One reason behind a student pilot's delay in taking a check ride could be the result of not having confidence. [Courtesy: Wayman Aviation]
Key Takeaways:
Optimal pilot confidence requires a careful balance, as both overconfidence leading to hazardous attitudes and underconfidence prolonging training are detrimental.
The quality and engagement of the flight instructor are paramount; a supportive, respectful, and invested CFI builds learner confidence, while a disengaged or poor one erodes it.
Confidence is developed through consistent practice and drilling to achieve proficiency, and by systematically addressing specific anxieties (e.g., landings, crosswinds, oral exams) with targeted instruction.
Confidence is one of those attributes a pilot must have in just the right amount. Too much makes you the poster child for hazardous attitudes. Too little, and your training can stretch out, despite the urging of your instructor that you’re ready for the check ride.
Development of Confidence
The learner’s confidence often comes from their trust of the instructor.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
