My last two flights have (amazingly) been good flights. Both my upper air work and my landings have vastly improved due (I think) to the hours I spend reviewing written material as well as sitting at my desk memorizing every move in the cockpit.
However, I am still weeks behind (maybe even months) where I actually wanted to be in my training. Here’s the breakdown of my flight training thus far. I entered training after a friend bought me a discovery flight on my 30th birthday. That was in 2004. I think I officially started flying around October that year. At the time, it was just a hobby. I was still a bit shocked that Transport Canada had even issued me a Cat 3 Medical Certificate. I had a few flights before Christmas and then went to London for almost a month which stalled my training for awhile.
Spring of 2005 I started flying at least twice a week but then hit my next big road block. Airsickness. I’ve pretty much battled this through all of my training and although I’ve found ways to minimize the effects, I still have bad days. Usually, it’s when I haven’t flown in several weeks.
By the spring of 2006, I finally soloed at around 45 hours. This was a pretty average amount of time to solo in but I was well on my way to being licensed. Or so I thought…
Right after my solo, a couple of things happened. My original instructor left for greener pastures and I was less then keen on the new guy. As it happened, I never ended up flying much with him because I ended up in my RTC training at work. RTC training pretty much sucked up a year of my life and grounded me for six months because I just couldn’t keep up with that much new material going into my brain.
Winter 2007, I started flying again. I should have waited until I finished all my RTC desk training. It’s hard enough going to work every day with someone watching over your shoulder you really don’t need that happening in your leisure time too. That was my fault.
It’s no secret to anyone that my time as RTC has been pretty miserable. I’m not good at the job and I’m not sure I ever will be. It’s only recently that I’ve been able to go to work and operate with any level of confidence at all. The last year and a half has sucked away any self-worth I ever had and it’s made life difficult both on and off the ground (when was the last time you met a pilot who didn’t think they were God?). By the spring, I realized that if I didn’t get out I was probably doomed to being an RTC for the rest of my life and I wasn’t quite ready to give up that easily yet. I booked an appointment with my Av MD and went in to try for my Cat 1 Medical. If I got it, I would be able to shot for a commercial license.
Well, I got it and suddenly I felt like I had something to live for again. I was ready to turn flying into much more than a hobby but things were not well at my flight school.
I recently had one of the few instructors at my flight school give me a lecture about why I have 80 hours time and no license yet. It’s a good question, but one that I should be asking the people I’ve dropped at least $15,000 worth with over the last three years.
Let’s review my last six months with the school. I have had SIX new instructors, every single one has taught approaches and landings differently. Now, I realize that other students are able to cope with this but I’m not some 20-year-old kid with dreams of West Jet. My brain isn’t nearly so soft and squishy and ready to learn anymore, I’m not getting any younger. Additionally, with my schedule being what it is, trying to book flights when I’m “well-rested” is next to impossible. Several times over the last few months I’ve had to cancel flights because my bevy of instructors wanted to move flights up by a couple of hours and I was unable to accommodate them because of whatever shift I was working.
In the last month, I have booked eight flights. I’ve flown two. Two have been cancelled because of weather, an unavoidable part of flight training and four have been cancelled because of maintenance. The last two cancellations were because the winter kit was not installed and today the plane had not been plugged in. The last two cancellations are ridiculous. The weather has been cold an snowy. I’m guessing that the planes were grounded in the early part of the week with plenty of time to get winter kits installed. Not having the plane plugged in is just stupid. In fact, the Katanas freeze up so badly that they should never be left outside of the hanger over-night in this weather.
I’m willing to take the rap for some of the stall in my training but not all of it. There are many things that I would do differently if I started this again but I feel that the flight school is providing a service and should be trained in assessing the individual needs of its students.
Frankly, it’s time to start looking for a new flight school. I was planning on sticking it out with my current school until I earned my private but the rate it’s going, that’s never going to happen. It will be an expensive move as I will somewhat be starting from scratch on a new aircraft (likely a 172) but I’m not sure that I have another option. It’s my plan to start talking to CFIs at other flight schools, telling them my situation and my goals and then seeing if they are able to offer me a better plan to achieve what I’m looking for. This time next year, I want to be a fully rated commercial pilot (work and weather permitting). Now I just need to find a flight school that’s willing to get me there.