Spousal checkride -- any suggestions?

On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 12:25:38 -0700, "Peter Duniho"
wrote:

On the other hand,
I've had some very satisfied passengers on smooth nights with the sun
setting, as they sit peacefully in their seat with a well-judged meal
resting in their stomach, watching the sun go down. In the right
proportions, food can be quite calming.


I generally agree with your statement, but think the first flight
should be just that, with the dinner after a successful landing.

z

in article , Peter Duniho at
wrote on 6/18/04 12:25 PM:

"Shiver Me Timbers" wrote in message
...
Fly her to dinner someplace nice on a beautiful day.
[...]
I would suggest the flight take place on a kinda empty stomach.

And after the plane has been put away then take her out for a nice meal.

I don't disagree, but I do think how important that is depends on the
weather.

I advise passengers to not fly on a completely empty stomach, to make sure
they've had a snack or something light. 100 calories worth or so is
sufficient, just to stave off the angry grumbling.

I also advise them to not eat heavily when we fly for lunch or dinner.
People have a tendency to overdo it when dining out, and this is a big no-no
for most folks in airplanes, especially if it's bumpy. On the other hand,
I've had some very satisfied passengers on smooth nights with the sun
setting, as they sit peacefully in their seat with a well-judged meal
resting in their stomach, watching the sun go down. In the right
proportions, food can be quite calming.

Pete

One tradition I've never understood is the "$100 hamburger". Why not the
"$100 bowl of soup", or the "$100 lightly-buttered toast"? Why the hell
would anyone want to tempt fate by stuffing themselves full of a big, greasy
hamburger and then go flying?

"Philip Sondericker" wrote in message
...
One tradition I've never understood is the "$100 hamburger". Why not the
"$100 bowl of soup", or the "$100 lightly-buttered toast"? Why the hell
would anyone want to tempt fate by stuffing themselves full of a big,
greasy
hamburger and then go flying?

During the summer there are usually fly-in breakfasts somewhere within 100
miles on any given Sunday. Getting filled up with pancakes, sausage, et al,
is better than burgers...

For anyone interested in Midwest fly-ins this Sunday: Rock Rapids, Maquoketa
and Harlan, IA and Dodge Center, Hutchinson and Lake Elmo, MN.

http://www.fun-places-to-fly.com/events/default.asp

Philip Sondericker wrote:

One tradition I've never understood is the "$100 hamburger".

This is the burning question that is keeping you awake at night is it.

Why not the "$100 bowl of soup",

Whatever floats your boat Phil.

or the "$100 lightly-buttered toast"?

Whatever floats your boat Phil.

Why the hell would anyone want to tempt fate by stuffing
themselves full of a big, greasy hamburger and then go flying?

Why the hell would you tempt fate by climbing into an airplane
and hurling yourself down a runway and into the air.

Better yet.... Besides you.... who cares.

Here's an idea..... Next time your about to go flying why don't
you forget about a bowl of soup or toast and eat a couple of
pieces of X-Lax instead...... Then go flying.

Kyler Laird wrote:


Take along your flight instructor for the first trip as a "thank you" and
as a way to ease your wife's concerns (and to make the trip easier for
you.)

Hmm. "I don't trust myself"? Not perhaps the best message.

- Andrew

Andrew Gideon writes:

Take along your flight instructor for the first trip as a "thank you" and
as a way to ease your wife's concerns (and to make the trip easier for
you.)

Hmm. "I don't trust myself"? Not perhaps the best message.

Then don't send that message. I took flight instructors out with us on
lots of flights. My wife liked it and we had a great time. Having someone
around to file IFR sometimes comes in handy for a new PP.

--kyler

"Andrew Gideon" wrote in message
online.com...
Kyler Laird wrote:


Take along your flight instructor for the first trip as a "thank you"
and
as a way to ease your wife's concerns (and to make the trip easier for
you.)

Hmm. "I don't trust myself"? Not perhaps the best message.

- Andrew



I actually took my wife on one of my dual cross-country flights when I was a
student.
She enjoyed it. But she enjoyed it much more the first time she went after
I got my license because she was in the front seat.

The Weiss Family wrote:

I actually took my wife on one of my dual cross-country flights when I was
a student.
She enjoyed it.

Well, that's completely different. I actually tried to do that too, but our
schedules never synched sufficiently.

But she enjoyed it much more the first time she went
after I got my license because she was in the front seat.

I'm sure.

- Andrew

"Eric Ross" wrote in message
...
I recently received my license and I am taking my somewhat nervous wife
up for the first time. I am aiming for a clear, reasonably smooth day.
Any suggestions for making this flight as positive as possible for her?

In addition to the other good suggestions already posted...

Make sure you do a thorough passenger briefing, while emphasizing that being
prepared does not mean you actually expect something bad to happen. As part
of the briefing, provide a brief description of what you expect to happen on
the flight, from takeoff to landing.

A couple of non-obvious points that I have found helpful to mention to
first-time passengers during the briefing:

* The airplane gets very quiet during the last stages of the pattern,
final approach, and landing, due to the very low power setting. This is
perfectly normal, and doesn't indicate anything went wrong with the engine.

* The stall warning horn will likely go off during the very last moments
of landing. Again, this is perfectly normal and in fact suggests a
well-executed landing in most airplanes.

Things that I task passengers with:

* Looking out for traffic. Explain what the difference between
airplanes that are "near" and "far" is, along with ways to point out
direction and altitude. I like to use the other airplanes around the ramp
to help passengers learn how large an airplane looks at various distances.
I explain that any airplane that looks as large as one parked on the ground
is pretty much "near", while those seen in the pattern are either "medium"
or "far".

* Keeping quiet in the terminal areas, except to point out something
important for the safety of the flight.

* Enjoying the flight, and letting me know if there's *anything* they
are uncomfortable with, no matter how small.

Congratulations on your new pilot certificate!

Pete

Going low and slow on the first flight (1,000'-1,500' AGL) may help ... that
is what I did with my wife after she refused to fly with me for six years.
Staying low makes the ground "unroll" underneath faster and more
interestingly. Later on you can explain that higher altitude is a bit safer.
Worked for me.

Henry