"Gerald Sylvester" wrote:
Is this me or is it just the general public?

There are three common reasons people fear to fly in light aircraft with
private pilots:

1) They are afraid of *any* flying. This is a personal control issue
almost entirely unrelated to the real risks involved.

2) They know the prospective pilot and do not trust him.

3) They understand, somehow, that private flying is far more dangerous
than any activity they normally pursue - unless they ride motorcycles in
city traffic or engage in something similarly risky.

There is nothing you can do about the first problem.
The second is a personality and reputation issue which may or may not be
subject to change.
The third is the tricky one. Do you attempt to allay prospective
passengers' fears by telling them that flying with you is safe? I cannot
do this: if someone wants to fly with me, I'm all for it, but I'm not
going to talk anyone into it.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM
(remove pants to reply by email)