Is it Normal to Be Scared/Overwhelmed
 

Folks,

My apologies if this is in the wrong forum.

I had my first flying lesson today. My entire life I have wanted to be a pilot, and at 49, decided to try. I pretty much have read everything I can about airplanes, flying, etc. I joined AOPA, read the magazines, watch videos, pretty much anything an armchair pilot can do, I have done...

So with all of that, nothing prepared me for the real thing.

I was scared, not to the point of hysteria, but the motion, the bumps, the thought the plane would simply crash were very much present while flying. While I did enjoy getting some time on the controls, I was nervous, and not at all comfortable being in the air.

Is this normal? After I landed, I was happy to be on the ground, and felt sad, that maybe all I'm meant to be is an armchair pilot? While I hate that thought, I keep thinking I should have been over the moon excited, not scared. Is it normal for a student to feel this way? My head is still spinning, trying to remember all the things that one has to do and think about.

Did anyone you feel this way as a student? Did the bumps/turbulence eventually not bother you? Were you eventually able to relax and learn/enjoy yourself?

Appreciate any advice.

-B

That's not really the norm for most, but different people have different levels of comfort. The flying environment in general aviation involves noise, vibration, bumps, sensations, and angles which most folks are not really used to. I did my first GA as a relatively young child, and all that stuff bothered me then.

Typically folks feel better, and tune that sort of stuff out once they get some stick time and some degree of comfort with the basic control of the aircraft.

Some operating environments are just rough... desert terrain or hot humid areas in the summer, lots of bumps.

Unless the instructor strikes you as an irresponsible kid, the only real hazard in flying with a CFI is collision with other aircraft... IMO that's an elevated risk because both student and CFI may get distracted with teaching/learning. May as well get in the habit of keeping a sharp lookout from day one. The other common hazards in ASEL GA are not likely with an instructor on board (stall/spin, VFR into IMC).

If you're looking to airlines, that operating environment is actually pretty comfortable (in bigger jets)... air conditioned, smooth, and people bring you coffee and snacks.

I got 'sicker than a dog' on my second GA instructional flight and went home and laid on the couch and wondered what I was going to do next! ;)

It was a brand new environment - but weren't you pretty nervous the first time you ever got in the driver's seat of a car, behind a boat, on a jet ski, etc.... - and I don't think any of those compare to an airplane! :eek:

Give it some time.
If those feelings don't subside after a period of adjustment time, try a different CFI, try training in a different aircraft, try training in location if possible if part of your discomfort is environmental; but as RickAir said - "noise, vibration, bumps, sensations, and angles " - well that is GA flying.
It isn't for all, but if is for you, it is a ride!

Sounds normal to me.

Imagine learning to ride a bicycle for the first time. Not as a five year old, but as a fifty year old who has never been on a bicycle. It seemed insurmountable as a kid, yet we knew that everyone else did it, and we could too.

Flying's not that much different than riding a bike (just harder to put baseball cards in the spokes--Rex Kramer, Airplane).

I do this for a living, like nearly everyone here. I'm still afraid of heights, always have been (like many here).

As a pilot, one spends a great deal of time focused on what might go wrong, in order to prepare. Once the basics are out of the way, it's about all we train for. Things seldom do go wrong, but when they do we handle them like they were routine, because that's what we spend our time and energy preparing to do. This seems like a big step for you right now, but soon it won't.

Give it some time. Flying is an unnatural act. It may take a bit before it becomes natural. It will.

PC4CAB,
You just heard from three of our most experienced pilots, who between them have done almost every kind of flying there is.
They think you’ll do just fine, so relax! :)

Wow, thanks guys for the answers, I really appreciate it! I have another lesson tomorrow, weather permitting. I'll check-in with an update.

It's so weird that something I love so much, scares me so much!

Wait.....are we talking about flying here or marriage?:eek:

LOL! That doesn't just scare me, it downright terrifies me! :D

These guys are right. You'll get used to it and do fine.

My brother in law went through the navy track to be a coast guard pilot and flew fixed wing through his commercial. He got sick every single day in the plane for the first 2 months and was nearly washed out. That was 18 years ago and he’s still going strong nearing retirement. Most importantly, doesn’t need a sick sack anymore as well.