10 Reasons Why You’re Struggling in Flight Training

#1 - YOU FEEL BAD ABOUT A COUPLE OF BAD FLIGHTS

You’re bummed, feel like you should be making better progress, you feel “behind”. 

Solution: Ask your instructor for honest feedback; get a second opinion if need be. Remember that progress is not linear. You can break a stall and recover. Comparing yourself to others is not helpful. Look back at how far you’ve come. Keep going. 

#2 - PACE OF TRAINING IS TOO SLOW

Solution: Devote time and money to more frequent lessons, so knowledge and skill are carried into the next lesson. Change instructors or flight schools if they are cancelling lessons. Wait out bad weather. Practice “armchair flying” frequently. 

#3 - PACE OF TRAINING IS TOO FAST

Some “zero-to-hero” and Part 141 flight training programs have a set curriculum and predetermined pace. It’s up to the student to study up, show up, and keep up -- and not everyone can.

Solution: Have a frank discussion with the chief flight instructor about your standing and your options. Do it before things have gone too far. 

#4 - POOR INSTRUCTION, POOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Your instructor attempts to teach ground school while airborne (it's called ground school for a reason), so they can build more flight hours on your dime. Or they don't show up at all, or the aircraft keep breaking. Or the instructor yells at you and berates you. Or your instructor is good, but just not getting through to you on this one maneuver for some reason. Learn all of the Red Flags that you should fire your flight instructor.

Solution: Change instructors, either temporarily or permanently. No hard feelings. Change flight schools, if necessary. See also #9.

#5 - DON’T KNOW HOW TO STUDY

You didn’t develop good study habits in school. Or you’ve been out of school for a long time. Being a professional pilot means ongoing study throughout your career, so this must be remedied.

Solution: Figure out your predominant learning style — visual, auditory, reading/writing, or kinesthetic? And ideal learning environment — personal instruction, classroom, book, video, flight or flight simulator? Adopt study techniques and find resources that incorporate more of these. Keep at it. 

#6 - LIFE CHOICES, CIRCUMSTANCES

Partying, work, illness, baby, divorce, and other distractions and disruptions are taking your attention away from flight training and studying. 

Solution: Arrange your life to reduce distractions, if possible. Delay training until circumstances improve, if necessary.

#7 - BAD ATTITUDE

You can fly the airplane just fine, but display one or more troubling attitudes: Lack of motivation, lack of self-discipline, poor risk management, poor decision-making, machismo, anti-authoritarianism, complacency, inability to accept criticism. These are incompatible with being a reliably safe pilot. 

Solution: Instructor feedback should be helpful and encouraging (see #4 and #9) — and you should welcome corrections and critiques as part of learning. Review your goals, and decide exactly what you are willing to do to reach those goals. Work on outgrowing immature attitudes.

#8 - PERFECTIONISM, PEOPLE-PLEASING, ANXIETY (sometimes related)

Solution: No pilot flies perfectly. Do your best while letting go of the agony of perfectionism and fear of failure. People-pleasing is not helpful for anyone at the controls of an airplane.  Practice techniques that calm the body’s sensation of anxiety, such as taking long slow deep breaths. 

#9 - BAD PEOPLE TRYING TO HOLD YOU BACK

Some people still target non-straight, non-pale, non-male aspiring pilots with bias, double-standards, harassment, denigrating "jokes" and remarks, sabotage, and gaslighting. Some of these harmful behaviors are difficult to detect, leading to self-doubt and loss of confidence. 

Solution: Ignoring it will NOT make it go away. Discuss with trusted friends and mentors. Be proactive in setting boundaries -- speak up with a calm comeback to rude remarks. Document and report unfair illegal treatment. Change instructors or flight schools. See the Halt Harassment in Aviation Checklist. 

#10 - FLYING ISN’T FOR YOU

If none of the previous reasons are valid for you, or you find the solutions to be insurmountable, then here’s the hard truth: You might not have the motivation, discipline, mindset, and/or mental capacity required to be a pilot. 

Solution: Come back when you’ve developed these inner resources, or find another career. 

RESOURCES to address these struggles in flight training:

• 8 HOW-TOs for New-Hire Airline Pilot Training includes preparation and study techniques, how to “armchair fly”, and how to pass a checkride. Written for new airline pilots, this article is very helpful to anyone transitioning into larger or faster aircraft, and provides a good overview to aspiring professional pilots. 

• The article Concerned About Washing Out of a Flight Training Program? advises being proactive about recognizing and correcting your situation — before you’re sent home.

• Overcoming Failures gives you hope for continuing your pilot career despite checkride failures and job termination. 

• The Halt Harassment in Aviation Checklist outlines steps to take when targeted with unfair and illegal abuses of power during training and at work.

• Another Empty Kitchen is a compilation of the ignorant and harmful remarks said to women pilots. We’ve heard it all. Calm Comebacks to Rude Remarks has a variety of suggestions for countering inappropriate commentary.

• 39 Steps to De-Stress Your High-Flying Life has many different techniques for reducing stress and anxiety. 

May your dreams take flight!

© 2023 Jenny Beatty. All Rights Reserved.

Photo credit: Oleksandr Pidvalnyi