New PPL - Flying For Fun and Sightseeing

TylerSC

Pre-takeoff checklist
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TylerSC
Now that I have my private certificate (2 weeks ago!), I am learning how to develop the right mindset for the "fun flight" with a non-pilot passenger. This is not really something you can do with an instructor, and is a lot like the feeling of the first solo flights.

One of the first things I realized is non-pilots have no way to judge the risk of a particular flight. They are like little children riding in a car. They are not concerned about the wind, weather, currency, IMSAFE checklist, or any other factor. If they agree to fly with you, they assume that it is as safe as flying in an airliner. This is both flattering and humbling. You are the pilot in command, and the outcome of the flight is 100% on you.

The second thing I learned was that the pilot does not really get to enjoy the flight like a passenger does. I have to scan for traffic, check engine instruments, listen to the radio, etc.

However - one thing I am learning, after spending a lot of time and a small fortune learning to fly, is that flying is awesome. My first fun flight was just a trip down the Congaree River out of KCUB, and it was amazing to see how the river has created multiple oxbow lakes over hundreds or thousands of years, and how the trees and other vegetation all grow in patterns showing the wild course changes by the river through the eons. I had to pick a safe altitude, stay with flight following, and scan for traffic, but the sense of freedom and the perspective offered from my little airship was a new experience. On my solo cross country flights, there was a very clear plan, but on these flights, I make up the plan as I go. That is a new experience, and a lot of fun!

Right now I'm in the Outer Banks, and have taken my father- and brother-in-law on sightseeing trips up the coast. It really is worth all of the money, time, and stress to learn to fly!
 
The second thing I learned was that the pilot does not really get to enjoy the flight like a passenger does.

Nothing changes now (post training) except you alone must solve all the problems. The first issue with passengers is teaching them when not to talk. They are having fun (or freaking out) and you are working and splitting a few cycles to interact with them but those are stolen cycles.
 
TylerSC...congratulations. I was just thinking about that myself. I took and passed my checkride today. Took me 2 years but I stuck with it, and now I am a pilot. Now people want me to take them flying. (except my wife) I think I'll need some time with just me flying before I would feel comfortable flying with friends and family. Fortunately I belong to a flying club so I have lots of pilots who don't need much of an excuse to go fly.
 
yes, flying is awesome. this is a good example of when people say u never stop learning....now u learn how to handle the 'extra' workload of non pilot peeps. it gets easier, u learn how to plan the flight and try to make it seamless to the pax while not sacrificing anything safety related. it gets easier real quick.
 
TylerSC...congratulations. I was just thinking about that myself. I took and passed my checkride today. Took me 2 years but I stuck with it, and now I am a pilot. Now people want me to take them flying. (except my wife) I think I'll need some time with just me flying before I would feel comfortable flying with friends and family. Fortunately I belong to a flying club so I have lots of pilots who don't need much of an excuse to go fly.
Don't wait for rust to form, you're probably more 'on your game' now than you'll be for a while, unless you plan on increasing your flight frequency.
 
The third non-pilot passenger of mine was an aviation enthusiast but had never been in a small plane. It was a windy day, but she loved the fact that you could feel the wind push us around cause we weren't a huge airliner (I had given her plenty of warning-and multiple warnings-well before the flight and she still wanted to go).

As I was approaching the airport I briefed her on what the plan was- we were going to overfly the airfield before descending to pattern altitude while turning around to enter the pattern and she could help watch for traffic but I would need to concentrate even more during this final phase of the flight. Then I told her that with the crosswinds we were experiencing today, if I'm not 100% satisfied with how the approach to the runway is going I'm going to add full power and go around to try again- it's nothing at all to be concerned about, just a normal thing to do if things aren't lining up exactly right.

The last part, the thing about the go-around, just hit me on the spot to "warn" her about but I did it in a natural, normal tone because it is a natural, normal thing. The part that surprised me was that it came to me so naturally when she was only my third non-pilot passenger.

It'll get more comfortable with time and experience, but that doesn't make it easier nor should that mean you give it less attention. Congrats and keep learning!
 
Great post. The responsibility of flying passengers really hit home for me as well in those first weeks after getting my ASEL, and to this day.
 
My first fun flight was just a trip down the Congaree River out of KCUB, and it was amazing to see how the river has created multiple oxbow lakes over hundreds or thousands of years, and how the trees and other vegetation all grow in patterns showing the wild course changes by the river through the eons.

Fluvial geomorphology FTW!
 
TylerSC...congratulations. I was just thinking about that myself. I took and passed my checkride today. Took me 2 years but I stuck with it, and now I am a pilot. Now people want me to take them flying. (except my wife) I think I'll need some time with just me flying before I would feel comfortable flying with friends and family. Fortunately I belong to a flying club so I have lots of pilots who don't need much of an excuse to go fly.
Congrats !!! It took me almost 1.5 years, plus buying an airplane.
 
Took two neverbeens this morning. I typically give them the chore of looking out for other planes. They learned that powered parachutes don't pop up on the GTN screen.. the absolute best button to know is the isolate button. Being able to tune out your talking passenger, music, or both is invaluable.
I also find it helpful the tell them before the flight that if they have any questions to feel free to ask. That way when they hear the gear go down they ask about it, instead of texting their family that they love them and this is it.
I also like flying with the rudder pedals with newbies. "Is the plane on autopilot?" No I'm flying with my mind
 
I have found the new pax to be just the opposite. Afraid and wanting to look for traffic. I had one guy always asking "are we on radar?"
Never ever had a complacent passenger... until I flew a big airplane. Now only most are complacent.
 
Just don't say "oops" over the headset if you make a mistake...PAX apparently don't like to hear that uttered outta new pilots!
 
One of the first things I realized is non-pilots have no way to judge the risk of a particular flight. They are like little children riding in a car. They are not concerned about the wind, weather, currency, IMSAFE checklist, or any other factor. If they agree to fly with you, they assume that it is as safe as flying in an airliner. This is both flattering and humbling. You are the pilot in command, and the outcome of the flight is 100% on you.

Yep. Always.

The second thing I learned was that the pilot does not really get to enjoy the flight like a passenger does. I have to scan for traffic, check engine instruments, listen to the radio, etc.

That part gets easier as you do more of it. You'll learn to do all that stuff and still have, as we computer folks would say, "cycles left over" for looking around, enjoying the flight, sipping on a drink, whatever... you'll also learn to recognize when those extra cycles start disappearing that you're getting "too busy" and it turns on a little warning flag in your head...

Just don't say "oops" over the headset if you make a mistake...PAX apparently don't like to hear that uttered outta new pilots!

I once muttered "Oh, ****." over the intercom because I realized I had left something I wanted to bring, in the car back at the hangar... the look on one of the passenger's faces was priceless, and I also felt really bad about it. Was a long time ago, but I learn... no more of that when pax are on board! LOL...

Of course, nowadays I wouldn't do it because it would bust the student's confidence... hahaha... I might be THINKING it... but won't be saying it... :)
 
I believe we often over think flying. Let's face it at its core it really isn't something only superheroes can do. Get in a cub or a champ no radios, no flaps, basic instruments and just go fly. For me anyway, that is where the fun is.
 
I believe we often over think flying. Let's face it at its core it really isn't something only superheroes can do. Get in a cub or a champ no radios, no flaps, basic instruments and just go fly. For me anyway, that is where the fun is.

Exactly. Flying is flying, whether with your CFI, another pilot, or a non-pilot passenger.

The thing that hit me the most after getting PPL is that it's now 100% my decision as to go/no go. That's a big responsibility and one I take very seriously. But I'd have to say that my CFI's always made me make the go/no go decision and asked my rationale behind it. I've never been a cowboy in anything that I do but I'm even more cautious when it comes to flying.


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TylerSC and 96gs917 - congrats on getting your certificate! That's a great accomplishment!

It's interesting as friends and colleagues fall into two camps (at least in my opinion): Those that have aviation interest, and those that don't. The ones that don't may or may not fly with you, but aren't interested in the pre-flight routine, WX checks, flight planning, etc. involved in flight. The aviation interested ("Av-curious?") friends actually are interested in the WX briefing and what you are doing. You'll find that the PAX pre-flight briefing will be slightly different depending upon which group your passenger falls into.

Have fun to both of you and blue skies!
 
Do you have a geology background?

Geography - I was more on the cultural/historical side, but I had friends that did physical geography (mostly coastal geomorph) and friends that did geology. So I love reading about physical geo stuff superficially, but I'm not going to delve into sediment transport formulas without my eyes glazing over.

In general, maybe because of my geo-background, one of the things I love most about flying is being able to see the patterns of humanity (and nature) from above, like what the OP was saying ("it was amazing to see how the river has created multiple oxbow lakes over hundreds or thousands of years, and how the trees and other vegetation all grow in patterns showing the wild course changes by the river through the eons.").

One of my favorite quotes is from Saint-Exupéry: ""The airplane has unveiled for us the true face of the earth…We are able to judge man in cosmic terms, scrutinize him through our portholes as through instruments of the laboratory."
 
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Cool. I'm the same way. I always opt for a window seat on airliners. Love the views. I'm a geologist.
 
Now that I have my private certificate

Congratulations on your certificate..

Most of the folks I take up have flown in small planes and look forward to flying. I normally ask for help getting the plane ready to fly. Ask them to remove tie downs, look the plane over and ask if they have any questions. I explain what type of plane it is, what the fuel load is and what our useful load is.

Most of the time I will ask them were they would like to go. I show them the sectional and discuss the flight. Explain that when we are in the controlled airspace I need to listen to the tower and other aircraft reporting position and intentions.

If they want to take the controls I let them. I encourage them to take pictures and give them the sectional as a souvenir after we land.

Funny my wife did not like flying in small planes when we were dating. A friend of ours convinced her to fly with me, well she had a blast and now loves my baby Beech. We have been married 15 years now and Tami helps with the annual each year.

I feel very lucky that Tami enjoys my hobby as much as I do....:) By the way my avatar is a picture of Tami helping me get the baby Beech ready to fly after a snow storm in December a few years back.
 
Congratulations on your certificate..

Most of the folks I take up have flown in small planes and look forward to flying. I normally ask for help getting the plane ready to fly. Ask them to remove tie downs, look the plane over and ask if they have any questions. I explain what type of plane it is, what the fuel load is and what our useful load is.

Most of the time I will ask them were they would like to go. I show them the sectional and discuss the flight. Explain that when we are in the controlled airspace I need to listen to the tower and other aircraft reporting position and intentions.

If they want to take the controls I let them. I encourage them to take pictures and give them the sectional as a souvenir after we land.

Funny my wife did not like flying in small planes when we were dating. A friend of ours convinced her to fly with me, well she had a blast and now loves my baby Beech. We have been married 15 years now and Tami helps with the annual each year.

I feel very lucky that Tami enjoys my hobby as much as I do....:) By the way my avatar is a picture of Tami helping me get the baby Beech ready to fly after a snow storm in December a few years back.
I am sitting at about 35 hours into my PPL training. My wife is very very hesitant about ever getting in "that small aluminum can called a plane". I have hopes though.your story gives me hopes lol.
 
Flying is so overrated. Been there, done that. I mean, what's the big deal, right?

Just kidding!!! July 23 will mark the 28th anniversary of my PPL checkride, and thankfully I still have the passion for it as much as I did in the beginning. Back then I honestly thought anyone who was exposed to it would share my enthusiasm. How could they not? Well, it's not for everyone. Some folks like cars, it's boats for others, motorcycles, guns, golf, horses, SCUBA diving, or whatever. For me it's flying. For all you newly minted pilots, I say to you, "Keep at it, don't ever lose the joy of it, and share your passion with others."

One of the best things about flying is sharing the experience with others. Especially giving someone their first flight in a small airplane. Don't do stupid chit like scaring them for fun, or pretending like the engine has quit, trying to make them sick, or other generally assholic and stupid chit. You may ruin them for flying. Shortly after I got my license I took a friend up in a C-150 on a hot, bumpy, summer afternoon in Houston. He brought a camera with a long lens, and after about 20 minutes of bouncing around, he was green around the gills. When I landed and stopped the plane, he crawled out and found a patch of grass and curled up into a fetal position. He didn't lose his lunch, but he was ruined for flying for many years. I didn't consider how the turbulence would affect him, and I didn't know enough then to realize that staring through a camera lens in that turbulence would make it all the worse. I still feel bad about it. Many years later he was in town visiting and I gave him a Cub ride on a nice cool and smooth spring day, and he loved it!
 
I am sitting at about 35 hours into my PPL training. My wife is very very hesitant about ever getting in "that small aluminum can called a plane". I have hopes though.your story gives me hopes lol.

Ease into it, educate her on flying and pick a nice day for her first flight. Take her somewhere nice for the $100 hamburger or just a nice flight sight seeing adventure.... Have fun....:)
 
Congrats on your PPL! With non-aviation background passengers (especially younger ones) get familiar with your isolation button on your audio panel if you have one.
 
I am sitting at about 35 hours into my PPL training. My wife is very very hesitant about ever getting in "that small aluminum can called a plane". I have hopes though.your story gives me hopes lol.

Haha, mine refers to them as flying lawn mowers.
 
They are not concerned about the ... IMSAFE checklist
Neither are a lot of us ha ha. Just a fancy acronym worked up by a desk jockey somewhere. Kind of like the DECIDE model...

Nothing changes now (post training) except you alone must solve all the problems.
^^^Yes this, plain and simple.
 
Ha, I have had my private ticket since January and I've only brought one person up so far, I guess I've been so focused on getting my instrument (fingers crossed next Monday) and knocking out my commercial this summer that I haven't really made much of an effort to bring someone up. It was an interesting experience though, took a girl I had started seeing to brunch on the eastern shore (I'm in Baltimore). She loved it and was super excited about the whole thing, though the flight back was pretty bumpy and she got sick. Looking back though I kind of wish I had waited to bring someone a little more ...special, say we say? I feel like your first passenger is kind of a memorable experience almost like your first solo, your first cross country, your check ride etc...and now my memory is with someone who lasted all of a month lol oh well.
 
Just don't say "oops" over the headset if you make a mistake...PAX apparently don't like to hear that uttered outta new pilots!

I once muttered "Oh, ****." over the intercom

Before I was a pilot a motorcycling buddy who recently got his PPL offered to take me for a ride and go see the roads we ride (Dragon, Cherohala parkway, etc.) from the air. I really enjoyed the flight, but the landing was interesting. The airport he picked me up at (and is now my home drome) is nestled down in a valley between two ridges. Unless the wind is right down the pipe, there is always some turb as you drop below the treeline on the ridges. He got in that turb, was sawing away on the yoke, and yelled something that sounded like "duck!" really loud into the headsets. As a NEWB, I grabbed the Jesus strap and seat bottom and held on tight. He ended up making a nice landing, it was just that he wasn't expecting the turb and it caught him off guard.

Even after that harrowing experience, I started lessons. Lol.
 
I was flying a friend, and disconnected the A/P which gave the usual BEEP BEEP BEEP. He got "concerned". Lol, add that to the passenger briefing, check!
 
I was flying a friend, and disconnected the A/P which gave the usual BEEP BEEP BEEP. He got "concerned". Lol, add that to the passenger briefing, check!

Next time fly close enough to terrain to get the 'terrain terrain pull up pull up' and then make them clean their seat when you get on the ground.
 
Just don't say "oops" over the headset if you make a mistake...PAX apparently don't like to hear that uttered outta new pilots!

Hehe. The one that bit me was telling my passengers "we have 30 minutes before we need oxygen" when passing 12500 and heading into a high mountain pass. They thought we were going to die....
 
Yep. Always.



That part gets easier as you do more of it. You'll learn to do all that stuff and still have, as we computer folks would say, "cycles left over" for looking around, enjoying the flight, sipping on a drink, whatever... you'll also learn to recognize when those extra cycles start disappearing that you're getting "too busy" and it turns on a little warning flag in your head...



I once muttered "Oh, ****." over the intercom because I realized I had left something I wanted to bring, in the car back at the hangar... the look on one of the passenger's faces was priceless, and I also felt really bad about it. Was a long time ago, but I learn... no more of that when pax are on board! LOL...

Of course, nowadays I wouldn't do it because it would bust the student's confidence... hahaha... I might be THINKING it... but won't be saying it... :)
I took a friend along for my first dual X-C. At the end of the return flight I was on final when it became obvious I was too high and needed to go around. My exact words to my CFI were "we're not going to make it". My friend later told me that that statement completely freaked him out and I can't blame him. It was a good lesson to watch what you're saying when flying with non-pilot passengers.
 
I was flying a friend, and disconnected the A/P which gave the usual BEEP BEEP BEEP. He got "concerned". Lol, add that to the passenger briefing, check!

I very, very seldom take first timers in a G1000. That's one of the reasons. The other is just getting away from the video game and getting eyes outside at the cool terrain. The flying around here really is rather nice, and I don't like the distraction of an excessively complex panel for a first timer.
 
I took a friend along for my first dual X-C. At the end of the return flight I was on final when it became obvious I was too high and needed to go around. My exact words to my CFI were "we're not going to make it". My friend later told me that that statement completely freaked him out and I can't blame him. It was a good lesson to watch what you're saying when flying with non-pilot passengers.
I dunno. I've found that a well timed, highly sarcastic "we're all gonna die!" usually puts my passengers more at ease.
 
My son was my first passenger when he was 10. He is now 22 and sleeps through TB, I often have to wake him thinking his neck is going to be sore if I don't. My brother also insisted on a flight on a heavy wind day here in west Texas, he was fine with it. The wife: only short trips 1 hour or less, otherwise, she says she'll meet me via Southwest Airlines:(

My best was my sister. She was deathly afraid to fly, didn't understand turbulence, waved off family vacations only going on trips that could be made by car for years. In short, she's been in town quite a bit. I used to harass her as any brother would, calling her every weekend to say I was "going on a fuel run, want to ride along" just to rib her. Did it for over 3 years, then suddenly she said she'd meet me at the field ... and she did. Knowing she was going to be potentially my worst pax ever, I went over the pre-flight with her in basic terms (she's a real detail freak) and told her she could end the flight at any time including engine start and taxi. On taxi out to the run-up area, an RV-6 struck the runway bouncing about 15 feet in the air (think he was attempting a 3 point) and my sister asked,"Is that how WE'RE going to land?" with a quiver in her voice. I laughed and said no. She was pretty tight on rotation through crosswind, so I checked if she wanted me to land...she said not yet. Exited the pattern and headed over to her house (she lives about 6 miles from the field) for pictures. My sister is a dog nut to say the least (6 of them) and we than began to do what must have been at least twenty five 360's, as she shot pictures of her house and tried to zoom in on the dogs. I asked if she was ready to land now (I was getting there bladder wise) and she said "no" ... so I took her to the Class C field on the other side of the mountain, which had mild TB which I explained how that occurred ... she loosened up then, as her equation was always TB=wings falling off. We were given 26R at the same time SWA was given 26L and we came in nearly parallel. She was making a video of the SWA plane, and didn't realize we had already touched down (damn I'm smooth), only reacted when I went full power on the TNG. She now has no fear of flying ... and also avoids mid day flights for TB;):D
 
Just don't say "oops" over the headset if you make a mistake...PAX apparently don't like to hear that uttered outta new pilots!

Lol, the first time I flew PAX in a plane at gross, I said "climb, baby climb." Got some concerned looks after that one...
 
I very, very seldom take first timers in a G1000. That's one of the reasons. The other is just getting away from the video game and getting eyes outside at the cool terrain. The flying around here really is rather nice, and I don't like the distraction of an excessively complex panel for a first timer.

I flew as a front-seat passenger in a really nice 206 with CAP for work a little while back, and it was my first G1000 flight and I just. could. not. stop. staring at the pretty screen. I kept catching myself, it's super addictive!
 
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