Hints for parents of 13 year old student pilot?

Hi Jay;

Neither of my parents flew. So I speak from the student/child side. Although
that
was 30 years ago. :-)

I was extremely motivated when I was a kid as I had always wanted to fly. I
can
not remember a time that I did not want to fly. I would save any money that
I earned
and use my lunch money to fly with. I had my first 4 or 5 hours before my
parents
knew what I was doing.

My father was supportive to the point that he did not stop me and my mother,
well,
she pretended that I was not doing anything.

I started my training when I was 14, soloed on my 16th b-day and had my
private
ticket before the end of high school. I had planned to have a flying career,
but I ended
up a computer guru. Go Figure. :-)

If your son really wants to learn, I would have him fly a few hours, then
have him hit
the books. If he is truly into flying he should be willing to study a few
hours a week.

Our 15 year old son is not into flying at all. He loves his Tae Kwon Do. He
is just about
to test for his 2nd degree black belt. Jody has been asked to go to a
tournament in
Chicago in July.

Regardless if he enjoys flying or not, be supportive.

Craig R. Bowers
Rosamond, Ca http://craignet.com


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:IyC7c.58287$_w.912977@attbi_s53...
My son, age 13, is planning to take flight lessons this summer. My wife
and
I are both pilots, so he has been flying since birth.

Any parents out there gone through the same experience? My concerns a

1. Training Program. His training need to be thorough, but not dull and
too
"book oriented." I don't want him to burn out.

2. Structure. He's a typical 13 year old -- one minute mature, the next
minute a scatter-brain. He learns best in a structured environment, which
is something I've noticed is lacking in most FBO-based training programs.
The problem, of course, is if it's too structured it may become dull, and
then we're back to #1.

3. Frequency. Given his inability to solo for a few years, I was thinking
that weekly lessons would be plenty. I know this slows the learning
process, but that's okay for now. Or do you think he'll lose interest at
that slow of a pace?

4. Instructor. Whoever teaches him is going to have to relate to a young
teenager. Considering the young age of most of our CFIs, this may not be
a
problem. Or, they may not take him seriously. Or, worse, he might not
take
*them* seriously.

It's really hard for me to tell if his interest is genuinely internal, or
if
it's just coming from the fact that his mother and I are pilots. We've
assumed from birth that he and his sister would one day fly, just like we
assume that they will one day drive a car and go to college, so it's not
like he's got this unusually strong, burning desire to fly. Heck, he's
been
flying right seat since he was 8 years old, so it's kind of "old hat" to
him, and he, too, has always just "assumed" he would learn to fly.

But flying is serious business, and I want to make sure he becomes safe
and
proficient.

Despite our aviation background, my wife and I are both on pins and
needles
about this -- we want to make sure he gets off on the right foot. Any
advice from others who have gone down this road is appreciated!

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