The GF is going for it!

dwalt

dwalt

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Apr 15, 2012
Messages
351
Location
Atlanta
Display Name
Display name:
DWalt
Well, my girlfriend of 5 years is not the biggest fan of flying...she has always been afraid of it. She's never been in a small plane and always vowed she'd never go in one...until now!

She came to me today and said she really wants to be able to take trips, so she's going to bite the bullet and give it a shot...this made my day!!!

I've got a nice 172sp booked for this Sunday at 1pm...it's supposed to be clear and about 45ish degrees out, so hopefully it should be nice and smooth.

Hopefully she'll get hooked, and that will be that!
 
Whatever you do, don't scare her or take her out in even light turbulence or she might not come back. :(
 
MSPAviator said:
Whatever you do, don't scare her or take her out in even light turbulence or she might not come back. :(
Click to expand...

That's my fear...hopefully there will be someone around the airport who can give me a PIREP. If not, I could probably take a lap around the pattern beforehand.
 
Yeah might be a little windy Sunday. Better go up at least 3,000 ft to give her a smooth ride. I'll probably go up at DNN early Sunday morning.
 
Keep it short, no long trip. Some to go look at within about 30min?
 
If she said she wants to take trips, build on that. It's a pretty specific statement, and provides a good focus for this venture.

I'm guessing she also wants to be with you. Most people won't try to overcome a fear unless there's a payoff for them that's worth it. If you've been together five years, then you can probably read "I want to take trips with YOU, and I know you're going to fly, so I'm going to have to fly, too."

Help her feel at home around the plane. Hit it a few times so she can see it's solid. :)

Whatever her reaction to the flight, take the time to talk with her about how she felt during the flight.

Be careful not to EXPECT her to be "hooked." If she is not, your disappointment will show. Just keep neutral and open and listen to what she is saying.

I hope what she'll be saying is "That wasn't so bad!" Or even better ...:happydance:
 
Becky said:
Be careful not to EXPECT her to be "hooked." If she is not, your disappointment will show. Just keep neutral and open and listen to what she is saying.

I hope what she'll be saying is "That wasn't so bad!" Or even better ...:happydance:
Click to expand...
+1

My wife tolerated travel by light aircraft for 17 years. She never once went up with me just for the heck of it. To her, it was a tool to go from Point A to Point B, nothing more. Keep your expectations low, and small steps.
 
BillTIZ said:
Keep it short, no long trip. Some to go look at within about 30min?
Click to expand...

Agreed.......

And if you include food or shopping, or both then she will see the advantages of light aircraft... Find an airport with a place to eat on or close to the field and have a blast..... Once she starts bragging to her friends her BF flew her somewhere then you know the hook has been set..:yes::)
 
And for your first "trip", take her someplace really cool that's hard to get to in a car. Good luck.
 
steingar said:
And for your first "trip", take her someplace really cool that's hard to get to in a car. Good luck.
Click to expand...

This.

My wife found a great place for a long weekend, someplace that would have been ten hours driving, and was around 3.5 hours in a Cherokee. Had its own airstrip. Really cool, made her feel extra-special.
 
Also, if you expect light burbles and she had ever been in a canoe you might explain that air flows much like a river and the burbles are like that but you just can't see them. I often have the "river" talk with non pilot pax for their first flight and also tell them once you fly enough you can tell near the mountains what the air will do and anticipate the movement. Then when the plane moves for no apparent reason I can say, See, that's the river I told you about and the plane is like our canoe.

We live near the rio grande and many folks have been on boats elsewhere as well. For some of them the analogy helps.

And I second the motion about keeping it short. Very short. Over town, and back. Maybe find stone mountain, it's gotta look nice from above or some other thing she likes. You can then look at a regular map together and plan a short fun trip for the next good weather window that evening with wine etc.
No more than 20-30 mins even if she's enjoying it. Because if she starts to not enjoy it and doesn't mention it till she's quite uncomfortable then you've blown it. Pax can mask discomfort in an effort to be "nice". Watch for swallowing and sweating. . Really, for the first time, don't go somewhere.

Just my .02cents
 
dwalt said:
Well, my girlfriend of 5 years is not the biggest fan of flying...she has always been afraid of it. She's never been in a small plane and always vowed she'd never go in one...until now!

She came to me today and said she really wants to be able to take trips, so she's going to bite the bullet and give it a shot...this made my day!!!

I've got a nice 172sp booked for this Sunday at 1pm...it's supposed to be clear and about 45ish degrees out, so hopefully it should be nice and smooth.

Hopefully she'll get hooked, and that will be that!
Click to expand...

Bad move rookie. :rofl:

Turbulence!!!!

Early in the morning or late in the evening. Take her up and watch the sunset. The colors this time of year are fantastic.
 
Ps: explain things if she asks but in a simple way. She isn't there to take a lesson. Of course, you know here and I don't but information overwhelm might not help your cause.
When youdo the mag check just do it, don't say your checking to make sure the engine is working :)

You get the idea
 
Jeanie said:
Ps: explain things if she asks but in a simple way. She isn't there to take a lesson. Of course, you know here and I don't but information overwhelm might not help your cause.
When youdo the mag check just do it, don't say your checking to make sure the engine is working :)

You get the idea
Click to expand...

Good stuff.

Go over the panel with her too. Show her what stuff does in simple terms, show her what she can touch and what she can't. Where the vent is. Make sure she knows where the gas gage is. Everyone wants to know that for some reason. ;)
 
Mason said:
Smooth air, gentle banks, no hot dogging.
Click to expand...


when I take anyone for the first time, I explain before the engine start several things that they will see/feel right away, full power, the nose you will not be able to see over, and turns.
Anytime the I do anything to manipulate a control, even just the trim wheel, I explain what I am doing how the plane should react and that has served me well.
 
SCCutler said:
This.

My wife found a great place for a long weekend, someplace that would have been ten hours driving, and was around 3.5 hours in a Cherokee. Had its own airstrip. Really cool, made her feel extra-special.
Click to expand...
On the 23rd we did 3MY-CDW. Picked up the older daughter. Thence to WVL. Drove to the ski resort (Lenticular hovering over Sugarloaf!). Back 12/28 to CDW, MIL's 89th B-day in the city. 12/29 flew yonger daughter back to IJD, then around the North end of the NorEaster at FL 22, home by 5 PM.

She knows that this can only happen in a GA aircraft.
 
Last edited:
After 2 years and 200hrs, i finally convinced my terrified wife to climb into a C172 with me. I had just returned from a solo overnight 600nm each way trip to visit our daughter. I took her up in the early morning for a quick 45nm jaunt to a local attraction (the Devil's Tower in NE Wyoming). She loved it. We now spend evenings flight planning long trips and she is nagging me to work less so we can fly more!!

Definitely agree with the short first trip, cancel if any risk for turbulence (what you don't even notice might really scare her), and explain everything as you go.

Good luck.
 
Well, unfortunately, it didn't happen. She was too scared and I didn't want to push. At the end of the day, guilting her into doing it would never be worth it and is not something I'm interested in doing. We'll try again in the coming weeks...we're getting close though.
 
dwalt said:
Well, unfortunately, it didn't happen. She was too scared and I didn't want to push. At the end of the day, guilting her into doing it would never be worth it and is not something I'm interested in doing. We'll try again in the coming weeks...we're getting close though.
Click to expand...


Yeah, don't worry about it. yoU have the right approach. She may have just got nervous building up to it.. Watch for a great day, and spring it on her "It looks really nice, do you want to go look at X right now?" If she says yes, or no, either is fine with you...
 
ja_user said:
Yeah, don't worry about it. yoU have the right approach. She may have just got nervous building up to it.. Watch for a great day, and spring it on her "It looks really nice, do you want to go look at X right now?" If she says yes, or no, either is fine with you...
Click to expand...

That's a good plan...in the meantime, I waited a few hours and did some ifr training with my CFI tonight, and got to see this awesome moon, so all is not a loss!
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    344.5 KB · Views: 21
dwalt said:
Well, unfortunately, it didn't happen. She was too scared and I didn't want to push. At the end of the day, guilting her into doing it would never be worth it and is not something I'm interested in doing. We'll try again in the coming weeks...we're getting close though.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking it's a good thing you weren't pushing or trying too hard to convince her. I really can't give any sound advice of what to do or what not to do as I've been "trying" to get my wife to come fly with me since I recently got my ppcert.

I guess there's a "best approach" for each person; I got to the conlusion that with my wife I will have to be very patient and not keep asking her or trying to explain things to her ad nauseum. I've asked her instead to come and see me preflight the plane and then "buh-bye". That seems to break the ice and I notice an improvement. Still too early to ask again, but I'll give it more time.

Anyways, good luck and have patience would be my ownly advice - for whatever it's worth :)

edit: i'm gonna ask her to help me clean the windows on the plane during the preflight - maybe that will get her to be a bit more intimate with the plane :D
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top