ChrisK
En-Route
So yesterday I took advantage of the beautiful day we had sandwiched between two crappy days, scheduled a little 152 for a few hours, and took my son (pictured in my avatar - currently 8 years old) up. We started out from 15G (my home airport) and the bumps started on my initial climbout and just didn't stop. Tried a few different altitudes with no change.
About 25 minutes into the flight, my boy told me he was feeling a little sick. Note that I just ordered 8 SicSacs yesterday that will be here at the end of the week, and my flight bag took a tumble before pulling it out of the car and my emergency trash bag fell out. Time to try that diversion thing I heard about!
We were really close to I40 (Richard Downing Airport in Coshockton, OH). Heck, I always meant to visit there anyway. Quick monitor of the AWOS, quick plan of runway entry (still had the OLD version of Foreflight so I had to figure all of that out by myself!!) and had it on the ground in about 5 minutes.
I have to say, for those who haven't been to I40, it is a REALLY nice facility. Brand new, CHEAP gas with full service ($5.12 100LL), and free popcorn in the lounge. The line attendant gave me a couple of garbage bags for the road and after sitting for 20 minutes or so sipping water and chatting up transient pilots (met a nice CFI farmer who flies a 172M out of a grass strip in his back yard - color me jealous!) off we went.
I had originally planned to fly down to CDI (Cambridge) but on another whim at the last minute decided to land at ZZV (Zanesville). Landed, taxied around like a lost moron, picked a better departure runway based on the wind, and headed back north.
The bumps were not as pronounced on the leg back, but it was here that my boy availed himself of the trash bag. He ended up emptying his stomach I think, but the trooper he was, he said it made him feel better and that he continued to enjoy the flight. I think he really does like flying, but the amount we were bouncing around up there, I was feeling a bit queasy. As I feel much less airsick when I'm controlling the plane I can only imagine what it was doing to my passenger.
I think I did everything I could. I tried keeping the rudder locked a bit, different altitudes, as light as I could on the yoke with appropriate trim, and throttled back 5-7 knots below normal cruise to even things out. Even though the flight back was less bumpy, I think that the trip out had already turned his stomach and it was a losing battle at that point.
About 25 minutes into the flight, my boy told me he was feeling a little sick. Note that I just ordered 8 SicSacs yesterday that will be here at the end of the week, and my flight bag took a tumble before pulling it out of the car and my emergency trash bag fell out. Time to try that diversion thing I heard about!
We were really close to I40 (Richard Downing Airport in Coshockton, OH). Heck, I always meant to visit there anyway. Quick monitor of the AWOS, quick plan of runway entry (still had the OLD version of Foreflight so I had to figure all of that out by myself!!) and had it on the ground in about 5 minutes.
I have to say, for those who haven't been to I40, it is a REALLY nice facility. Brand new, CHEAP gas with full service ($5.12 100LL), and free popcorn in the lounge. The line attendant gave me a couple of garbage bags for the road and after sitting for 20 minutes or so sipping water and chatting up transient pilots (met a nice CFI farmer who flies a 172M out of a grass strip in his back yard - color me jealous!) off we went.
I had originally planned to fly down to CDI (Cambridge) but on another whim at the last minute decided to land at ZZV (Zanesville). Landed, taxied around like a lost moron, picked a better departure runway based on the wind, and headed back north.
The bumps were not as pronounced on the leg back, but it was here that my boy availed himself of the trash bag. He ended up emptying his stomach I think, but the trooper he was, he said it made him feel better and that he continued to enjoy the flight. I think he really does like flying, but the amount we were bouncing around up there, I was feeling a bit queasy. As I feel much less airsick when I'm controlling the plane I can only imagine what it was doing to my passenger.
I think I did everything I could. I tried keeping the rudder locked a bit, different altitudes, as light as I could on the yoke with appropriate trim, and throttled back 5-7 knots below normal cruise to even things out. Even though the flight back was less bumpy, I think that the trip out had already turned his stomach and it was a losing battle at that point.