Originally Posted by
JamesNoBrakes
That's great when you have 20,000 hours and can do it out of instinct. But guys with closer to zero hours need structure to form the basis of that judgement. Zone of no movement is the point on the runway the aircraft will fly into on approach if you continue with no changes, the foreground gets closer to you as you approach it, the background gets further away, so you identify it by the area that is "not moving". That way you can maintain a stable approach regardless of configuration. If the runway perspective flattens out, you are getting low and you need to add power and increase pitch to get back to the previous perspective, and opposite of that if it gets steeper. And no, I did not write that for you, because you are obviously not closer to zero hours, like the OP.
This "zone of no movement" sounds like an overcomplicated term for what we called (and still call) the "aiming point". This is the problem with flight training....too many ways trying to complicate the simple and explain away pilot deficiencies. Over 50 hours and not ready to solo? Sorry, but it sounds like one of the few who "just can't get it"
Flying is no different than any other type of skill/talent. Medicine, law, dancing, playing guitar, boxing....some people just can't do it and find something else. Its not a judgement on the person or their worth. Its just a fact of life we have to accept that flying is something they (or worse yet someone they have for a passenger) would be better off if they do not do it.
I grew up in a very small town, Appalachian North Georgia (here come the stereotypes). The nearest flight school was nearly a 2 hour drive each way and money was tight. It took me the better part of 18 months to solo, but I did it in just over 24 flight hours. The idea of being at 54 hours, unsoloed, is unimaginable. I think there is something bigger than "soaking" going on here.
I had a student when I was a CFI who just wasn't getting it. I tried everything (I was no rookie, had about 2000 dual given at the time). At around 40 hours, I asked her to change to one of the older and more experienced instructors. Perhaps the problem was me, you know sometimes a student just "clicks" better with someone else.
He flew with her about 20 more hours, all the while telling her "this may not be for you", yet she was determined to continue. She eventually did solo, but later failed her Private Pilot checkride, twice, before giving up. It was sad to watch her persist in it, only to eventually give up. But the sober fact is that she was destined to kill herself or someone else in an airplane had she continued. Now don't get the wrong picture. She was no dim bulb. She was smart, engaging and absorbed ground subjects very quickly. In fact, she has since made quite a success of herself in the business world and I'm very happy for her. But flying was just not the thing for her.
What we seem to have here in the OP is not a matter of a plateau or one task. At 54 hours, I think there's just not "the gears" for flying. Just my opinion based on what I have seen in 4000+ hours of giving instruction. I'd have to fly with someone before I could say anything for sure, but it seems this guy may just have to ask himself is this is for him.