I have been flying for a couple of months, maybe 10 or 12 flights. I am still tied to my instructor, but he says very close to soloing. The question is how long does it take the (average) new pilot to get over the nervous jitters? I've been making pretty good landing, better take-off's and handle the plane in flight pretty well. But, I always have the nervous jitters while up and after landings.

just keep flying ,and If you crash youll understand what you did wrong ,some people go through there first airplane fast ,and by the third or fourth plane they become a pilot.keep flying.Your first plane should always be a trainer if not your in trouble. so when you down a trainer its not nuch money , you can use the engine and flight system in your next trainer.Then when your ready go to the low wing trainer.

Hi!
It all depends....if you are young, age 10-35 then most learn in a couple of weeks or months ...older, say 40 to 70 and it can take several month or even years to learn.
Nervousness disappears if you practice a lot!
So fly every weekend if you can.
I have trained newcomers in my club for over 25 years and being nervous is something you have to live with.
It's good to have a second airplane on the building board so the eventual crash of the first one doesn't feel so bad...for it will come sooner or later.
Good luck!
Regards!
Jan K
Sweden

If you were not nervous I would be more concerned. It's perfectly normal to be nervous. It will go away with time but will return when you do certain things, but probably not near as bad.

I have several hundred flights and I still get nervous when I have not flown in a while, I am taking a new plane up for it's first flight, doing a more complicated manuver for the first time and a host of others.

It's all good though as it keeps you sharp.

EDITED because I cannot spell this AM [:@]

bbellfish,
Well, I've been flying for almost 9 years and I still get the jitters occasionally. Like what was said above, I'd be concerned if you weren't. I get my jitters when I'm doing the maiden flight on a new plane, but other than that I'm OK the rest of the time. I'm an instructor at my field and I see new pilots getting this way all the time, so trust me it's absolutely normal. When you are doing your solo flight just act like you instructor is standing next to you as usual. You're definitely ready to solo or you instructor wouldn't be telling you you're ready. So just trust his confidence in you, take a deep breath, relax, and fly. Have fun!!!

How many experience pilots have you seen stuff a plane? I see it every weekend. Just because you solo does not mean you are going to start crashing or stop. I have 8 planes and sometimes its several months between flying some of them and I get a bit nervous on the first few laps, then its gone.

After you've banged up a couple of planes (the inevitable) and have been flying a while it will go away. Once you get to the point that you have confidence in your ability and concentrating on practicing precision maneuvers you will be thinking more about setting up your next move and less about being nervous. A plane is just some balsa, ply and covering that is almost always repairable and certainly replaceable.. Fly it and have fun. If you make a mistake don't worry thinking the guys are going to laugh at you. Every one of us has been there and done that (several times). Learn from it and don't do that next time. One of these days you'll be tellling a new guy the same thing.

I have been flying (this time ) for several years.

At the beginning of the season I ALWAYS have the jitters, when I maiden a new plane I ALWAYS have the jitters and when I fly a plane I haven't flown for a good amount of time I ALWAYS have the jitters.

quote from Cristophe Paysant Le-Roux a years ago in RCM&E,
'if I don't get nerves before a competition flight, I don't fly so well'.

Now THAT says its not a bad thing

I have been flying and sitll am on the buddy box. I dont get jitters in flight at all, but when i get them the most is when i do a bad landing or am just having an off day. Last sunday i went out and got my first landing... On one landing i came in and broke a prop, and kinda felt bad abut it all day. I went up tryed again but just couldnt get lined up good. I just simply told my instructor I was not feeling flying that day. So this sunday i will solo probably

I have been flying for 2 1/2 years and when I fly a plane where I get complacent or it gets to easy I break out a Warbird or a 540 Edge and I get the Jitters again!
I love the rush of flying a different plane,they are all different,thats whats nice,when I don't get the jitters anymore I might start to get bored!
Good Luck and most of all.....HAVE FUN!

I still enjoy flying because of the excitement I feel just putting the stuff in the car and when it is gone I will probably quit. Beware of the excitement overwhelming your good sense and training, causing the preventable crashes, like not pulling out the antennae or not checking status of batteries. Take a deep breath and calm yourself, use your checklists and then have fun.

15 years and still loving it. It don't stop it does get easyer. Dennis

If you lose the "jitteryness" completely, it's time to change your hobby. The thrill of flying is part of the whole experience.

The nervousness, to me at least, is most often regarding a possible "walk of shame" and the inevitible ribbing that accompanies it!!!

Not the fear of losing the plane!!!

VP

I haven't been flying RC for along time, but I definitely get the jitters each time. What I end up doing is once I'm in the air, I get it trimmed correctly and I take my hands off the controls and shake the jitters out. Seems to help. It's the same way in the full size. I've had my private pilot's license for a couple of years now and I still get jitters while I'm doing my preflight and engine startup. Oddly, I love having the jitters because obviously you're doing something that really excites you! Isn't aviation great?! Happy flying!