Just one more

Initially I thought the weirdest thing about learning to fly was being on the other end of the student/teacher relationship. I am always acutely aware of the little tricks teachers use to manipulate students into doing exactly what they want them to. Bob, for example is a big fan of the “just one more” principle. We take something which I hate doing, like stalls for example, and we just “try one”. Then when I manage that one, it’s “let’s try one more.” Repeat as often as necessary.

Same thing If I’m not too sure about the flying conditions and going solo, “we’ll go up and do a couple of circuits and see how you go,” knowing full well that once I’m flying I’ll end up dropping him off and heading out there on my own.

So what am I complaining about? These seem like perfectly valid techniques, right?

Yep, totally. The troubling thing is that I’ve started using them on myself now! Last lesson , where the conditions were “sporty” and due to get sportier, I was unsure about heading out on my own.

I took off. I swear I could hear Bob’s voice saying “well you’ve got her up now, why don’t you just head out to Bluffers?”

Then it was “well you’re at Bluffers now, look there’s Pickering; how about making it that far?”

Followed by “well you may as well head to Claremont now”

“Why not try a steep turn, just one to the left”

“Great, now how about to the right?”

“There’s a nice field, try a forced approach, you can always overshoot at any time”

Before I know it, I’ve done exactly that, some steep turns and a forced approach, all the time hearing the voice in my head telling me to just try one more thing. Informing me that I’m up here now, what difference is heading back early actually going to have?

Teacher, teach thyself?