I don’t think I’m cut out to be a pilot

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MonkMean6918@reddit

Don’t quit now bc of your bad landings. Keep pushing thru! I believe in you!

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blackbeardair@reddit

everybody has shit days. . . Even now, and I'm 8k+ hours and do thousands of landings a years.

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As a 2 year that failed his PPL twice, you got it. I’ve had students take their private rides at 45 hours and some that take 120 hours. Some people need more time than others to overcome their nerves. The 120 hour puked before every flight because they were that nervous. Like many others said, if you weren’t cut out for this, you wouldn’t have made it all the way to the checkride.

On your soft field wrap your arm around that yoke and put that thing in your lap. That’ll keep you from letting go and forgetting before the nose naturally falls to the deck. As for the xwinds, postpone your ride till an absolutely beautiful day. 0 winds that way everything’s by the book. Your trainings at your pace, don’t let anyone rush you.

As for your instructor, fly with another one and I’d recommend finding another for instrument. CFIs get disappointed and irritated but we shouldn’t show or take that out on the student. That’s an internal affair and sounds like they haven’t found a way to separate their emotions from the classroom.

Fair Winds and Following Seas! You got this!

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vagasportauthority@reddit

What?! You failed your firs checkride?

Oh no the horror!

(I failed my PPL checkride I got hired by an airline a year and a half ago and am waiting for an airline class date right now you will be okay)

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

Haha thank you.

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vagasportauthority@reddit

Of course, the biggest thing they want to see is that you learned from your failures.

You will have to explain on applications why you failed and what you learned, but that’s not a big deal. Just don’t make it seem like you walked away from your checkride failure like a know it all that doesn’t understand how you failed and you will be okay.

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FlyingHigh67@reddit

If you are able to self diagnose what you are doing wrong, then you know what tou are doing, but probably overthinking it. I have over 15k hours, do you think I haven’t botched an occasional approach or landing? Of course I have!

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Fun-Estate-3775@reddit

I've got 21000+ hours and currently am a 777 Captain.

You, my young friend, are stuck in a rut. Even experienced pilots go through it. One bad landing gets you thinking, trying to fix things, instead of going with the flow. Bad landing after bad landing ensues until you breakout of it.

Once you are able to relax and let it go you'll be right back where you should be. Don't give up, go with the flow grashopper!

PS: As they say, any landing you walk away from is a good landing. And once you get paid for landing aircraft you will realize quickly you get paid just as much for a bad landing as a good one!!!!

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ammo359@reddit

The flight controls were only insufficient because of the hydraulics failure, correct? Fascinating scenario, my bugsmasher brain boggles.

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Fun-Estate-3775@reddit

Yeah it had something to do with the trim only working at reduced rate if I remember it right. That massive stab was trimmed for approach speed and the elevators were just too small to overcome the nose up movement caused by the engines. Since the trim wasn't working at regular speed all the trimming of the stab simply wasn't keeping up with what the aircraft was doing.

This was in my younger days. I simply could have clicked off the auto throttles and reduced thrust. But, having 20 hours in the sim on the 767 that option simply never came to the surface of my brain. We were trained to use auto flight ALL THE TIME. Only once I went to the line I came to find out 767 line swines click off that automation and hand fly as much as possible.

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Loko5979@reddit

I haven’t hit my rut yet but I’m dreading it’s gonna happen whenever I finally get a flying job.

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Downtown-Green-6255@reddit

First off-- Relax 😌 Take a deep breath Everyone at some point has had these doubts. EVERYONE Just hang in there...Do not give up Practice, Practice, Practice A checkride is a snapshot, of your skill Sometimes, you can be off-- It doesn't mean that your a bad pilot. Strive to always do better. You will make it. Get in a simulator, and have them amp the winds up! 90degree x-winds, with gusty conditions 😨 Hold that center line You will make it 😃

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Repulsive_Ad_9205@reddit

Being able to critique yourself is one of the most important skills as a pilot. Pilots who think they’re awesome rarely are and will find excuses for their poor performance that are always outside factors. You seem to have the ability to know what you’re doing wrong. Don’t get discouraged and get back up and focus on the areas you identified. It’s a rewarding career and if you truly love it, it’s all worth it.

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PercentageWinter7712@reddit

don’t recall the ACS standard explicitly saying how much you should be aligned with the centerline or else you will fail. Could you share? Thank you!

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gunship43@reddit

It's easy to get focussed on the negatives - like some other comments have said:get out of your head. You're doing lots right to get to the point of a check ride. As for your CFI being mad at you, it happens - I went through lots of CFIs and they all have their own personal quirks, again - don't focus on it. Just keep flying, you don't need to rush it.

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Background_Tutor_725@reddit

Someday, in the near future, landings won't even cause you a bit of anxiety. However, you had better always be on your a-game when it is time to copy your taxi instructions at some super busy airport during rush hour. For some reason, that still makes my blood pressure go up a little. :)

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mookfangers@reddit

I did similar, except we canceled my checkride the day before, landings were trash which I never really struggled with until then. 100% would have failed. I beat myself up for weeks. 3 weeks later, flew with my CFI and the landings were textbook. We just pushed the mock checkride too hard.

Just passed my checkride on the 2nd. I actually needed that "I'm not good enough" moment. My attitude after was way better, wasn't nervous, just knew it was going to go the way it was going to go.

I was ready to give up. Now I see that was just a part of the process. Just keep at it, you'll come to see the other fabulous side of it.

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VileInventor@reddit

I don’t really care what happened your instructor shouldn’t be pissed at you. That said man, just keep practicing. Think about the wind like an actual object hitting you and apply corrections whatever your preferred method for that may be. You’re a PPL, you’re literally a baby pilot. Mistakes happen and a DPE failing you isn’t saying you’re not good enough, when he signs off on you it’s him saying he believes you can fly without anyone ever again. If you die it’s also his signature minted on that logbook and cert. What a failure means is “hey i want you to get a little more practice here so i feel that you’re safe”. Get back out there, fly some more and retest. Think about every landing logically, where’s the wind coming from, what’s my aiming point, am i high or low.

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Fit-Structure3171@reddit

Well.. nobody is going to be harder on you than you. Now that you can accept that, I’ll tell you my story It took me almost 4 years to get my PPL. I started in a grass runway in a J3 with a girl who was about 18 at least by appearance. We had a couple good lessons but I wasn’t anything special. Just as I got a little comfy, she tore off to fly jets and I moved. I figured my flying phase was done. My attorney was taking flight lessons and his instructor took me on. I was his only student at that point as he was flying corporate and I wasn’t in a rush.

In the middle of it… I lost my medical. The FAA figured after 2 years they would go back and make a ruckus and took me 18 months (and selling my home to the governor who I mentioned I had federal issues and she greased those wheels for me) and then I was rusty again. But ok.. then I decided to buy a plane

Don’t ask. Not any plane either, I bought a 2004 Lancair Columbia 350 and we finished my PPL in that monster. It took me 90 hours total time before I tested. Spent another 20 flying with my instructor before we sent me on my way. So at 110 hours I was flying truly alone.

So… don’t beat yourself up if it takes more time. I’m now instrument rated, multi engine, working on commercial… and have a medical that’s always in question. Just take some time and grab a new instructor and do some pleasure flying. Shake it off. Remember it’s fun. And then go back to it. Most of us thought we weren’t cut out for it at some point

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Due-Musician-3893@reddit

It takes pilots years and years to truly master landings, if that is even possible. You should see some of the landings that experienced captains do at the airlines…

If the X wind is from the left then landing a little left (upwind) ain’t a big deal really.

A little yoke needed to “scoot” over there sometimes. If you line it up way out on final with your WCA dialed it and everything, it makes it easier on short final and then the flare.

Your CFI is pissed at you…wtf? Have you flown with a different one?

Ultimately welcome to Aviation where things are just challenging and take some patience. Don’t give up on yourself!

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Confident_Juice4351@reddit

That’s very true. I just slammed a 320 in LAS a couple months ago. Hardest landing I have ever had. 38kt XW didn’t help. Happens to all of us.

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Due-Musician-3893@reddit

26L? Something about that runway gives me a "high and fast" illusion.

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Majestic_Reporter_83@reddit

It’s over 100’ difference end to end so it always looks like you’re too high

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Mid_Atlantic_Lad@reddit

Not yet ATP so haven’t flown that yet myself, but I know the exact landing you’re talking about with how much I’ve gone through LAS. It seems to be giving all pilots a hard time.

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Confident_Juice4351@reddit

Yea 26L. The airport had a very high number of unstable approaches. Terrain and weather. Sometimes it’s either 26L with a XW or that charted visual to 19R which some people can’t seem to do right.

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vagasportauthority@reddit

My dad pilots 737s and still slams them down into the runway sometimes. I’ve had a good luck streak in the Warrior, no bad landing in about a year (admittedly I fly a lot less than I used to) but I know my next bad landing, all that good landing streak luck is going to bite me hard in the behind.

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SciencesAndFarts@reddit

7 or 8 great landings in a row followed by 2 or 4 that make me question if I even know how to fly is a relatively normal pattern for me. And also basically every pilot I know. Sometimes the runway had it coming.

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Due-Musician-3893@reddit

For me it's always the dreaded 'wind calm' approach in daytime VMC into a 12,000 footer...the recipe for a sucky landing every time haha.

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Student-Pilot@reddit

This is so true

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SciencesAndFarts@reddit

100%. 25 kt direct cross wind? I’ll grease that baby right on the thousands. Calm and a million? Thunk.

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Dapper-Lie9772@reddit

🤣

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T-1A_pilot@reddit

it takes years and years to truly master landings.

30 years and counting now for me.

...I'll let you know if and when I feel I've mastered landings.. 😉🙃

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

I’m flying with a new guy soon just to get another instructors perspective

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JimTheJerseyGuy@reddit

Mix it up as much as you can. Everyone has a different teaching style and bring different perspectives. Good luck to you!

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AztecPilot1MY@reddit

You're going to get it. Sometimes it just takes a while for things to gel and for you to become comfortable in a testing situation. I had a similar situation for my commercial ride, and my instructor made me fly with her the same day I busted, and the next day (the examiner miraculously had an opening for me the next day). The ride went off without a hitch, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Honestly, I'm grateful my instructor got me back in the saddle so fast. I would definitely have sulked and tried to give up. Hang in there, you have supporters!

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Prof_Slappopotamus@reddit

Did the DPE have to take the controls during the landings? No? Then you would've survived anything that got thrown at you by yourself or with friends or family. You're safe, you're competent, you're just not quite as precise as the FAA wanted you to be.

Go take a break, clear your head, come back in a week or so and you'll be fine.

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Legitimate-Watch-670@reddit

Did the DPE have to take the controls during the landings? No? Then you would've survived anything that got thrown at you by yourself or with friends or family.

Thankfully, the standard is a little higher than "didn't crash"...

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

Thanks man. You’re right. Didn’t think about that

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ammo359@reddit

My landings before and during my PPL ride were pretty shit. It only improved when I got access to a cheap trainer plane and practiced ad nauseum without a CFI in the right seat.

When you get your ticket (or before), go do a bunch of patterns. Learn what bad approaches you can save and what you can’t. Learn how a little bit of power can cover a multitude of sins if you feel yourself getting slow three feet above the runway. It’s really difficult to hurt a trainer aircraft as long as you keep the rubber side down, the nosewheel up, and the pointy-spinny end pointed toward the end of the runway.

And you can (almost) always go around.

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TheJudge79@reddit

Landings are also like playing sport, some days you’re hitting that golf ball really well, the next day you wake up and can’t hit it for sheet!

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TheJudge79@reddit

Honestly as an LCA (a little different granted) there are 3 things I look for in landings. 1/on speed 2/on the centreline and 3/in the touchdown zone. If you combine those 3 then hopefully the touch is a good one. If guys are slightly off centre then they generally know and kick theirselves for it. It should be all big picture for the examiner (unless it goes really bad.) Don’t give up and stay with it, the rewards will be worth it in the end.

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Double-Run-7461@reddit

I understand how exhausting and frustrating this must feel. I also busted a ride on crosswinds because some fool in southern California built all of the runways into the prevailing wind and frankly there just isn't that much crosswind practice to be had. I applaud your willingness to share.

Here's my prescription for you: One, go fly with a different instructor. Your instructor should never be outwardly pissed at you but I'm willing to wager that he's just as frustrated that you're not 'getting it' the way he's 'explaining it', and he may be out of tools in his tool bag to help you. Find a fresh perspective for a couple of hours and maybe something will click for you with their help.

Two, from a technical standpoint, see if you can find a Redbird X-Wind simulator in your area. It can be a fun cross country to do with your new instructor. It's an amazing tool which will help break down the process of landing in a safe, controlled environment. Landings still take a lot of practice to perfect but the X-Wind in a competent instructor's hands is an invaluable teaching tool to lay a better foundation.

Lastly, remember that very few pilots are the Jedi F-22 drivers. Those guys are amazing, but the rest of us shmucks started out somewhere and we all struggled with something or another along the way. If you keep at it with good practice, you will improve...and the struggle you're going through now will help you teach others in the future if you want to instruct at some point.

Good luck!

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Veronica_325@reddit

I’ve always been told you spend flight school learning how to fly a plane and you spend the rest of your career learning how to land the plane. You’re so early on in what is going to be a long, fruitful career so I wouldn’t be too hard on yourself. Give yourself the grace to be a beginner, always keep learning and absorbing and you’ll have nothing but blue skies and tailwinds ahead of you🤝

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aaAviatrix@reddit

Dude or dudette....Ever been on an airliner and have had one of us slam it on? It happens. Sometimes it happens a few times. It's ok. None of us are perfect. Press on and go finish getting your private.

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Cyrene_tries_lmao@reddit

I had the same thing happen right before my checkride. I’d been training for almost a year, and the didn’t feel like I’d ever get my license. My maneuvers were like I’d barely started, and my landings went to shit. My instructor could tell I was having a shitty week and took me to McDonalds on her break. Then we kept working on it, and I passed. You can do this, dude. You’re just stuck in your head. My instructor would tell me “you’re a private pilot in all but the license.” You’ve trained for this. You know what you gotta do. You’ve got this💚

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Cyrene_tries_lmao@reddit

I will follow up with I STILL land left of centerline most of the time and whenever we fly together she gets to tell me I have a skill issue😂 it’s not the end of the world. Just keep working on it

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Leading_Ad5674@reddit

I’ll tell you what my mentor told me. Quit kicking your own ass. You don’t consciously think about every movement of the gas and steering wheel in your car, stop mechanically thinking about them in the plane. You know what the controls do, Just finesse it where it needs to go. As for the check ride, there’s no need to panic and if you want to be a pro you better warm up to them, because you’re going to have 1 every 6 months for the rest of your career. There’s 2 outcomes. They’re not going to take your birthday away, You finish pass and go on about your day, or you don’t and you do a shorter version of it tomorrow. It’s really not that big a deal.

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Fight_Or_Flight_FL@reddit

Your CFI believes enough in you to write the endorsement for the check ride. That's means you've proven yourself capable as a pilot, you just have to prove it to the government for the plastic card. Shake off the funk on the post checkride training. It's just a temporary setback. Chairfly your butt off and then clean up the last training flights and crush the checkride.

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b3anr@reddit

hey man don't feel too bad about yourself . i'm at 50-60 hours. and i started around a year ago. takes time and patience. you've made it to the checkride stage. keep going !!! at least go and try to pass it again and then take a break and see if you want to continue

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Captain_Driz@reddit

You just have some check ride nerves. Everyone has them.

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Odd_Entertainment471@reddit

I don’t think you ever master landings. All the variables, you maybe get “pretty good” and only then after a ton of hours subjecting yourself to all the different situation and weather you can. It’s an art, not a science. We practice, we study, we fly with everyone we can get to go up with us and only then do you get to “pretty goodness”. Stay with it, and go do some fun flying, get out of your head. When you come back to it you’ll be golden.

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SeductivePigeon@reddit

My husband failed his instrument check ride twice. He’s now an FO at a big airline company. You got this.

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theoriginalturk@reddit

Can you tell us when he was hired? For perspective

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SeductivePigeon@reddit

1.5 years ago. He was at a very senior base so getting flight hours was wishy washy. Now he’s based at a junior base and will be flying a lot. He’s close to upgrading to captain.

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

Thank you!

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burnheartmusic@reddit

Harsh truth? Grow some balls and get back in there and you shouldn’t have to come to the internet to validate your chosen career path. You’ll Be fine.

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EmbraerPilot@reddit

Hey there,

So quick background on me, I'm at a part 141 flight school and just got my Commercial Multi-Engine certificate and I'm about to start working on my CFI certification.

When I got my private, I failed my first written exam. It felt like a huge slap on the face, but instead I used it as motivation to study my butt off until I passed.

When I got my commercial single engine I struggled so much with power-off 180s, especially with the new regulation requiring you to hit it on the first try. I had flights upon flights before my stage check (checkride) and probably only had a 60 percent success rate of making my point. But when the stage came I nailed my point.

I also really struggled with getting my commercial Multi-Engine certificate. Alot of people told me it was easy, for me I struggled with the course. I unfortunately unsat my oral over engine inop aerodynamics. But I pushed through, it may have taken me a little more time and money but I didn't let it stop me. I even got an alternator failure on the stage flight so we had to discontinue and attempt it on a later date.

My point with all this is, you will face challenges. Some things that may be challenging for you, are easy for others and vice versa. But don't give up. Crosswind landings are difficult for new and low experience pilots, especially if you don't have much experience in crosswinds. YOU WILL GET THROUGH IT. And eventually you'll tell people this was just part of your journey to go where you want to be as a pilot. The Wright Brothers didn't give up when they invented flight, they kept persevering through their challenges. Challenges and failures make us better pilots because we learn the most from them. So use this as a learning experience, use it as motivation, and go get that private pilot license. As cliche as this sounds, believe in yourself. If you don't believe you can make that landing then you're not going to.

Good luck on your aviation journey, we'll see you up there real soon.

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Acceptable_Image7931@reddit

Landings don’t have to be perfect to pass. I’d stop shooting for perfection at this stage and just focus on the basics and a repeatable process.

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majoranne@reddit

Do you play video games? How about football? If so, then you know that if you think about what just happened you will mess up the next move or play. Flying is like that. If you focus on what already happened, you will screw up the next thing. Approach flying like it is a game without dire consequences; focus only on your next move or input or "play," and everything will improve. Then, during the ground debrief, the post-game, that is when you review your mistakes.

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Distinct-Standard617@reddit

What you need is to realize that whatever you think about yourself, you are right. Decide whether or not you want to believe you were in fact cut out to be a pilot. Then, if the answer is yes, go sign up for tailwheel training. Then you will never have a bad landing again.

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Typical_Action_7864@reddit

In my experience, when you are learning something that requires building new motor skills, you are typically inconsistent for a while, and then one day it finally clicks.

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Malcolm2theRescue@reddit

From what I see at flight schools, I think that the average trainee is not getting sufficient exposure to crosswind landings. My local schools close down if the wind is 15 kts. Ridiculous. You’re training pilots who will be flying airliners with 30-40 kt. crosswind capabilities. I talked to a DPE who had to cancel a checkride because his snowflake candidate had a “personal crosswind limit” of 7 kts. So, what happens to these kids when they are on a cross country and the winds pick up to 20 kts? Pull the parachute?

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ScoobyDoo7215@reddit

Self-assessment is a necessary piece to the puzzle of becoming a professional pilot. We all have our own internal critic who talks negatively about things that happened during a flight. That's a good thing as long as you make the necessary changes to minimize or eliminate those same mistakes. Keep your head up. No one of us is 100% on any given day, and even the best of us have moments of self-doubt. If you love flying and you've made it this far, don't let a bad check ride derail your dream.

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supergokogt@reddit

Sometimes you get coached too much and it gets to this point. Go take a discover flight in a helicopter, maybe a glider ride, find a sim and ask to see some instrument approaches. Then talk to a non aviation friend who hates their job. Sometimes a minute away helps you focus on the right thing when you come back to it.

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natew314@reddit

It's really weird how we all go through patches where we just can't land. Failing a check ride is a bummer but it really isn't all that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. You just have to re-teat that one part.

You said you had good landings right before and right after the check ride. Then you had another bad lesson. Sounds like your cut out for it to me. Just had a couple bad days which we all have. Hang in there, you'll feel better with that certificate in your hand 😁

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Sad-Improvement-2031@reddit

I was so good at landings during my PPL training, and then I made a stupid mistake on checkride and failed the short field landing. I know how you feel, it’s not just that you had to get the dreaded NOD, it’s that the idea you had of yourself as a pilot is undermined.

Its not how we fall though, its how we get back up. It feels like the end of the world right now, but you’ve gotta keep chugging. Go up on windy days and rip landings, go to new airports, don’t treat these flights as checkrides, treat them as the learning opportunities they are. I did this and never failed another CR. I leave for the airlines later this year. Keep chugging

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mdepfl@reddit

Say this three times, “Everything I’m great at today I totally sucked at once.”

I’m a great pilot today and feel sorry for my primary CFIs haha. And my poor piano teacher.

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Capital-Counter1867@reddit

please please please do NOT give up. I have been flying for 27 years with a couple thousand hours and a stint in the Civil Air Patrol.

Ya think I would have no problem transitioning to a high performance aircraft recently right? But no…I was nervous as Hell, screwing up almost every maneuver with the instructor taking notes on my performance.

It took me FIVE flights to get the endorsement while it should have been nothing more than a glorified BFR.

When I finally flew her solo, the flight was flawless. Why? I didn’t have the instructor watching my every move.

You are simply nervous…which is normal.

May I suggest that you have a heart to heart with the examiner before your next check ride and tell him/her how nervous you were and that you are confident you will be a great pilot.

If you have good examiner, he/she will your take your concerns seriously and do what ever it takes to make you feel more comfortable.

You got this!

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dragonguy0@reddit

As a CFI:

Lol, nah. The students I had that conversation with were earlier in their training. They either never soloed, or soloed once and never again because they could never get back to that point. The fact that you made it to the checkride and busted that late in the ride says you're just in a (really unluckily timed) slump. You'll get there.

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Adorable-Meeting-120@reddit

Hey bud, when I was training, landings were and always have been a struggle for me. That’s part of training. I am now a commercial pilot and am still going to continue. My best advice, start thinking more positively about yourself. If you think super negative it will be super negative. If you weren’t cut out for this you would have failed the checkride long before the hardest part of PPL.

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Key2Confusion@reddit

I was in your shoes at some point in my training too. Sometimes the stress adds up subconsciously and kills your confidence. You notice every small mistake but feel like you're not doing something right or not enough. That screws up more things and eventually you'll be in a place where people say they don't even know what to do to help!

Jar eagles, take a few months break and don't think about this at all. It'll fall in place and you'll finish in no time.

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ronniebabes@reddit

I felt this feeling after failing my oral on a bad Navlog. I felt as though I were stuck in checkride prep hell, trying to perfect maneuvers and training the same thing repeatedly for ten more hours while we waited for the DPE to reschedule. It was a horrible feeling and I felt like all the joy was being drained from flying. Keep at it, go pass and get your PPL.

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Reputation_Many@reddit

Your all in your head, you've got the YIPS!

It's time to go FLY for the fun of it, not prepping, just time building for the fun of it. Go fly and get a $100 hamburger somewhere. Make flying FUN and you wont be nervous. It's supposed to be fun. The examiner is just there to make sure your safe like when you got your drivers license. Sure you're going to suck when your new but at least you wont go out and kill yourself or someone else most likely. Thats is what they are looking for.

I'd seriously go fly 2-3 times just for the fun of it somewhere. Do a cross country do anything that is fun to you with flying then practice your landings a few times. but you should not be practicing landings more than 3-4 times in a row, then doing something else, maybe 2 more landings at the end of the lesson. You learn the skills when you sleep, not when you do it. Overdoing it will lead to frustration which will lead to failure.

Also, for centerline, if you know the wind is blowing from the right to the left, then line up a little on the right side and the wind will blow you to center. You can do minor corrections when you get ready to touch down. And if your instructor is teaching you to point the nose of the airplane in the sky when landing they taught you wrong. Almost everyone I know who had problems with floating off centerline would pull the nose up way to high, and if you do that in a larger aircraft you'll have a tail strike. ALSO, when you land off centerline, use those feet get the airplane on the centerline after landing that is usually good enough to pass if you do that. (SAY CORRECTING, and fix it) You're never going to be perfect, but you can strive to be. ATP is notorious for teaching awful technique of landing in an almost stalled nose up to the sky, flatter (not flat) landing techniques are a lot safer especially if you have a tire fail on landing... You can slam the nose on the ground to help maintain directional control VS if its way up in the air you're going where the plane wants to go no where you want to go. I saw a guy flip an airplane over because of this. If he could have got the front wheel on the ground he probably wouldn't have flipped the plane.

Good luck, you can do it!

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Decadius06@reddit

If you weren’t cut out for it you wouldn’t have made it past the first couple of lessons let alone to the checkride.

Keep at it and you’ll get there. Flyings hard.

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Rhino676971@reddit

That was me i struggled with training and kept try to make it work at 60-65 hours with no solo I pulled the plug, It wasn’t easy but I knew it was the right thing.

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Beautiful_Exchange_3@reddit

Too many people give up because they didn’t have the right cfi or school that helped them pass the check ride. I flew with the wrong instructor who was timid and milking me for hours for prob 40 hrs. Found a new instructor and he had me read for the check ride in a couple of months.

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rjornd@reddit

I hate it when CFI's drag out a student's training just to get more money out of them.

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Ok_Yam_5591@reddit

this is a big one tbh i completed my ppl at around 70 hours, but my instrument only took 42. Also having a consistent flying schedule helps as well because if you are inconsistent that increases the likelihood that you become rusty and have to redo lessons before your check ride.

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Rhino676971@reddit

I tired multiple instructors and even 2 different flight schools, it just wasn’t for me but I would have never forgiven myself if I never tried.

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PhillyPilot@reddit

You’ll look back at this and laugh about it one day. Get out of your own head and get it done

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BabyTootsie00@reddit

You could try scheduling a day just for takeoffs and landings with your instructor. I would go up on a slightly windy day so you get more practice with the crosswind corrections. The best advice my instructor ever gave me - "when you know you have a weak spot, drill it over and over again." This includes chair flying at home!

Could you try flying with a tough instructor? (one at your school, not the DPE). Choose an instructor that is known to be tough on students and fly with them a few times. This will TOTALLY help prep your nervous system on the day of. My instructor was so hard on my most days that by the time the checkride came around, I was more mentally prepared to handle the stress. Btw I'm someone that gets nervous about EVERYTHING lol. You've got this! Every pilot feels this way at some point.

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Shadowinthesky@reddit

Honestly in my opinion I think becoming a pilot is more of a mental battle than a skill thing. I've seen many pilots who were really skilled and flew past their flight training but never ended up flying professionally because of set backs finding jobs etc

I didn't have the smoothest training, i moved to a different state to continue my training, I was told by instructors that maybe I should get an office job... I eventually got my commercial 5 years after starting initial training due to breaks in training cos of issues with flight schools, financial costs and also falling out love with flying for a bit.

Moved literally to the opposite side of the country to get my first flying job at 34 years old and 3 years later got my first job as an FO at a regional though it is incredibly far from home. I'm still not finished and will keep pushing til I get where I want to be but everyday I smile and laugh to myself that I get paid to do this and think back to my training and all those struggles I made it thru.

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Eli_CFI@reddit

Keep going

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Embarrassed-Debt-657@reddit

You can do it! Do not quit.

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NecessaryLight2815@reddit

My last Landing before retirement in the A350 sucked, it happens all the time. Sounds like your nerves are getting the best of you. That will happen as a 40 hour pilot, and as a 20,000 hour pilot during a checkride. The key is to turn that potentially destructive thinking into positive energy. Don’t give up yet. Just take a deep breath. Get as proficient as possible. It may take a few extra flight hours to feel at ease.

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CaptainsPrerogative@reddit

Keep practicing, my friend. Practice practice practice. You’ll get it!

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Bmaczorz@reddit

Dont let it deter you, but do let it bother you. Being a commercial pilot is all about holding yourself to a high standard. The fact that it bothers you enough to make this post and beat yourself up, means you have already started thinking this way.

As a training pilot and check pilot for many years, I can say the pilots who have faced a bit of adversity, especially early in their training, often turn out to be a more well rounded pilot than those who breeze through every check. It's all about the attitude.

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

Thank you that’s great advice

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Bmaczorz@reddit

I should add, that you don't necessarily have to be at yourself up, but over time and with experience you will learn to self critique without being too hard on yourself. But we all start somewhere, the nervousness, and beating yourself up over every mistake is just you caring about this.

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Longjumping-Bus-8265@reddit

I wasn’t perfect on my checkride. My soft field wasn’t the smoothest. Even if you land left on centerline if you are aware of it and attempt to correct it, although ground for failure, it doesn’t mean it will be a bust. Obviously it depends on how far off centerline you are. If you are close to the edge, then that’s a valid fail. I feel like you’re trying to be perfect which is not what the ppl cr is about. If you prove you’re a safe pilot and you voice out your thought process you’ll be ok.

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

I was just left. He called me a leftie. I’ve never been close to the edge.

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TurbulentBanana3984@reddit

Failed PPL twice by shorting my shortfield landing both times. Practice landings were always perfect, could land on a dime with change to spare. Really got in my head and started wondering if i could pass at all.

Third time up, DPE first tells me I’m as safe as any pilot she’s been up with and she wouldn’t hesitate to ever fly with me as PIC (huge confidence boost). Then she told me “I don’t actually have a tape measure on the plane with me, get it close, don’t land short, you’ll be fine”.

Floated a bit, she passed me. Simple and easy.

Don’t over shrink it. Just go execute.

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UmmPerhaps@reddit

Don’t over shrink it! I like that.

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TurbulentBanana3984@reddit

Good catch. 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

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Dave92F1@reddit

Nobody lands "perfectly" every time. Just keep at it - you'll get better.

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pilotPOV@reddit

I’m a retired naval aviator, AA capt, member SETP, CFI/II/MEI. You’re fine. Relax. Being rattled is part of the game. EVERYONE gets rattled after a substandard flight. I’ve got 18,000 hours and I got rattled trying to figure out a Cessna 206 a couple weeks ago.

Go back to basics. First: an approach/landing starts with the turn to down wind. Keep your speed and AOB under control to get to a good down wind. Drop partial flaps and slow to the final flap speed you are going to use. Do all your checks at the abeam. If you are going to use a full flap setting for landing that causes a lot of drag do not select until wings level on final. If cross wind, do not use full flaps. When you configure at the abeam, especially for a cross wind you are done. Now you concentrate on the pattern, airspeed, and line up. If you are changing configuration while trying to fly a cross wind you just made it ten times harder. I crab in until over the fence. Kick the rudder to align and opposite aileron to hold it. Use enuf aileron. Remember you are cross controlling, ie putting in pro spin inputs. Never do it to compensate for an over shoot. Go around. Be stabilized, ease the nose to centerline and hold it there with aileron. You will need a few extra knots to compensate for the cross control. Be smooth. Be confident in your abilities. And forget the past. That’s our job. “Water off a ducks back.” You’ll do fine, wiggle your toes. It helps, don’t ask me why.

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smokdup71@reddit

Bro don’t ever quit, you can do it, you probably thinking to much and not letting your muscle memory kick in, calm down and try and try and try again, like they say the sky is the limit.. One day you’ll be able to tell your story to help someone else. Come On Goose , You got this

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Own-Insurance-960@reddit

You can do it

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Greenbench27@reddit

This normal man. I’ve been flying professionally for almost a decade and have thousands of hours and made the same silly mistakes. It oddly really does click one day out of the blue when you keep at it

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RaccoonEyedCfi@reddit

If you weren’t cut out for it , he would have never signed you off. You’re burned out. Have a fun flight, maybe do a XC then get back and show that dpe you can control that damn machine. Good luck, you got this

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RaccoonEyedCfi@reddit

Tell the other cfi you’re gonna fly with that you’re experiencing burnout, an experienced cfi will know this

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shutterm4@reddit

Dude. Take a deep breath and go fly early in the morning one day when conditions are favorable. Get your confidence back.

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bhalter80@reddit

Real question here ... You mention screwing up little things like not pulling back after landing for soft field.

When you're doing this scenario in the plane are you thinking about the scenario or just the rote steps? I ask because if you think about what you're trying to achieve with the step it makes it more obvious

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yowhoknows@reddit

I almost quit right before my PPL checkride. Like 3 times. It took me a lot longer than most people to get PPL done. But I was so financially invested and determined to finish what I started, that I stuck through the tough lessons until it got easier again. It helps to take a little break to recalibrate and get out of your head then retrain. You could also fly with a different instructor, because the way your current instructor is teaching you might not be what you need for it to click. Breaks and flying with other instructors helped me a lot! Then I got to Instrument and that’s when I REALLY felt like I learned to fly. By commercial, it feels almost EASY. I’m about to do my commercial checkride, and I’m so grateful I stuck with it. It is literally the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I’ve had SO MANY speed bumps but I absolutely love it and feel so confident in my flying and knowledge now. If you DECIDE you’re going to do it no matter what, you will do it. :)

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yowhoknows@reddit

Also landings took me FOREVER to get down. Like so so so so long. But now they are my favorite thing to do and my biggest flight skill! Because I practiced them way more than other people lol. Once they click they CLICK. Instrument will really help you get better at keeping track of all of your instruments, especially your airspeed while landing :)

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

Thank you for saying this!

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Odegh12@reddit

Dude, you sound fatigued and need a break. Thats what it sounds like. You made it all the way to checkride, go take a break and take the pressure off you.

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PapaJon988@reddit

Ask to do a solo to another close-by field. Have a flight where no one is evaluating you. Gets your head on straight.

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IFeelFabulous@reddit

Practice makes perfect. If you really want it, it will happen!

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cautionhotsurface123@reddit

Don't quit...

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Mobile_Passenger8082@reddit

Sounds like an abnormal response to stress. You should probably quit. Definitely finish private first tho.

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thegree2112@reddit

They will actually fail you if you don’t land it right on the money???

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

Apparently

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RepulsiveCategory780@reddit

it took me 120 hours to get my PPL and my landings still aren’t great. Always remember if you don’t feel you will be on centerline you can always go around. There is nothing wrong with being safe and going around. Just remember to always hold the correct in even after touchdown that was my main problem

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Far_Technology_2647@reddit

Failed check rides happen. You got this, keep it pushing.

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Roolambo4life@reddit

Pick your head up and lock in bro. You are cut out for it. You would’ve known early on if you weren’t. I am expecting an update that you got your certificate my boy(girl)

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Jhorn_fight@reddit

Something I did when experiencing landing tendencies was adjust like your adjusting for a slice golf swing. If you’re tending to be left aim a little right. Doesn’t mean your swing or landings are bad you’re just in an off week and sometimes it takes a little nudge to fix. If you’ve passed everything other than one aspect of your landings you are more than good enough to get your ppl

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Choice_Farm7139@reddit

Take a break dude, trust me, i felt the same way and u just got to take a break and comeback fresh

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Jwu6@reddit

After 200 hours, I still bounce in more landings than I nail. Hang in there Buddy. You will get it. You have come too far to give up now. If it’s just the landing, schedule a check ride and go grease it!

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RequirementSeveral72@reddit

How many hours in are you? There’s a big difference between a check ride at 50 hours and 75 and 90 in terms of confidence.

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

I’m at 85 hours. I took my check ride at 75

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MinSpaceHamster@reddit

You're going to be grinding your way to 250+ hours anyways. Won't matter one bit whether you got your ppl at 75, 85, or 125.

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

It’s true. If it were up to me I’d spend the next 30 hours solely on my landings but I’m basically out of money

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RequirementSeveral72@reddit

Okay easier said than done but you’re close and you really need to try to not give a shit about failing or about the instructor next to you and just try to go out and enjoy being a pilot. It’s nerves.

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Professional_Read413@reddit

Dude you can do it.

I'll have like a week of awesome greasers and just today I slammed it in right in front of an airbus holding short, I know they had to get a chuckle out of that.

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One_Event1734@reddit

Dude you’re in the worst possible situation. Busting a check ride on one item and struggling with that one item. It’s not as stressful to have a bunch of things left, because you can’t obsess over each one. With your situation, you’re just beating your head against the wall on one thing, likely obsessing over every detail.

Don’t beat yourself up! Keep going and trust that it will click. Take the checkride when you’re ready. And you WILL be ready. Just give it time.

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GrumpyFatPanda1120@reddit

Sorry to hear that you failed on something that’s easily fixable… everyone has bad days man. Your CFI being pissed at you rather than encouraging you. We all have bad landings, like others have said, you would have figured out a while back if flying is not for you. Keep your head up my friend!

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Dry-Abalone2299@reddit

Just to confirm…

After the landings were complete and you were back at the school/FBO, you said to the DPE unprompted on your own:

“I know that I failed.”

Did this really happen, or is there more that as actually said in the exchange?

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

He said how do you think you did and I said I don’t feel good about my landings and he said yeah I don’t feel good about your landings either and that’s when I said yeah I know I failed and he said yes but just on your landings.

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Dry-Abalone2299@reddit

Just advice for next time; answering as you did will do nothing but hurt your chances with the DPE in that situation.

How do you think you did (alternate answer for an example):

“Felt great about my turns around a point. I was a little light on right rudder during my power-on stall, but corrected as soon as able. Same as every flight, I learned a lot and there will be things I continue to work on.”

Then you stop talking, and listen. A lot of what the DPE judges is subjective, and they have a lot of leeway on which way they decide for an element.

Odds were they thought your were deficient on the landings, and you had failed already anyway, but there was a very small chance they were waiting on how your responses to the questions and when you affirmatively confirmed you were outside PTS, that sealed their decision.

Developing confidence and maturity are all part of the journey in your training. Just be aware that answering negatively like that when asked to self-assess does you no favors. Don’t ever tell a teacher/evaluator/examiner you failed, you eat them make that determination if needed without you confirming it for them.

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

Great advice thank you

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ARoaruhBoreeYellus@reddit

It’s a job. A job you can do. Do the job. Other people can do the job. So can you. Just. Do. The. Job.

That and apparently critiquing and evaluating your students to success is long dead.

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gromm93@reddit

There's no such thing as a perfect landing, because there's no such thing as perfect conditions. Aerodynamics is chaotic by nature (seriously... Look up "chaos theory" and you'll learn why the weather can never be predicted more than a week in advance, no matter how big the computer), and that's all there is to it.

Get comfortable with this idea, because the air is where we live.

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trying2lipad@reddit

You're in crucial moments now. The mind is starting to play games with you and our natural instincts/lizard brain tendencies are kicking in. You're putting in the work, not seeing results.

Breathe and take a moment to assess the external factors.

If this is truly the first time your instructor has gotten frustrated,

then chances are that he/she just cares about you and wants you to pass just as bad as you do. Think about it, he/she has invested hours and effort on teaching you how to fly an airplane (which is no easy task).

He/she is on the same team as you, even if it wasn't expressed in the healthiest way today.

Try to channel that energy, think that your instructor is just another person as passionate about wanting this win for you. You haven't disappointed anyone because you're gonna keep going!

Winners don't quit, quitters don't win!

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Trxv3stie@reddit

I failed PPL because I literally could not start the engine during a hot day as I’ve never done a hot engine start before. I flooded the engine and failed before I could even fly. I felt the same exact way as you did. I retested with the same DPE after 2 weeks of beating myself up over it. Telling myself I’m not cut out for this either. I had the best flight during my retake, and even the DPE told me that I was cut out to be a pilot and he can tell I’d make it in the industry.

I just passed my CSEL checkride 07/02 first try!Don’t give up!! This is a tough journey, and the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is learning how to get back up after unexpected obstacles and hardships. You got this

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Awkward_Algae_9631@reddit

You know, when I was an instructor, (and I’m sure it happened to me when I was a student too) I noticed students would get really good at landings, but then get worse before mastering. There are peaks, valleys, and plateaus. Hell, I still go through short periods of time where my landings are just not as good as they were weeks before. It’s normal to have on and on days, as long as you are always trying to improve.

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NAt3Dawg707@reddit

You should quit before you blow the rest of your money

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PropOnTop@reddit

After 333 landings (I checked today), they are still dogshit. It makes me mad, but it motivates me. Don't worry, you'll do fine.

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jgremlin_@reddit

By the time I went for my check ride, my landings were pretty consistently safe. They were not always good, in fact they were often quite ugly, but they were generally safe. They didn't really get consistently half decent until I was 50 or 60 hours post check ride. They didn't get consistently close to perfect until I was in a partnership airplane that allowed me to fly several times a week.

The point being, if you're shooting for them to all be perfect on your checkride, you're going to be waiting a long time to be ready for that ride. Shoot consistent and safe. Worry about perfect later.

As for checkride nerves, here's the best advice I've ever heard. We tend to get nervous on our checkrides because we go into them with the mindset that we haven't proven ourselves worthy until the checkride is over. Therefore the checkride is where you earn it so to speak. But you've already earned. You already put in all the work, you've already demonstrated all the required skills in order to get signed off for the ride. That means the examiner isn't coming into it from a standpoint of lets see if this student pilot is ready to be a pilot, rather the examiner is coming into it from a standpoint of lets just make sure this private pilot hasn't missed anything important during their training.

I know its just semantics, but if you go into it feeling like you've already earned it and now you just have to verify that everything's good, it really does help take the pressure off a bit.

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Impressive-Ad3348@reddit

You will have ups, downs, plateaus and everything in between. Training is fun! Do not quit!

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imblegen@reddit

I have 370 hours and I still have flat landings sometimes, even without the stress of trying to be checkride ready. It happens. Hell even airline pilots can crater a landing from time to time.

You were a pilot the day that you did your first solo. If I had to guess, your instructor was probably upset with you because he knows that you have the skill set to put down good landings. You're just in your own head about it and probably overthinking everything. I'm not sure where it comes from, but a quote I've heard is "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good."

Don't try to put down a perfect landing every time. Focus on doing the things you're supposed to do in order to make it a good landing.

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Magoo6541@reddit

I had a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings when I got my PPL. My crosswind landings were terrible. For whatever reason, I just didn’t “get it”. One day when I was I the pattern flying with a friend, I kept saying to myself, ailerons into the wind, use the rudder to keep straight. After I was ready to accept my CFIs teachings, it clicked.

Getting your private is truly a license to learn. Earning my CFI was another eye opening experience and learning just how much I didn’t know.

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Hellkarium@reddit

Lol bro don't get in your head. You landed "left of centerline " Were your mains nearly on the grass or edge of the runway? The point is not every landing is going to be perfect. Failing you for that is crazy

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Bitter_Ad_1419@reddit

I’ve found that usually the “landing left of centerline” is just what they officially put on the record…most DPE’s grade on a curve - OP said their landings were “so bad” so maybe there were other things building up to the final straw of being off centerline? Idk just an observation I’ve seen in my area.

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

I looked up my DPE on Reddit afterwards and apparently he’s a stickler for that kind of stuff. I get it though

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Hellkarium@reddit

Yeah he just saw you were rich and wanted you to pay a second time.

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

I’m not rich either so it’s sucks

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BuzzTheTower12@reddit

This video greatly improve my landings overnight, when I was struggling with hard landings, as a student pilot. https://youtu.be/AzpDSntjK4U?si=QAwJGDtzTIWArTGa

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Fabulous-Golf7949@reddit

I’ve been there! Don’t give up. I’ve had lessons where I’ve broken down afterwards. Completely. And I didn’t think I could do it. You’ll surprise yourself at what you can do if you just keep working hard. Every single one of us has bad days… you’re a human. Keep going dude!

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BenTallmadge1775@reddit

This is the yips. You’re psyching yourself out.

Take a day or two off. Breathe. Go back up and do a checkride with your instructor. Do the same with the DPE.

You’ll be fine.

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Jrygonzo278@reddit

You must not want it, if you want this, get it! Now you know what to expect. Get motivated!

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Practical_Fig_7655@reddit

Something that helped me tremendously getting my first type rating was chair flying. Before a lesson visualize the different types of landings or maneuvers. Put yourself into different scenarios in your mind and think what you will do to get out of it. This makes all of the difference. I still take a moment to practice in my mind and go over all of the memory items before an approach.

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

Very good advice. Thank you!

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EliteEthos@reddit

Ok

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Temporary_Access2385@reddit (OP)

Ok

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AltitudeEdge@reddit

I busted my PPL. It’s the only checkride I ever busted. The PPL is very comprehensive and everything you’re learning is brand new. I wouldn’t beat yourself up about it. Go re-test, get your certificate don’t sweat it. Then, take a little break. Do a little leisure flying. Maybe take some friends up and just have fun while building confidence. Then when you’re ready, tackle the IR. We learn from failure. This does not mean you will struggle your entire career.

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JustAnotherDude1990@reddit

You’re not fit to be a pilot if you continue to have that shit attitude. Fix it, and you’ll be fine.

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Asieloth@reddit

To add to what some of the others have mentioned:

I once heard it put very well; landing is as much a science as it is an art. Sometimes with the exact same conditions across two different days, the landings will be different. It's just the way it is. I've had my own fair share of poor landings, just as I've had some amazing ones. I've been sitting next to captains and seen them absolutely crater the runway on a CAVOK approach. It happens. The important part is to move on from it and try again. Don't take the landing home with you.

The other really important part is that you know what you should be doing. You know you're meant to land on the center line. You know you're meant to correct for winds. You know these things, which means you'll put in effort to applying them. It'll all come with time. At least to a point where your landings are consistently safe, if not always buttery smooth. At the end of the day that's what matters, despite what our egos would have us believe.

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KehreAzerith@reddit

As someone who has multiple check ride busts, don't worry about it. Landings are considered one of the hardest to master and nobody gets it the first time, even after many thousands of hours there are airline pilots out there slamming their landings and going off centerline despite being professionals making 300k a year.

Not every landing will be perfect, all that matters is that you land safely and within acceptable standards.

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Historical-Pin1069@reddit

Chill man you can always do it for hobby by just getting a PPL. Don't be so hard on yourself.

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ENdeR_KiLLza@reddit

Keep in mind that if you're not stabilised on short final, go around are always an option. Don't blame yourself too hard on this, botching a landing happens to even the most experienced pilots sometimes. If it were easy to nail it every single time there would be much more pilots around! Hell, three weeks ago I botched a landing which failed my test flight for a BVR module. Blamed myself for a night then moved on and now I'm back landing the aircraft like it never happened! Analyse what is going wrong with those landings, practice and relax. Negative stress seems clearly to be a factor here

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grumpycfi@reddit

For one thing stop chasing perfection: You'll never find it and that will just frustrate you. Also, realize that a PPL is barely scratching the surface of flying. You're still a novice - and that's okay! You'll learn so much in the next 100-500 hours as you get more ratings and more experience. You're recognizing the mistakes, which is good, and you even know how to fix them. Just focus on that part and don't worry about the future or passing/failing. Let flying the airplane be your whole world.

Plenty of people have busted a ride and still made it just fine, I suspect you won't be any different.

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rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

Last month I busted my PPL checkride. I watched the examiner fail the guy in front of me as well for the exact same thing. Landing left of centerline and cross wind corrections while landing. I went up and it was literally a blur. I was so nervous that I was shaking. The flight went pretty good, but my landings were so bad. I had just gone up with my instructor before my checkride to warm up and my landings were almost perfect but during the checkride I kept landing left of centerline. My airspeed management went out the window. When we got back I told him i knew that I had failed. He told me he just needed to retest me on my landings and that I would get it. I’ve been retest training with my instructor for the past 3 weeks. My 3 lessons after my bust were really good but I had a lesson the other day and I kept screwing little things up like not pulling back on the yoke when i landed on my soft fields. It was an incredibly busy day at the airport and I literally had the worst landing I have ever had. Basically didn’t flare and smacked down super hard. After that I was toast and tried to put it behind me and keep pushing but I couldn’t get my landings to be exactly how I wanted. And then today… couldn’t land perfectly. I had a 11 Kt tailwind on base which was pushing me hella fast to final and it was just a mess. But where I am I should be able to handle these things. I’m so mad at myself. I want to be a professional pilot one day but I think I lack the skill set. My instructor was pissed at me today and he’s never upset with me. I don’t know what to do. I feel so small

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