceled the flight and sent my passenger home, a CFI said a couple of things to me:

- you can only make a decision with what you know, ie, the weather report and forecasts, NOTAMs, PIREPs, etc
- if you deliberate on a go-no-go for more than 15 minutes, it's an automatic no-go
- get used to making decisions. You're PIC and that's what PICs do.

I felt better about everything afterwards. But it's tough to learn to make decisions (I find).

At the end of the day, it would have been a bumpy flight (even if I altered my route and stayed close to home), and probably not much fun with a slightly nervous passenger. If I'd been able to find a CFI to head up with just me for 20 minutes, I would have jumped at the chance. But as it was, I made the decision I made and headed home myself.

The next day was near-perfect! So I went then.
 
bobmrg said:
Honest statement, easy solution:

The next available day with gusty winds (even crosswinds), call any CFI and go up for an hour. When I was instructing full time I would not let anyone cancel because it was gusty unless they were in the early stages of landings.

Bob Gardner
Click to expand...

Bob is right. Practicing with your CFI is a good way to build confidence.

I went up on a gusty day with my CFI (during my PPL training) and not only we practiced TNGs on the runway into the wind but my CFI purposely requested a crosswind runway from the tower where the wind was blowing 20G30 under 70-degree angle. Tower guy was nice and granted us the request and I can only guess that he was standing there with the binoculars glued to the window, watching us wrestle the controls to keep the plane upright and on the centerline. FULL rudder deflection and a lot of aileron was required and we set her down straight and near the centerline (that's my story and I'm sticking to it :D ).

Was it a workout? Sure.
Was I sweating? Absolutely!
Was it fun? You bet your a** it was! :)
Did it help me gain confidence? Definitely.
Will I do it again? No doubt.
 
AnnaG said:
I can relate completely. I have just over 100 hours, and am part-way through my instrument--so not much experience in the real world.

I decided not to fly this weekend, with winds 17ktsg25kts, and a Notam out for moderate-severe turbulence along my route.
Click to expand...

That's completely a PIC decision and is never wrong.

I've flown into 65-70 mph headwind near Carlsbad NM (but it was smooth). I also have been through extreme TB with and without passengers with none of the events forecast. I live in a windy area, have 600 hours, and basically don't see TB and high crosswind as "neat" anymore ... I'll fly in it if necessary, just isn't my idea of "fun".

Yesterday, Metars and TAFs were indicating winds 10-15 knots and would continue that way through today ... guess what, my house is 2 miles from our fields threshold directly under final. Winds were probably more like 50mph minimum as all the lawn furniture, grill, etc was either over turned or in the pool.
 
I think it would be best to spend some time with a CFI and get used to windy conditions. Work with them to practice some higher speed approaches with less or no flaps. Throwing open the barn doors usually doesn't help if it's gusty.

When doing my first few solos I had it happen where we'd take off for the 'supervised' landings and the winds started picking up. Winds would get up beyond my logbook endorsement so the CFI would say "shall we head back and call it quits here" and I would say "no lets keep doing some more landings together so I can get used to gusty conditions" (gusts beyond my solo endorsement but still well within the safety envelope for the airplane). "Smart choice" he'd say.

Obviously you wouldn't want to intentionally fly into winds you are not comfortable with, but it's also important to work through any issues so you can handle the situation calmly if you find yourself there inadvertently. Winds can change quite rapidly so always best to be prepared.
 
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Do you like gusty conditions? When your head hits the roof do you enjoy it? Dirt, charts suddenly appearing out of nowhere. On landing do you like really fighting the controls to keep it under control? possibly damaging the airplane ? Over 15 direct cross wind makes me nervous in a taildragger especially if there are gusts to say 20-25. At that point I'm not going unless it's southwest. 4500 hours, never scratched one. Worked for me.
 
One can be confident in turbulence and cross winds and still call off a flight or land on a more-favorable runway someplace else. I am confident in my ability to make a prudent landing decision in gusty and turbulent conditions. Yet I still often decide flying in that **** is just not worth it - and certainly not with pax.

Last year I departed solo on a XC from Dallas to Denver knowing that winds were forecast to be strong, gusty, and to have a large xwind component on all of KAPA's runways (strong SW wind). Trying to keep a long story short, all the bad stuff was there: turbulence, LLWS (-10 to -15), and a high xwind component.

But before I ever took off, I had an alternate runway in mind at another airport that would have provided me a more favorable xwind component at least. Had that not been an option I might not have gone. In the event, I went. I aborted one landing due to LLWS and then set up the second attempt with a 3-mile final. I did all the stuff I knew to do and landed it successfully. I gained a lot of confidence from that.

And then I decided I didn't enjoy that one little bit and that I certainly didn't ever want to do that with pax and would avoid it even if solo. I am confident that I can handle it and mostly I choose not to. FWIW. :dunno:
 
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Cancelling a flight for 15-17kt winds is not a poor airmanship choice. If you are not comfortable with it cancel the flight, i definetly dont blame you. Before you fly you could obviously check METARS, AIRMETS,PIREPS and winds alofts to try to determine conditions. I also agree with Jason Shappert, a good pilot is always learning.
 
If the winds are straight down the runway, it just improves your short field performance. Know of the other fields in the area that would make the wind straight down the runway. You can land till you run out of rudder. When you run out of rudder you need a runway that is more into the wind.
 
Ever meet someone that has played golf every weekend for 20 years, but can't break 100 in regulation? Many golfers will tell you they don't care, it's a reason to get out of the house, smoke a cigar, and pay $10 for a beer from a good looking young woman.

Flying we don't get much in the way of cigars, beer, and women so you might as well focus on improving. We've all been there with turbulence, thunderstorms, etc. so you're in good company. The ONLY cure I know is to force yourself to fly in less than perfect conditions. Sure fly with a CFI to make sure your technique is correct, but don't let them become a pacifier. Ultimately you have to master this and you will if you just keep doing it. Do that and regardless of hours you will be ahead of the 40 year pancake flier IMO.
 
ColeThePilot said:
Hey guys, I'm posting in the pilot training thread despite being a licensed pilot because...not to steal a line from Jason Schappert but I believe a good pilot is always learning. :)

So I've hit a bit of an embarrassing paradox as a private pilot. I've started shying away from gusty, turbulent conditions. I'm unsure if I'm exercising good airmanship, or if I'm proving to myself I lack confidence when I call off a flight due to AIRMET Tangos and 17+ knot winds.

I flew in them early on and I don't think I'm lacking experience. While I was still a student pilot, my instructor would purposely send us out to an airport with unfavorable runways on gusty days, and he even let me make my first solo with a hefty crosswind.

Last October though I tried to take my mom flying in 15-17 knot winds, with pretty high winds aloft in the 40s-50s. She genuinely asked me if we were crashing before we even reached 1000', and ultimately I needed to bring us back. Her panic attack rattled me a bit. What if my passenger was right? What if I didn't have everything under control?

Ever since then I've pictured hitting a micro-burst, or totally losing control in a violent, invisible wave of chaos in the sky any time I see conditions ripe for chops. I need help being able to draw that line in the sand, and be able to look at conditions and know right away what's bad, and what's manageable. It's not as obvious as looking at temp/dew point spreads, and ceiling predictions on a TAF.

I end up sitting there after canceling the flight, looking at the sky. Should I have pushed myself to build that confidence? To see things weren't as bad as I had perceived them to be? Or would that be poor airmanship? The safety blanket of having an instructor doesn't seem to help either.

Any advice?
Click to expand...

Nosewheel or tailwheel?

17 knot, gusty crosswind, especially with any variability, in a tailwheel plane I will avoid if I can. In most nosewheel planes if you are not comfortable with that, you should start practicing in 10 knot gusty crosswind and work your way up.
 
+all for confidence building CFI time. You have shown Good judgement and Airmanship. it's all about being aware of your limitations; and these come more from currency than total time for non professional pilots.
PAX is tricky. wait for a smooth day, and then give them a really good brief. AOPA has some decent articles on first timers.
Well done!
 
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