Seeing one thread actually about aviation, figure to toss this one in
the hat....

Received the following about 2 weeks ago via PM on You Tube.

This is XXXXX "Lisa" husband and was wanting to know if you would take
her up with you. She is an air traffic controller at Memphis center
and you have spoken in air. Its her 30th birthday January the 26th and
she loves your video's. I think we will be in Tunica but nothing is
set in stone. Thank you so much for your time and God bless. Jake

My response was

Sorry for the severe delay in my reply. I had my niece and nephew in
town (no parents) for the weekend and now handed them back off to the
kids (best kind of kids, returnables!)

Only the 28th would work for me since I am off every Friday, I just
can't sneak out of work on Wednesday and Thursday. If the 28th
doesn't work, then I suspect 2nd or 3rd weekend in February we can
make this happen. I really would want to make this happen, just a
matter of getting things lined up.

If 28th will work, then what I can do is check on plane availability
down here in Madison MS (near Jackson MS) as I would fly up your way
(very short 1 1/4 hour flight) to any airport you felt would work
best
for you. Tunica, Olive Branch any one of those works great for me as
flight time isn't much difference from where I live. Nice things
about airplanes is distance is by the way the crow flies (straight
line), so from Jackson to Northern MS isn't that much difference in
time no matter what airport I fly into..

Subsequent emails tied up any loose ends

Wow, 4.8 hours of pure ecstasy!

Flights could not have gone any better (always an exception or two)

Meet up went exactly as planned even though I was 10 minutes late due
to unforecasted headwinds of 20 knots. I land, and was marshaled
directly into the front of the FBO. Jake (Lisa's husband) had Lisa all
confused since they were not at the flight school but in the OLV
terminal but didn't let on. When I pulled up, he said come on and
walked out the door. Lisa was thoroughly confused, like are we allowed
to. Without missing a beat, Jake came up to the plane and said, hey I
would love to peek inside. I of course said Hey Jake, and you must be
Lisa. Lisa says, do I know you? I stood at attention and said, you
don't recognize my voice with a huge chesire grin ear to ear. She
said, say something more to help me. I replied back, ok, Good morning
Memphis Center, Sundowner.... and I couldn't even get the tail number
out fast enough she squealed of delight! It took 10 minutes to bring
her down to earth and this is before she realized we were going flying
to KTUP! Then it took another 10 minutes to bring her down to earth
with this news!

We saddle up, I asked if she wanted to do the ground calls, she was
too excited, so I took that. I of course on the ground gave her basic
101 flying with the controls and said once we get out of OLV and KMEM
Bravo clearance, I will turn the controls over to her. She was
flabergasted. Take off, get bravo clearance, turn the controls over to
her and she could not stop staring at the altimeter LOL. I said, do
you stare at the speedometer when she drives, she of course said no so
I told her, no different than a car, glance once in awhile. We hook up
with Memphis center and sure enough, we get a controller she knew.
Blew her mind to outer space to the point she was shaking with joy.
She said to the controller, is this (forget the name) and the
controller said yes, who is this? She said, this is Lisa XXXX, and the
shock of the Memphis controller was priceless I have all this
recorded, so need to go through that. . I did tease her as she said
"with you at 4500' and I told her, those words are not needed, after
all I called in so it's implied I am with you.. LOL

The big lesson learned for Lisa is that even for basic flying, it's so
much more than she expected. She missed two calls to me, and was blown
away that she missed it and I caught it. Yeah, one for the home team
LOL. She was amazed how much we have to listen to PLUS fly the plane.
Win win situation for ATC and us pilots, no question about this as she
experience every component of ATC from ground, tower to approach and
center from the pilot side of the microphone.

Flight was wonderful, smooth glass air at 3500 / 4500. We get back to
OLV, chatted an additonal 1/2 hour before I skitdaddled out.

Then reality hit and it got "ugly" reminding me about the benefits of
NOT owning a plane. I picked up flight following with ground at OLV,
assigned a code. Take off, and KMEM approach says my transponder
dropped off, to recycle. This was after I was cleared into Bravo. Than
I was assigned a 150 heading. Approach said, 21A I said 150 heading,
it appears you are going SW. I thought WTF, how did I miss that, my DG
says 150. Look at my back up, and crap, something amiss! I apologies
profusely explained that I was having DG problems. I ended up using
GPS tracking for my heading along with Ipad for situational awareness
on the sectional. Transponder dropped off ATC scope 3 times while in
Bravo.

Once I got past that, it was uneventful as it gets, but geez, DG and
transponder having problems in Bravo doesn't paint a good picture.

Anyhow, great 4.8 hours, what can I say, life is good.

Oh, Iphone worked at 5000 feet so I have a video of me tracking myself
on Flight Aware in the plane!

This first video is just my flight up to Olive Branch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8KcCwGPqdc

Video starts from wheels up to shut down. Ipad used for situation
awareness on this IFR flight using ForeFlight program . Shot of me
tracking myself in Flight Aware on my Iphone in this video.

Next video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZnrOLdzJJA

Video begins at engine startup and ends shortly after takeoff..

As you will see in video, Lisa asked some great questions on how we
interact with ATC via radio communication, see exactly how the
transponder works and hear her excitement build as we get closer to
takeoff.

Any thoughts on helping me improve explaining things to passengers
always most appreciated.

"Squeals of delight" Enroute to KTUP to touch and go with ATC'r Lisa
with ATC COMS

Video speaks for itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MnKrVoDaik

I can't imagine this video not bringing a smile to the viewer (pilot
or non pilot)

Begins with climbout from KOLV and ends with landing (touch and go) at
KTUP).

Takeoff from KTUP to shutdown in KOLV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw8wVRRns-A

Lisa works the radio and transponder on this leg with a very brief
shout out on frequency to a fellow co-worker. She also got to
experience the full appreciation of traffic advisories in Bravo
airspace

My next and last video will be my trip home from KOLV still to be
created.