First flight with family and $100 burger(donuts actually)

exncsurfer

exncsurfer

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exncsurfer
This weekend I did my first flight with my wife and kids after getting my cert earlier this month. We took a rental 172 and did a 20 minute flight to another airport, got out walked around for 30 minutes or so, had some donuts, then flew back. My wife was kinda nervous, kids had fun. A 172 is a pretty tight fit even with smaller kids. My wife said after that the only part of the flight that worried her was the landing because she couldn't see the runway as we were slowing down and descending. I guess she didn't see it when we approached and since we were in a left pattern she couldn't see it from the right seat when I was on downwind and base. But she said the landings were smoother than she expected so that was a plus. It was her first flight in a small plane, my 4 year old's first flight in any plane. My 9 year old went on a few training flights with me so she was already an expert passenger.

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Timbeck2 said:
Coolio! She'll get more comfortable with every flight and then you'll catch her sleeping.
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Totally agree. I remember flying back from a wedding in MD a few years ago. It was a 3 hr IFR flight in a warrior without a autopilot that ended with me flying an approach to 600 ft OVC, oh and it was my first real IFR flight since getting my rating.

I was working pretty hard navigating NYC airspace in and out of IMC. Then I look over and my wife was asleep. I must have seemed calm to her. I almost felt like a real pilot! :D

@exncsurfer congrats on the flight. Hopefully many more with the family!
 
exncsurfer said:
This weekend I did my first flight with my wife and kids after getting my cert earlier this month. We took a rental 172 and did a 20 minute flight to another airport, got out walked around for 30 minutes or so, had some donuts, then flew back. My wife was kinda nervous, kids had fun. A 172 is a pretty tight fit even with smaller kids. My wife said after that the only part of the flight that worried her was the landing because she couldn't see the runway as we were slowing down and descending. I guess she didn't see it when we approached and since we were in a left pattern she couldn't see it from the right seat when I was on downwind and base. But she said the landings were smoother than she expected so that was a plus. It was her first flight in a small plane, my 4 year old's first flight in any plane. My 9 year old went on a few training flights with me so she was already an expert passenger.

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Did you end up at 60J? The photo you posted looks like you were south of the Outer Banks.

Sounds like you had fun...that's how it's supposed to work!
 
Pics of the donuts or it never happened!

JK, sounds like fun!
 
Brad Z said:
Did you end up at 60J? The photo you posted looks like you were south of the Outer Banks.

Sounds like you had fun...that's how it's supposed to work!
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Yep, that is where we went. Seems like a pretty cool spot to land with some walk-able civilization. We didn't hang out long, had to beat the sun back and the coffee/surf shop I wanted to hit was closed.
 
Fun. Agreed on the wife falling asleep thing. Or she'll be over there reading a book in turbulence and not even noticing it. Ha.

The little ones... they'll just be totally used to it and not know anything different.

My first CFI was trusting enough of my skills and his ability to save anything stupid that I did working toward my Private that his youngest came along in a car seat in the back of a Skyhawk for crash and dash one day.

The "kid" was recently hired by a regional. Hahaha.

Happens quick. The getting old part that is.
 
That is fantastic! Glad the family could join you. Sounded like a nice trip. Hope your wife likes it enough so you can continue to fly as a family.
Thanks for sharing.
 
How did you like the feel in pitch when the cg moved aft? I wish my instructor would have loaded a big cfi back there to see what it was like at gross and near aft limit.
 
RV10flyer said:
How did you like the feel in pitch when the cg moved aft? I wish my instructor would have loaded a big cfi back there to see what it was like at gross and near aft limit.
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I don't think my kids weigh enough yet(maybe 75 lbs between the two). I didn't notice, but I switch between two rentals and they feel pretty different, maybe if I had been flying that one recently I would have.
 
exncsurfer said:
I don't think my kids weigh enough yet(maybe 75 lbs between the two). I didn't notice, but I switch between two rentals and they feel pretty different, maybe if I had been flying that one recently I would have.
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Mine were 90/60 in 2009, I was very surprised the first time in a 172S. Now at 155/130, I like the way it handles better.
 
My daughter was writing in a notebook during this flight, she filled up one page, I just got around to reading what she wrote down:
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taking flight! 10-23-16
I am about to leave on an airplane! My dad is driving its going to be so fun. We are leaving in 15 minutes. While Im waiting lets talk about yesterday. I went to a fall festival and it was so much fun and I won lots of prizes. Im waiting for the plane to show up! I am in the air right now with my sis :) its so cool. I can see everything. Its my sister's first time in an airplane (shes 4), she loves it. I can see my house and the boot park. Its been 30 minutes we are at carolina beach over the water. I see another plane so I get a quarter! 15 more minutes till we land. When we land we are going to a surf shop. Sis says "she likes it" I see smoke and boats. We are turning big I think we are getting ready to land :D We are landing. so cool. and our wheels hit we are on ground. We are going to a surf shop it has food there. We are walking there now. It is closed :( We are at a food place I got a doughnut we are going home.
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I told them they could get a quarter for every plane(traffic) that they spotted if they found it before me. The 'boot park' is a park with a large pond in the shape of a boot from the air:
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That's priceless ! Thanks for sharing. I love the quarter for spotting other planes. I think I'll use that when I take my kids up next time.
 
Skates97 said:
That's priceless ! Thanks for sharing. I love the quarter for spotting other planes. I think I'll use that when I take my kids up next time.
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Enjoy it while they are young.

I'd go broke flying in Florida.
 
Skates97 said:
That's priceless ! Thanks for sharing. I love the quarter for spotting other planes. I think I'll use that when I take my kids up next time.
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LOL, its an expensive traffic avoidance system :)
 
I think the key to his system is that they have to spot the plane before he does. If he wants to keep operating costs down he better scan for traffic better than they do . . . ;)
 
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