Does your spouse have a clue

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evapilotaz

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Drone airspace abuser
So it’s just you and your spouse flying along and all of a sudden you became incapacitated.
Would your spouse be clueless about flying the plane? Would her or he and plane become a smoking crater? I’m thinking I want my wife to take some flying lessons just enough where should could hold the airplane straight and level, work the radio and transponder. Maybe the cfI could get her to a point where she could land if needed. I guess if your in good health becoming incapacitated In flight would be a rare event.
 
My spouse would be dead if I became incapacitated. I have tried to get her to become interested in at least learning how to work the radios but to no avail.

Most of the time she crawls into the back seat and sleeps. She might not even know if I became incapacitated.

I am 56 years old now and I am beginning to think about getting a little more insistent that she takes some sort of "pinch hitter" course.
 
My spouse has a chance. She is a private pilot but hasn’t been current in MANY years.
 
clueless and smoking hole

However, I've known wives that fly with husbands in way worse health than me.

We are playing the odds game.
She is in the airplane 0.57% of all living hours during the year. Hopefully that catastophic event CE (or a warning of an impending CE) happens on the ground.

(So 6 out of every 1000 hours. I think you have to multiply that times the number of CE's that I am predicted to experience (for my cohort), per year to arrive at the actual chance of having CE as described.)

Because of the concern raised by the OP, for a long term plan I'd like to move into a caps-equipped a/c in my 70's. Would like to get 10 years with the Lancair before that.
 
Think mine would be fine. I taught her how to program the GPS for a precision approach and how to work the autopilot. It’ll fly her to the runway VMC/IMC and then she just has to flare/pull the mixtures. We’ve practiced it a few times and I feel confident she’d live. Don’t care about the plane at that point.
 
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Currently, yeah she's screwed, and so would my kid for that matter. We don't worry about it. For reasons I don't care to share here, the statistical probability she would hurt me or my son as a result of her incapacitation on the ground is much higher than the stats of her getting killed by my hypothetical incap in the air. I still choose to go out there and live this life alongside her. People in this hobby....such paradoxical bunch.
 
We’d land...at the bottom of a smoking hole.

Bringing up a pinch hitter course or just my CFI taking her up alone is enough to convince her to never fly again.

I’ve said to her many times that “sudden” complete Incapacitation is rare. And if I needed to I’d be able to get on the ground relatively safe within 5 min whether at an airport/road/field.
 
jordane93 said:
My girlfriend knows how to pull the chute
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I bet she does...
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jordane93 said:
My girlfriend knows how to pull the chute
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What happens if she pulls it at 170 knots? What’s the max allowed speed? Does it auto-slow and then deploy? If not and there is a max speed does she know how to slow to deploy it safely? Just curious as I have no Cirrus time but have heard others that fly them say the same as you.
 
Radar Contact said:
What happens if she pulls it at 170 knots? What’s the max allowed speed? Does it auto-slow and then deploy? If not and there is a max speed does she know how to slow to deploy it safely? Just curious as I have no Cirrus time but have heard others that fly them say the same as you.
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That should be part of every passenger briefing in the Cirrus.
 
Radar Contact said:
What happens if she pulls it at 170 knots? What’s the max allowed speed? Does it auto-slow and then deploy? If not and there is a max speed does she know how to slow to deploy it safely? Just curious as I have no Cirrus time but have heard others that fly them say the same as you.
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Max speed is 133-140 knots depending on the model of Cirrus. It does not slow down then deploy. Whatever speed you pull it at, that’s when it will deploy. Keep in mind, these speeds are demonstrated speeds, not limitations. There have been several pulls about 40 knots above demonstrated speed and the pilot has survived.
 
I have a friend who is a well know EAA pilot, and his wife is a real outgoing, outspoken N Y broad, using that in the respected terms. 20 years ago when AOPA had a genuine Pinch Hitter course, she took it and was In the air with the CFI and practicing what she'd say on the radio. She says, "Mayday, this is the widow Jones calling, and I don't have any plans tonight. "
 
My girlfriend would be dead. No doubt about it. I've tried to offer her the yoke and get her to make some turns and fly but she is afraid of it.
 
Radar Contact said:
What happens if she pulls it at 170 knots? What’s the max allowed speed? Does it auto-slow and then deploy? If not and there is a max speed does she know how to slow to deploy it safely? Just curious as I have no Cirrus time but have heard others that fly them say the same as you.
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The jet is the only Cirrus that "auto-slows" before actual deployment on activating the parachute system.
 
Anthony, if you want a little harmless larceny, you just need a sectional and be in straight and level cross country flight, trimmed but with autopilot off. You say, " Janet would you hold the wheel a moment while I look the class B boundary up on the chart? " And do that while unfolding the chart, hard to unfold an I pad. Just let her feel the control for a minute or so, don't overdo it. Next time you fly do the same thing. Finally one day you say, ok turn right a little so we can see that beautiful ranch down there. Ok , Ive got it , Thanks" . It needs to be slow and not rushed, over at least several flights. You could even begin in the car on the highway, asking her to hold he wheel for a moment while you open a soft drink, etc.
 
The gets talked about a lot, but does it ever really happen? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an example.
 
My mate has a bit more than a clue. She soloed a glider many years ago. But she has no interest in taking the controls of our RV10.

We fly together almost 100% of the time and she does occasionally asks a question that shows she is paying attention. But attempts at giving her some stick time fail.

If I go belly up I hope she gets us down. But if we do the smoking hole without hurting anyone, well, it’s been a helluva time!


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My daughter is a licensed pilot and could fly it with ease.
My girlfriend is not licensed, but asks a lot of questions, has a strong interest in it, and sometimes holds the controls for a while. I have her do things for me also, like raise and lower the gear, flaps, and such. I don't think it would be pretty, but my guess is that she stands a decent chance of survival.
 
My wife can hold it straight and level and make shallow turns. I just installed a new intercom so she could use the radios. If she kept calm maybe a 50/50 chance.
 
AA5Bman said:
The gets talked about a lot, but does it ever really happen? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an example.
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Pilots get incapacitated on a regular enough basis that we know about it.
Or you mean, a pax lands the plane? That has happened too.
 
My wife loves to fly with me, interested in navigation, follows along with a backuo EFB on her tablet, understands most radio coms, drives stick and loves sports cars....but will NOT touch the yoke nor entertain ANY thoughts of learning to fly the plane. Makes no sense to me..can't figure it out... but there ya go.
 
Seven years since I had a non-pilot passenger. My wife does not fly GA, and I far prefer flying alone.
 
jordane93 said:
Max speed is 133-140 knots depending on the model of Cirrus. It does not slow down then deploy. Whatever speed you pull it at, that’s when it will deploy. Keep in mind, these speeds are demonstrated speeds, not limitations. There have been several pulls about 40 knots above demonstrated speed and the pilot has survived.
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Also, that demonstrated speed is KIAS - important to clarify since KTAS can be much higher at typical cruise altitudes.
 
Sundancer said:
Seven years since I had a non-pilot passenger. My wife does not fly GA, and I far prefer flying alone.
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Each to their own but I love taking first-timers up. I also do the Young Eagle flights. And my wife will join if there’s a destination or purpose. She usually just sleeps. If I become incapacitated it’ll be a peaceful end for both of us.
 
Yes, she is a pilot. But, no brakes on the right and she's unable to reach the rudder pedals. I advised landing gear up.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Pilots get incapacitated on a regular enough basis that we know about it.
Or you mean, a pax lands the plane? That has happened too.
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Can you think of an example? The only one I can think of is the Payne Stewart Learjet or some carbon monoxide stories but neither of those are really what we’re talking about here.
 
in Alaska the Ninety-Nine’s used to offer a “pinch hitter” weekend course for pilot’s spouses. My wife took it. I believe it was helpful but like most things, use it or lose it, and her course was taken a long time ago.
 
woodchucker said:
Each to their own but I love taking first-timers up. I also do the Young Eagle flights. And my wife will join if there’s a destination or purpose. She usually just sleeps. If I become incapacitated it’ll be a peaceful end for both of us.
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Well, at least peaceful for you... ;)
 
My wife hates to fly enough that she almost panics so getting her to learn anything would be impossible. My kids, maybe. They play video games.
 
AA5Bman said:
Can you think of an example? The only one I can think of is the Payne Stewart Learjet or some carbon monoxide stories but neither of those are really what we’re talking about here.
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Here is one I remember. There was also one I think in the UK or somewhere over there where a man landed the plane after his pilot friend died of a heart attack.

 
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