I knew a pilot when I was in the Air Force that had a fuel imbalance and panicked. He declared an emergency and when he came in for a landing the tower told him to go around. The pilot started arguing with the tower about how he needed to land immediately when the tower cut him off and yelled out 'YOUR GEAR IS STILL UP GO AROUND'. Pulled up with about 10 feet between the plane and the ground. And that was that. He was washed out of flight school and was transferred to a different AFSC. After I separated from the Air Force I got the idea to try to become a pilot myself. I went to a helicopter flight school and got my private license and was about 2/3 of my way through my commercial rating but I was struggling. I never felt comfortable flying and the idea of passengers relying on me to keep them alive was a bridge too far. I could have tried to force it but after some deep introspection I decided to walk away and go do something else. Now I'm a freight train locomotive engineer and I couldn't be happier.
Long Haul freight train engineer. That would have been my dream job. I loved trains when I first saw them as a little kid putting pennies on the track in rural Louisiana in the late 70's. I'd see the same engineer two or three times a week , probably going to/from Alexandria. He threw a quarter to me once. I still have it. And not just because it's 70% silver. :-)
I've always wanted to be a freight train locomotive engineer. Instead, I became a broadcast engineer and whenever I tell people I'm an engineer they always ask me what railroad I work for
I love aviation, where else can you freak out, screw up or have a bad day, tell someone on the radio you need help, and get that help without any judgement.
There are free numbers you can call if you're just... struggling...with life and need someone to talk to. If you use your cell phone you're literally using a radio to accomplish it. 😉 So, not that rare, I don't suppose. If you had asked, where else can you call someone on a radio and get them to help you land a plane.... that would be a different story.
@@JimmyTAus1 Before a solo, a student should (I don't know if it's law here or not, but was where I'm from) go up with a different instructor who observes and says they're good to solo. If the second instructor does any instructing, they're supposed to say the student is not ready to solo.
@n085fs there's no FAA law for that in the US, where this incident occurred. Different schools have their own procedures but there's no evidence of that happening here.
Controller needs a raise!!!!! A++++ Ya know they can teach a lot of things, but they cant teach compassion, this guy made the pilot feel like he was sitting right next to her the entire time. So impressive!!!! Need more people like him
@@talreichert587 i do agree, she did not seem confident enough for her solo...hopefully after this experience, she gets more one on one time and continues her pursuit of aviation.
@@talreichert587 I don't know if you can come to that conclusion from this one issue. The pilot said herself that she had been doing "so well" so it may be that it wasn't until she had an issue on the previous landing attempt (or touch and go, whatever immediately preceded this) that she had that visceral realization that she was alone up there, and lost her previous confidence and her nerve. We only know how she acted here, not how she acted during her previous lessons. Regardless, the instructor and (especially) the tower controller put together a great team effort to calm her down enough and get her the reminders she might have needed to safely land.
@burke615 "I don't know if I can do this, I was doing so well" is not how we train pilots to talk. We train them to take control of the plane and the situation, we train them to understand that when they're in the air, no one can reach out over the radio and fly the plane for them. That they can ask for help to meet emergencies, but that the only person who can put them in the right mindset is themselves. This student pilot doesn't sound like a pilot in command, she sounds like a frightened little girl who then dumped the responsibility to calm her down on ATC, who did so marvelously. But I don't blame her, I blame her instructor. We don't rise to the occasion, we sink to the level of our training and proficiency. This student was not solo ready and should have never been signed.
@@talreichert587 Clearly I don't know what happened before, but doing circuits before my first solo the CFI took me up and stressed the heck out of me. Too high, off centre, the lot. When I didn't mess up he climbed out and told me to take a circuit on my own. He was in the tower the whole circuit. My initial thought? I learned in the UK so don't know how it differs in the US, but why wasn't the instructor in the tower just in case something like this happened?
This is humanity at its best; this video honestly made me tear up. It's someone facing their fears and pushing themselves to learn how to fly, a controller who knows the right thing to say to keep her aviating, and an instructor who got to know her enough to know what to say to get her down safely. It's the best of what we are, all on display here.
Well done to the controller. Part of being a good instructor is having the intuition to know your student and whether he or she feels a student is truly ready to solo an aircraft. Given the tone of this student pilot's communications with ATC and her emotional state, it's quite likely this panic attack didn't come as a surprise to her CFI. The CFI didn't sound particularly reassuring on frequency to her student either. Honestly, I fault the CFI for letting her do this when she clearly wasn't ready.
"Ready" is a grey area. I had 20+ hours before my first solo and when the CFI got out of the plane I said to myself I'm definitely not ready for this. lol Of course I was. But certainly for this girl to react THIS badly to her solo, she clearly was not ready. It's still a fun talking point to debate, the idea of when to solo. My CFI asked me, what's the rush? He told me to just forget about it and focus on each flight as it comes, the solo will come eventually. My airport buddies all soloed at 8, 10 or 12 hours and were teasing me. The reason it's such a talking point, in my opinion, is the abandonment rate is extremely high. #1 reason being of course money, then you have time commitments etc. But the sooner the CFI can get you to solo, there's this idea that it shows the student they CAN do it and pushes them to keep going until they finish. It's not a bad strategy, but that's why you really need to listen to and get to know the student. Doing that helps to avoid situations like this scared girl. Not all CFIs give it that much thought I suppose. But the when to solo debate will never end, we're all quite different.
That instructor needs to be spoken to by the chief or owner of that school along with a FSDO inspector. She is lucky that nothing happened to that girl in the plane
Sounds like a panic attack, especially when she said she "needs to get out" and can't 'think' or reply coherently. Thankfully the controller was great and supportive. P.S: And I know it's a panic attack because I'm a sufferer myself. When it strikes you just want to flee and run... You would feel very scared with a sinking feeling in your tummy... You also get a sense of "doom" or trapped feeling. You will also start hyperventilating and if you don't control your breathing you will feel dizzy and fainty; in rare cases, people fainted. Next thing you know, your mind also goes blank because of the adrenaline overload - your body feels cold, and your arms and legs go jelly. What I'm worried about is this female student may develop a panic disorder after this episode and she may just quit flying altogether... That's how it happens. Worse case yet, agoraphobia...
@@odom2142 Yeah, as much as I hate to say this (and seriously, out of pure concern)... She should NOT fly after this until she gets herself checked with a psychologist/therapist or has her instructor fly with her to certify she's okay. I mean, imagine had she fainted half-way or so fear-stricken to the extent she didn't know how to land the plane or went blank... It is a huge risk. Or imagine if she pilots a commercial plane solo and this happens. And once you experience a panic attack, there's a very likelihood it will happen again.
Nailed it - and it's part of the reason I chose to not try getting my pilot's license. I've had a history of them, and it took a LONG time to find ways to manage and prevent - but when they happen, man, it's like you become an animal. Pure base instincts. My flight response would go into overdrive and I'd find myself getting into my car just so I can drive as fast as possible on the highway or whatever back road I could find for the adrenaline dump. Then I almost immediately pass out for a couple hours, little post-adrenal nap. It's scary and terrible.
I think the student pilot needs to have a look in the mirror and decide if this is something she wants to do. No shame in giving up, flying is not for everyone
An excellent learning experience! However, this highlights an important topic: the mental state of single pilots. I've just finished writing an article on this topic, as it is something I witnessed first hand at the single-pilot Pt. 135 airline where I spent six years as a captain. At least one-third of the pilots we trained up, including some with 121 experience and some with previous 135 experience, completely lost it when they found themselves by themselves with a load of pax sitting behind them. Most of them made up silly excuses for quitting shortly after starting, a few admitted that they just couldn't handle it, and two had to be fired for doing something stupid. The featured video illustrates how the same pilot who performs competently when an instructor or other pilot is sitting next to them can completely fall apart when up there on their own. This is a topic which better minds than mine should investigate more thoroughly.
Single pilot commercial ops are just a terrible idea for the reasons you’ve given. That they are trying to impose them on the world flying big jets now is truly scary. I don’t think we can possibly understand how bad an idea that is until it goes wrong
It's very possible that the student never showed any anxiety when she had the instructor with her. I know someone who is very calm and collected but panics when placed in stressful situations. The first time it happened she was very surprised and had no idea where it came from.
@@jayc4283Really? Every student pilot has a moment of anxiety the first time they lift off the runway without an instructor next to them. It’s usually brief and usually overcome by other factors, but it is not a hundred percent predictable. The only thing that is 100% predictable is second guessing, Monday morning quarterbacking, and hind sight by internet experts. This CFI was able to focus and get her student safely on the ground after the tower got the pilot calmed down somewhat and on final. The instructor will be second guessing herself soon enough.
Great job to the controller. I think everyone covered that very well. For the pilot, this could very easily have been her first panic attack, and until you have one, you really don't know how it'll affect you. The important thing is that she was able to get herself back under control and on the ground, and now the real work starts. I'm not as concerned about the panic attack as what followed, which seemed to be shame and a tendency to shut down, and those need to be addressed. Firstly, the shame is inappropriate. She had a scary situation and she reacted emotionally, which is a natural response. Until you've experienced it, again, you don't know what your reaction will be, and if she's never been in this position before, she had no way to anticipate her response. So, she got spooked, reacted emotionally, and (importantly) reached out for help. None of these things are shameful. Anyone, even experienced pilots, can have these reactions when out of their depths. If anything, there should be a sense of pride and relief that she was able to recover the situation and get back in the air (and eventually on the ground) safely. Which leads to point 2, which is that there was nothing to be morose about. Anyone can balk a landing, that's one of the reasons we have go-arounds. And that's what she did: she went around. Judging that things weren't right for a landing and successfully recovering from that is an accomplishment, especially as a relatively inexperienced student. You can't always stop a panic attack from coming on, especially without training in it. You can control what you do after. I hope she looks back on this, improves, and continues to fly. From my standpoint, she recovered from a potentially deadly situation and now has that experience to learn from to become better and better. She just has a little work to do in regards to handling shock/startle and recovering from that to be in a good headspace for flight.
As long as he didn't give her a number to call and possible pilot deviation it's a good day. She landed and lived to tell about it, ATC specialist didn't lose anyone in the pattern. The CFI hopefully got coached on student readiness.
Great controller. Can't say the same for this instructor. To the student pilot - you did a great job and you're not alone. Many first-time pilots experience a wide range of emotions during early solo trips. Keep going! You recognized your emotions and concerns which is more than a lot of experienced pilots will ever do!
On my first solo two planes almost collided on short final when I had just turned downwind. Saw it about to happen but was so focused on just flying the traffic pattern that I froze up and didn't know what to say to try to help prevent it. Thankfully they noticed in time, but that was terrifying.
I might be alone in my opinion that this student needs to have her solo endorsement rescinded until she can demonstrate a little better control of her emotions. Yes, the controller was fabulous, and the instructor was doing the best she could without direct communication with the student, but there is absolutely no guarantees that she would be so fortunate next time. I fully expected her to pitch up without adding power (she didn't seem to know how to read her RPMs and/or her airspeed) and stall on short final. This is not to say that she should not keep flying; just that she should not be alone in an airplane again until she has demonstrate significantly more resourcefulness and composure. Before you chirp at me, please remember that PIC stands for "Pilot in Command", and she didn't sound like she was even in command of her bladder during this circuit around the pattern.
I’m also a pilot FYI. I don’t agree. Doing that would be detrimental for her confidence. Most if not all solo flights by a student are approved by the CFI. The student just needs some confidence building. Use that experience to build up her confidence, not further reduce it. Remind her that she done exactly the right thing by asking for help and then performed nicely after. After all, she successfully landed an aircraft. Something that very few people in the world can do. Keep after it young lady! You’ll be fine. Ozpilotgirl, have you never been frightened while operating an aircraft? I have.
Good grief, don’t be so diplomatic!! She OBVIOUSLY doesn’t have the maturity to fly a damn airplane and probably never will. She’s probably been coddled and has the emotional control of a young kid.
I've had times in my pilot training where my pattern work was a bunch of garbage. I felt just like this young lady. "I don't belong out here, this is a big fat mistake" One helpful hint is to completely exit the pattern, get away from the airport a bit and just do some simple maneuvers to remind yourself you know how to work the damn plane. Even some practice approaches from altitude without the pressure of smashing into the ground can help reinforce the training you have. This girl had the yips and could have used a little time to breath and reset before coming back in.
I was truly worried for the student pilot, amazing job by the controller, someone should probably take a look at the instructor for signing off on the solo.
I feel for FYA, man…I had a brief panic attack during primary when I was on my student cross country. It was like, all of the sudden, my brain went “?!?!”, recognized that I was alone and that there was no quick way out of this situation if necessary. It’s difficult to explain…even moreso because I’m very even keeled, especially in dire situations. It hasn’t happened since but I know that feeling and it’s not fun. You just can’t allow it to dominate. I went on to get my license because I *refused* to let my brain take me there again, by sheer force of will…
Same as the hurdle awaiting those flying into IMC for the first time. Mental discipline is the key. Turn off those thoughts about what will happen if you mess up and concentrate on your scan: airspeed, altitude, heading, repeat.
Hi mate, I just had a similar situation few months ago and till today I’m still not very confident, I was looking for someone that had same situation to get some advices.
@@brunocampilloperez1355 The advice is very simple: Man is not meant to be flying around up in the sky. We are meant to be walking around on the ground, that's why we have two legs. Entering environments that are unnatural to us is very stressful. The way to over come that stress (and fear) is to spend more time up in the sky. This is why 'hours' are important.
ATC is incredible. Yeah another aircraft was inconvenienced, student was stressed but every single one of us started with a case of nerves. If you didn’t you’re probably in the category of ‘no such thing as an old, bold pilot’
Before my CFI signed me off for solo, he had to go through several upset scenarios, hand off the controls, and completely shut my eyes, with no input from him, to see how I would react and recalibrate. I could regurgitate the solutions from a technical standpoint, but he wanted proof that my head was in the situation without panicking. He used the same approach with my landings at 3 different airports before I soloed. The vibe I get about the instructor is that she taught this student well on the technical aspects of flying but didn't do a good job of checking how the student would respond if things did not go as planned. This poor kid wasn't ready. Great job by ATC
My instructor jumped out at the apron and told me to go. . Scared the hell out of me. Snow on the ground, the tower extended my down wind so I lost the runway. He put me number 2 so I followed the Air Ontario in. Panic? No. I used my head. I was only 17.
Heart wrenching to hear her distress. Great job on the part of the controller to help her get to the ground safely. It can be so very hard to judge if a young student is truly ready or not. Don’t know the scenario leading up to the CFI’s decision to sign her off, or if the student just suddenly developed a panic attack once the reality of being solo hit her. Glad to see she made it safely home.
I'm a former police officer. Even though we were trained professionals, when the world was going to sh!t all at once, it was always helpful to have a very calm and collected dispatcher coordinating things. Different situation, but same basic concept.
Fantastic controller really did save her when she had a panic attack even jumped in when the instructor couldn’t get through in these cases a calm steady voice allowing the panic to ease and confidence to return is what is needed
Though I imagine you will get a lot of clapback for this, I agree with you. This is not like riding a bike. You can kill yourself or others if you "fall off".
She had the training to fly and land the plane successfully, she also had a panic attach. The CFI will probably get the blame but CFIs don't give you panic attaches.
A compassionate controller. He saved her life. She literally checked out of the airplane. Whatever happens, always fly the airplane first. I hope she got over this event and continued flying safely.
Part of being a good pilot is being able to fly through the freak-out. We've all had those moments in the cockpit. They key is to "KEEP FLYING THE AIRPLANE." She kept flying the airplane, asked for all the help that was available to her and did what she had to do for a good outcome. That's a win! Also, respect to the controller! Great job!
What I think the controller did best was repeating all of the insructions and not leaving anything up to question, saying make left turns and not make left traffic he really did a good job making this simple for her. (coming from someone who just soloed yesterday)
TO THE STUDENT----You did GREAT!!!! Seriously. I know it did not feel like it at the time, but you really did do very well. I hesitate to make any suggestions, but if it ever happens again, concentrating on slow gentle deep breathing can really help. A cop taught me this. 4 edges if a square ....2 seconds inhale, hold 2 seconds, 2 seconds exhale, 2 seconds hold, then repeat. Letting your lungs do their best possible job will really help in oxygenating the bloodstream, which in turn will help the body/brain functions. This was a learning experience, a test of sorts, and you passed with flying colors, no pun intended. Be proud.
The first time I soloed, I was shocked that I had no little voice in my head messing with me. I was certain that was going to happen but it didn't. This student wasn't so lucky. First solo is both terrifying and thrilling all at the same time. It is an unforgettable experience. When it is known that a student is having their first solo at a small airport like this, all the pilots sit and watch reliving it.
When you feel rising panic in a life or death situation, don’t fight it, accept it, let it flow through you, it’s just survival energy, go with it. Panic occurs when we try to resist feelings of stress. Panic will lie to you - but you’re still fully in control, relax your body, smile to yourself, take a deep breath and focus intently on your task at hand.
That was a very good ending to a very bad situation. If it wasn't for the calming effect of the controller this would not have ended well. I'm not sure if this was the students first solo but she was clearly not ready to be flying on her own. Not everyone is cut out to be a pilot.
I remember my first solo. My first thought after getting airborne was, “holy shit, I have to land this thing.” What a great controller. Couldn’t have done any better.
Did a couple of circuits with the instructor then we went back to the school. Next thing I know he hops out and says ok see you in a bit. Took a few seconds for it to register what he was saying 😂😂😂.
I soloed last year. I was signed off by 2 instructors and didn't feel ready at all. The instructors didn't push me at all, but a fellow pilot encouraged me. Training kicked in, all went well. Now I'm a happy 50 yo pilot in Germany. I listened to this with sweaty palms. Hopefully the student pilot will find a way to control her emotions. Maybe this will never happen again with more training. In no way I'd discourage her. She and her CFI will know what's best. We are only spectators... To the ATC controller: Be proud of your kindness and exceptional professionalism!!!
@@InfinityXDevstuff happens. It’s all about how the situation is handled after it is revealed. The controller and the instructor did all they could to ensure the rest of the flight would be safe. That’s how it should be.
Great communication by the controller. It's very easy for us to say that the student pilot wasn't ready, but we can't possibly know; a landing went wrong and she panicked, sometimes that's a total surprise to everybody, including the person it's happening to.
Everyone was outstanding, and most importantly, the pilot maintained excellent communication. Many accidents occur due to a lack of effective communication and failure to request assistance from the ground.
Back when I was a JSUPT Instructor pilot I had a handful of students become extremely flustered and in some cases, downright terrified. One of them I couldn’t get her to take a second flight and the Air Force had to find something else for her to do. The fact is, studying and getting familiar with aviation and its textbook intricacies takes on an entirely new meaning when you have to apply them in real time. That’s a jump that some folks have a real hard time with and in some cases they simply can’t do.
Yeah first solo is a bit terrifying. I remember telling myself "watch airspeed - dont die! spot the airport - dont die! look for traffic - dont die! get in the pattern - dont die! ....". But, I was flying a glider so I only got one shot at the landing on a runway surrounded by 100' trees and no radio. Will never forget that day. Hope this young lady wasn't too hard on herself.
Wow that was a very compassionate ATC! if that happened in New York they would’ve told her to get out of their airspace and find another landing strip!
Sounded like a panic attack! Wow so glad she hung in there…TRUE GRIT in that mental state. Total loss of confidence, total retreat from the circumstances! Soldier on my wayward girl!
@@ohiyesa2328You might be dumb or dense or both, but it is beyond obvious that he’s simply referring to the fact that she didn’t die. Obviously he doesn’t think she did an overall “great job” genius.
That was very well handled. I will admit that in my primary training - I was doing a messy power on stall. The 152 broke right and started to spin. I literally closed my eyes, and grabbed my instructor! I was only 17 the time. Lets just say we did more stall training after that! A bad day can happen to anyone!
I don't know how the controllers do what they do. Having to maintain attention of several planes at one time. But this one was special. He literally talked her down to the ground. I hope she didn't give up flying, and I hope the controller keeps his job for a long time!
As a pilot myself and am hangared on a field with a flight school I’m well aware of how students can react to their solos. I feel for this young lady and am sure this event will make her a better pilot if she continues with her training
My first solo was in the early 70's ... boy oh boy I nailed a greasey one! I had no crosswind, calm and beautiful day, excellent visibility ... slight wind was blowing directly into the direction of the runway .. ( I already had about 25-30 landings before with my instructor -the dude was war vet)
We don't know how old she is - she sounds quite young. Yes she was panicked but she still managed to fly the plane, follow instructions and not totally freak out. I wouldn't write her off yet.
I can understand how she felt, I remember my first solo flight ( _as does everyone that has done it_ ), I remember looking over at the empty right seat thinking to my self it is 100% on me to get the airplane back on the ground without bending it. She and the controller did *_GOOD!!!_*
My awesome neighbor has allowed me to take control of his 172 serveral times around the airport in the right seat after a takeoff. I've learned that mult-tasking under stress is critical and that I'm not cut out to be a private or pro pilot. My heart goes out to this student pilot in that maybe she can learn from this experience and build on this to fly again.
There is a portion of Flight training called psychological factors and situational awareness. I wonder why they let her solo when she wasnt ready for it. Those first solos are a WONDERFUL lonely overwhelming feeling. My flight instructor told me I can call him on the radio ANYTIME if I start feeling out of place up there. Its more common than you think.
Mad props to the controller (pun intended) for the whole situation but especially starting to relay the messages from the instructor to the student 🤓👍🏻👍🏻
Am learning to fly in MSFS2024 at the moment, am so glad I can learn the basics in a safe environment, and being able to do as much practice as much I like without feeling the pressure of trying to pass an exam because tuition is expensive. I doubt I will ever fly for real, but it does give me a good insight into these kinds of videos.
Kudos to the controller for keeping calm and transmitting that vibe to all parties...unlike the controllers at my airfield. Our guys panick when they have three planes in the pattern. 😅
That CFI should be looked at. She soloed the student way before she was ready, and didn't judge her skill level and confidence. I know it's a big deal for CFIs to say they solo students after just 8 hours or so, but it's also really dangerous.
My first experience with a panic attack was also in a situation where there was no option but to deal with it. I actually look back on it as a great experience because I had to face the fear. That experience enabled me to recognize & control fear in other stressful situations (scuba tank issue, hung up for a minute deep in a cave, are examples). This pilot will be much stronger for her experience.
Such a kind and compassionate controller
Canadian, eh?
This should have been at Newark. They would have been so kind to her.
The Controller saved her life!
This is exactly what she needs and he knew it.
Super professional ATC, he handled that perfectly. And clearly that CFI doesn't hit it off well with her. CFI is the one at fault here.
“No worries it was a team effort” huge respect goes out to all the ATC who’s willing to help students instead of getting mad at them!
The controller may have saved her life. Good work!
I knew a pilot when I was in the Air Force that had a fuel imbalance and panicked. He declared an emergency and when he came in for a landing the tower told him to go around. The pilot started arguing with the tower about how he needed to land immediately when the tower cut him off and yelled out 'YOUR GEAR IS STILL UP GO AROUND'. Pulled up with about 10 feet between the plane and the ground. And that was that. He was washed out of flight school and was transferred to a different AFSC.
After I separated from the Air Force I got the idea to try to become a pilot myself. I went to a helicopter flight school and got my private license and was about 2/3 of my way through my commercial rating but I was struggling. I never felt comfortable flying and the idea of passengers relying on me to keep them alive was a bridge too far. I could have tried to force it but after some deep introspection I decided to walk away and go do something else. Now I'm a freight train locomotive engineer and I couldn't be happier.
Long Haul freight train engineer. That would have been my dream job. I loved trains when I first saw them as a little kid putting pennies on the track in rural Louisiana in the late 70's. I'd see the same engineer two or three times a week , probably going to/from Alexandria. He threw a quarter to me once. I still have it. And not just because it's 70% silver. :-)
This is a great anecdote. I’m glad you found your path.
The delusional modern world is in dire need of more honest people like yourself.
My flight instructor training out of AEG was also an active locomotive engineer. Two excellent career endeavors.
I've always wanted to be a freight train locomotive engineer. Instead, I became a broadcast engineer and whenever I tell people I'm an engineer they always ask me what railroad I work for
This controller was excellent, thumbs up to him!
I love aviation, where else can you freak out, screw up or have a bad day, tell someone on the radio you need help, and get that help without any judgement.
There's still judgement. Mostly on the instructor for sending her up when she clearly wasn't ready.
There are free numbers you can call if you're just... struggling...with life and need someone to talk to. If you use your cell phone you're literally using a radio to accomplish it.
😉
So, not that rare, I don't suppose.
If you had asked, where else can you call someone on a radio and get them to help you land a plane.... that would be a different story.
@@JimmyTAus1 Before a solo, a student should (I don't know if it's law here or not, but was where I'm from) go up with a different instructor who observes and says they're good to solo.
If the second instructor does any instructing, they're supposed to say the student is not ready to solo.
@n085fs there's no FAA law for that in the US, where this incident occurred. Different schools have their own procedures but there's no evidence of that happening here.
@@JimmyTAus1this was in Canada
good lord, best controller ever?? I think so. The empathy is incredible. He totally calmed that pilot.
Controller needs a raise!!!!! A++++ Ya know they can teach a lot of things, but they cant teach compassion, this guy made the pilot feel like he was sitting right next to her the entire time. So impressive!!!! Need more people like him
That raise should come out of the instructor's pay, because an instructor who sent this pilot for a solo flight was not doing their job.
@@talreichert587 i do agree, she did not seem confident enough for her solo...hopefully after this experience, she gets more one on one time and continues her pursuit of aviation.
@@talreichert587 I don't know if you can come to that conclusion from this one issue. The pilot said herself that she had been doing "so well" so it may be that it wasn't until she had an issue on the previous landing attempt (or touch and go, whatever immediately preceded this) that she had that visceral realization that she was alone up there, and lost her previous confidence and her nerve. We only know how she acted here, not how she acted during her previous lessons. Regardless, the instructor and (especially) the tower controller put together a great team effort to calm her down enough and get her the reminders she might have needed to safely land.
@burke615 "I don't know if I can do this, I was doing so well" is not how we train pilots to talk.
We train them to take control of the plane and the situation, we train them to understand that when they're in the air, no one can reach out over the radio and fly the plane for them. That they can ask for help to meet emergencies, but that the only person who can put them in the right mindset is themselves.
This student pilot doesn't sound like a pilot in command, she sounds like a frightened little girl who then dumped the responsibility to calm her down on ATC, who did so marvelously. But I don't blame her, I blame her instructor. We don't rise to the occasion, we sink to the level of our training and proficiency. This student was not solo ready and should have never been signed.
@@talreichert587 Clearly I don't know what happened before, but doing circuits before my first solo the CFI took me up and stressed the heck out of me. Too high, off centre, the lot. When I didn't mess up he climbed out and told me to take a circuit on my own. He was in the tower the whole circuit.
My initial thought? I learned in the UK so don't know how it differs in the US, but why wasn't the instructor in the tower just in case something like this happened?
This is humanity at its best; this video honestly made me tear up. It's someone facing their fears and pushing themselves to learn how to fly, a controller who knows the right thing to say to keep her aviating, and an instructor who got to know her enough to know what to say to get her down safely. It's the best of what we are, all on display here.
Love this take.
2 thumbs up.
lol i teared up too, very moving
Amazing controller who deserves recognition. Sometimes "we'll, it's their job" isn't good enough. This is one of those times. Respect to the ATC.
Well done to the controller. Part of being a good instructor is having the intuition to know your student and whether he or she feels a student is truly ready to solo an aircraft. Given the tone of this student pilot's communications with ATC and her emotional state, it's quite likely this panic attack didn't come as a surprise to her CFI. The CFI didn't sound particularly reassuring on frequency to her student either. Honestly, I fault the CFI for letting her do this when she clearly wasn't ready.
"Ready" is a grey area. I had 20+ hours before my first solo and when the CFI got out of the plane I said to myself I'm definitely not ready for this. lol Of course I was. But certainly for this girl to react THIS badly to her solo, she clearly was not ready. It's still a fun talking point to debate, the idea of when to solo. My CFI asked me, what's the rush? He told me to just forget about it and focus on each flight as it comes, the solo will come eventually. My airport buddies all soloed at 8, 10 or 12 hours and were teasing me. The reason it's such a talking point, in my opinion, is the abandonment rate is extremely high. #1 reason being of course money, then you have time commitments etc. But the sooner the CFI can get you to solo, there's this idea that it shows the student they CAN do it and pushes them to keep going until they finish. It's not a bad strategy, but that's why you really need to listen to and get to know the student. Doing that helps to avoid situations like this scared girl. Not all CFIs give it that much thought I suppose. But the when to solo debate will never end, we're all quite different.
I thought the same thing. The instructor NEVER attempted to calm her down, the only one doing that was ATC.
I was thinking the same thing
The instructor almost sounded annoyed. Her tone already stressed me out
That instructor needs to be spoken to by the chief or owner of that school along with a FSDO inspector. She is lucky that nothing happened to that girl in the plane
Sounds like a panic attack, especially when she said she "needs to get out" and can't 'think' or reply coherently. Thankfully the controller was great and supportive.
P.S: And I know it's a panic attack because I'm a sufferer myself. When it strikes you just want to flee and run... You would feel very scared with a sinking feeling in your tummy... You also get a sense of "doom" or trapped feeling. You will also start hyperventilating and if you don't control your breathing you will feel dizzy and fainty; in rare cases, people fainted. Next thing you know, your mind also goes blank because of the adrenaline overload - your body feels cold, and your arms and legs go jelly. What I'm worried about is this female student may develop a panic disorder after this episode and she may just quit flying altogether... That's how it happens. Worse case yet, agoraphobia...
Hopefully you’re right and she decides to take piano lessons instead.
@@odom2142 Yeah, as much as I hate to say this (and seriously, out of pure concern)... She should NOT fly after this until she gets herself checked with a psychologist/therapist or has her instructor fly with her to certify she's okay.
I mean, imagine had she fainted half-way or so fear-stricken to the extent she didn't know how to land the plane or went blank... It is a huge risk. Or imagine if she pilots a commercial plane solo and this happens. And once you experience a panic attack, there's a very likelihood it will happen again.
Exactly, I have had panic attacks when I was a kid.
Nailed it - and it's part of the reason I chose to not try getting my pilot's license. I've had a history of them, and it took a LONG time to find ways to manage and prevent - but when they happen, man, it's like you become an animal. Pure base instincts. My flight response would go into overdrive and I'd find myself getting into my car just so I can drive as fast as possible on the highway or whatever back road I could find for the adrenaline dump.
Then I almost immediately pass out for a couple hours, little post-adrenal nap. It's scary and terrible.
I think the student pilot needs to have a look in the mirror and decide if this is something she wants to do. No shame in giving up, flying is not for everyone
An excellent learning experience!
However, this highlights an important topic: the mental state of single pilots. I've just finished writing an article on this topic, as it is something I witnessed first hand at the single-pilot Pt. 135 airline where I spent six years as a captain. At least one-third of the pilots we trained up, including some with 121 experience and some with previous 135 experience, completely lost it when they found themselves by themselves with a load of pax sitting behind them. Most of them made up silly excuses for quitting shortly after starting, a few admitted that they just couldn't handle it, and two had to be fired for doing something stupid.
The featured video illustrates how the same pilot who performs competently when an instructor or other pilot is sitting next to them can completely fall apart when up there on their own. This is a topic which better minds than mine should investigate more thoroughly.
I'd be interested in reading that article once it's published! Curious why so many can fly just fine otherwise?
Single pilot commercial ops are just a terrible idea for the reasons you’ve given. That they are trying to impose them on the world flying big jets now is truly scary. I don’t think we can possibly understand how bad an idea that is until it goes wrong
I feel like I need to get out right now?First step would be long one.
Aw, she just needed a hug.
@@jiyushugi1085 which that instructor flatly refused to even acknowledge ANY of (the emotional piece...too bad)
Not in her case. Sounded below 1000 feet when she said it. No time to enjoy that ride down before it hurts.
Panic attack
The CFI should not have let her solo'ed with that level of anxiety. Kudos to the controller, he did a great job keeping things calm and under control.
It's very possible that the student never showed any anxiety when she had the instructor with her. I know someone who is very calm and collected but panics when placed in stressful situations. The first time it happened she was very surprised and had no idea where it came from.
The CFI would not have allowed her to fly if the CFI would have known in advance. Critical thinking can be fun. 😀
@@Redridge07 there were clues, FOR CERTAIN, whether they were recognized is the only debatable thing, THAT is your critical thinking.
@@jayc4283For certain? What, were you there for all her training?
@@jayc4283Really? Every student pilot has a moment of anxiety the first time they lift off the runway without an instructor next to them. It’s usually brief and usually overcome by other factors, but it is not a hundred percent predictable.
The only thing that is 100% predictable is second guessing, Monday morning quarterbacking, and hind sight by internet experts. This CFI was able to focus and get her student safely on the ground after the tower got the pilot calmed down somewhat and on final. The instructor will be second guessing herself soon enough.
"Don't worry, you're doing great."
"OPS1 and OPS2, FIRE, Ambulance! ROLL, ROLL, ROLL!!!"
Bro I’m dying 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Hilarious! Probably true, too!
I wanted to like this comment, but I'd also like to keep it at 69.
😅😅😅
hahaha
Great job to the controller. I think everyone covered that very well.
For the pilot, this could very easily have been her first panic attack, and until you have one, you really don't know how it'll affect you. The important thing is that she was able to get herself back under control and on the ground, and now the real work starts. I'm not as concerned about the panic attack as what followed, which seemed to be shame and a tendency to shut down, and those need to be addressed.
Firstly, the shame is inappropriate. She had a scary situation and she reacted emotionally, which is a natural response. Until you've experienced it, again, you don't know what your reaction will be, and if she's never been in this position before, she had no way to anticipate her response. So, she got spooked, reacted emotionally, and (importantly) reached out for help. None of these things are shameful. Anyone, even experienced pilots, can have these reactions when out of their depths. If anything, there should be a sense of pride and relief that she was able to recover the situation and get back in the air (and eventually on the ground) safely.
Which leads to point 2, which is that there was nothing to be morose about. Anyone can balk a landing, that's one of the reasons we have go-arounds. And that's what she did: she went around. Judging that things weren't right for a landing and successfully recovering from that is an accomplishment, especially as a relatively inexperienced student.
You can't always stop a panic attack from coming on, especially without training in it. You can control what you do after. I hope she looks back on this, improves, and continues to fly. From my standpoint, she recovered from a potentially deadly situation and now has that experience to learn from to become better and better. She just has a little work to do in regards to handling shock/startle and recovering from that to be in a good headspace for flight.
As long as he didn't give her a number to call and possible pilot deviation it's a good day. She landed and lived to tell about it, ATC specialist didn't lose anyone in the pattern. The CFI hopefully got coached on student readiness.
Great controller. Can't say the same for this instructor. To the student pilot - you did a great job and you're not alone. Many first-time pilots experience a wide range of emotions during early solo trips. Keep going! You recognized your emotions and concerns which is more than a lot of experienced pilots will ever do!
On my first solo two planes almost collided on short final when I had just turned downwind. Saw it about to happen but was so focused on just flying the traffic pattern that I froze up and didn't know what to say to try to help prevent it. Thankfully they noticed in time, but that was terrifying.
I might be alone in my opinion that this student needs to have her solo endorsement rescinded until she can demonstrate a little better control of her emotions. Yes, the controller was fabulous, and the instructor was doing the best she could without direct communication with the student, but there is absolutely no guarantees that she would be so fortunate next time. I fully expected her to pitch up without adding power (she didn't seem to know how to read her RPMs and/or her airspeed) and stall on short final.
This is not to say that she should not keep flying; just that she should not be alone in an airplane again until she has demonstrate significantly more resourcefulness and composure. Before you chirp at me, please remember that PIC stands for "Pilot in Command", and she didn't sound like she was even in command of her bladder during this circuit around the pattern.
1000 % agree..,and I'm a pilot
I’m also a pilot FYI. I don’t agree. Doing that would be detrimental for her confidence. Most if not all solo flights by a student are approved by the CFI. The student just needs some confidence building. Use that experience to build up her confidence, not further reduce it. Remind her that she done exactly the right thing by asking for help and then performed nicely after. After all, she successfully landed an aircraft. Something that very few people in the world can do. Keep after it young lady! You’ll be fine. Ozpilotgirl, have you never been frightened while operating an aircraft? I have.
Are you a pilot? Just curious.
I didn't get the impression that other commenters thought she'd be just fine flying solo on her next flight?
Good grief, don’t be so diplomatic!! She OBVIOUSLY doesn’t have the maturity to fly a damn airplane and probably never will. She’s probably been coddled and has the emotional control of a young kid.
I've had times in my pilot training where my pattern work was a bunch of garbage. I felt just like this young lady. "I don't belong out here, this is a big fat mistake" One helpful hint is to completely exit the pattern, get away from the airport a bit and just do some simple maneuvers to remind yourself you know how to work the damn plane. Even some practice approaches from altitude without the pressure of smashing into the ground can help reinforce the training you have. This girl had the yips and could have used a little time to breath and reset before coming back in.
Delay vectors are a marvelous thing. 😁
The controller was awesome.
HUGE props (no pun intended) to that controller!!!!! Well done sir!
I was truly worried for the student pilot, amazing job by the controller, someone should probably take a look at the instructor for signing off on the solo.
The controller between radio calls: "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines".
Pretty sure it was "The wrong week to stop sniffing glue"
@@MrThisIsMeToo He also said "the wrong week to quit smoking" and "the wrong week to quit drinking".
@@1JackTorS Yep. They were all classics!!!
Roger, Roger!
Really impressed with the support. Encouraging, straight forward, and calm.
I feel for FYA, man…I had a brief panic attack during primary when I was on my student cross country. It was like, all of the sudden, my brain went “?!?!”, recognized that I was alone and that there was no quick way out of this situation if necessary. It’s difficult to explain…even moreso because I’m very even keeled, especially in dire situations. It hasn’t happened since but I know that feeling and it’s not fun. You just can’t allow it to dominate. I went on to get my license because I *refused* to let my brain take me there again, by sheer force of will…
Same as the hurdle awaiting those flying into IMC for the first time. Mental discipline is the key. Turn off those thoughts about what will happen if you mess up and concentrate on your scan: airspeed, altitude, heading, repeat.
I had a similar situation.
Hi mate, I just had a similar situation few months ago and till today I’m still not very confident, I was looking for someone that had same situation to get some advices.
@@brunocampilloperez1355 The advice is very simple: Man is not meant to be flying around up in the sky. We are meant to be walking around on the ground, that's why we have two legs. Entering environments that are unnatural to us is very stressful. The way to over come that stress (and fear) is to spend more time up in the sky. This is why 'hours' are important.
Amazing job by the controller and the instructor. So glad she got down safely.
ATC is incredible. Yeah another aircraft was inconvenienced, student was stressed but every single one of us started with a case of nerves. If you didn’t you’re probably in the category of ‘no such thing as an old, bold pilot’
Heartwarming interactions saved the day. I hope she goes on to do well in aviation and remembers with fondness and gratitude her first solo landing.
No, she should never fly again. Ever.
Great job to everyone. I hope this future pilot sticks with it and gets over her fears. She'll do great.
Before my CFI signed me off for solo, he had to go through several upset scenarios, hand off the controls, and completely shut my eyes, with no input from him, to see how I would react and recalibrate. I could regurgitate the solutions from a technical standpoint, but he wanted proof that my head was in the situation without panicking. He used the same approach with my landings at 3 different airports before I soloed.
The vibe I get about the instructor is that she taught this student well on the technical aspects of flying but didn't do a good job of checking how the student would respond if things did not go as planned. This poor kid wasn't ready.
Great job by ATC
My instructor jumped out at the apron and told me to go. . Scared the hell out of me. Snow on the ground, the tower extended my down wind so I lost the runway. He put me number 2 so I followed the Air Ontario in. Panic? No. I used my head. I was only 17.
Yay Controller and Instructor! Excellent job. And to the pilot. Never give up.
Heart wrenching to hear her distress. Great job on the part of the controller to help her get to the ground safely. It can be so very hard to judge if a young student is truly ready or not. Don’t know the scenario leading up to the CFI’s decision to sign her off, or if the student just suddenly developed a panic attack once the reality of being solo hit her. Glad to see she made it safely home.
everyone did an amazing job including the pilot. She kept her focus despite what seems like a panic attack
I'm a former police officer. Even though we were trained professionals, when the world was going to sh!t all at once, it was always helpful to have a very calm and collected dispatcher coordinating things. Different situation, but same basic concept.
Excellent work by the controller and CFI working together
Fantastic controller really did save her when she had a panic attack even jumped in when the instructor couldn’t get through in these cases a calm steady voice allowing the panic to ease and confidence to return is what is needed
Scary! Time to hang up the headset and try something less stressful...
Youbetcha.... Some folks are not meant to be pilots. Flying is inherently dangerous.
She was so fortunate to have such a calm, helpful controller.
7:30 that's the love of the aviation community right there❤
She should quit trying before it’s too late. This is not for her.
Though I imagine you will get a lot of clapback for this, I agree with you. This is not like riding a bike. You can kill yourself or others if you "fall off".
How calm everyone was, no panic while talking to the pilot, looks like she made a good landing
She had the training to fly and land the plane successfully, she also had a panic attach.
The CFI will probably get the blame but CFIs don't give you panic attaches.
Agree. It’s taking all I can do to ignore half the idiots in the comment sections.
I agree that its not really the CFI to blame. I think sadly that this girl is simply not cut out to be a pilot.
A compassionate controller. He saved her life. She literally checked out of the airplane. Whatever happens, always fly the airplane first. I hope she got over this event and continued flying safely.
Part of being a good pilot is being able to fly through the freak-out. We've all had those moments in the cockpit. They key is to "KEEP FLYING THE AIRPLANE." She kept flying the airplane, asked for all the help that was available to her and did what she had to do for a good outcome. That's a win! Also, respect to the controller! Great job!
What I think the controller did best was repeating all of the insructions and not leaving anything up to question, saying make left turns and not make left traffic he really did a good job making this simple for her. (coming from someone who just soloed yesterday)
00.21 "I don't think I should've *gone* today." You're welcome.
TO THE STUDENT----You did GREAT!!!! Seriously.
I know it did not feel like it at the time, but you really did do very well.
I hesitate to make any suggestions, but if it ever happens again, concentrating on slow gentle deep breathing can really help.
A cop taught me this. 4 edges if a square ....2 seconds inhale, hold 2 seconds, 2 seconds exhale, 2 seconds hold, then repeat. Letting your lungs do their best possible job will really help in oxygenating the bloodstream, which in turn will help the body/brain functions.
This was a learning experience, a test of sorts, and you passed with flying colors, no pun intended. Be proud.
The first time I soloed, I was shocked that I had no little voice in my head messing with me. I was certain that was going to happen but it didn't. This student wasn't so lucky. First solo is both terrifying and thrilling all at the same time. It is an unforgettable experience. When it is known that a student is having their first solo at a small airport like this, all the pilots sit and watch reliving it.
When you feel rising panic in a life or death situation, don’t fight it, accept it, let it flow through you, it’s just survival energy, go with it. Panic occurs when we try to resist feelings of stress. Panic will lie to you - but you’re still fully in control, relax your body, smile to yourself, take a deep breath and focus intently on your task at hand.
Nicest air traffic controller ever. I can never dream of this happening in Asia.
That was a very good ending to a very bad situation. If it wasn't for the calming effect of the controller this would not have ended well. I'm not sure if this was the students first solo but she was clearly not ready to be flying on her own. Not everyone is cut out to be a pilot.
I remember my first solo. My first thought after getting airborne was, “holy shit, I have to land this thing.”
What a great controller. Couldn’t have done any better.
Did a couple of circuits with the instructor then we went back to the school. Next thing I know he hops out and says ok see you in a bit. Took a few seconds for it to register what he was saying 😂😂😂.
I soloed last year. I was signed off by 2 instructors and didn't feel ready at all. The instructors didn't push me at all, but a fellow pilot encouraged me.
Training kicked in, all went well. Now I'm a happy 50 yo pilot in Germany.
I listened to this with sweaty palms. Hopefully the student pilot will find a way to control her emotions. Maybe this will never happen again with more training. In no way I'd discourage her. She and her CFI will know what's best.
We are only spectators...
To the ATC controller: Be proud of your kindness and exceptional professionalism!!!
In all my years of flying, I've never been instructed to fly 000 degrees. But that controller did a Great job.
Yes, but I wondered if that was a US thing. In the UK it was always a vector of 360.
@@davebox588 - It is definitely not a US thing.
@@deanfowlkes Canadian registered plane
There is no such thing as a 000 heading.
@@ohiyesa2328 - I don’t think that it is a thing in Canada, either.
I start flight school next week. This kind of teamwork really makes me excited to start this new career path.
Except this situation wasn’t normal at all and put everyone at risk.
@@InfinityXDevstuff happens. It’s all about how the situation is handled after it is revealed. The controller and the instructor did all they could to ensure the rest of the flight would be safe. That’s how it should be.
Great communication by the controller. It's very easy for us to say that the student pilot wasn't ready, but we can't possibly know; a landing went wrong and she panicked, sometimes that's a total surprise to everybody, including the person it's happening to.
Utterly amazing team work by everyone involved. I feel so bad for the young pilot and sincerely hope she regains her confidence keeps at it!
Everyone was outstanding, and most importantly, the pilot maintained excellent communication. Many accidents occur due to a lack of effective communication and failure to request assistance from the ground.
Back when I was a JSUPT Instructor pilot I had a handful of students become extremely flustered and in some cases, downright terrified. One of them I couldn’t get her to take a second flight and the Air Force had to find something else for her to do. The fact is, studying and getting familiar with aviation and its textbook intricacies takes on an entirely new meaning when you have to apply them in real time. That’s a jump that some folks have a real hard time with and in some cases they simply can’t do.
Control twr you saved her life and probably keep her fliyng in confidence in a near future hopefuly. BRAVO to the pilot as well as the controller.😊
PERFECT controller handling
Yeah first solo is a bit terrifying. I remember telling myself "watch airspeed - dont die! spot the airport - dont die! look for traffic - dont die! get in the pattern - dont die! ....". But, I was flying a glider so I only got one shot at the landing on a runway surrounded by 100' trees and no radio. Will never forget that day. Hope this young lady wasn't too hard on herself.
Wow that was a very compassionate ATC! if that happened in New York they would’ve told her to get out of their airspace and find another landing strip!
This guy is a freaking saint
Time to give it up.. definitely would never want her as my pilot.
This young lady clearly wasn’t ready to solo. With that said controller was excellent.
This was all so CANADIAN! Amazing chill, no panic, she'll be a better pilot because of this.
Really nicely done - the controllers at JFK would’ve been suuuupppeeerrr pissed - but then again they always seemed to be
This lady does not need to be flying an aircraft both for her own safety and everyone elses too.
Sounded like a panic attack! Wow so glad she hung in there…TRUE GRIT in that mental state.
Total loss of confidence, total retreat from the circumstances! Soldier on my wayward girl!
Wow, great work saving her life. She was definitely not ready for solo. She is a lucky girl. I hope she can overcome this terrifying experience.
Boy that was scary! Glad she's okay though. She came out on top, she'll do just fine as a pilot
Controller of the year definitely!
Well done all around. The student, the tower and her instructor. What a team effort.
Yes we should all strive to behave this way
Wrong
@@ohiyesa2328You might be dumb or dense or both, but it is beyond obvious that he’s simply referring to the fact that she didn’t die. Obviously he doesn’t think she did an overall “great job” genius.
@@jameshuggins7320you too
That was very well handled. I will admit that in my primary training - I was doing a messy power on stall. The 152 broke right and started to spin. I literally closed my eyes, and grabbed my instructor! I was only 17 the time. Lets just say we did more stall training after that! A bad day can happen to anyone!
I don't know how the controllers do what they do. Having to maintain attention of several planes at one time. But this one was special. He literally talked her down to the ground. I hope she didn't give up flying, and I hope the controller keeps his job for a long time!
My first solo it was me on my own, no radio, no no ATC, just unicom, but all quiet
This was torture. Good job by the controller.
understatement. Who hell is signing off on these?
@@ahmadsamadzai8255 I cant listen, Ive heard it one too many times
Wow, great job of the controller, excellent support!
amazing controller, calm, cool, empathetic, and reassuring.
and then theres me… “i need to get out” bitch where lmk 💀💀💀
As a pilot myself and am hangared on a field with a flight school I’m well aware of how students can react to their solos. I feel for this young lady and am sure this event will make her a better pilot if she continues with her training
hope she doesnt, panic attacks disqualify you for a medical clearance, as well they should.
My first solo was in the early 70's ... boy oh boy I nailed a greasey one! I had no crosswind, calm and beautiful day, excellent visibility ... slight wind was blowing directly into the direction of the runway .. ( I already had about 25-30 landings before with my instructor -the dude was war vet)
I had no idea that this was all about you.
@@dburton7929 perhaps you should read the title "What happens when you're not ready for flight" (solo) :)
We don't know how old she is - she sounds quite young. Yes she was panicked but she still managed to fly the plane, follow instructions and not totally freak out. I wouldn't write her off yet.
I can understand how she felt, I remember my first solo flight ( _as does everyone that has done it_ ), I remember looking over at the empty right seat thinking to my self it is 100% on me to get the airplane back on the ground without bending it. She and the controller did *_GOOD!!!_*
Great job, controller! I hope that young lady is still flying.
My awesome neighbor has allowed me to take control of his 172 serveral times around the airport in the right seat after a takeoff. I've learned that mult-tasking under stress is critical and that I'm not cut out to be a private or pro pilot. My heart goes out to this student pilot in that maybe she can learn from this experience and build on this to fly again.
Valuable lessons learned for the youngster.
Poor child, I just wanted to give her a hug.
There is a portion of Flight training called psychological factors and situational awareness. I wonder why they let her solo when she wasnt ready for it. Those first solos are a WONDERFUL lonely overwhelming feeling. My flight instructor told me I can call him on the radio ANYTIME if I start feeling out of place up there. Its more common than you think.
Mad props to the controller (pun intended) for the whole situation but especially starting to relay the messages from the instructor to the student 🤓👍🏻👍🏻
That was heart wrenching....What a happy ending thanks to ATC and the instructor
Am learning to fly in MSFS2024 at the moment, am so glad I can learn the basics in a safe environment, and being able to do as much practice as much I like without feeling the pressure of trying to pass an exam because tuition is expensive. I doubt I will ever fly for real, but it does give me a good insight into these kinds of videos.
Wow. She did a great job pulling it off being so upset. I hope she is still flying. And she was so lucky to have that controller. He was so good.
Kudos to the controller for keeping calm and transmitting that vibe to all parties...unlike the controllers at my airfield. Our guys panick when they have three planes in the pattern. 😅
That CFI should be looked at. She soloed the student way before she was ready, and didn't judge her skill level and confidence. I know it's a big deal for CFIs to say they solo students after just 8 hours or so, but it's also really dangerous.
Sometimes its hard to tell, student may have done very well with the instructor there, panic and stress is a hell of an andrenaline
Extremely professional tower! And he said best to instructor, "Team Effort".
Fantastic job for ATC
My first experience with a panic attack was also in a situation where there was no option but to deal with it. I actually look back on it as a great experience because I had to face the fear. That experience enabled me to recognize & control fear in other stressful situations (scuba tank issue, hung up for a minute deep in a cave, are examples). This pilot will be much stronger for her experience.
Well done ATC. Kept her calm. 👍
Wow ATC
did excellent job right there.