Fear of Flying Solo - MzeroA Flight Training

[AFO]

Once you fly solo, you'll want to do it all the time! It's so relaxing. I literally leave all my problems on the ground and hate when I come back to land cuz I wanna stay up in the air

[yonibutbul]

Literally about to solo in less than two hours for my first time in the pattern. Your videos are such a great help! I am really looking forward to meeting you at Oshkosh.

[Bajesus]

One of the things I did a couple months ago when I first soloed is film myself with a GoPro. It was kind of unintentional but I was talking to the camera and it felt like someone was watching me and someone was there.

[Cessna_]

I just did my first two (2) 150 mile cross country solos this last weekend. I flew into Class C airspace and did pattern work then flew back to home base. It was extremely helpful for my CFI to fly with me to same airports a couple of times prior to soloing, First flight he helped, second flight he kept quiet and observed. It really does work! And who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks! Not only that, but I greased on a crosswind landing which I had been struggling with. I had to get my big boy pants on and just do it without the crutch of my CFI being there to save me. It was quite exhilarating! Good thing there was no one else in the cockpit with me, I gave out a loud yell and fist pump that would have scared the crap out of anyone! LOL Started this adventure the 2nd week in April and now have all my requirements out of the way for my checkride, just need to polish up before doing that last step! What a ride it has been so far!

[SVSky]

Well this is nice to hear, back when I first started solo cross country flights, I had a moment where I considered declaring an emergency and landing at an airport directly below me. Only my military training on staying calm when under stress saved me. It's brutal but gotta do it!

X-C anxiety support group? LOL.

[joseramonprats]

I had an instructor which I totally trusted. So the day he told me to fly solo, I had no doubts at all . I didn't expect it, because the weather wasn't that good. But I had good confidence because I knew my instructor believed in me. So I took off, no time to wory and it was the best experience of my life! A good instructor not only learns you to fly, but also encourages you and gives you confidence.

[pilotman]

I had my first solo today.. I have had two other solos in the pattern but today was my first time going out of the pattern. It was amazing! Cannot wait till I get my license!

[epicsave]

Jason, there are also many pilots who like me have 250 hours or more most of them without an instructor who still lack confidence in our abilities and I'm curious what advice you have for us and of you could put out a video on this topic?

[VoteJaySchwartz]

Outstanding video. Jason I believe most students would agree that it is not their skills set being the problem, but the concern (fear) of not feeling comfortable with the airplane sounds, weather conditions, or quite frankly a new airport or runway to land on once the local pattern work is complete. The other concern may also include flying higher than 2500 MSL. 3000 and 3500 looks so much different. Imagine being afraid of heights. It happens to many of us.

[RogerErnst]

I had my first solo navigation flight two days ago. One hour of pure happy feelings! That boosts the self-confidence.

[MrMeric]

Oh thank god. I was nervous I was the only one who had experienced apprehension prior to doing my long xcountry. I wasn't so much nervous about the navigation. I was most nervous about encountering weather related issues. Such as stronger turbulence, performing cross wind landings, and higher variable winds.

[Chemtekmain]

my first solo is tomorrow, this channel has helped me a TON with my training and getting new perspectives on things i already studied. Blue skies M0A!

[BossSfeedy]

I was nervous on my first solo x country but after I came back and touched down, I felt invincible.. I've never been happier and confident that I wanted to keep redoing it

[karlsandin]

I had an absolute low confidence in going on my long solo cross country, you just have to do it . Once the jitters stop you’ll hopefully come to realIze exactly why you started flying in the first place. The freedom and rewards that come with it will follow.

[alk]

I was completely fine in the pattern, but pretty nervous about the x-countries. Still am. The ironic part is that pattern work is probably way more dangerous - with all that low altitude flying and dozens of landings, especially since my home airport is in the middle of a densely populated urban area. There's really not much that can go wrong on a cross-country as long as you pick a good weather day and look out of the window at all. You could bust a regulation, but in terms of actual danger - not much. If you panic for whatever reason - just fly straight and level. If your engine quits (my big fear) - I'd rather have it happen at 2500 AGL over farm land than at 500 AGL over Boeing hangars.

[sting]

Jason, have you ever had to ditch your planning when you were far from your destination? I'm a student pilot, and that's what happened to me yesterday when I did a long (almost 5 hour) cross country. I was talking to KTOL departure when they told me I couldn't fly through Cleveland's airspace due to a lot of traffic. On top of that, they told me "squawk VFR, frequency change approved." So not only was my planning thrown out the window but now I was without a flight following. I then flew south and contacted Mansfield, who vectored me around Cleveland's airspace and got me home. Boy, did it feel good to finally touch down at my home airport after all that time!

[xECKSx]

Love your videos Jason. I'm a CFI now and working on my CFII but I still watch all of your videos as they are released, they help me just as much as if I was a PPL student.

Cheers
-Rich

[firulaargentina]

Very good Jason! Students should be conscious that a good flight instructor are letting them solo because they know they can do it. Take it with calm and just fly the airplane the same way they did several times before under instruction. The first solo shouldn't be scary, because it is a very good sensation of responsibility and freedom that deserves be enjoyed. Mine was about at my 9th hour, in a PA-11, that's an advantage because on tandem, you only see your instructor few times with peripheral vision, and helps a lot when you fly solo because you can "imagine" that your instructor is on the back seat. But after initial climbing and turn left crosswind, I took a look and verified the unbelievable with my own eyes... I was solo, and I will never forget that feeling, ever. Greetings from Argentina!

[easterntennesseelivesteame]

Going to do my first xcountry solo tomorrow terrified haha. But watching videos like yours instilled enough confidence where i say no more putting it off.

[rrenderman]

Just wen´t for my second solo last week.... still bizarre and amazing feeling. The brain is at it´s highest alert mostly keep airspeed and altitude right and listen to atc (no flight instructor listening with you) - Still haven´t flown first cross country solo but looking forward to it ;)