Great to see some real honesty in a RU-vid video. So many people try to present an image of themselves as being perfect. So glad that you conquered the problems - selfishly on my part as I really love watching your videos. You make flying/aircraft building etc so possible for the rest of us - even though in the vast majority of cases it isn't - mine uncluded (I'm too old!) Please keep them coming - and above all stay safe!
I do appreciate that, thank you! Yes there is a lot of bravado out there amongst pilots and I don't get why. I think we could all learn a lot from each other if everyone was honest. I think too much bravado gives the wrong impression to new pilots who might think that its not normal to be a bit nervous sometimes - when in reality, floating around in the sky is far from normal and definitely something to be respected! 🤣
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, experiences and solution. Transition from the smooth winter flying into spring thermic conditions, invariably when flying hours are less due to weather, can be a bit of a shock. Thanks for making the effort to do these videos.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! I thought it was important to highlight the fact that I’m not always as comfortable as I look and that it’s perfectly ok to get nervous or be uncomfortable with conditions even if they are well within the aircraft’s limitations. There’s a lot of bravado on RU-vid from pilots but not a lot of “honesty” surrounding this kind of thing which is why I wanted to highlight my experience. Thanks for watching!
Well you surprise me Nick, i think i have followed you from when you picked up this new aircraft, and I thought you seam to know how to fly well , always doing your checks, keeping a good look out being very safe, i remember doing cross wind landing in my training , with a part time instructor, once on the ground i would not continue till i got over my fear of being tossed around a few feet of the ground, as i worked at the airfield it was easy to know that i could go up at any time and yes did and conquered that problem, it also gave me shed loads of confidence, you are doing the right thing getting other people to help, hope all go's well in the future, Thank you for the past videos they are great . best wishes to you . Clive
This is the weird thing - my ability I know is there and also my judgement but my issues sometimes lie with self doubt. I have been very isolated flying from Ashcroft and not able to fly with my club due to political reasons that were absolutely nothing to do with me! My main issue was workload after a long lay off from flying whilst I waited for the Nynja - I had forgotten what it was like to fly in late spring / early summer. All back on track now though!
I think every pilot has a similar hurdle to clear at one point or another in their flying career, Nick. The 'cure'? Perhaps firstly to simply accept that flying demands a huge amount from us to keep it both safe and enjoyable. Secondly, to know that all of us doubt our abilities at times but it usually turns out that the doubt wasn't necessary. Love your honesty in this video - I've no doubt it will help others. Be kind to yourself and enjoy your hard-won access to the wonderful sky. 👍😁
Thanks for the kind words. Honesty is key! We are all human and it’s very natural to be a bit nervous of new or unusual situations, particularly a few thousand feet up! 🤣
@@LetsGoFlying I can very much relate to that at the moment! Training with Giles at Darley Moor and there are plenty of those nervous and unusual situations! 🫣 Hope to catch you at an airfield at some point. Keep up the good work. 👍😁
It's always when someone is watching when things get interesting. Flying has to be about you and we do it because we want to. Having a bit of flying for you is always a good thing.
Thanks Giles - you are absolutely right! I love how excited you get when you are going for a pie! This was a real kind of therapeutic day for me - work was stressful and I had cleared my diary in advance and just went off for the day. It was lovely! Part 2 to come with Anna was mega!
Good to see you in the air with your confidence back, a bit of a throwback for me as I knew James when he was at Wanafly. Please give him my egards when you see him next.
Happy to see you up in the air again, Nick! Hope the desire for flying stays!! Looking forward to more videos, in maybe a bit calmer air as we are facing colder temperatures and less turbulence! Blue skies!
Sorry to hear about the confidence issues. I am extremely neurotic so I would always question myself. But I am proud that you went with James and challenged yourself to get back up. I hope that you will always have the bug for flying and that you don't lose your desire. But life is ever changing and whatever path life takes you, I hope it is great and that you can look back at the things you have done and be thankful for the experiences.
I’m still training and building confidence is my challenge. Thanks for being honest. I’m glad you are still flying and building for the future. The support of others really makes the flying community.
Yeah there’s too much bravado about! If I’m nervous I’m the first one to say to the rest of the group! I don’t think it would be normal not to be nervous at times - we are quite vulnerable up there!
Bloody ace video that Nick, you are the bigger man through the admittance that you felt you needed some help. I surfer (as mad as it may seem) with heights, which in some mad way has been helped through flying. Those people that think they are invincible or take the micky out of us for being honest are little men, it takes a big man to approach their issues. Well done!
Thanks Garry. Your honesty along the way has helped me a lot too. Flying together actually helped shape me as a pilot and I am very lucky to be able to call you a friend. You need to come make a cameo again soon. Lets rig both planes with cameras and let me do a mega edit of a trip from two perspectives - I think that would be brilliant!
T'would be an honor Nick, nothing like flying up there together. Some of my best memories have been when we are there wing to wing. You've also built my confidence up as well mate, I think I'd still be doing circuits if it wasn't for you 🙂 @@LetsGoFlying
We all get those moments Nicks. Delighted to see you back and looking forward to what’s to come. Plus I think we should get some air to air shots once our new Nynja comes!!
Yeah this was late spring/early summer after not having flown for so long and the lack of currency really took its toll when the spring thermals came out to play. That sounds brilliant! I bet you are mega excited now - I can't wait to see it! Definitely up for that too. The 360 camera works brilliantly air to air - check out this video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8_MHzUNxi6Q.htmlsi=C2nLyh5KG-Ls-mCC - there are some great air to air shots with my mate in his RV!
Nick, I can certainly relate to the confidence stuff. After a year off flying while I battled the CAA over a medical issue, I was finally cleared to fly again. Did my check flights with my instructor and had a wonderful first flight back, right up until the last moment before landing where I made an error of judgement and now my Skyranger needs a whole new fuselage and rebuild. It’ll be 6 months before I fly again and I’m certainly going to have a bunch of nerves when I’m back in the seat for the first solo after some recurrency training. Very pleased you’re back up there, your videos always remind me how much I love flying and how privileged be we are to take to the skies. I look forward to be sharing them with you again next year when the rebuild is done.
Oh Justin that's a bit scary but fair play to you for not giving up! You are right in that it is an absolute privilege but we are very vulnerable in these things and that thought keeps me honest! Part of my issue was a lay up for 12 months whilst the Nynja was built. I suffered massively from the lack of currency which was a major part of my confidence issues as well because things that were second nature to me before I had to think about more - then throw in some pretty aggressive thermals and it all just felt like too much. Now I am current again it has made a huge difference. Good luck with your journey - I hope you are back in the air very soon!
Good to see you back in the saddle. May all your flights be happy ones. Appreciate your honesty, none of us are perfect so no point in trying to make out we are. Just accept your imperfections and continue to flying as much as you can
Well done for being honest mate, that takes a lot sometimes, especially when it's affecting something you're passionate about. It also shows you have a huge respect for what's going on. It's good to know you've overcome the challenge you were facing and I bet you feel a lot better for doing so 👍
Thank you. Yeah it was a tough time and I thought I had lost the love for the sport but it was just a perfect storm of events that shattered my confidence. I have flown almost 100 hours since. Currency definitely is key to being confident.
Hey Nick good to see you overcome your lack of confidence. I know am always a little more cautious after a decent time out of the seat however love getting up and about. Not been long back from Perpignan with GLFSG had wife and youngest lad with me. We did 14 days touring round France
We need to have a chat about the panel upgrade and as the trip was brilliant and so relaxed you will. Laugh your. Lungs out at how we got on with immigration
So sorry Nick I've been catching up on my subs list and working my way through your last few videos. I think what you have/had is pretty normal and we've all suffered from it, however you did the right thing and hopefully that's behind you now. Always good to question yourself on occasion. Great video.
Don't worry I have been mad busy too hence the late reply! I have been keeping up with your videos too but I don't always remember to comment because I watch on the TV usually! Yes it was a bit of a "perfect storm" of events and it just shattered my motivation to continue, however, I got through it fairly quickly and I've flown almost 100 hours since. Currency really is key!
im so glad you managed to get past this bump in the sky, and continue to release great content for us to enjoy. i my self have been the in same situation when i had acidental flight into IMC, it really put me off flying for a while. but made me a better pilot as i triple check the weather. it got to the point that i would only fly if there was no cloud. confidence takes a while to come back but im so happy to see you go in the right direction. Blue skies and tail winds Cal
Thank you! We all have moments like that. I am glad you got through yours unscathed. You learn a lot from it though. I still remember the saying that when you get your licence you start with a glass full of luck and an empty glass of experience and the idea is to fill up the glass of experience before the glass of luck runs out! I think there is some truth in that!
I was intrigued as to where 'Hawksview' is as although I was flying for about 35 years (mostly a Chipmunk, but anything interesting including Yak52 for a few years) based Barton then Liverpool, I had never heard of it. I recognised Stretton in your video of course (and have landed the Chippy at the north strip there). I stopped flying several years ago so I suspect Hawksview is newer than that? When I first started flying (mid '70s) convective turbulence used to cause me concern, too, but after a while I sort of got used to it and eventually it didn't bother me. But I guess a microlight with its light wing loading gets chucked about more than a Chippy, and a LOT more than a Yak52! The nearest I flew to a microlight was a 65 hp L4 Cub (military J3). Great fun! I found the best guard against loss of flying confidence was currency - fly as regularly as you can. Nice video - thanks!
Oh wow! Yes - Hawksview runs parallel with Stretton. It’s been there 15 years now. Lovely little spot. I’ve moved my plane there now as well so got both together which is nice! Yeah there’s definitely a trade off with thermals and the freedom to go into the type of strips I love! I don’t want more speed - I’m happy at 80-90 knots. What I’ve realised is that NIIX ticks all the boxes for me really!
Thank you for sharing. We’ve all been there. I stopped flying flexwings and moved onto Gyro’s because of a loss of confidence. It happens occasionally to us all, So really good to share and talk about it 😊
Sorry I am late to this one Nick - another great vid, I am also loving seeing ur Instagram stories of you flying, I am hoping to get up tomorrow 😊 - Ben
Well done Nick - having just got back into flying I recognise your feelings! I'm trying to do a little more each trip and am equally fortunate that I've got some great flying mates who've helped along the way. It's gradually coming back albeit my RT still needs a little work!! Your videos have helped along the way so keep them coming.
That is a great approach. It takes time to get currency back. Currency was my main issue here to be honest. I had forgotten what it was like to fly in late spring/early summer! Good luck getting back on the horse and don't rush it!
Glad to hear you are regaining your confidence. The Skyranger and Nynja take a bit more flying than the Eurostar and C42. They are amazingly capable aircraft though and a lot of fun. The thermals can throw them about a bit but they can handle if and self correct to a great extent. I used to fight every attitude change which added to the workload a lot but now just let the aeroplane move around a little more, leaving more capacity to deal with the other demands of flying. Doing plenty of hours in a range of conditions is helpful to maintain confidence too.
Yeah I’m trying to fly a lot at the moment and it’s really made the difference being current! Absolutely love the Nynja. She’s booked in for wing tanks and a parachute in November so that should give her some extra stability!
I have confidence issues which affects all aspects of life. It's like having imposter syndrome. The fact your sharing the skies with seasoned pros and don't want to be the one who mucks it up. We all need a certain amount of apprehension it helps to keep us honest. It's when the fear of failure negates the enjoyment. Your issues are perfectly understandable. I would keep doing what your doing and don't try to stretch yourself to much. You performed very well in this video All the best
I am sorry to hear that. Luckily this was just a little blip due to being quite isolated in terms of where I was flying from and who I could fly with etc. I just didn't have much reason to stretch my legs and then the thermals came out and I though "why bother" but luckily that passed and I have since moved airfields and found flying a lot more sociable since then and I am back on track! Thanks for taking the time to watch and leave a comment.
Glad you manage to regain confidence. I totally get how easy it is to lose it. I recently had a minor brief lose in confidence when for no reason it seemed, my landings started going wrong. I have been flying the clubs newest C42 which is 100hp and has a bigger prop than the 80hp C42 I normally fly. It wasn't until I did a check flight with my instructor in the 80hp C42, and all the landings were greasers, that I realised that the problem was with my handling of the new plane. It has a tendency to float longer on landing and being more powerful than the 80hp a blip on the throttle has a greater affect. Our runway at Lower Upham is quite restricted and challenging and leaves little room for long landings. So I will get this problem sorted out shortly. Always enjoy your videos so keep flying.👍
Hi Brian, thanks for taking the time to comment! Part of my issue was currency due to a lay up for 12 months whilst the Nynja was built. I suffered massively from the lack of currency which was a major part of my confidence issues as well because things that were second nature to me before I had to think about more - then throw in some pretty aggressive thermals and it all just felt like too much. Now I am current again it has made a huge difference. Now, the Nynja feels like an extension of my body like me old C42 did which makes all the difference. It will be the same for you but just go at your own pace like I did and you will wonder why you were even struggling soon! Muscle memory is a remarkable thing!
Great that you are back in the air! Thermic conditions can be a real bind especially if you are confined to lower altitudes where it is like flying through a washing machine. Best thing is a short break and do some flights with a fellow pilot for reassurance or just to share the workload. Keep up the great vids though!
Yes - you are absolutely right. Anna and I had a couple of trips where we set off, got half an hour in and looked at each other and said "not enjoying this - shall we go back?!" and actually went home! A big issue is workload - I am fine with other pilots as you can hand over the controls if you need to do something but with Anna, she has no interest in taking the controls and won't do it so I feel the burden of responsibility when she is with me. I am also fine flying solo which is strange.
I've had a couple of "close calls" that almost made me want to give up. I think the trick is to have some goals to reach (a rating, a specific trip ...) Good you decided to keep it up and thank you for sharing! I like how we can see your feet dancing on the crosswind landing ;)
I think that's normal! I have had a few occasions where I look back and shudder at how differently they could have gone but I think that's all part of flying and I always try and be on the cautious side! Yes you can see everything warts n all' from that rear camera can't you!
I have been flying every week since I was 18 months old. You'd think rough turbulence wouldn't bother me but it does and some days you feel the aircraft is getting away from you or that its suddenly broken. I think its ok to admit in some conditions that we didn't really enjoy that flight.
Yes I know that feeling! Throw "navigate" & "communicate" into the mix and it gets tiring fast! I have had a few flights like that over the summer indeed! The thing is that even if they have felt stressful at the time I have always been proud of myself for pushing through. I have learnt a lot about myself through flying, which is one of the reasons I love it so much.
@@LetsGoFlying I recall Trent Palmer saying the same. You think when you're aloft and its throwing you about that you'll never be able to land, but it all changes in the last 50ft. When you're in a boat you don't fight a wave because it just goes back the other way. To some extent its the same with flying, you don't have to fight it quite so much. (Easy to say and very hard in practice I know). The thing I hate the most is sudden yaw or something that sounds solid. If that doesn't wake you up if you find yourself in sudden sink and you automatically correct with pitch you find yourself with a sudden loss of airspeed and engine note - and thats all fine but only once you think about it. I fly with other people who just don't notice. Perhaps we just get a bit too sensitive. I like to fly on the simulator as well and I think that makes you noticeably worse at dealing with the movement because you don't get used to blocking it out.
I’ve been dealing with the same issue. Good to know I’m not the only one. I’ve been going up with my instructor doing spins and all the things that make me uncomfortable. So far so good. A couple more hours and I should be good to go.
I fell in love with aviation and flying since I was young. It’s a part of me and can’t imagine myself without. Nowadays I fly aerobatics at top level but I also have confidence issues since I became a father and started to fly much less as before. Together with some medical issues, I almost quit flying. Now that the kid is growing older there is slowly more time available for flying and the confidence is also growing back. I’ve learned not to run away from fear, but to engage it. Go up in the air as much as possible, it will grow confidence back to where it belongs!🤘🏼
First time watching your videos, your flying and radio work are quite good. I've definitely had some moments where I'm wondering what's the point going to and from the same place all the time.
Thanks Glenn, welcome! Radio is something I am constantly trying to get better and more consistent with. It's like anything with flying - the more current you are, the better you are! It is easy to get stuck in a routine and I think it's important to push yourself from time to time to go to different places. I swear I used to have a lot more time to do these things before recently though!
Great video, I know your plane is very low time, but you may want to consider trading up to a slightly heavier plane with higher wing loading. That would be much less vulnerable to crosswinds and thermals. It may also extend your range and give you more places to go.
It is interesting that you say this because I did consider going down this route, maybe getting an RV-6 or 7 but what I love about microlights is that ability to land pretty much anywhere. As you will see two videos from now - I landed NIIX in a field with very sketchy approaches and it was one of the most rewarding things I have done. I also love being in the air so it doesn't bother me if it takes me longer to get somewhere. Thermals are annoying but I've managed fine with them the past 5 years - it is only due to lack of currency that I had this "blip". I think I had forgotten what it was like to fly in late spring/early summer!
I totally get the confidence thing. I completely lost confidence later in my PPL training in strong crosswinds and my fear of flying returned for a couple of months. Now I don’t fly as much as I’d like, the plane I have a share in is not really right for me, I can only carry half fuel if I have an adult passenger and it needs a long-ish hard runway so my potential destinations are limited. I hope you do keep going, I enjoy your videos particularly as your 600kg Skyranger would be ideal for my situation.
I used to be really nervous of crosswinds even though I've done thousands of landings without incident! I went and did some advanced training on the same aircraft type in 15G25 and we did it with a direct crosswind so I knew I was capable of it. I then just pushed my limits slowly doing circuits with a stronger crosswind component each time (within the limits of the aircraft) even if I didn't want to until I had them absolutely nailed, which I do now. The Nynja is a superb bit of kit. I have a lot of confidence in it now - part of my issue back then was that it was still a bit "unproven" but we've been knocked around the sky together since December 2022 and landed in some very short and very rough fields (video coming soon!) and now it just feels like an extension of me. Part of that journey was definitely having extra instruction to build my confidence back up though.
Perhaps that should be 'left-handed'. I mentioned it because arm crossing like that looks potentially dangerous but certainly, awkward. But now I think about it, because of the stick position, there's not going to be any easy solution.
@@Tinker1950 I’m not sure what you mean by arm crossing? I can cross my arms over and do power with right hand and control stick with left if I want to and fly the plane just as well! There are no fixed rules and it’s something that can’t be avoided in the cockpit. The instruments you need to keep you flying are right in front of you where they need to be. Everything else comes second. Aviate, navigate, communicate!
Don't feel sad or upset about deciding not to Pilot....Not a pilot & watching Pilots Constantly working their heads on a Swivel, straining to Spot other Aircraft & Forced into "Speedtalk" radio comms Risking lives Deff Isn't Fun or Relaxing....Seems like it's Serious intense work Overload......
I would start by again saying your videos are very well shot and edited. The only problem, and its reflected in your numbers , is you're not teaching and informing as your flying. Maps of the area-airports would be super interesting. Helping people in other countries understand the conditions-issues you deal with in your area where you fly in and out of. A bit of humor from time to time couldn't hurt as well. Remember a sense of humor and some beautiful co-pilots make it more enjoyable for the lads. Carry on.....
