ABOVE: You want
me to go in that?
Passengers don’t
understand how good
the maintenance on
an aircraft is; all they
can do is judge by
what they see.
R IGH T: For some
people, their first
flight in a GA plane
could be a Trial
Instructional Flight,
and the instructor
has a similar duty to
make it a fun ride.australianflying.com.au 73
March – April 2015 AUSTRALIAN FLYINGAlternatively, if you’ve got room,
let them bring a friend along who
is not as antsy; their calmness can
be a great influence.
- It ain’t about you
Sorry to tell you, but a first flight is
not the time to show off how good you
are at steep turns or to demonstrate
how well trained you are in practise
forced landings. If that’s why you
want to take this person flying, call it
off and turn the pax over to someone
else. What we think is great fun can
be interpreted as surely dangerous
to a fledgling flier. Also–and this is
directed mainly at male pilots–the girl
in the right-hand seat is more likely to
be impressed by your attention to her
comfort and safety than your ability
to turn a C172 on a 50-cent piece.
- Are you happy
to go?
Make sure you are well inside all
your personal minima for the flight.
If you’re a bit iffy about something,
they will sense your apprehension,
and if the pilot has a reason to be
anxious you can bet the passenger
will think they should be too! So, be
totally satisfied with the weather, your
planned flight and the aircraft itself.
For example, if you decide to take
them around a city, make sure you’re
up to speed and 100% comfortable
with CTA procedures. Some pilots
get nervous over tiger country, so if
you’re one of them, avoid it even if it
does make for a spectacular flight.Conclusion
There are many people out there who
haven’t yet flown in a light aircraft
because they are simply afraid. The
duty of the pilot on their first flight
is to show them that there is nothing
to fear; indeed, there is a great deal to
love. General aviation needs as many
people getting into it as they can, and
us pilots are responsible for doing as
much as we can to encourage it.
And who knows? If you get it
right, you may have just fostered the
beginnings of a new piloting career.Home study texts books with free support through our on-line forumsOn-line Exam Preps
and CPL Performance CourseRPL PPL CPL IREX and RAA. Available as both hard copy and e-texts.Classes for RPL, PPL, CPL and IREXBOB TAIT’S AVIATION THEORY SCHOOL.
Phone 07 32040965 Fax 07 32041902 [email protected] http://www.bobtait.com.auPart 61 Approved
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