During a review of last year's aircraft mishaps, I noticed a couple of incidents where a student was released for solo flight by an instructor and then had a problem, which resulted in a bent aircraft. But, I do want to take this opportunity to emphasize the great responsibility that instructors accept when they train a cadet for solo flight. This responsibility requires instructors to have some psychological skills that enable them to evaluate student personalities and to develop instructional techniques appropriate for each individual.
Anxiety is probably the most significant psychological factor affecting flight instruction.
This is true because flying is a potentially threatening experience for persons who are not accustomed to being off the ground. The fear of falling is universal in human beings. It results from the fear of anything, real or imagined, which threatens the person experiencing it, and may have a potent effect on actions and an individual's ability to learn. The responses to anxiety vary extensively. They may range from a hesitancy to act to an impulse to do something even if it's wrong.