A Scary Prospect -- What to do?

Don't let this sort of thing happen with you and your kids. Get them the
best training they can have. Let them experience as much of life as you
can, while you're still able to have some modicum of control. Show them
how
to live a full and responsible life. Prepare them for complete
independence
from you, and then let them go. They're going to go eventually anyway,
whether you want them to or not, so you might as well prepare them the
best
you can first. You'll find that they come back as great friends.

Great words, Bob. Thanks.

I just have a hard time looking at my 14 year old son with an unjaundiced
eye. One minute he's the bright kid that has tested into the top 2% in the
nation -- and the next minute he's dumb as a box of rocks. And it's a roll
of the dice as to which "version" you might get at any given time.

Putting him in a plane, solo, with such wild intellectual variability is
going to be more challenging for me than for him, I'm sure. I'm trusting
that the training process will be a real maturing experience.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message Do you guys let your kids fly your plane?

He'll solo and have a year to establish his maturity before he takes
passengers up. You'll make sure he doesn't venture past the practice area
because he probably can't afford to buy enough gas for a cross-country. One
day you will have to let him out of the nest. All you can do is teach him
right from wrong and hope for the best.

Just this week, I was walking past a Super Cub and just stopped. The
registration hit me hard because it was the plane I soloed in so many years
ago in my 16th year. It isn't new and pretty anymore but it has floats and a
GPS now. When it was new and pretty, the owner made me a deal. If I kept it
clean and maintained, and filled it up after using it, I could fly it
whenever I wanted to. The owner put a lot of faith and trust in me. Looking
back in my mind as I viewed that Cub the other day, it occurred to me when
the owner put his faith and trust into me, he helped shape me into the man I
became.

D.

Jay Honeck wrote:
I just have a hard time looking at my 14 year old son with an unjaundiced
eye. One minute he's the bright kid that has tested into the top 2% in the
nation -- and the next minute he's dumb as a box of rocks. And it's a roll
of the dice as to which "version" you might get at any given time.

Putting him in a plane, solo, with such wild intellectual variability is
going to be more challenging for me than for him, I'm sure. I'm trusting
that the training process will be a real maturing experience.

Don't put all your trust in the training process. More likely than not,
you're son will fluctuate back and forth between bright and "dumb as a box
of rocks" all the way into his late teens, if not early twenties.

My daughter turned out great, and is now a productive part of a society
with a college education and a good job, but when she was in her teens...
that was a different story. No matter how much you love them, and want to
"trust their judgement", the fact is that they're not finished developing,
and they make A LOT of wrong decisions. Do you want your son making those
wrong decisions at 5000 feet in your precious 235?

--- Jay

--
__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino ! ! !
http://www.oceancityairport.com
http://www.oc-adolfos.com

My daughter turned out great, and is now a productive part of a society
with a college education and a good job, but when she was in her teens...
that was a different story. No matter how much you love them, and want to
"trust their judgement", the fact is that they're not finished developing,
and they make A LOT of wrong decisions. Do you want your son making those
wrong decisions at 5000 feet in your precious 235?

Ah, yes -- therein lies the rub.

It's going to be an interesting decade, methinks.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Just this week, I was walking past a Super Cub and just stopped. The
registration hit me hard because it was the plane I soloed in so many
years
ago in my 16th year. It isn't new and pretty anymore but it has floats and
a
GPS now. When it was new and pretty, the owner made me a deal. If I kept
it
clean and maintained, and filled it up after using it, I could fly it
whenever I wanted to. The owner put a lot of faith and trust in me.

Great story.

I can't imagine that happening nowadays (outside of a family) -- but perhaps
I'm wrong?

I hope I am.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

The Grape carries more gas. Bigger explosive potential.

Nope. The Grape carries 55 gallons in the transfer tank, and 15 in the
vehicle's gas tank.

Atlas carries 84 gallons...

Of course, if you keep the tanks full, the potential for explosion is pretty low
in either.

George Patterson
I prefer Heaven for climate but Hell for company.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:BSuUd.70922$tl3.52178@attbi_s02...
Mary and I have tried very hard to treat flying as an uncommon -- but
perfectly normal -- family activity, and that's all my kids have ever
known.
....
Do you guys let your kids fly your plane?

Yeah...but my "kid" is 23 on the 19th of this month.

Matt B.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:sM_Ud.20028$r55.3655@attbi_s52...

GPS now. When it was new and pretty, the owner made me a deal. If I kept
it
clean and maintained, and filled it up after using it, I could fly it
whenever I wanted to. The owner put a lot of faith and trust in me.

Great story.

I can't imagine that happening nowadays (outside of a family) -- but
perhaps
I'm wrong?

I hope I am.

I've known a few younger folks I'd trust with my 172, but I'm not sure that
I'd trust their parents' lawyers should anything unfortunate happen...

-cwk.

Gosh Margie, that sounds almost like what happened to my father 60 some
years ago. He and a buddy cut class and buzzed the high school one fine
Spring day (yes, it was during WWII).

Margy Natalie wrote:
I wish I had your problems Jay! My daughter won't fly unless it's to somewhere
fun. My son can't get a medical. I will tell you I know one guy who solo'd
when he was 16 and his parents would let him fly anywhere, but he couldn't have
the car on Saturday night! Another friend got a call from the school principal
(this was probably 30 years ago) that their child had endangered the lives of a
number of students by going off and stealing a plane and .... it went on for
quite a while. The parents informed the principal that their child was a
certificated pilot and didn't steal anything as he was allowed to use the plane
whenever he wanted and that no one was in any danger at any time. When the kid
got home his parents informed him if he ever cut school to go to the beach again
in the plane he wasn't to be so stupid as to take along kids who would talk
about it.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message I can't imagine that happening nowadays
(outside of a family) -- but perhaps I'm wrong?

I never really figured it out either, but he had the nicest, cleanest
airplane on the whole ramp.

D.