Zero confidence - help!

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R2019

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R2019
I mentioned in another post that I'm recently back to fly after a decades-long break. I completed my BFR and IPC a few months ago, but I don't feel comfortable in the air at all. The CFI who did both thinks I flew just fine (and I did, objectively), so it's definitely a confidence/comfort thing. I'm a very lapsed CFI with 700+ hours, so I know this shouldn't be an issue, but the lack of recent of experience is a problem. Any advice?

(Besides fly more...)
 
R2019 said:
I mentioned in another post that I'm recently back to fly after a decades-long break. I completed my BFR and IPC a few months ago, but I don't feel comfortable in the air at all. The CFI who did both thinks I flew just fine (and I did, objectively), so it's definitely a confidence/comfort thing. I'm a very lapsed CFI with 700+ hours, so I know this shouldn't be an issue, but the lack of recent of experience is a problem. Any advice?

(Besides fly more...)
Click to expand...
Fly more.;)
 
In what specific areas do you lack confidence? Those are the areas to work on and gain additional experience and or guidance. Confidence comes from mastery (not the other way around).

Any major changes (new autopilot, navigation unit, glass panel) introduce a level of temporary uncertainty or confusion, which fades after a period of training and acclimation. I imagine after 20 years off some things may look and work quite different, but others, like fundamental aircraft control, should be pretty much the same as ever.
 
Grab a safety pilot and fly in foggles. They get time, you get someone to watch you fly.
 
Fly more. Also, don't always fly for the sole purpose of practice, drilling, and improvement. Yes, those goals are always with us, but just go sight seeing..or fly to lunch...so that, once the flight is over, you have something to look back on positively instead of the inevitable perfectionist pilot's curse, "I should have done xxxx better...."

Ive been in your shoes four times over my flying life. The cure is frequent flying.
 
Go do a bunch of landings. Once you remember that you CAN land it pretty much were you want, you should feel good about going places? I'm guessing here, but there's no way through not having confidence except to remind yourself that you can do it, most easily by flying more.
 
Flying with a safety pilot and more time with the CFI does wonders. You know when you are ready.
 
chemgeek said:
In what specific areas do you lack confidence? Those are the areas to work on and gain additional experience and or guidance. Confidence comes from mastery (not the other way around).

Any major changes (new autopilot, navigation unit, glass panel) introduce a level of temporary uncertainty or confusion, which fades after a period of training and acclimation. I imagine after 20 years off some things may look and work quite different, but others, like fundamental aircraft control, should be pretty much the same as ever.
Click to expand...

Landings. My current uncontrolled airport vs. the C and D I flew out of before. Maybe I don't trust other pilots?

bflynn said:
Go do a bunch of landings. Once you remember that you CAN land it pretty much were you want, you should feel good about going places? I'm guessing here, but there's no way through not having confidence except to remind yourself that you can do it, most easily by flying more.
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Funny thing, I was literally just sitting here worried I won't be able to land once I get up there. What even. :confused:

NordicDave said:
Flying with a safety pilot and more time with the CFI does wonders. You know when you are ready.
Click to expand...

Kind of what I figured, but the CFI said he thought I was ready.
 
Have few drinks to relax you first! Not only will it give you confidence, but you’ll think your plane looks better than it does.
 
R2019 said:
Landings. My current uncontrolled airport vs. the C and D I flew out of before. Maybe I don't trust other pilots?
Click to expand...

No substitute for just going up in the pattern and banging out a couple dozen landings in a row.

So ... fly more. ;)
 
I haven't been confident in any airplane into which I've initially transitioned. Just gotta keep getting on the horse.
 
Keep going up with CFI. Confidence is a funny thing. sometimes I have all the mojo in the world and I feel I’m on my game and other times I feel like I’m lost and maybe I shouldn’t fly. Lol It depends on what aspects you lack confidence - as someone else mentioned. Decision making? weather? Flight planning? Crosswind landings? Or is a general feeling of being uncomfortable flying? I don’t see any problem paying CFI to go on x-country trip or do a bunch of touch and go’s on a windy day. Until you feel more confident - take it slow. If it’s not a career then there is no reason to push - just keep working on it. FWIW - I took 14 years off and it was a process to return.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
R2019 said:
Kind of what I figured, but the CFI said he thought I was ready.
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Sure, but that was likely only from a demonstrated skills standpoint. If it's a comfort level thing, ask him to fly with you some more. Would you turn down such a request if you were still instructing?
 
Are you renting? A member of a flying club? Find someone you can fly with and go fly. There are always pilots who want to do something and would feel better with a safety pilot or CFI on board. Hang out at the airport, make some friends, and go fly. (Flying more is obviously the cure to what ails you, so it’s really just a matter of finding a situation in which you will be comfortable flying more.)
 
Where are you, generally? There's bound to be someone here who is close and would love to help out. I'd be happy to fly with you if you're anywhere near central NYS. I'd make you feel GREAT about your skills after you see me fly.
 
IMO more flying with a CFI or safety pilot is just going to delay the onset of self confidence. You know how to fly the plane. Your CFI says you are ready. Get up there and get some reps. 20 turns in the pattern and you'll be saying "I got this."
 
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Fly More!
Seriously. There have been times when I have not felt confident and hired a CFI to come with me, and after the fact I was thinking that was dumb, I had it all handled! But when in doubt take along a cfi if needed. Really though, you have those ratings, you have those hours of training. I'm just a ppl with instrument on hold for the moment. My goal is cfi, but for now just keep flying!
 
Ed Haywood said:
IMO more flying with a CFI or safety pilot is just going to delay the onset of self confidence. You know how to fly the plane. Your CFI says you are ready. Get up there and get some reps. 20 turns in the pattern and you'll be saying "I got this."
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This was actually my gut feeling, but wasn't sure if it was way off base.
 
Going to go the tough love route.

Put on your big boy pants and go do it. It's just an airplane. You have a ton of experience and despite what you read and what the standard pilot ego would indicate flying isn't like the most difficult thing in the world by a long shot.


BTW: What is the root of your lack of confidence? What are you afraid of? What do you think is going to happen?
 
R2019 said:
I mentioned in another post that I'm recently back to fly after a decades-long break. I completed my BFR and IPC a few months ago, but I don't feel comfortable in the air at all. The CFI who did both thinks I flew just fine (and I did, objectively), so it's definitely a confidence/comfort thing. I'm a very lapsed CFI with 700+ hours, so I know this shouldn't be an issue, but the lack of recent of experience is a problem. Any advice?

(Besides fly more...)
Click to expand...

I'm a lowly ppl sel with maybe 200 hours. I lapsed for better'n 20 years. I'd heard folks say "plan on an hour of instruction for every year off" so I did. After all, the last time I lapsed, it was about 10 years, and it took me 10 hours, give or take, to feel confident again, and my cfi signed me off.

I went to a rusty pilot seminar and got the ground portion of my FR done that way.

This time, I had a CFII a bit older than me, who's worked for the majors, flown in the jungles and the mountains. He met me before we flew... We clicked. One of the things he told me was that a review is just that... "You are already a pilot."

We all know "once a pilot, always a pilot" but he said it in a way that made me believe it...

Oh, make no mistake... I needed a lot of work... But it wasn't 20+ hours. And one day, he signed me off... Frankly, I was nearly as surprised as I was on that first solo... Remember that? I questioned his notion... "Really?" "You are a safe an competent pilot. Now, I signed you off, it's my name on the line... Don't get me in trouble. Go fly!"

Now, he did not say "Proficient" he said competent... But are any of us "truly" proficient? Will we ever be? Could we go out today and land on the Hudson? That might be a mark of proficiency...

But, we were always taught that a ppl (+) is a "license to learn." That's how I treat mine.
Every time I fly, I learn. I learn my limitations, I learn my plane... I am harder on me than any instructor used to be.

I pre brief, and de brief every flight. To myself...

Honestly, I know that this looks like I'm making it all about me... I'm not.

You are a CFI!

Folks like me counted on you to tell us we were ready... Ready to solo, ready to go get that check ride. Ready to join the ranks... Safe and competent...

You just need to trust the CFI that signed you off... His name is on the line, and that has to mean something...

You might be nervous... I'm sure all us rusty pilots have been. Follow the checklists... If your flying a 172 or equivalent, the plane will have a hard time getting ahead of you... You've got time... Time for checklists time for all of it... I like non-towered airports for just that reason... Pick a quiet weekday morning, work the pattern... Work what needs worked on...

Go... Fly!

TLDR?

Go... Fly!
 
ci-teachers-scotch-highland-cream-1e46a463d881b849.jpeg


no no no....that's just wrong....
 
R2019 said:
Landings. My current uncontrolled airport vs. the C and D I flew out of before. Maybe I don't trust other pilots?
Click to expand...

???

Is it physically landing the airplane on the runway, or is is procedures for operating at an uncontrolled airport? What impact to other pilots have on your ability to land your aircraft?

If the former, you need to review the "numbers" for your aircraft and practice TO&L to become proficient. Use an instructor if necessary. If the latter, watch and listen to the local pilots operating in the pattern to get an idea of how to fly the pattern and announce position. It's a lot simpler than operating out of a class C or D airport.
 
chemgeek said:
???

Is it physically landing the airplane on the runway, or is is procedures for operating at an uncontrolled airport? What impact to other pilots have on your ability to land your aircraft?

If the former, you need to review the "numbers" for your aircraft and practice TO&L to become proficient. Use an instructor if necessary. If the latter, watch and listen to the local pilots operating in the pattern to get an idea of how to fly the pattern and announce position. It's a lot simpler than operating out of a class C or D airport.
Click to expand...
Interesting post. You have WAY more experience than I do, so this response is not by way of argument or disagreement, but rather inquiry.

Is it possible that part of the concern of the OP is the "unknown" of flying at non-towered airports, or "uncontrolled" fields? I did the bulk of my initial training out of SYR (class C), and got very used to having someone talking to me, instructing pattern entries, altitudes, headings, etc., to keep me away from other aircraft. I still feel a bit more comfortable in that scenario than at a relatively busy non-towered field. Kind of like riding my motorcycle... I'm comfortable with my own ability to ride quite well, but not comfortable with the decision-making and skills of those around me. I haven't had any truly bad experiences at airports, but more than handful of times where, if I HADN'T been expecting other people to do things they shouldn't do, the experiences would have been a lot worse. Missing or incorrect radio calls/position reports, cutting people off in the pattern, pulling onto the runway when another aircraft is on final... all the usual stuff that less-than-aware pilots, unfortunately, do to make life more exciting for the rest of us. Yes, as far as simplicity, there's no clearance, ground, tower, departure hand-offs, but there's also less unknowns and therefore, in some ways, less decision making and that, in and of itself, is a type of simplicity, too.
 
chemgeek said:
???

Is it physically landing the airplane on the runway, or is is procedures for operating at an uncontrolled airport? What impact to other pilots have on your ability to land your aircraft?

If the former, you need to review the "numbers" for your aircraft and practice TO&L to become proficient. Use an instructor if necessary. If the latter, watch and listen to the local pilots operating in the pattern to get an idea of how to fly the pattern and announce position. It's a lot simpler than operating out of a class C or D airport.
Click to expand...

Those were probably two separate thoughts. I can count on one hand the number of uncontrolled fields I've flown out of, and I find them all very uncomfortable.

As for landings, not sure. Maybe it's a proficiency thing.
 
PlasticCigar said:
Your concerns show good judgement. Your skills probably aren’t up to the level they were at before you quit and it’s a good idea to gently ease yourself back in.
Click to expand...

Funny thing is, I didn't have any issues flying on my BFR & IPC flights. It all came right back. I'd have signed myself off, so maybe that's the answer.

DFH65 said:
Going to go the tough love route.

Put on your big boy pants and go do it. It's just an airplane. You have a ton of experience and despite what you read and what the standard pilot ego would indicate flying isn't like the most difficult thing in the world by a long shot.

BTW: What is the root of your lack of confidence? What are you afraid of? What do you think is going to happen?
Click to expand...

"It's just an airplane."
I love this.

I think at its core, this is me realizing just how much I've forgotten over the years and knowing that I might never remember all of it.
 
R2019 said:
Those were probably two separate thoughts. I can count on one hand the number of uncontrolled fields I've flown out of, and I find them all very uncomfortable.

As for landings, not sure. Maybe it's a proficiency thing.
Click to expand...
I prescribe a tour of a dozen (less if you live in a remote area without a lot of airports) non towered airports That You’ve never been to. Full stop landings at each one. Make a flight plan, and fly it. This is SO much more beneficial than flying the same hour over and over again. It gives you a break between each one and makes you focus on navigating and prepping for the next airport. Keeps you busy doing things you’re supposed to be doing and not worrying.

Not an instructor or expert, but doing this A few times boosted my confidence by orders of magnitude. I had more stress with towered airports so I picked more of them instead.
 
Salty said:
I prescribe a tour of a dozen (less if you live in a remote area without a lot of airports) non towered airports That You’ve never been to. Full stop landings at each one. Make a flight plan, and fly it. This is SO much more beneficial than flying the same hour over and over again. It gives you a break between each one and makes you focus on navigating and prepping for the next airport. Keeps you busy doing things you’re supposed to be doing and not worrying.

Not an instructor or expert, but doing this A few times boosted my confidence by orders of magnitude. I had more stress with towered airports so I picked more of them instead.
Click to expand...

That's pretty solid.
 
R2019 said:
Those were probably two separate thoughts. I can count on one hand the number of uncontrolled fields I've flown out of, and I find them all very uncomfortable.
Click to expand...

They're all different. Go find one you do like for your practice. I'm based out of one I HATE with a mix IFR and VFR of lots of foreign students and jet traffic with a single runway. It's a mess to do anything but get the heck out of there and come back with your head on a swivel and an iPad full of traffic.

But, there are at least three others within 30 minutes that are quiet little places where you can do T&Gs to your hearts content and rarely get interrupted.
 
When I first read this string, I thought you were in the student pilot phase. But you have 700 hours? I took a 34 years break from flying and my attitude about getting back into flying was simple... I know jack S...
Which I believe is a healthy way to look at it. I think the best learners are humble. My learning has been a progression and oftentimes when I took flying up again... I would lose confidence before climbing into the plane but I reminded myself that lack of confidence is probably the most dangerous thing to carry with me on a flight so I chuck the feeling immediately - or I don't go that day. Those lack of confidence feelings don't happen anymore but it wasn't that long ago.
My advice to you is to either "get over it", or find another hobby you love. The constant angst isn't worth it to you, your family or the fellow pilots in the air with you.
 
The beauty these days of landing at uncontrolled airports is 9 time out of 10 there will be nobody there to even know you screwed up something. :) I have just the opposite problem I have only flown into controlled airspace a handful of times. Now the plane I own can't go there. :)

I did the 20+ year break thing. Took me 7 hours to get signed off basically the instructor did a mini PPL with me.

You will get it figured.
 
Fly, but don’t just fly for time. It’s too easy to scrub those flights.

If you have a pilot friend, invite them to lunch at an airport restaurant, put it on the calendar and fly there. You have a second pilot for backup, and you have someone to hold you accountable to actually make the trip.

If you are a member of a club or just know some pilots who are building time, offer to safety pilot.

I like the idea of getting a tail wheel endorsement to build up confidence (plus scheduling with the CFI has the accountability advantage).

Basically, you need to do what you did to learn to fly. Fly at least weekly, even if it’s just 3 laps around the pattern.
 
Like you, I am in the process off getting back into flying. For me, I'm a 300is hour Commercial pilot, that walked away right when I was about to take the CFI ride. I am also having a bit of a confidence issue, even though my instructor has been impressed with the skills that are still there. As others have touched on, it is the knowing how much more I used to know back when I was proficient. While I know enough to pass a FR, I also know that there is a large gap in the knowledge required to pass the FR and what I used to know. My stress comes from knowing that I want my skill set to at least get close to where it once was, yet realizing that it will take time to close that gap. It sounds like you are in a similar position. I have been paying attention to what areas have been causing me stress (ATC communication, XC Operations), and making sure to drill the studying on those aspects outside of my time with my CFI.
 
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