I wanted to quit after a cross country flight. I had been intimidated by ATC communications and airspace. My instructor explained that I was at a stage which many students quit. I wanted to at least take a break and my instructor wisely said “not a chance” and I continued. I had an excellent aviation career and am now retired. I am also still close with that instructor.
@@__StarLInk__ , it’s a very long story so let’s avoid that. First off become involved as though you were already where you want to be. For example, I’m a retired professional aviator and I still watch videos, read reports, and study from all available resources as though I were just starting out and wanting to learn. Secondly, you do not have to attend a very expensive “school”. If you are serious you can acquire some the books to help you study for and pass the Private Pilot written exam. Third, get a First Class medical certificate from an AME required to become a professional pilot, before you start spending money towards that goal.
How on earth is anyone suppose to be able to comprehend and then repeat back something that is said at 90 mph. ...... oh and why isnt that regulated somehow!! Slow the hell down so people can understand you!!!
Yeah my instructor one day saw I was getting close to dropping out of flying, so he decided just to do a fun lesson going somewhere scenic with me to keep me engaged.
When I was getting my PPL, the thing that always kept me going was thinking of the feeling that would come when I was finally signed off, it was more of a relief and joy than I could ever imagine. Keep pushing, its worth it!
I quit half way through my ppl 141 class now I’m in 8k of debt for no reason with a 1k headset I can’t sell😂 The school I went to scammed the hell out of me and my friend… I was at this “stage check” halfway through the ppl course and the schools tester was asking me questions I didn’t even know yet like how to tune VORs when I was supposed to learn them 5 lessons ahead of where I was, and me being a new pilot I don’t know everything and atc cancelled my clearance to land and told me to continue downwind which I did and I was continuing for sometime and the tester screams at me telling me “am I ever going to turn on to base” and I said I never got a call saying to turn so I was just being safe and waiting since I’ve never had that happen and he told me it’s common sense.. I said it not common sense if I’ve never had it happen and I was just trying to be safe. A bunch of things happened as well that ultimately led me to quitting
LOL... Deja vu! Sucky schools are out there. Definitely try a different school. Or just go on a flight with somebody that went to a school that doesn't suck.
Sounds like a crap school. Some of the younger instructors who are just putting time in have huge egos that make them terrible instructors. Good CFIs want you to succeed. THis doesn't sound like that.
I almost experienced every reason to quit said in your video and I am still doing it. 1. Money, I lost my job right before my first solo training and I ordered a ipad pro for my flight training one day before lost my job, but luckily, my parent got my back 2. Medical. I am a normal person that feel okay, but I almost failed my 3rd class. I was diagnosed with color blindness(no solo night flight) and OSA(choke youself when you sleep) during that third medical exam . And I never know I have that stuff with me. This was almost the most depressing time I have ever had. Color blindness is fine, but OSA really makes me struggle. My previous instructor and flight school can not help me because they never experienced this before. I read a lot of online forums and asked a bunch of people. Spent thousands of dollars to see doctors in different areas and different countries and bought a CPAP(a treatment device for OSA). Eventually I lost 100lbs and now I almost have 0 OSA symptoms. 3. Priority. This was fine for me, but still I basically temporarily gave up my other hobbies. 4. Wrong Instructor, even wrong flight school. I changed 3 instructors and 2 flight schools. The first flight school was pretty bad, and the instructor was not that good, he was part time at the flight school and availability was very bad. I only flew about 10 hrs in the past whole year. Then I changed to a bigger flight school and had 1 lesson with a CFI then he left the flight school. then finally my third instructor, he is very very good. I fly with him more than what I flew in the past year within a week. 5. Mistake. Couple days ago, I was practicing landings for almost a whole week, almost 7 hours. and I still can't get the speed and throttle control on the final. Everytime I make a mistake, I feel sorry for my instructor for not doing well. He is a very nice guy. He even called and moved other people's appointments to help me to get the right aircraft to practice landing. For me, I am the person that will feel very sorry for my instructor even though I only make very small mistakes. 6. Plane English. Not only plane english, as you read through my comment, you can see that English is my second language. I struggled a lot with ATC comms 7. Flying solo, I felt very nervous and even let my instructor change some of the appointments because I was a little bit afraid of flying solo. My instructor was very nice, he sat down and talked to me for almost an hour just telling me how qualified I am for flying solo without charging me ground training hours. 8. Losing interest. I did lost interest when everyday practicing content was TAP, S Turn, Power on/off stall, slow flight, emergency descent/landing and landings for almost a month. How I overcame this was that I went to the controller.com and started thinking about my budget and what kind of aircraft I can buy and dreaming about the life after owning an aircraft and eventually found out that you can't buy anything with g1000 under 200k which makes me more depressed lol.
Another reason, which is one I’m feeling right now, is frustration. I’m having such a hard time with stalls, I’ve been practicing them over and over again. I get even more annoyed each time I try and fail again. The thought of “I’ll never get this” makes your mind wander about whether you should even bother continuing. I know I’ll get it eventually, so I don’t plan on quitting anytime soon. But I can only imagine many people may consider taking the other route because flying can be very difficult at times. Stick with it, I know it will come.
Juan, after I soloed and did long distance solos, I thought I was almost done. But no! For the life of me I could not master the maneuvers. I almost quit and I was soo close. Then I talked to my CFI and he encouraged me. Plus my wife forbade me to quit. So, I stuck with it and finally passed my check ride. Now I fly wherever I want and often all by myself. It is worth it. Just do not give up!
Out of curiosity, are you apprehensive about stalls? If so, ask your instructor to do the stalls for you for the first half of the lesson, get comfortable with the unusual attitudes, then have a go yourself 😁
I hear you man. There was a time I just wanted to rent a plane and Taxi. I was all over the place. Landings sucked too. Like you said, it takes time. What are you struggling with exactly. We can give some good advice that may help.
@@timhoke2 I appreciate the story. Makes me feel better about my struggles as well, and definitely look forward to being able to just fly by myself as well. Thank you!
For me, weather and not having enough time to fly are really getting in the way of things. I certainly don't want to quit, though. My medical is taking forever - I'm 7 months into waiting so I haven't soloed yet. But I'm still flying regardless because I enjoy the experience and studying just for the sake of it. Remember, even if you get denied your medical, you can still take on other aviation-related jobs and hobbies. You can also still fly - you just can't be PIC. It's still worth it to learn as much as you can. There are also people who have sadly run out of money, but are able to jump back into training once they are financially able. Lastly, I wanna mention that acute health issues can also get in the way and feel discouraging. But don't feel guilty if you need to take a couple weeks off for downtime if you've got the flu or sprained an ankle or something. Chair flying is a good way to keep your routine going if you aren't physically/financially able to get into an actual plane.
Great video :) I totally had almost all those things happen to me. Fortunately I am an extraverted person so I went up and switched instructors after the one instructor yelled at me, it almost ruined flying for me but because I kept going now I have a commercial fixed wing and helicopter license. Happy Flying Everyone :)
Great video Carl I haven't quit yet, but I am at a plateau and I am struggling. I'm not sure if I'm afraid of failure or success. Just thought I would share.
It has been many years since a really aviation intensive war as was WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Smart weapons has resulted in fewer military trained pilots and the Vietnam era airline pilots are retired. The airport where I was the only instructor as late as the 90s now has five full time instructors, but most of the students are not airline candidates. I work with instructors there to encourage the teaching of flying first for primacy and ACS later for test without costing students extra time. Pre-solo requirements and the cost of airplanes and insurance were much less in my day, but all my students soloed in less than ten hours. That got solo in before the first learning plateau, where increase in new learning lessons naturally but it can be psychological. Nothing kills self confidence more than arbitrary delay of solo and twenty hours has by definition some arbitrary delay. We let our children out on a much more dangerous road with less hours of instruction. When at Billy Howell's Ag Flight, I got two new zero timers every other Sunday and had both soloed by Wednesday. They made three landings slowly and softly on the numbers in the 7AC Champ because they hadn't yet learned the much more difficult and less controlled round out and hold off technique of ACS. Check out the stall down landing on page 302--304 of "Stick and Rudder." No, the airlines don't do it that way. But, not all students are going to be airline pilots and even my guys learned the more difficult round out and uncontrolled hold off of ACS. One size does not fit all. Crop dusters who fully use the free ground effect energy of low ground effect and do not bleed kinetic energy going way high over obstructions also have far fewer takeoff fatalities. The TOGA button on the airliner will remove that fatality statistic, but students have to survive their time in a C-172 or Cherokee. If that time involves three seconds at Vx pitch attitude to recognize engine failure...oops, stall at too low an altitude to recover from inadvertent stall. Students who have been around the airport for some time may recognize how they are being hung out to dry at Vx or Vy as appropriate. On our long runways, when is either Vx or Vy appropriate? When "ours not the reason why, ours but to do and die" is the situation we are in, as in the military, we persist. Workarounds of arbitrary and inefficient techniques, on the part of sargents, officers, and instructors helps moral, however. On takeoff we can use the + whatever tolerance in ACS because down low airspeed and not altitude is life. On landing we can use the - whatever tolerance in ACS because banging into terrain and obstructions fast bends more tin and skin than does messing up when "all slowed up and ready to squat," as Wolfgang puts it. Be honest with students. Work with them as much as possible.
I cant do anyrhing right, i can never keep pich or altitude, procedures, and I cant even remember the steps to go on the downwind and land. My CFI keeps giving me a hard time saying how im wasting his time because I have a little over 14 hourse in total and i still cant fly the plane.
Could be your instructor in all honesty. Some of that stuff takes time, but it's going to be impossible without encouragement and positive reinforcement so you know when you're doing it right. BUT, it sounds like you may be chasing the plane a little. Use smaller inputs on the controls and see if that helps. It's hard because if a mistake gets you frazzled it can throw off the whole flight. Try to not let it get to you and keep flying the plane. You'll get there.
Im on hour 5, and my instructor tends to take too much control and likes to show the maneuvers instead of allowing me to do them. I feel like he is chasing hours. He basically looked around the plane for preflight in just 2 minutes last flight. It made me nervous, and it continued to run through my mind the entire flight, making it harder to focus on the training. I'm just not sure how to choose the proper instructor, cause their flight time doesn't tell you much about their CFI skill.
Totally understand, and I would find a new instructor as soon as you can. You're never going to be able to do it if they can't let you learn by trying and talk you through it properly, help correct when needed for safety of course.
Flying is a very rewarding but demanding hobby or career….if you truly love to fly you will overcome all obstacles…..like anything rewarding you need to put the work in to receive the reward….it all takes time no matter who you are…..don’t give up, never quit.
The "lost interest" one definitely got me a few times. It does get mundane and more of a chore than a fun activity. I've never been much of an academic and just want to do things for practicality sake. I wanted to actually GO somewhere instead of spending time perfecting maneuvers. But there's just nothing better than actually checking out a plane for rent and taking the skies now that I have my PPL. Besides coming back and paying for the rental, that is.
I don’t want to quit flying but I do struggle with some things. Before I started flying, I knew right off the bat that I wanted to be a pilot. The discovery flight itself was fun and I enjoyed it but I feel so guilty of not getting that exciment like everyone else did on there first discovery flight because on mines although I has fun, I already knew I wanted to this so there was really more of a serious attitude then more excitement idk. When I did a couple lessons however, I felt that excitement burst out of no where and I started feeling it again within me! I was doing great on radio calls by lesson 2 (When I first talked on the radio) and I was getting a lot of credit for that. I felt like “I can really do this!” One thing I want to mention is that before I ever touched an airplane, I was and still am a big flight simulator nerd! I flew so much on simulators I flew mostly big airplanes and sometimes small, I would use this network called Vatsim, where I can talk to people controlling ATC in the sim, I used navigation charts doing instrument approaches and etc. Then when my trading started IRL, I practiced more on small airplanes and really learn or at least get a concept of the idea on how to fly smaller planes. Okay so fast forward to after my third lesson, I was ready to do the next one! Or (Practice for the next one) THEN I had a situation where my family and I had to move and that cost me 9 months of not being able to fly. Still to this day, I haven’t went up in the air and the passion that I have is starting to fade. Most of the reason why I haven’t flown was the financial stress that I have and trying to fly when trying to save is stressful 😭. Then not to mention I’m practicing for a written test so that I can finally get that passed and get to the flying but the amount of stuff I need to study and the consistency is really draining me. I know I want to do this and I really really want to do this it almost feels like if I can’t financially be stable and in a better place, how can I become a pilot. Aviation is still my burning passion till the day I die and will always forever remain in my heart and soul but sometimes I get those thoughts of “your not gonna go through with this’’ “you aren’t worthy of this dream” “Just drop it!” I am ignoring those voices and keeping my head forward but honestly I just want to get back into the air again 😞. I know that there is a lot of studying involved but I’m so used to seeing things up in person and being shown something, then actually sitting down in a table with a book in front of me. I’m more of a visual learner then a book learner. Sorry if this is so long I guess I just needed to vent. There’s a lot more in this but I don’t want to go into deeper detail 🙂. hope you all have a blessed rest of your afternoon, morning, or whatever you all are in the world 😊
Thanks for sharing all that. It took me 3 years to get mine. I went through a lot of the same emotions and situations. I remember sobbing one night realizing I wasn't going to be able to make it to the end. Eventually, I was able to get everything together, worked out deals on the plane and instructor, and pushed through to make it to the finish line. Since then, It's become a lot easier. I hope the same happens for you!
I stopped flying because I was afraid to solo…I admit it! 😂 pre solo stage check passed, ppl written passed, 1st class medical passed, pre-solo tests passed and then afraid of solo…plus the CFI didn’t care.
Another good reason would be feeling stuck, hitting a wall. It took me 3 months just to make a decent landing if I would call it that. And 6 cross country flights just to be better at maintaining heading. But it felt great to get passed all the struggle I went through and the extra time was worth it.
@@flywiththeguys CARL I PASSED MY CHECKRIDE HOLY **** im SUPER exhausted it was the most stressful flight ive ever done. Thank you SO MUCH for the content on this channel. It has helped me throughout my training and your community being so supportive too. I remember first watching this channel in 2020 back when aviation was brand new to me. I think it was the ATC video I got recommended when I found your channel. Again youve been a big help, I will continue following up here.
For me, Covid hit and I stopped with the intention of going back. I was getting ready for my first solo ~30 hrs)… Haven’t bothered going back. Mostly, I don’t want to “start over” again. Still have that itch from time to time.
I quit only 10 flight hours in. Financial stress as well as all the other stresses you have when you're young. So for me it was money and not having the peace of mind for studying.
@@flywiththeguys I never got back into it. My twin bro is a pilot so I kind of just got used to being a passenger. If I did start again I would get through ground school before doing any flying. Need to eat your vegetables before you have dessert kind of thinking.
I told my CFI to be better prepared and she didn't like that comment. She was never fully prepared and couldn't even properly demo some of the maneuvers that I had studied in prep for the flight. I was used to a syllabus type lesson, not off the cuff ideas.
Quit AFTER an accomplishment. Or at least don't quit until you've achieved something. If you want to be a pilot but training is more than you expected, break it down into smaller chunks. "I'll solo, then I'll quit." Or, "I'll get my Private, then I'll quit." When you've hit a milestone, it gives you a little boost to go further. I told myself I was going to quit after the next step quite a few times. I did that until Commercial. After my Commercial checkride, I wanted that CFI program. If it was easy, everybody would do it.
Yea. some people do things for accomplishment or achievement. Check the box and then there done. I have a video on why pilots quit. I don't think I have that one in there, but I should.
The airline pilots do not like us buzzing around them so the FAA tries to make it hard to get a PPL. IMO the intimidating checkride and especially the oral should be handled by your CFI.
I am contemplating quitting. I keep doubting myself even though I’ve made it so far in just 3 months I have 75 hours of flight time. I am supposed to be taking my PPL checkride later this month but Im feeling so overwhelmed with the amount of information I’m expected to know. I’m trying my best to stick with it and it feels like I’ve sacrificed so much already to get to where I am so I don’t want to be another statistic. Thank you for making these videos it gives me hope 🙂
You're deep in it now. I hope you make it to the finish line. It's totally worth it! Go on a fun flight, get an over priced hamburger. It can help with perspectives.
Student pilots do quit flying for all these reasons, but those are the lucky ones. Those who don't quit soon find out that GA is tremendously expensive, completely impractical, doesn't fit in almost anyone's lifestyle (if you work you have no time, if you don't work you have no money, and both are required in large quantities to fly GA), and by the way - spoiler alert - most people don't want to go up with you. Realizing all of that and quitting forever soon after the checkride is much worse than quitting for any of the reasons listed in this video.
I just quit this week working in my PPL. The 2 years expired for my written exam. I have run into horrible instructors, poor maintenance and aircraft not being available as well as the FBO switched me from a 172 to a 152. I am 6’5” tall and 300 lbs. the industry has really created a lot of crappy unprofessional staff and instructors. Please note I realize this is not all. But when I grew up the professionalism was much better and the ramp person ran out to direct planes coming student pilot or not. After retiring from the military I thought I now had time to finish and get my PPL. A life long dream shot down by too much crap. I don’t feel safe with a lot of instructors these days as they are in it for themselves.
Being tall and heavy is an issue for me too. I'm 6'3 and just over 300 pounds and no one wants to instruct me in a training aircraft. I don't know how the hell you fit into a 152, lol. As much as I feel your frustration, I don't believe you actually are done with all of this. It doesn't just go away. I bet you always look up when hear a plane...
I know what you're talking about. The guys being in it for themselves. BUT we have no one to blame accept the FAA. They really created the current training environment and paths that pilots have to take to make a economic carrier in flying happen. =(
Here is a list of 6 reasons for college age students, like myself, to consider before going into aviation. That being going to an Flight School or a college program that offers flight training and a degree. 1) If wanting to go into commercial airliners only , you do NOT need a 4 year bachelor’s degree in anything. 2) When he says it is expensive, it is really expensive. Example, I took an online class (AVIA 220), 16k for one class, my other 3 classes (not any aviation classes) were just 3k in total. 3) If you do go through a college program that offers flight school, DO NOT DO ONLINE COURSES FOR GROUND SCHOOL. Straight up awful. I am a straight A student in pre-med path and it was nothing compared to how awful the structure of online ground school was. Expect no structure or help if you decide to go into an aviation program through a college that has flight affiliated flight schools. 4)Make sure to have a friends or people outside of the flight school that are into flying as well. A CFI is just a teacher at the end of the day, you aren’t going to talk to him/her like one of your good friends. Have a group of friends that are pilots too. 5)If you’re a college student like me, it is nothing like a normal experience you would get if you got any other degree out there. 6) This is arguably the one that changed my mind as an aviation major and pilot in general, family and lifestyle. If you want to be a family man, have kids and grow up with them, be there on holidays, baseball, etc. Do not become a pilot, you will never get time off, that being mentally and physically. That is if you want to be a commercial airline pilot. There are some others but I will leave you with these. I was a student pilot going through a college program to become a commercial airline pilot in 2 and 1/2 years. If you have to do any sort of online ground school, I highly recommend not getting an aviation degree and save your money and just go straight to a flight school that offers both.
I just finished my first solo and it was absolutely incredible. Although whenever I try to study I lack the ability to sit down and to just focus and to understand everything that is being said. My instructor told my to use Sporty's online training program which i've been using but i've just been struggling so much with taking in everything that is being said and I feel like i'm taking information into one ear and then it goes out the other. I absolutely love flying, and I really want to make it to the airlines and to have a career but 'm so scared that i'm going to fail and that i'm just wasting all this money on a thing I can't do. I would love any tips you have about studying and how I can process information better. Is this fixable? I know for a fact that i'm smart enough to know all this information and to learn it, but I just don't know how. Whenever I watch the videos it feels dry and that they are talking in a completely different language. I just don't know what to do and need someones advice.
I saved 10,000 dollars and started my PPL….the money quickly dried out and plenty of excuses came to stop. No money, needed knowledge exam done, wife is pregnant. But I set a personal goal to finish the exam and then jump back. Even if I have to get in debt I just need to finish.
I was reason number 1 💰,had to stop during my ifr training. I really liked my flight school and my instructor. Had a great time getting my private license
I quit to build my own plane to practice in then use the demonstration of ability at least that was my plan in the 90's when I started. My ground instructor didnt like me. My first flight instructor one flight only, he had the nav light lenses switched around and I missed that on the preflight. We were climbing out to altitude to the practice area I asked what angle climb and what rpm. Eventually I said wait a second this dont fill right and pushed the plane over level. He starts in What are you doin ???? I said it dont feel right he said look at your airspeed it was just startin to go back up. So the was stall about to happen . All right on landing he said just at descent I have control and I said you have control. And just before touchdown he starts screamin help me hold it off help me hold it off. Instantly felt scolded in panic. Ok. At class at break , walkin down the hall he was in the office with my ground instructor. He told him I took one of your students up. Who? Then he ohh bullshit he aint no pilot. Flight instructor told him, I think he a natural. Boy that pissed him off even more. So I found another flight instructor. He kept askin me if I was with the FAA. Just tryin to check him out. As we were landing I was all inthe sweetspot first time easein off throttle gently bout to set down and my second said " there you go man!" And I paniced pulled back and scraped a flat on the tie down ring. O h I was pissed cause man you ever built a model that took months ? THE VERY THING I DONT WANT TO DO IS TEAR A AIRPPLANE UP I WAS PISSED and itwas cause that first instructor.so see why I should just build my own. Besides id have to cheat on the eye chart now to get my medical
I want to get my PPL, become a CFI and eventually CPL: I am a teacher now, and hearing stories of CFI's not really doing their best at their job, even if it is a stepping stone job, makes me concerned
Seems like you missed the elephant in the room, which is that the general aviation community seems hide-bound to vintage aircraft and GA aircraft are fossils (especially flight school planes). I mean, I drove out to my discovery flight in a '21 Volkswagen GTI, a modestly nice car. Then I got in the cockpit of a 25 year old (relatively new by flight school standards) Cessna 172 with chalky, faded paint, the design of which was derived from the 152, which was derived from the Cessna 120 and 140, which were designed in the '40s! So the design of the plane I flew is directly descended from planes that were designed right after WWII when Truman was still president. The 172 was introduced in 1954, when Eisenhower was still president! In 1954, you could drive out to your airfield in a new Packard, Edsal, Studebaker, DeSoto, or Rambler - all American-made cars at the cutting edge of design and technology. Back then, Cadillacs had giant fins and bumper bullets that looked like firm, gravity-defying double D-cup breasts for crying out loud! The plane I flew didn't have a single modern amenity or design cue that I could related to, and I'm 64 years old. No matter how well-maintained an older Cessna 172 is, it was still designed nearly 70 years ago and looks like it. Even a brand-new 172 looks like a 70 year old airplane from a black and white movie. Now take a look at a brand-new Tecnam P2008 or Astore ($250k nicely loaded with zero hours) - especially w/o the gaudy graphics that make so many GA aircraft look like grubby old Winnebagos rusting away in trailer parks all over America. The Tecnam has the same basic high-wing layout as a 172, but is light years ahead in design. And like so many things from Italy, it looks like sex! And who doesn't like sex! Then take a peek at a Bristell B23. Inside and out, it stirs the imagination and soul in a way that's not all that different from the dynamic sense of movement people feel when they see an F-16. Spend a minute looking at a JMB VL-3 or, God forbid, a TomarkAero Viper SD4 with its rear-hinged canopy. Even planes that almost look like animé, like the Flight Design F2 (with its 51" wide cockpit!), embarrass the poor bastard driving a 172. But most flight school don’t fly these newer aircraft - instead they stick with Cessnas and Pipers from a bygone era, and most of them are shabby looking on a good day because they are 20+ years old and they show it. The operators of these school say they don’t believe the new LSAs can hold up to the rigors of flight school. But the schools who fly them don’t seem to be having that problem. Seems like many of the flight schools don’t want to fly planes from foreign manufacturers with engines from Rotax that have fuel injection and electronic ignition. Buy 'Murican! I walked away from my discovery flight thinking to myself, “if this is what it’s like, then fuck that.” Once I learned about LSA, my interest perked right back up. Now to find training near me with LSA in their fleet!
You're not wrong. It's hard when less and less aircraft are being produced each year at an astronomical price. Margins on aircraft are slim for flight schools if they want to keep their prices reasonable. It's a difficult balance sometimes. BUT, my planes from 1939 so.... yea.
What I worry could take me out is not being able to understand ATC on radio. They talk too insanely fast and one can never be guarenteed that would change or get better.
We have a whole video on that over on the channel page. Make sure to check it out. But its something that you get used to and eventually basically know what there going to say before they do.
It seems that way. I've been watching it get more and more expensive too. Really hard to suggest to someone the career path when everyone wants SO much to educate. But then I look at one semester tuition at a state school... not so bad maybe?
Whoever is thinking about quitting, read this. I'd die to be able to afford getting a PPL, so if you have the money and the interest do NOT quit. Whatever you are going through is just a stone on your shoe.
Thanks for that. We know not everyone has the means. Took me until my late 30's to get mine and I had to start a side hustle to pay for it. And no, it wasn't my youtube channel. LOL
Not a CFI…….However, in my local area I see sort of a catch 22 situation in regards to this issue. A. Airmanship ceased to be part of the curriculum a generation of pilots ago. It’s all about “just pass the tests” and “direct to”. Instructors who can’t teach milking students for 30 hours or more while the student is still not prepared to solo. I’m not making this up - I had a freshly minted PP fly with me recently from a local school. This guy had 90+ hours in Cherokees before his checkride. He wanted to try a Cessna so we took a local flight in my 182. He actually flew with his feet flat on the floor. When he tried a normal turn the ball was everywhere. I asked “do you normally fly with no rudder?” to which he replied “oh, we don’t need ‘em up here.” 😳 He could not fly a turn around a point nor had he ever demonstrated a full stall. B. Unprepared students. Today’s average student has the attention span of a gnat. Most have zero interest in actually learning the finer points of aviation. Instead of actually learning most just want to know the answers to pass the exam. Let’s be realistic - most people lack the commitment and dedication to become good pilots. Most of the ones who have the commitment lack the funding. When you combine schools who don’t actually teach (A) with ill-prepared students (B) the result is all too often everyone being fed up with the whole deal and deciding to buy a Tesla instead.
Thanks for sharing. I totally get the CFI thing and lack of training. I had a buddy start at a school, realize what they were doing, ended up quitting. The airlines recruiters see it too. I'm also totally with you on the unprepared students thing. It's not just a problem in aviation too. We're seeing it across the board and social media, including youtube, is fostering it.
A $10K+ ppc is just the beginning of the 💰🕳️! Wait until you start wanting to rent for a weekend or heaven forbid a week vacation or purchase your own plane. Then you’ll buy the $900 headset x 4! Then you’ll mostly land near farm fields or industrial parks. Time for the expensive rental car unless you like walking 5-30 miles. Now $5-10K in hangar rent/insurance per year. Another $5-10K on maintenance/repairs/upgrades. Of course you can register your aircraft to a fake Delaware or your local corporation, then write your fun toys/vacations off on your corporate taxes, like most aircraft flying overhead nowadays. Guess who pays for that? Consumers.
Yea, depending on what route your going. Getting your PPL and ratings can get incredibly costly. I have a companion video that I'm going to do on why pilots quit flying that I'm going to redo soon that touches on some of what your saying there.
There’s not much of it, and it’s just basic stuff. Only time you need to do it on the fly is if you need to divert. You need to know how long it’s going to take, and how much fuel your going to use.
Started saving money slowly and then I bought a powered parachute instead. It needs a new wing, and need some engine work, but I can put it all in as I get money and in the end I will own an aircraft.
How can I get inconsiderate pilots from flying low over my house every day & night? The FAA is worthless to make complaints to. I'm sick of picking up broken glass caused from the vibration of loud aircraft.
Step 1: don't buy a house next to an airport. Sorry to be so blunt but yeah. If you don't live by an airport, then it is inconsiderate pilots. If you DO live next to an airport, then what do you expect? They are not being inconsiderate. They need to fly low to land and take off. Planes are loud, and the airport was probably there before you were. Would you move next to a freeway and complain about the sound of the traffic?
I wanted to quit after a cross country flight. I had been intimidated by ATC communications and airspace. My instructor explained that I was at a stage which many students quit. I wanted to at least take a break and my instructor wisely said “not a chance” and I continued. I had an excellent aviation career and am now retired. I am also still close with that instructor.
Where did you go? I'm a high school student looking into making this a career. I need some desperate guidance.
@@__StarLInk__ , it’s a very long story so let’s avoid that. First off become involved as though you were already where you want to be. For example, I’m a retired professional aviator and I still watch videos, read reports, and study from all available resources as though I were just starting out and wanting to learn. Secondly, you do not have to attend a very expensive “school”. If you are serious you can acquire some the books to help you study for and pass the Private Pilot written exam. Third, get a First Class medical certificate from an AME required to become a professional pilot, before you start spending money towards that goal.
How on earth is anyone suppose to be able to comprehend and then repeat back something that is said at 90 mph.
...... oh and why isnt that regulated somehow!! Slow the hell down so people can understand you!!!
Yeah my instructor one day saw I was getting close to dropping out of flying, so he decided just to do a fun lesson going somewhere scenic with me to keep me engaged.
Great call on their part! It's important to keep the aviation blood pumping!
When I was getting my PPL, the thing that always kept me going was thinking of the feeling that would come when I was finally signed off, it was more of a relief and joy than I could ever imagine. Keep pushing, its worth it!
TOTALLY AGREE!!!
I quit half way through my ppl 141 class now I’m in 8k of debt for no reason with a 1k headset I can’t sell😂
The school I went to scammed the hell out of me and my friend… I was at this “stage check” halfway through the ppl course and the schools tester was asking me questions I didn’t even know yet like how to tune VORs when I was supposed to learn them 5 lessons ahead of where I was, and me being a new pilot I don’t know everything and atc cancelled my clearance to land and told me to continue downwind which I did and I was continuing for sometime and the tester screams at me telling me “am I ever going to turn on to base” and I said I never got a call saying to turn so I was just being safe and waiting since I’ve never had that happen and he told me it’s common sense.. I said it not common sense if I’ve never had it happen and I was just trying to be safe. A bunch of things happened as well that ultimately led me to quitting
LOL... Deja vu! Sucky schools are out there. Definitely try a different school. Or just go on a flight with somebody that went to a school that doesn't suck.
Sounds like a crap school. Some of the younger instructors who are just putting time in have huge egos that make them terrible instructors. Good CFIs want you to succeed. THis doesn't sound like that.
I almost experienced every reason to quit said in your video and I am still doing it.
1. Money, I lost my job right before my first solo training and I ordered a ipad pro for my flight training one day before lost my job, but luckily, my parent got my back
2. Medical. I am a normal person that feel okay, but I almost failed my 3rd class. I was diagnosed with color blindness(no solo night flight) and OSA(choke youself when you sleep) during that third medical exam . And I never know I have that stuff with me. This was almost the most depressing time I have ever had. Color blindness is fine, but OSA really makes me struggle. My previous instructor and flight school can not help me because they never experienced this before. I read a lot of online forums and asked a bunch of people. Spent thousands of dollars to see doctors in different areas and different countries and bought a CPAP(a treatment device for OSA). Eventually I lost 100lbs and now I almost have 0 OSA symptoms.
3. Priority. This was fine for me, but still I basically temporarily gave up my other hobbies.
4. Wrong Instructor, even wrong flight school. I changed 3 instructors and 2 flight schools. The first flight school was pretty bad, and the instructor was not that good, he was part time at the flight school and availability was very bad. I only flew about 10 hrs in the past whole year. Then I changed to a bigger flight school and had 1 lesson with a CFI then he left the flight school. then finally my third instructor, he is very very good. I fly with him more than what I flew in the past year within a week.
5. Mistake. Couple days ago, I was practicing landings for almost a whole week, almost 7 hours. and I still can't get the speed and throttle control on the final. Everytime I make a mistake, I feel sorry for my instructor for not doing well. He is a very nice guy. He even called and moved other people's appointments to help me to get the right aircraft to practice landing. For me, I am the person that will feel very sorry for my instructor even though I only make very small mistakes.
6. Plane English. Not only plane english, as you read through my comment, you can see that English is my second language. I struggled a lot with ATC comms
7. Flying solo, I felt very nervous and even let my instructor change some of the appointments because I was a little bit afraid of flying solo. My instructor was very nice, he sat down and talked to me for almost an hour just telling me how qualified I am for flying solo without charging me ground training hours.
8. Losing interest. I did lost interest when everyday practicing content was TAP, S Turn, Power on/off stall, slow flight, emergency descent/landing and landings for almost a month. How I overcame this was that I went to the controller.com and started thinking about my budget and what kind of aircraft I can buy and dreaming about the life after owning an aircraft and eventually found out that you can't buy anything with g1000 under 200k which makes me more depressed lol.
Thank you for sharing all that and your struggles! It'll help some people out knowing they're not the only ones experiencing them.
Another reason, which is one I’m feeling right now, is frustration. I’m having such a hard time with stalls, I’ve been practicing them over and over again. I get even more annoyed each time I try and fail again. The thought of “I’ll never get this” makes your mind wander about whether you should even bother continuing.
I know I’ll get it eventually, so I don’t plan on quitting anytime soon. But I can only imagine many people may consider taking the other route because flying can be very difficult at times.
Stick with it, I know it will come.
Juan, after I soloed and did long distance solos, I thought I was almost done. But no! For the life of me I could not master the maneuvers. I almost quit and I was soo close. Then I talked to my CFI and he encouraged me. Plus my wife forbade me to quit. So, I stuck with it and finally passed my check ride. Now I fly wherever I want and often all by myself. It is worth it. Just do not give up!
What aircraft do you fly
Out of curiosity, are you apprehensive about stalls? If so, ask your instructor to do the stalls for you for the first half of the lesson, get comfortable with the unusual attitudes, then have a go yourself 😁
I hear you man. There was a time I just wanted to rent a plane and Taxi. I was all over the place. Landings sucked too. Like you said, it takes time. What are you struggling with exactly. We can give some good advice that may help.
@@timhoke2 I appreciate the story. Makes me feel better about my struggles as well, and definitely look forward to being able to just fly by myself as well. Thank you!
I was almost going to quit because I was with the wrong instructor
I'm assuming you changed. GOOD CHOICE! The wrong instructor can REALLY mess people up.
@@flywiththeguys Yes, I did. Unfortunately, the first time I had fun flying was after getting 30 hours. Most of my training wasn't fun ):
Do you have poor motor skills?
Is there any way I can reach you ?
I m a trainee pilot too
@@letsflyaway7774 I don't know what you mean by that..
For me, weather and not having enough time to fly are really getting in the way of things. I certainly don't want to quit, though. My medical is taking forever - I'm 7 months into waiting so I haven't soloed yet. But I'm still flying regardless because I enjoy the experience and studying just for the sake of it.
Remember, even if you get denied your medical, you can still take on other aviation-related jobs and hobbies. You can also still fly - you just can't be PIC. It's still worth it to learn as much as you can.
There are also people who have sadly run out of money, but are able to jump back into training once they are financially able.
Lastly, I wanna mention that acute health issues can also get in the way and feel discouraging. But don't feel guilty if you need to take a couple weeks off for downtime if you've got the flu or sprained an ankle or something. Chair flying is a good way to keep your routine going if you aren't physically/financially able to get into an actual plane.
The health thing is bigger than people realize. We're about to release a video on the Sport pilot certificate. Hopefully a game changer for some.
Great video :) I totally had almost all those things happen to me. Fortunately I am an extraverted person so I went up and switched instructors after the one instructor yelled at me, it almost ruined flying for me but because I kept going now I have a commercial fixed wing and helicopter license. Happy Flying Everyone :)
Great video Carl
I haven't quit yet, but I am at a plateau and I am struggling. I'm not sure if I'm afraid of failure or success.
Just thought I would share.
Shoot me a email over on my website. Would love to discuss and see if there's anything I can do to help!
It has been many years since a really aviation intensive war as was WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Smart weapons has resulted in fewer military trained pilots and the Vietnam era airline pilots are retired. The airport where I was the only instructor as late as the 90s now has five full time instructors, but most of the students are not airline candidates. I work with instructors there to encourage the teaching of flying first for primacy and ACS later for test without costing students extra time. Pre-solo requirements and the cost of airplanes and insurance were much less in my day, but all my students soloed in less than ten hours. That got solo in before the first learning plateau, where increase in new learning lessons naturally but it can be psychological. Nothing kills self confidence more than arbitrary delay of solo and twenty hours has by definition some arbitrary delay. We let our children out on a much more dangerous road with less hours of instruction.
When at Billy Howell's Ag Flight, I got two new zero timers every other Sunday and had both soloed by Wednesday. They made three landings slowly and softly on the numbers in the 7AC Champ because they hadn't yet learned the much more difficult and less controlled round out and hold off technique of ACS. Check out the stall down landing on page 302--304 of "Stick and Rudder." No, the airlines don't do it that way. But, not all students are going to be airline pilots and even my guys learned the more difficult round out and uncontrolled hold off of ACS.
One size does not fit all. Crop dusters who fully use the free ground effect energy of low ground effect and do not bleed kinetic energy going way high over obstructions also have far fewer takeoff fatalities. The TOGA button on the airliner will remove that fatality statistic, but students have to survive their time in a C-172 or Cherokee. If that time involves three seconds at Vx pitch attitude to recognize engine failure...oops, stall at too low an altitude to recover from inadvertent stall. Students who have been around the airport for some time may recognize how they are being hung out to dry at Vx or Vy as appropriate. On our long runways, when is either Vx or Vy appropriate?
When "ours not the reason why, ours but to do and die" is the situation we are in, as in the military, we persist. Workarounds of arbitrary and inefficient techniques, on the part of sargents, officers, and instructors helps moral, however. On takeoff we can use the + whatever tolerance in ACS because down low airspeed and not altitude is life. On landing we can use the - whatever tolerance in ACS because banging into terrain and obstructions fast bends more tin and skin than does messing up when "all slowed up and ready to squat," as Wolfgang puts it.
Be honest with students. Work with them as much as possible.
I cant do anyrhing right, i can never keep pich or altitude, procedures, and I cant even remember the steps to go on the downwind and land. My CFI keeps giving me a hard time saying how im wasting his time because I have a little over 14 hourse in total and i still cant fly the plane.
Could be your instructor in all honesty. Some of that stuff takes time, but it's going to be impossible without encouragement and positive reinforcement so you know when you're doing it right. BUT, it sounds like you may be chasing the plane a little. Use smaller inputs on the controls and see if that helps. It's hard because if a mistake gets you frazzled it can throw off the whole flight. Try to not let it get to you and keep flying the plane. You'll get there.
Get a new instructor or a new school
Im on hour 5, and my instructor tends to take too much control and likes to show the maneuvers instead of allowing me to do them. I feel like he is chasing hours. He basically looked around the plane for preflight in just 2 minutes last flight. It made me nervous, and it continued to run through my mind the entire flight, making it harder to focus on the training. I'm just not sure how to choose the proper instructor, cause their flight time doesn't tell you much about their CFI skill.
Totally understand, and I would find a new instructor as soon as you can. You're never going to be able to do it if they can't let you learn by trying and talk you through it properly, help correct when needed for safety of course.
Flying is a very rewarding but demanding hobby or career….if you truly love to fly you will overcome all obstacles…..like anything rewarding you need to put the work in to receive the reward….it all takes time no matter who you are…..don’t give up, never quit.
I totally agree! Thank you for sharing.
Been working on getting my medical for about a year now because a medical condition, that is allowed by the FAA just needs testing and review.
I hope you can get that buttoned up soon. I know they can be difficult to deal with.
I got my first class medical. Now it is time to start working on the paying.
Nice! Good luck on the second part! Don't forget to enjoy the journey.
The "lost interest" one definitely got me a few times. It does get mundane and more of a chore than a fun activity. I've never been much of an academic and just want to do things for practicality sake. I wanted to actually GO somewhere instead of spending time perfecting maneuvers. But there's just nothing better than actually checking out a plane for rent and taking the skies now that I have my PPL. Besides coming back and paying for the rental, that is.
I started building a plane. That really threw a wrench into my flying.
I don’t want to quit flying but I do struggle with some things. Before I started flying, I knew right off the bat that I wanted to be a pilot. The discovery flight itself was fun and I enjoyed it but I feel so guilty of not getting that exciment like everyone else did on there first discovery flight because on mines although I has fun, I already knew I wanted to this so there was really more of a serious attitude then more excitement idk. When I did a couple lessons however, I felt that excitement burst out of no where and I started feeling it again within me! I was doing great on radio calls by lesson 2 (When I first talked on the radio) and I was getting a lot of credit for that. I felt like “I can really do this!”
One thing I want to mention is that before I ever touched an airplane, I was and still am a big flight simulator nerd! I flew so much on simulators I flew mostly big airplanes and sometimes small, I would use this network called Vatsim, where I can talk to people controlling ATC in the sim, I used navigation charts doing instrument approaches and etc. Then when my trading started IRL, I practiced more on small airplanes and really learn or at least get a concept of the idea on how to fly smaller planes. Okay so fast forward to after my third lesson, I was ready to do the next one! Or (Practice for the next one)
THEN I had a situation where my family and I had to move and that cost me 9 months of not being able to fly. Still to this day, I haven’t went up in the air and the passion that I have is
starting to fade. Most of the reason why I haven’t flown was the financial stress that I have and trying to fly when trying to save is stressful 😭. Then not to mention I’m practicing for a written test so that I can finally get that passed and get to the flying but the amount of stuff I need to study and the consistency is really draining me. I know I want to do this and I really really want to do this it almost feels like if I can’t financially be stable and in a better place, how can I become a pilot. Aviation is still my burning passion till the day I die and will always forever remain in my heart and soul but sometimes I get those thoughts of “your not gonna go through with this’’ “you aren’t worthy of this dream” “Just drop it!” I am ignoring those voices and keeping my head forward but honestly I just want to get back into the air again 😞. I know that there is a lot of studying involved but I’m so used to seeing things up in person and being shown something, then actually sitting down in a table with a book in front of me. I’m more of a visual learner then a book learner. Sorry if this is so long I guess I just needed to vent. There’s a lot more in this but I don’t want to go into deeper detail 🙂. hope you all have a blessed rest of your afternoon, morning, or whatever you all are in the world 😊
Thanks for sharing all that. It took me 3 years to get mine. I went through a lot of the same emotions and situations. I remember sobbing one night realizing I wasn't going to be able to make it to the end. Eventually, I was able to get everything together, worked out deals on the plane and instructor, and pushed through to make it to the finish line. Since then, It's become a lot easier. I hope the same happens for you!
absolutely informative and useful video for everyone who dreams of the Sky. Great channel, my Sub for you man
Thank you!
I stopped flying because I was afraid to solo…I admit it! 😂 pre solo stage check passed, ppl written passed, 1st class medical passed, pre-solo tests passed and then afraid of solo…plus the CFI didn’t care.
Thanks for sharing! Seriously, I appreciate it. Sad that your CFI didn't care or encourage you to keep with it.
@@flywiththeguys he was just a 21 year old kid trying to accumulate hours. I will return though…never will stop trying to gain confidence.
@@engrxtn That checks unfortunately. Good luck with the journey! Sometimes a new instructor can change everything for you.
Another good reason would be feeling stuck, hitting a wall. It took me 3 months just to make a decent landing if I would call it that. And 6 cross country flights just to be better at maintaining heading. But it felt great to get passed all the struggle I went through and the extra time was worth it.
Thank you for sharing!
checkride in 3 hours btw.
@@kevw172 GET IT DONE! Good luck!!!
@@flywiththeguys CARL I PASSED MY CHECKRIDE HOLY **** im SUPER exhausted it was the most stressful flight ive ever done. Thank you SO MUCH for the content on this channel. It has helped me throughout my training and your community being so supportive too. I remember first watching this channel in 2020 back when aviation was brand new to me. I think it was the ATC video I got recommended when I found your channel. Again youve been a big help, I will continue following up here.
For me, Covid hit and I stopped with the intention of going back. I was getting ready for my first solo ~30 hrs)…
Haven’t bothered going back. Mostly, I don’t want to “start over” again. Still have that itch from time to time.
I am having a hard time getting my scores up, I am getting 60 to 70% on my practice tests but I want a bit higher b4 I go for the real test.
Ooof. I've been there. Test after test after test. It can get frustrating. Keep with it. I eventually got to the 90s and went to take it.
Great information as always!
Thanks Arthur!
@@flywiththeguys Always! Education is #1
I quit only 10 flight hours in. Financial stress as well as all the other stresses you have when you're young. So for me it was money and not having the peace of mind for studying.
Yea. The studying actually gets a lot of people. You don't realize how much is involved until start.
@@flywiththeguys I never got back into it. My twin bro is a pilot so I kind of just got used to being a passenger. If I did start again I would get through ground school before doing any flying. Need to eat your vegetables before you have dessert kind of thinking.
I told my CFI to be better prepared and she didn't like that comment. She was never fully prepared and couldn't even properly demo some of the maneuvers that I had studied in prep for the flight. I was used to a syllabus type lesson, not off the cuff ideas.
Quit AFTER an accomplishment. Or at least don't quit until you've achieved something. If you want to be a pilot but training is more than you expected, break it down into smaller chunks. "I'll solo, then I'll quit." Or, "I'll get my Private, then I'll quit." When you've hit a milestone, it gives you a little boost to go further. I told myself I was going to quit after the next step quite a few times. I did that until Commercial. After my Commercial checkride, I wanted that CFI program. If it was easy, everybody would do it.
Yea. some people do things for accomplishment or achievement. Check the box and then there done. I have a video on why pilots quit. I don't think I have that one in there, but I should.
The airline pilots do not like us buzzing around them so the FAA tries to make it hard to get a PPL. IMO the intimidating checkride and especially the oral should be handled by your CFI.
I am contemplating quitting. I keep doubting myself even though I’ve made it so far in just 3 months I have 75 hours of flight time. I am supposed to be taking my PPL checkride later this month but Im feeling so overwhelmed with the amount of information I’m expected to know. I’m trying my best to stick with it and it feels like I’ve sacrificed so much already to get to where I am so I don’t want to be another statistic. Thank you for making these videos it gives me hope 🙂
You're deep in it now. I hope you make it to the finish line. It's totally worth it! Go on a fun flight, get an over priced hamburger. It can help with perspectives.
Student pilots do quit flying for all these reasons, but those are the lucky ones. Those who don't quit soon find out that GA is tremendously expensive, completely impractical, doesn't fit in almost anyone's lifestyle (if you work you have no time, if you don't work you have no money, and both are required in large quantities to fly GA), and by the way - spoiler alert - most people don't want to go up with you. Realizing all of that and quitting forever soon after the checkride is much worse than quitting for any of the reasons listed in this video.
I just quit this week working in my PPL. The 2 years expired for my written exam. I have run into horrible instructors, poor maintenance and aircraft not being available as well as the FBO switched me from a 172 to a 152. I am 6’5” tall and 300 lbs. the industry has really created a lot of crappy unprofessional staff and instructors. Please note I realize this is not all. But when I grew up the professionalism was much better and the ramp person ran out to direct planes coming student pilot or not. After retiring from the military I thought I now had time to finish and get my PPL. A life long dream shot down by too much crap. I don’t feel safe with a lot of instructors these days as they are in it for themselves.
Being tall and heavy is an issue for me too. I'm 6'3 and just over 300 pounds and no one wants to instruct me in a training aircraft. I don't know how the hell you fit into a 152, lol. As much as I feel your frustration, I don't believe you actually are done with all of this. It doesn't just go away. I bet you always look up when hear a plane...
I know what you're talking about. The guys being in it for themselves. BUT we have no one to blame accept the FAA. They really created the current training environment and paths that pilots have to take to make a economic carrier in flying happen. =(
Here is a list of 6 reasons for college age students, like myself, to consider before going into aviation. That being going to an Flight School or a college program that offers flight training and a degree.
1) If wanting to go into commercial airliners only , you do NOT need a 4 year bachelor’s degree in anything.
2) When he says it is expensive, it is really expensive. Example, I took an online class (AVIA 220), 16k for one class, my other 3 classes (not any aviation classes) were just 3k in total.
3) If you do go through a college program that offers flight school, DO NOT DO ONLINE COURSES FOR GROUND SCHOOL. Straight up awful. I am a straight A student in pre-med path and it was nothing compared to how awful the structure of online ground school was. Expect no structure or help if you decide to go into an aviation program through a college that has flight affiliated flight schools.
4)Make sure to have a friends or people outside of the flight school that are into flying as well. A CFI is just a teacher at the end of the day, you aren’t going to talk to him/her like one of your good friends. Have a group of friends that are pilots too.
5)If you’re a college student like me, it is nothing like a normal experience you would get if you got any other degree out there.
6) This is arguably the one that changed my mind as an aviation major and pilot in general, family and lifestyle. If you want to be a family man, have kids and grow up with them, be there on holidays, baseball, etc. Do not become a pilot, you will never get time off, that being mentally and physically. That is if you want to be a commercial airline pilot.
There are some others but I will leave you with these. I was a student pilot going through a college program to become a commercial airline pilot in 2 and 1/2 years. If you have to do any sort of online ground school, I highly recommend not getting an aviation degree and save your money and just go straight to a flight school that offers both.
I just finished my first solo and it was absolutely incredible. Although whenever I try to study I lack the ability to sit down and to just focus and to understand everything that is being said. My instructor told my to use Sporty's online training program which i've been using but i've just been struggling so much with taking in everything that is being said and I feel like i'm taking information into one ear and then it goes out the other. I absolutely love flying, and I really want to make it to the airlines and to have a career but 'm so scared that i'm going to fail and that i'm just wasting all this money on a thing I can't do. I would love any tips you have about studying and how I can process information better. Is this fixable? I know for a fact that i'm smart enough to know all this information and to learn it, but I just don't know how. Whenever I watch the videos it feels dry and that they are talking in a completely different language. I just don't know what to do and need someones advice.
I saved 10,000 dollars and started my PPL….the money quickly dried out and plenty of excuses came to stop. No money, needed knowledge exam done, wife is pregnant. But I set a personal goal to finish the exam and then jump back. Even if I have to get in debt I just need to finish.
I was reason number 1 💰,had to stop during my ifr training. I really liked my flight school and my instructor. Had a great time getting my private license
I know what you mean. The money struggle is REAL.
I quit to build my own plane to practice in then use the demonstration of ability at least that was my plan in the 90's when I started. My ground instructor didnt like me. My first flight instructor one flight only, he had the nav light lenses switched around and I missed that on the preflight. We were climbing out to altitude to the practice area I asked what angle climb and what rpm. Eventually I said wait a second this dont fill right and pushed the plane over level. He starts in What are you doin ???? I said it dont feel right he said look at your airspeed it was just startin to go back up. So the was stall about to happen . All right on landing he said just at descent I have control and I said you have control. And just before touchdown he starts screamin help me hold it off help me hold it off. Instantly felt scolded in panic. Ok. At class at break , walkin down the hall he was in the office with my ground instructor. He told him I took one of your students up. Who? Then he ohh bullshit he aint no pilot. Flight instructor told him, I think he a natural. Boy that pissed him off even more. So I found another flight instructor. He kept askin me if I was with the FAA. Just tryin to check him out. As we were landing I was all inthe sweetspot first time easein off throttle gently bout to set down and my second said " there you go man!" And I paniced pulled back and scraped a flat on the tie down ring. O h I was pissed cause man you ever built a model that took months ?
THE VERY THING I DONT WANT TO DO IS TEAR A AIRPPLANE UP I WAS PISSED and itwas cause that first instructor.so see why I should just build my own. Besides id have to cheat on the eye chart now to get my medical
I want to get my PPL, become a CFI and eventually CPL: I am a teacher now, and hearing stories of CFI's not really doing their best at their job, even if it is a stepping stone job, makes me concerned
Totally agree! SO many bad instructors out there. I hope to not be one of them.
What if you don’t have any medical problems?
i took many years to qualify. Now I am a part owner in a Light Sport Aircraft.
Mine is technically light sport too!
Atm I am looking to get a job at the fbo to continue paying for lessons Hoping it works out!
Good call! Check with the FBO too. Sometimes they offer discounts on aircraft or fuel to employees!
I really need to go do a discovery flight. I've only beem putting it off for 20 years
I highly recommend them. =)
@Fly With The Guys one day this summer I'll go down to kmkg and see what options are available. Or run to KBIV or Grand Haven has.
If you want to transfer from one CFI to another at the same school seems like it would be awkward.
Nope. You're paying them to teach you. If you find one your incompatible with, change to do whats best for you!
Seems like you missed the elephant in the room, which is that the general aviation community seems hide-bound to vintage aircraft and GA aircraft are fossils (especially flight school planes). I mean, I drove out to my discovery flight in a '21 Volkswagen GTI, a modestly nice car. Then I got in the cockpit of a 25 year old (relatively new by flight school standards) Cessna 172 with chalky, faded paint, the design of which was derived from the 152, which was derived from the Cessna 120 and 140, which were designed in the '40s!
So the design of the plane I flew is directly descended from planes that were designed right after WWII when Truman was still president. The 172 was introduced in 1954, when Eisenhower was still president! In 1954, you could drive out to your airfield in a new Packard, Edsal, Studebaker, DeSoto, or Rambler - all American-made cars at the cutting edge of design and technology. Back then, Cadillacs had giant fins and bumper bullets that looked like firm, gravity-defying double D-cup breasts for crying out loud!
The plane I flew didn't have a single modern amenity or design cue that I could related to, and I'm 64 years old. No matter how well-maintained an older Cessna 172 is, it was still designed nearly 70 years ago and looks like it. Even a brand-new 172 looks like a 70 year old airplane from a black and white movie.
Now take a look at a brand-new Tecnam P2008 or Astore ($250k nicely loaded with zero hours) - especially w/o the gaudy graphics that make so many GA aircraft look like grubby old Winnebagos rusting away in trailer parks all over America. The Tecnam has the same basic high-wing layout as a 172, but is light years ahead in design. And like so many things from Italy, it looks like sex! And who doesn't like sex!
Then take a peek at a Bristell B23. Inside and out, it stirs the imagination and soul in a way that's not all that different from the dynamic sense of movement people feel when they see an F-16. Spend a minute looking at a JMB VL-3 or, God forbid, a TomarkAero Viper SD4 with its rear-hinged canopy. Even planes that almost look like animé, like the Flight Design F2 (with its 51" wide cockpit!), embarrass the poor bastard driving a 172.
But most flight school don’t fly these newer aircraft - instead they stick with Cessnas and Pipers from a bygone era, and most of them are shabby looking on a good day because they are 20+ years old and they show it. The operators of these school say they don’t believe the new LSAs can hold up to the rigors of flight school. But the schools who fly them don’t seem to be having that problem. Seems like many of the flight schools don’t want to fly planes from foreign manufacturers with engines from Rotax that have fuel injection and electronic ignition. Buy 'Murican!
I walked away from my discovery flight thinking to myself, “if this is what it’s like, then fuck that.” Once I learned about LSA, my interest perked right back up. Now to find training near me with LSA in their fleet!
You're not wrong. It's hard when less and less aircraft are being produced each year at an astronomical price. Margins on aircraft are slim for flight schools if they want to keep their prices reasonable. It's a difficult balance sometimes. BUT, my planes from 1939 so.... yea.
What I worry could take me out is not being able to understand ATC on radio.
They talk too insanely fast and one can never be guarenteed that would change or get better.
We have a whole video on that over on the channel page. Make sure to check it out. But its something that you get used to and eventually basically know what there going to say before they do.
👍✅ Great info as usual Carl!
Thank you! I decided to leave Chad out of this one. And the next one!
@@flywiththeguys U.D.Man
When the dream is bigger than the fear, you will finish it
Can I still become an airline pilot with having ADHD ?
You forgot number 8......being scared shitless when you're up there....!!
I quit because I realized I was too old to make that career change and become an airline pilot. It is very expensive to learn to fly just for fun.
Yea, if you're looking for a career change later on in life it can be incredibly hard. I have a buddy thats doing it right now in his mid 40s.
Cost
A lot of good pilots out there that just can't afford it. Every year it gets more out of reach.
It seems that way. I've been watching it get more and more expensive too. Really hard to suggest to someone the career path when everyone wants SO much to educate. But then I look at one semester tuition at a state school... not so bad maybe?
Whoever is thinking about quitting, read this. I'd die to be able to afford getting a PPL, so if you have the money and the interest do NOT quit. Whatever you are going through is just a stone on your shoe.
Thanks for that. We know not everyone has the means. Took me until my late 30's to get mine and I had to start a side hustle to pay for it. And no, it wasn't my youtube channel. LOL
money by far is the biggest stresser. i simply can’t afford it so when all my free hours are gone, if i don’t got a job i’m screwed lol.
I was there man. I managed a club for a while and they gave me some hours. Had to accumulate them for a LONG time to get things done.
You didn't cover anxiety lots of people drop out for the reason.
Thats also true. I should have put a personal reasons section. Good call!
Not a CFI…….However, in my local area I see sort of a catch 22 situation in regards to this issue.
A. Airmanship ceased to be part of the curriculum a generation of pilots ago. It’s all about “just pass the tests” and “direct to”. Instructors who can’t teach milking students for 30 hours or more while the student is still not prepared to solo. I’m not making this up - I had a freshly minted PP fly with me recently from a local school. This guy had 90+ hours in Cherokees before his checkride. He wanted to try a Cessna so we took a local flight in my 182. He actually flew with his feet flat on the floor. When he tried a normal turn the ball was everywhere. I asked “do you normally fly with no rudder?” to which he replied “oh, we don’t need ‘em up here.” 😳
He could not fly a turn around a point nor had he ever demonstrated a full stall.
B. Unprepared students. Today’s average student has the attention span of a gnat. Most have zero interest in actually learning the finer points of aviation. Instead of actually learning most just want to know the answers to pass the exam.
Let’s be realistic - most people lack the commitment and dedication to become good pilots. Most of the ones who have the commitment lack the funding.
When you combine schools who don’t actually teach (A) with ill-prepared students (B) the result is all too often everyone being fed up with the whole deal and deciding to buy a Tesla instead.
Thanks for sharing. I totally get the CFI thing and lack of training. I had a buddy start at a school, realize what they were doing, ended up quitting. The airlines recruiters see it too. I'm also totally with you on the unprepared students thing. It's not just a problem in aviation too. We're seeing it across the board and social media, including youtube, is fostering it.
A $10K+ ppc is just the beginning of the 💰🕳️! Wait until you start wanting to rent for a weekend or heaven forbid a week vacation or purchase your own plane. Then you’ll buy the $900 headset x 4! Then you’ll mostly land near farm fields or industrial parks. Time for the expensive rental car unless you like walking 5-30 miles. Now $5-10K in hangar rent/insurance per year. Another $5-10K on maintenance/repairs/upgrades. Of course you can register your aircraft to a fake Delaware or your local corporation, then write your fun toys/vacations off on your corporate taxes, like most aircraft flying overhead nowadays. Guess who pays for that? Consumers.
Yea, depending on what route your going. Getting your PPL and ratings can get incredibly costly. I have a companion video that I'm going to do on why pilots quit flying that I'm going to redo soon that touches on some of what your saying there.
Im not lazy or specifically a quitter but the math is the end of me. My brain does not do math. :( :(
There’s not much of it, and it’s just basic stuff. Only time you need to do it on the fly is if you need to divert. You need to know how long it’s going to take, and how much fuel your going to use.
Yep, I ran out of money.
Started saving money slowly and then I bought a powered parachute instead. It needs a new wing, and need some engine work, but I can put it all in as I get money and in the end I will own an aircraft.
I hear those are fun!
The only thing I'm concerned about is my medical Marijuana use.
Spending over $100,000 for a job that doesn’t exist.
Thankfully there are jobs out there now, but the 100K is a joke. I have stories....
How can I get inconsiderate pilots from flying low over my house every day & night? The FAA is worthless to make complaints to. I'm sick of picking up broken glass caused from the vibration of loud aircraft.
Step 1: don't buy a house next to an airport.
Sorry to be so blunt but yeah. If you don't live by an airport, then it is inconsiderate pilots. If you DO live next to an airport, then what do you expect? They are not being inconsiderate. They need to fly low to land and take off. Planes are loud, and the airport was probably there before you were. Would you move next to a freeway and complain about the sound of the traffic?