Flew my first passenger today

[LoLPilot]

My older sister. She is a nervous flyer and wanted to see what happened in the cockpit. She was off work today so I played hookie and we went flying. She decided about half an hour in that she’d had enough flying for the day but she did well!

 

[RyanB]

Feels good doesn’t it?

 

[rk911]

had my BIL up once. he’s a very nervous type that holds onto the “sissy bar” with both hands when he’s riding shotgun in my ‘46 CJ2A but i was stunned when he did very well.

 

[BrianNC]

Now that I think about it, I believe the only person I've ever flown is my wife other than an instructor. Going to take up my first non-wife passenger up tomorrow.

 

[LoLPilot]

It was fun. Admittedly it felt odd NOT being the one asking questions

 

[Ravioli]

I had a friend up once and it was a little bit bumpy heading over to Tyler, TX. That didn't bother him.

But when I did a 30* bank after takeoff he was like "what was that!" Lesson for me, you never know what the newbies will react to.

 

[frfly172]

I enjoy taking friends up flying, get to see other people’s perspective of flying in a small plane.

 

[timwinters]

@LoLPilot

Duuuude...

You need to take your passengers on "the riverfront tour." I've done it with a dozen or so folks and they love it.

The riverfront is in KCPS's airspace. You just call them up, anywhere 'twixt chain of rocks and Jefferson barracks, and ask them for permission to do a riverfront tour. Then go tooling down (or up) the river at about 800' awl. Right in front of the Arch (lower than it is tall if you want!), in front of Busch a stadium, in front of it all! It's freakin' cool. I did it yesterday. Flew to KALN, had lunch, and then did the tour with a friend who I'd never flown before.

Two things:

1. They call the new Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge the "Stan Span." Stoooooopid in my opinion, but that's what they call it.

2. For about 2 or 3 miles just north of the JB bridge you'll likely lose radio communications for about a minute or two. There's an antenna farm down there that causes significant disruption. They know about the issue...it sucks because there is a decent amount of traffic on the river...I don't know why they can't fix it...but it's been that way for years.

I prefer doing it N to S because that puts the passenger on the cool side. Or...if you're coming from the south then turn around at the "Stan Span" <uggghhhh> and fly back down!

 

[LoLPilot]

@LoLPilot

Duuuude...

You need to take your passengers on "the riverfront tour." I've done it with a dozen or so folks and they love it.

The riverfront is in KCPS's airspace. You just call them up, anywhere 'twixt chain of rocks and Jefferson barracks, and ask them for permission to do a riverfront tour. Then go tooling down (or up) the river at about 800' awl. Right in front of the Arch (lower than it is tall if you want!), in front of Busch a stadium, in front of it all! It's freakin' cool. I did it yesterday. Flew to KALN, had lunch, and then did the tour with a friend who I'd never flown before.

Two things:

1. They call the new Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge the "Stan Span." Stoooooopid in my opinion, but that's what they call it.

2. For about 2 or 3 miles just north of the JB bridge you'll likely lose radio communications for about a minute or two. There's an antenna farm down there that causes significant disruption. They know about the issue...it sucks because there is a decent amount of traffic on the river...I don't know why they can't fix it...but it's been that way for years.

I prefer doing it N to S because that puts the passenger on the cool side. Or...if you're coming from the south then turn around at the "Stan Span" <uggghhhh> and fly back down!

That sounds cool! I’ve never even done an arch tour myself. I plan on doing one of the Waco rides once I get my HiPo (just so I can ask the pilot if I can log some Waco time while we are up). Maybe I’ll ask if we can do the arch tour as well.

 

[arnoha]

I had a friend up once and it was a little bit bumpy heading over to Tyler, TX. That didn't bother him.

But when I did a 30* bank after takeoff he was like "what was that!" Lesson for me, you never know what the newbies will react to.

Heh, no kidding. I've told the story before, but the closest I ever came to having a really bad day in a plane was when I said "oops"in a plane. I'd wandered up to 1500' after descending to the 1400' I was instructed to. The local controller popped on to warn me. "Ooops." I punched it down 100' without thinking, forgetting I had three new passengers aboard. The guy in the right seat went white as a sheet and grabbed the yoke, ostensibly to pull us away from the ocean that was now slightly larger in the windshield. He didn't end up pulling, but I definitely had a butt-clenching moment right then. He was bigger and stronger than me...it would have been a hell of a ride into the Bay as I tried desperately to get the nose back down. I've adjusted my pre-flight briefing since then and also tried to smooth out my control inputs with passengers. And remove "oops" from my vocabulary.

 

[RyanB]

She is a nervous flyer and wanted to see what happened in the cockpit.

Was she surprised by how little actually happens?

 

[Ravioli]

Noobs always like to hear, "Anyone know how to land one of these things?"

 

[asicer]