I drove past Morrison Flying Service at the airport in Helena, Montana, many times before I found the courage to walk through the doors and ask to learn to fly. It seems it would not satisfy me without risking my success in this new experience. My thought was, Is It Scary To Take Your First Flight Lesson?
Why Is It Scary To Take Your First Flight Lesson?
Yes, It is a scary thought to take your first flying lesson. It is completely normal to be apprehensive about flying an airplane. Trust your flight instructor, they are professionals. Aviation is by far the safest mode of transportation, so it makes very good sense to take your first flight lesson. It is OK to feel some fear.
Why Is It Scary To Take Your First Flight Lesson?
1. What Will Happen On My First Flight?
It was a cold crisp Montana morning in Helena, MT., when. I had the courage to walk into the Flying Service to learn about taking lessons.
I wasn’t really prepared to go flying that day, but that’s what happened. It was delightful.
My Instructor cordially walked through the course and explained his expectations of me and explained the Cessna 150 we would fly
Despite his cool calmness, I had trouble hiding my apprehension until I realized I was in the presence of a true professional who would ensure a safe outcome for my first lesson.
Being nervous is a common reaction to learning to fly, and after that first ride, I could not wait to schedule my next lesson. The flying bug hit me hard, and I wanted more.
There was nothing to be afraid of in taking flying lessons.
2. Preflight and Flight.
The walk to the aircraft was used to explain the present weather and how the aircraft would perform on this freezing day. Cold air is usually smooth.
Arrival at the aircraft began the preflight, which was to look at everything, emphasizing engine oil level and fuel levels and the flight controls, followed by inspecting everything.
Jeff instructed me to take the left seat and told me I would perform all the duties from the taxi to final shutdown with my instructor, demonstrating the maneuvers with me following suit.
Once inside and comfortably buckled in, the preflight continued using the checklist, to begin with, the exterior inspection and subsequent other checklists.
The initial maneuvers comprised take-off, climbs, descents, straight-and-level flight, and turns. The return to the airport was to learn the traffic pattern and learn to land the airplane, doing many landings before the completion of lesson one.
All the FAA’s ground reference maneuvers should be read. See them here. I highly recommend reading them.
3. Should I Take Flying Lessons?
Truly, there is no reason not to become a licensed pilot. If you have a burning desire and passion for flying, run to the airport! The Sooner is better.
The study of the rules of the sky takes time to understand. The FAA, (Federal Aviation Regulations), are often hard to interpret and sometimes requires to be clarified. Clear communication between you and your instructor must be good.
If you have questions, let your instructor know. You will be relieved.
We have all been there and have had some moments and most pilots will share their experience.
The flying part is fun, and learning will be far easier than you might imagine. There is nothing.
scary about taking flying lessons. Good instructors know what they are doing or they would not be in that capacity.
4. How To Be Prepared.
It is difficult to be prepared for your first lesson because you really do not know what to expect, and then you have the responsibility to do so. The internet has a lot of information about flight lessons, including the FAA website, which is a wealth of knowledge. Spend some time reading.
Then, the responsibility is yours. To yourself and to your instructor to be ready for each consecutive lesson. It is depriving yourself of time, money, and experience toward your final goal of your Private Pilot Certificate and all future certificates and ratings.
This is the hardest part of learning to fly because it requires due diligence, however, it is the only way to lose the anxiety of learning a new skill. Learning to be prepared will make learning to fly far less scary.
Reading and studying become necessary, and we all depend on each other in the sky to know the rules, so safety comes first. As it should be.
The first lessons require learning basic aerodynamics so you understand how and why an airplane flies. We all must learn about the airplane and its components. Right down to knowing the circuit breaker panel and where and what they operate.
For example; a student pilot recently lost his life because he had a runaway electric trim and one way to correct this is to pull the circuit breaker.
They plan lessons from a plan and this makes learning far less stressful so that a student is less likely to become overwhelmed.
If you find yourself unable to study for your upcoming lesson, you can easily reschedule your flight lesson but remember that will cause you to spend more time getting certificated.
Final Thoughts.
I want to be very clear as well, about the normalcy of having some anxiety. Don’t be concerned because you will be under the tutelage of an extremely competent Flight Instructor.
Later on, you will learn new things and learn new aircraft to allow you to fly complex aircraft. Do it by the book one step at a time. Knowing your lessons and understanding them will seriously impress your instructor and yourself.
I realize it can be stressful and scary, but we all had to get past those things. If I can do it anyone can, just dedicate yourself to becoming the best pilot you can be for your safety and those you serve as the piloting command.’
Immersing yourself in learning this new skill will eliminate the fear by following the lessons and understanding them. Study consistently to prepare yourself for each step. You will be rewarded with better flying technique.
Become part of the greatest freedom we have. It opens new worlds,
Remember, safety comes first. Go flying!
Please leave your comments. Thanks for reading,
I hope it helps you overcome fear.