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7 Answers

Should I quit flying? (a private pilot student)

Asked by: 10662 views Private Pilot, Student Pilot

I am a student pilot for private.  I have more than 100 hours (after about 85 hours I quit counting how many hours I have because it was so depressing to see), and I soloed when I had about 50 hours. I am a slow learner in flying, and three of my previous CFIs all encouraged me to "quit" because they did not think that I had the ability to "fly".  Finally I met an experienced CFI who is not a time builder, and under his instruction, I finally was able to solo several months ago.  Now, I have been struggling to finish my license.  I have met all the requirements, and I scored well (more than 90) on my written test.  My checkride was scheduled twice already, both time it has to be cancelled because I was not quite ready (and my CFI thought the same too). I I have been flying at least 2-3 times a week.   I have never had this kind of problems when I was learning musical instruments or sports -- I was actually better/faster than average.  I am good at multi-tasking at my job, but not in flying.

During the past weeks, I had three mock checkrides with my instructor, I have had a hard time to do certain maneuvers like:

(1) short field landing (I always hit short on the runway before my touchdown point, or my final airspeed was too fast -- about 10-15 knots faster than recommended speed)

(2) When entering slow flight, I lost 200 feet this time, but at least it was better than last time where I lost 500 feet.  But climbing/descending/turning during slow flight all went ok.

(3) steep turns - first try at steep turn I always lose 100-200 feet, and the second try I do it perfectly -- it has been ongoing like this for the past weeks.  Sometimes I turn at 35 or 50 degrees as well.

(4) forced landing: my instructor simulated an engine failure on downwind in the traffic pattern, and I focused too much on maintaining glide speed and checking instruments, and forgot that I had to turn/slip into the runway right away.  Last time it was simulated in an unpopulated area, and I was trying to land downwind.  I do not know what kind of mistakes I will make in the next simulated engine failure.

So far, my instructor did not have to take control of the airplane during the mock checkrides, but I just feel like I am never going to be ready for a checkride.  I was seriously thinking about quitting when all my three previous instructors did not see any hope in myself, and now I am thinking again maybe this is a real time to give up before I spend too much money. (I spent a lot of money already as you can tell).  My goal was to become an airline pilot -- yes, I know some people including my previous instructors will laugh at me that I was even thinking about to become an airliner.

Any advice/comment would be appreciated.

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7 Answers



  1. Nibake on Dec 14, 2015

    Many of your comments sound like you are really focusing on the PTS. How is your overall ability to handle the airplane? You did mention coming up short on the short field landing, but a small increase in power can overcome something like that.

    Otherwise, on my commercial check ride I lost 200 feet on my first steep turn and still passed. My private check was so choppy and bumpy that it became about the ability to fly the airplane, not about carefully watching bouncy needles on the airspeed indicator and altimeter.

    The best answer to this question is probably really only one that a CFI who has flown with you can give. What kind of environment are you training in? Can you fly with another experienced CFI to get his/her opinion?

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  2. goldmund on Dec 15, 2015

    Thanks for your comment. My school is a very small part 61 school, and there is only a few instructors. The reason that I focused on PTS was because that is what my instructor has been telling me during de-briefing. I feel pretty confident controlling the airplane (especially after my solo cross country). The little things on PTS got me into trouble, and my instructor says that if I perform like this (the problems that I mentioned above), I am not going to pass the practical test. Thank you again for your opinion, and I am planning to fly with one of the other instructors at school to get his opinion.

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  3. humble and fly on Dec 19, 2015

    I’m not so sure if my advice will help you but i will leave it up to you.
    so, I had same problems when i was a student pilot as you do have now and i finished up my commercial check couple months ago.

    In my opinion if you can do solo you are not that bad.
    Probably you just need to learn some tricks or skills from someone can teach you easier way. Or maybe you are not performing 100% what you can do because you are just so stressed about checkride.

    in my case during short field landing i made bounce landing so many time because i couldn’t understand why do i need to have aiming point and touch down point

    Then finally i understand that as long as i have proper aiming point and start round out as i hit the aiming point i don’t really need to worry about hit my touch down point because aircraft will land within standard distance.

    Also forced landing or power off 180 landing. I hope that you try to feel more what aircraft does and look outside more because best gliding speed is just a guidance it’s not a absolute number that you need to keep all the time anyway glide speed changes as weight changes. So as long as you are not like 10 knot higher or lower than glide speed you will be fine.

    I hope that my advice help you and as long as you try there is a second chance.

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  4. Greg Taylor on Dec 26, 2015

    I’m going to answer your main question with a story.

    While I was in training, I didn’t even look at the medical requirements, because I’m a fairly healthy person. It wasn’t until I was ready to solo and my instructor told me I needed to get my medical done, that I looked at the questionnaire and realized I might have an issue. It turned out not to be a problem, but at the time, I thought I may not get my medical.

    I told someone this, and they were amazed that I wasn’t furious at my flight school for not having me review the medical requirements earlier. I had “wasted” all that time and wouldn’t be able to get my license anyway!!!!

    My response was simple. Even if I couldn’t get my license, the experience of flight training was worth every minute and every penny. I wouldn’t have regretted it one bit.

    If you feel the same way, then you know the answer to your “should I quit flying” question. If you feel like you are wasting your time, then maybe you should quit. Otherwise, why in the world would you even ask the question? You’re flying an airplane for crying out loud!!! That’s awesome!!!!

    Now, that said, toward the end of my training, it did start to get to be a bit of a chore. I think that’s normal, and IMO it means you’re not as overloaded, and it’s not as exciting to do the same maneuvers again. I think that’s a good sign you’re ready or close to ready.

    I’m not in the same boat as you, I was born to fly. I had to switch airports, airplanes, and instructors (twice) in the middle of my instruction, and I only had time to fly once a week (sometimes not even that), but even with all of that, I passed my check ride after only 45 hours. I’m not boasting, I’m telling you this because I think you are too focused on specifics. I couldn’t do everything perfect on my check ride. Heck, I made multiple dumb mistakes during the ride, but I was safe, and I didn’t break any airspaces, or laws, and demonstrated that I could fly safely and understood where I went wrong.

    If you love flying, keep it up. Study and understand the standards, but don’t hyper focus on them. I noticed that my first landing was always crappy, sort of like you are mentioning with your first steep turn, etc. Maybe schedule your check ride in the PM and take a quick flight in the morning just to “warm up”? Personally, I wouldn’t even practice anything, but just try to have a nice “confidence boosting” stress free flight to remind you that you are capable of flying safely.

    Good luck, you can do it!

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  5. Yogi on Jan 04, 2016

    Hi Goldmund,

    I totally get what you are saying. I had a very difficult time myself in getting the co-ordination and the ‘staying ahead of the plane’ mentality…got my private at about 115 hours myself. This too shall pass…keep at it, you have spent a lot of time and money, get it done now. Completely agree with humble and fly – if you have solo’d you are not bad at all. The same instructors who may say you should quit are also those who allow you to go solo isn’t it? My instructor actually abandoned me! Some of them just don’t get it that it can be difficult for some of us….I promise they can’t do your non flying work as well as you do! Keep at it, take each day at a time. Do a lot of couch flying, that will help immensely in going through the steps in your mind so that when the real time comes, the steps come intuitively. Do not rush it or put artificial deadlines of any sort.

    I wish you the best, see you in the club!

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  6. David T-G on Jan 27, 2016

    Hiya! I’m glad to see another person getting to know the joy of flying.

    Yes, I really mean that, despite the challenges you’ve described. It really is amazing, and it’s awesome that you’ve taken part in this world at all. Yay!

    I’m mostly going to have to agree with Greg on this. If you like it and can find a way to afford it, keep doing it. It doesn’t matter how many hours it takes to get there; you’ll keep improving. Yogi is right, too, in that if you’re flying solo now you have the basics.

    If you’re thinking of this just as a job, think hard. I can’t imagine it myself with the few hours I have, but I’ve heard countless 9k- and 12k-hour pilots say that it gets old and it’s a grind and that they’re ready to leave and so on — not to mention having to put up with the hassle of both government regulations and corporate policies. Imagine if you hit that wall at only 2000 hours! Those who really love the life end up being 20k- and 30k-hour pilots who are flying long past retirement, and if you think that could be you then an extra hundred hours of practice and experience before you take your check ride will be a drop in the bucket.

    I remember being shocked 🙂 when my instructor got out of the plane and told me to go and do three around the pattern; I literally had no idea I was ready, but she was right and it was great. Then there was the time I took the mock check ride and felt overwhelmed and cried with the stress, but I was back on the horse the next morning. When my actual check ride came around, I was so nervous sitting next to this Awesome Examination God who held my Future In His Hands that my landings were a total mess until he, in a moment of mercy, told me that my flying had been fine and that I could obviously do this and to just relax, take a breath, and go and land. Two greasers later, we were done and my paper ticket was coming out of his printer.

    There’s also the great story of my grandfather, who was a torpedo bomber pilot in WWII and then went back to his engineering job and finally picked up flying again later in life, eventually soloing again fifty years to the day after his first solo. He elected to continue to fly only with an instructor because he wasn’t flying enough to remain proficient and because he enjoyed the company as well as the chance to simply be in the air.

    How does all of this apply to you? First, go back to whether or not you love it, because if you go ahead you’re going to spend a lot of time, and we hope not but just maybe some really intense sweating time wondering if you’ll live through that day, in a very small room; there’s no need to be there if you don’t. If you do love it, then just embrace it and take as long as it takes, and enjoy the grace and beauty of maneuvers and landings and doing it all smoothly and well rather than trying rigidly to meet the standards; they’ll come as your skills develop and then settle into long-term memory and habit.

    Have a great day!

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  7. Pedro on Feb 26, 2017

    You said your newest instructor let you solo. If he/she thought you were a danger to yourself or others on the ground they’d not have signed their name to your logbook allowing such an action. Abe Lincoln failed so many times at so many levels of government and then became President. Do you want it? If you cannot become an airline pilot would being able to Toodle around the skies make you a happy flyer just for fun? I say stick with it. Practice practice practice. Flying three times a week I assume for an hour really isn’t that much. Try five days a week or two hours three days a week. Stop focusing on time spent and logbook hours and focus on feel and a checklist for each of your problem areas. Bad at short landings go out and do that all day! And then again the next flight.

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