I've seen many CFIs doing pattern work with students in their first few hours, well before they've had time to introduce, nevermind perfect, the building block skills that are used together to fly a traffic pattern and landing. I find this counterproductive as it results in the student stumbling around in the pattern not know what they are doing.
^^^ THIS ^^^
Here's a question. Are you
- Waiting till you get somewhere and then figuring out what to do.
- Saying to yourself before you get there, "when I get there, I will do...
The first pretty much guarantees you will be behind the airplane and scrambling to catch up. Much more difficult.
And did the instructor even teach you how to fix each of those things individually, concentrating on only one before adding them together.
he says: you worked for it for long period of time and still can’t make it. You won’t progress by stressing on solo like this.
You probably know this but it needs to be said.
Telling someone “don’t stress out” doesn’t work. It’s a terrible instructional technique.
The instructor needs to show you the exact steps to do constant airspeed climbs, descents, level flight, and in turns, with different aircraft configurations AWAY from the pattern, until you master them.
THEN tie those all together into the thing we call “a pattern”. Stringing skills together you already know.
After that stuff is nailed, it’s all about the last few feet to the landing. Which is a new skill set that still builds on slow flight skills and adds directional control of ground track over the runway with rudder and aileron while flying just a few feet off the ground.
From there, even the slightest power reduction will result in the nose dropping that needs to be counteracted with a pull and a sink rate that’ll make the mains contact the runway.
Any change in desired aircraft location, speed, descent rate, etc... all continuously corrected for as soon as they’re seen.
Any wildly out of normal changes? Go around.
See how this all is supposed to build from one skill to another?
Thinking of each step as rote behaviors will lead you to frustration. As Bob said, there’s procedure from the book, and there’s technique. Procedure says “65 knots on final”. That’s something you have to do. Technique is how you get the airplane to 65 knots.
No reason to give up on yourself if you haven’t been shown how to do each step and practiced each until they’re automatic.
Change your list a bit. Just for fun. This may not match your aircraft but instead of how you wrote it, I would write it this way...
Transition from level flight to a constant airspeed descent with ten degrees of flap at X knots.
When you’re 45 degrees from your point is intended landing, turn 90 degrees while maintaining that constant airspeed descent in the turn.
Looking mostly outside judge your altitude with a quick confirmation on the altimeter. Apply power or reduce as needed and transition to a constant airspeed descent with 20 degrees of flap. Hold X knots.
Transition to a turning constant speed descent to line up with the extended runway centerline.
Once rolled out of the turn, judge altitude again and apply power or reduce as needed to now maintain a constant airspeed descent with full landing flaps.
Etc.
But inside EACH of those steps are specifics that become automatic that are taught elsewhere and reinforced in the pattern.
Like when you turn you’ll lose some of your vertical component of lift. You’ll need to accept a higher descent rate to maintain the same airspeed during the turn. You’ll also have to stop the nose from falling with a little back pressure and any over or under banking tendencies with aileron and remain coordinated with the rudder at all times.
Those details should be nearly automatic by the time the instructor says “constant airspeed descending left turn with 10 degrees of flap at 65 knots”.
Make sense?
If you can’t fly with an instructor who can do this, AND be encouraging about building each skill up to string them together, it’s a much bigger challenge than truly necessary.
I’ve met pilots who muddled through instructors who just kept throwing them in the deep end of the pool by beating pattern work to death early, with no plan on how to teach it, and they all eventually found an instructor who understood it, and things became MUCH happier in just a few flights.
Flying each skill gives little rewards along the way to celebrate and can make flying much more fun for the student. Making it difficult without building skills to lean on, and saying “don’t stress out” isn’t teaching. Or making the student feel comfortable enough to experiment with the things they know how to do, to develop their own technique that gives the desired aircraft control result.
Remember you are working toward being Pilot In Command. When the instructor eventually climbs out, you’re it. So focus hard on aircraft control of exactly where you want it to be, configurations you want it in, and airspeed right on for whatever maneuver you’re doing.
All the way to touchdown and through the roll out. Keep flying the airplane, PIC.
You did good asking for help. Also ask your CFI to help with specific actions to take.
Talk yourself through pattens at home in a chair. Envision each flight skill and transitions between each. Next time in the airplane, no surprises.
Hope that helps. We aren’t there in person to see your level of anxiety, but focus on good airmanship and mastery of each little piece of the pattern... things will get easier quickly with the right plan!
. Let us know the type of aircraft and your speeds and may be some senior board members can give you some ideas. I am not qualified enough to provide pointers
