Have You Given a Stranger a Ride?

"jfleisc" == jfleisc writes:
jfleisc Am I being
jfleisc too paranoid here or what?

Yes.

First, I have given two rides to complete strangers. One was a French
fellow who had gone to graduate school here (UC Davis) a few years
before and almost completed his PP-ASEL at that time. He had airline
tix for his family that involved flying around the world and he
stopped by for a few days, visiting the airport on his bicycle and I
happened to be there. I gave him a ride later that day...he was quite
appreciative and said if I ever visited France again we could stay at
his house. Not a bad trade for a simple 45 minute flight.

The other fellow was a local from a small town on the Sacramento
River. He too rode up on his bicycle (Davis is big on bicycles) and
showed an interest in my airplane, an Aircoupe. On a whim we went for
a 30 minute flight over his house, etc. He had never been in a small
plane. He was so grateful he came by my house a week or two later and
delivered some veggies from his garden.

I've also flown over 50 kids in Young Eagles (not all in the
Coupe). Last week I flew the son of a friend for a brief night
flight.

In all of these there's a tiny but non-nil possibility of something
going awry, an accident or accusation or whatever. I'm aware of it,
but I think the chances of something bad happening are overblown. YE
didn't have any fatalities until recently, after more than 1 million
kids flown. The satisfaction far outweighs the risk, and I'm too
ornery to let some remote or imagined lawsuit deter me. These flights
aren't altruistic or for a noble cause; I do them for me.

I've posted this before, but repeat it here to explain the joy that
await you and your passenger with these flights.

OF I have had many other passengers -- some very shy, others more
OF adventurous, but James stands out.

I still remember a 9- or 10-year old girl I gave a ride a couple of
years ago.

It was a big event, lots of kids and pilots. I landed at dawn to see
hot air balloons launch, then waited until 9:00 or so for the YE fun
to start. At the end of the day I flew 9 kids in the Aircoupe so
that makes for a long day.

The last flight was this girl who when walking out to the plane asked,
"Can we go fast?" I knew this would be special.

"Sure,", says I, "we can go fast. Maybe a hundred miles an hour!"

"Faster than a motorcyle?" she asked. "Yep, that's faster than a
motorcyle." But then I wondered if it would be...her dad looked kinda
adventerous.

She had seen the Coupe during the day and knew the canopy slid open
and closed. As soon as we got in and started to taxi she wanted to
fly with the canopy open.

"Well, we'll see," I said. I was reluctant. The noise and wind could
easily scare a young person. I for sure wouldn't do it on takeoff.

Away we went, canopy closed. I pointed out a few places...every
minute or two came the question: "Can we open the canopy?"

Time to return, and we're headed back to the airport. Finally I undo
the latches and crack it open a couple of inches...that ought to keep
her happy. I'm on downwind keying the push-to-talk, about to announce
my position to the tower...when finally she can't stand it any more
and screams, "ALL THE WAY OPEN!!"

Aye, I got that message. Left hand on the yoke still holding the
transmit open, with the right hand I reach up and jerk back the
canopy, ALL THE WAY OPEN.

As we pass the numbers and I pull back the throttle, I look over.
She's got a grin a mile wide. A real firecracker, that one. We ride
it around base and down final, noise and wind swirling around. Pull
back to idle half-way down final and the prop gives that funny sighing
sound and for an instant you can see it unwind...always gives me a
chill 'cause I daydream for a moment I'm flying a turbine. A chirp of
tires and we've landed, slowing down, noise and wind gone now, but a
ride we'll both remember for a long, long time.