"Hey hit me up when you got some more time in that thing!"

CC268

CC268

Final Approach
Joined
Nov 4, 2015
Messages
5,532
Display Name
Display name:
CC268
This cracks me up. I am a new Private Pilot - only 60 hours. I recently got a new 1965 Cherokee 140 with my dad and posted some photos on social media. Of course a bunch of my friends comment and say how cool it is and how they want to go fly with me, etc. But...I have found that no one "really" actually wants to go up with me lol. I mean don't get me wrong, I don't blame them to some extent. I would be really nervous to go fly with a new pilot as well. At least my girlfriend loves to go which is pretty cool.

Just curious - when did your friends start going with you or how did you make them comfortable enough to go up with you?

Side note: I went up last night with an instructor to go up and do some stalls, emergency procedures, night landings, no flap landings, engine failure on downwind, landing at night with no landing light, etc...I absolutely nailed it. I feel comfortable without being cocky. Every instructor I have ever flown with has been really impressed and comfortable. I feel safe, but I know I am no Top Gun. I am extremely conscientious and always error on the side of being conservative.
 
Right after your checkride you are as sharp as you are going to be for a long time. It's pretty common for people to say they are interested, then back out for various reasons. Some never ride along. If they really want a ride, they'll do it. Otherwise they never will, no matter how many hours you have.
 
Took my mom and friend up the day after I got my license. I just did what I learned in training and did not try to impress them.
 
I took my first few pax a few days after my checkride with around 55 hours. I've also encountered some people that mention they want to go but never have, doesn't bother me because I could care less if they ever come along.

If your girlfriend loves to fly with you, I'd say you're doing great!
 
My first passenger didn't know he was my first passenger until we were taxiing to back to the hangar.

He said, "nice job" and I said, "Thanks, you're my first passenger"

He said something along the lines of "****, I wouldn't have come if I knew that."
 
Ryanb said:
I took my first few pax a few days after my checkride with around 55 hours. I've also encountered some people that mention they want to go but never have, doesn't bother me because I could care less if they ever come along.

If your girlfriend loves to fly with you, I'd say you're doing great!
Click to expand...

Yea I don't mind flying solo since the climb rate in this Cherokee 140 is absolutely phenomenal. lol

Yea it is awesome my girlfriend likes it. Gonna put a ring on that one soon ;p
 
rolivi said:
My first passenger didn't know he was my first passenger until we were taxiing to back to the hangar.

He said, "nice job" and I said, "Thanks, you're my first passenger"

He said something along the lines of "****, I wouldn't have come if I knew that."
Click to expand...

HAHAHA
 
rolivi said:
My first passenger didn't know he was my first passenger until we were taxiing to back to the hangar.

He said, "nice job" and I said, "Thanks, you're my first passenger"

He said something along the lines of "****, I wouldn't have come if I knew that."
Click to expand...

:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
my personal experience has been that all my guy friends talk it up about "yeah, that's so cool, let's go flying" but they never go and almost always end up saying "my wife won't let me go". my lady friends go up in a heartbeat. I can't keep the ladies out of the plane. of course, they are all married because that is the luck eman1200 has.

at this point I don't really talk about flying too much with people. I know you're excited because u just got ur plane and want to share it with peeps. once I got ppl'd I asked everyone I knew. then I had this thing where I'd ask someone 3 times and stop asking after that. now I basically limit who I ask to the people who've flown with me before and I know love to go any chance they can. well, that and just about any female. not the fat ones, of course, but pretty much any other. it's a weight and balance thing, that's all. ;)
 
eman1200 said:
my personal experience has been that all my guy friends talk it up about "yeah, that's so cool, let's go flying" but they never go and almost always end up saying "my wife won't let me go". my lady friends go up in a heartbeat. I can't keep the ladies out of the plane. of course, they are all married because that is the luck eman1200 has.

at this point I don't really talk about flying too much with people. I know you're excited because u just got ur plane and want to share it with peeps. once I got ppl'd I asked everyone I knew. then I had this thing where I'd ask someone 3 times and stop asking after that. now I basically limit who I ask to the people who've flown with me before and I know love to go any chance they can. well, that and just about any female. not the fat ones, of course, but pretty much any other. it's a weight and balance thing, that's all. ;)
Click to expand...

Haha that is soooo true! Or like my one buddy says he wants to go up, but his wife is like mortified and gives him the evil eye when we talk about it.

The ladies love it man...hehe
 
My first pax were my kids. Other than that, I've also had a lot of people say, "Yeah, someday I'd like to ride along." When I say, "OK, how about in 20 minutes?", they say something like, "Uhhh, I think I have a dentist appointment."
 
CC268 said:
Haha that is soooo true! Or like my one buddy says he wants to go up, but his wife is like mortified and gives him the evil eye when we talk about it.

The ladies love it man...hehe
Click to expand...
Once you are an airline pilot they might consider flying with you. I still have people look nervous when they get in an airplane I'm flying. Try like to ask in a very surprised and concerned voice, "how old are you?!"

I guess looking 21 doesn't comfort them.
 
My (female) colleagues bugged me for ages, that I should take them for a ride. Ok, for four weeks I was offering different days for a ride and either my colleagues didn't bother at all to tell me if the day fits or not or they had some excuses (doctor's appointment, yard work, preparing for the business travel that will come up... You get the idea). :( Or they wanted to bring the entire family and friends to enjoy the flight.

Two colleagues finally took the opportunity and really liked it. I have learnt my lesson and will not have high expectations going forward. :)
 
eman1200 said:
my personal experience has been that all my guy friends talk it up about "yeah, that's so cool, let's go flying" but they never go and almost always end up saying "my wife won't let me go". my lady friends go up in a heartbeat. I can't keep the ladies out of the plane. of course, they are all married because that is the luck eman1200 has.
Click to expand...

LOL- yeah, my friends are all like that also. "I'd fly with you", or "You call the time and date and I'll be there." None step up when I tell them that I'm going flying - even if it's a trip around the patch. I can't comment on the lady friends as my wife has pretty much run them all off. :p And she's not keen to fly or let my son fly with me. So... I pretty much roll alone.
 
Last edited:
I have found it is not an experience/pilot time thing, it is that many more people are apprehensive about flying in a small single engine than they will freely admit.

It ranges from my business partner that will not fly in anything less than a plane with two engines and two pilots to those that get even a bit motion sick. I have had MANY a people that were "interested" until such time that they had to commit...then the excuses start rolling out! From there I can usually tell between the "I gotta wash my hair" excuse and those that truly do wanna go up but can't to extend another invite.
 
Last edited:
Joshuajayg said:
Once you are an airline pilot they might consider flying with you. I still have people look nervous when they get in an airplane I'm flying. Try like to ask in a very surprised and concerned voice, "how old are you?!"

I guess looking 21 doesn't comfort them.
Click to expand...
I know how you feel man. I always get double looks.

IMG_1183_zpsvxtvbglm.jpg
 
@Shawn is on the right track. People that seem very interested in your flying sometimes just want it to be YOUR flying.

I have 5 brothers. 1 has been looped and rolled in an RV-4 (not by me) and he has ZERO interest in going up in my RV6 which, believe it or not, is bigger! 1 did a ride with a "low time" 172 pilot and said never again. 2 won't fly in an airplane without a bathroom, and potty seats don't count, and the 5th got as far as solo X-C before he got married and kidded, so there's some hope there.

My Father flew with me once. Not once because of fear, but because he lived in another state and died about a year later. His wife will fly with me anytime. My Mother was on the NO WAY JOSE list.

My nieces and nephews are regulars. They like it. Smart kids.
 
Same folks bugging me for rides before, were riding after my check ride.
 
I fly primarily because I enjoy the unique experience - few people on earth get to see our world from the perspective of piloting a light aeroplane. Therefore I prefer not having people in the plane that are unlikely or predisposed not to enjoy the experience - because if they are nervous or uncertain it spoils it for me.

My wife falls into that category - to this day she will be the first person on the back of one of the young horses she trains (which scares the $#&! out of me) but she has always been uncomfortable in a plane, even a big Boeing. So the deal we have is she can come flying with me any time she wants, but I don't ever ask her. So far the only time she does fly with me is if there is a horse to see at the other end of the trip. :)

Try to enjoy every flight, solo or accompanied - not many others get to do what we do.
 
Over the years I have found there are a lot of people who "want to go flying" when they are in a group. Basically, they don't want to look timid and/or fearful in front of their buds.

When push comes to shove, however, they have no intention of ever getting in anything smaller than a 737 -- and even then, they are uncomfortable.
 
Jay Honeck said:
Over the years I have found there are a lot of people who "want to go flying" when they are in a group. Basically, they don't want to look timid and/or fearful in front of their buds.

When push comes to shove, however, they have no intention of ever getting in anything smaller than a 737 -- and even then, they are uncomfortable.
Click to expand...

I always get a kick out of that, if they were a little more educated, they'd know that they should be more fearful of their own auto driving skills than riding around in the GA single lol
 
When I told my friends that I wanted to learn to fly, they all immediately announced they would never ride with me.

Now for the rest of the story....

As a young man I raced cars. Not parking lot "racer", not the simple red light to red light type of racing, I raced cars from local Saturday night tracks to later in my career on superspeedways. I had an attitude as well. I did not like anyone to pass me or be in front of me. I drove like a man possessed ALL of the time. I always told my friends that if they see me getting close to them while they are driving, hold your line and steady speed, I won't hit you. We would pass things by hand from car to car at 100 MPH on the highway. I would sneak up behind my friends and tap their bumper with mine. Now I never caused an accident and I was never in an accident, but very few of my friends would ride with me. I was on a first name basis with most of the local police, and for a couple years I taught aggressive pursuit driving at the local police academy. Even the most experienced cops could not keep up with me on the driving course. They knew the only way to catch me was with the radio, if I decided to put a license plate on the car.

And when I announced I was learning to fly, they all took off for the hills to hide thinking I would fly like I drive.

I don't drive like that anymore. I hung up my firesuit more than 20 years ago. On the interstate I set the cruise control just a little under the speed limit and take it easy. When I fly, I take pride in making flights as smooth and as comfortable as I can. Passengers constantly compliment me on the flight and how smooth I land. My friends, the ones that got in an airplane with me, are surprised at how much different I am in a plane.

But they still won't get in a car with me.
 
Jay Honeck said:
Over the years I have found there are a lot of people who "want to go flying" when they are in a group. Basically, they don't want to look timid and/or fearful in front of their buds.

When push comes to shove, however, they have no intention of ever getting in anything smaller than a 737 -- and even then, they are uncomfortable.
Click to expand...
Yea unfortunately most people equate big with safer and small with dangerous
 
"...my one buddy says he wants to go up, but his wife is like mortified and gives him the evil eye..."
"...they have no intention of ever getting in anything smaller than a 737 -- and even then, they are uncomfortable."
"... will not fly in anything less than a plane with two engines and two pilots to those that get even a bit motion sick."
"...won't fly in an airplane without a bathroom..."

The P***yfication of America is complete.
 
This.....is why I sold my Six....and bought a smaller .....faster plane. :lol:
 
I have given rides to friends, neighbors, neices, grandkids, assorted other relatives and a dozen or so Young Eagles. Today I finally got my wife to make a 40 minute lunch run in the RV-12 with me. She'd ridden with me in a 172 before, but it was still a big deal for her. And hey, we didn't die! She did note, however, that every time she rides with me we seem to land on grass. Her last flight with me was to Gaston's.

I offer rides, but I'm not going to beg. You want to ride, or you don't.
 
Last edited:
jordane93 said:
Took my mom and friend up the day after I got my license. I just did what I learned in training and did not try to impress them.
Click to expand...


Same same sorta... That weekend me and the GF were chewing up some altitude.
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
Sometimes, the giant "Experimental" decal on the baggage bulkhead gives my friends pause. :eek::eek:
Click to expand...


Yet they will let a doctor do all sorts of **** to them with little fear even though they are still "practicing" and kill more people than car accidents do.

:rolleyes:
 
I'd chock it up to their loss and not worry about it. You'll ultimately have plenty of takers.
 
Going up again tomorrow soloooo...gonna be great...the climb rate with just me is gonna be unreal in the 140 lolol
 
CC268 said:
Just curious - when did your friends start going with you or how did you make them comfortable enough to go up with you?
Click to expand...

My dad went flying with me right after I got ticket. Took him up in a Tomahawk and did wing-overs. He never said a word, just smiled and thanked me when we got back down. I look back on it now and realize he was pretty brave.
 
Same here lots of interest until I asked. I have learned not to bother, their loss. I also bought a small single place bipe to bomb around in and am loving that!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top