Gerald,

Congratulations on passing your flight test and getting your
certificate.

You'll find that a huge percentage of people think little airplanes
are death traps for many reasons. While general aviation's lousy
accident record certainly contributes to it, some folks are frightened
of heights, some of surrendering control to someone else in a
situation where they cannot do anything about what is going on and
some don't trust the pilot. How are you perceived by those people?
What kind of driver are you? Are you known for speeding, weaving in
and out of traffic, hard acceleration, heavy braking and no regard for
your passengers? If so, very few people will get in an airplane with
you. If you are known as one who avoids risks then you may find it
easier to get your friends to fly with you.

There are some good articles on how to give a first ride to people.
By and large the rules are keep it short, do it early in the morning
or in the evening when the air is smooth, describe what you are doing
and keep it smooth with shallow banks and very conservative
maneuvering...no stalls or steep turns. A passenger you scare may be
the voter who casts the deciding vote to close your airport. Take
barf bags, put them in reach and mention factually, and briefly, that
if they feel uncomfortable to use the bag. If a passenger expresses a
feeling of discomfort, terminate the flight. Interestingly enough,
those who have done the research have found that if the flight is
ended prior to the passenger throwing up, his or her tolerance will
increase and the passenger will do better on the next flight. If the
passenger actually throws up, the tolerance decreases and it happens
faster on the next flight.

You'll also find that your circle of friends will change as you tend
to associate with those who like the idea of flying.

All the best,
Rick

Gerald Sylvester wrote in message link.net...
I recently got my PPL and find that most people are scared sh*tless to
go up. One friend came along and was just blown away and had a ton
of fun. Just about everyone else is "oh my god, I am so scared
of airplanes." This weekend I was going to go with my CFI to celebrate
my passing my checkride in a brand new SR-20 and people are still
shaking in their boots scared to hell and simply will not go.

Is this me or is it just the general public?

Any ideas? I hope this doesn't sound stupid but just my impression the
since passing my checkride.

Gerald