When my son returns to school in August he will take his final "check ride" with the FAA to secure his private pilot's license But this summer he did not fly. He has been on the grounded since late April. I did not think much of this, but during a recent conversation with him I learned a lot about what it is like for a new pilot to be "grounded" for a long period of time.
He explained to me that being out of his aircraft for a lengthy period of time makes him nervous. It gives him time to think which, apparently, can create many concerns and insecurities and fears. He told me that being earth bound causes him to feel a level of anxiety about flying that he does not feel when he is actually flying. While this has no particular name, he calls it "ground nerves." He told me that he gave it a name so that he would have a way to acknowledge it and face it. Smart young man...In this sense, he has given himself a way of understanding it's origin and enhanced his ability to address it for what it actually is.
During this conversation he also raised the inherent risk of the profession he has chosen. He said, "Mom, what I do could kill me if I get it wrong." This fear seemed to require a bit more from me than just understanding a way to conquer feeling nervous. To this I said, "For you to do what you have chosen to do, you must always recognize that you run a risk of making a fatal mistake or being faced with circumstances you might not be able to correct. There are many components to what you do that can go wrong and create a fatality. I am not concerned that you are cognizant of this. My concern would only arise on the day you told me that you had complete control over the magnificent piece of machinery you are flying. Because on that day, I would realize that your ego was leading your life. And if that happens, you will inevitably trip over yourself; and that is when the potential for catastrophe, rises."
It is true that every time he sits in the cockpit, that plane could take his life. But as a wise man recently relayed to me, "he must tell himself, today is not that day."
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