Wish me luck!!!! The wife is getting into the plane.

D

drotto

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drotto
Weather permitting, my wife has agreed to her first flight this coming Friday. It will be with a CFI in the right seat, as I continue my HP and complex training (in a Saratoga), but she liked the CFI being there for the first trip. Not sure what we will do that day yet. This morning she asked me if she should bring something to do like a book. I said please do because I hope you are comfortable and feel safe enough to read.
 
Tell her to make sure it is a bible because she may want to to pray :)
 
Not sure I would take my wife up on a checkout. Easy flight for breakfast,lunch sounds a little less stressful.
 
Perfect time to practice falling leaf stalls and spin recovery....:lol: Personally I suggest not taking her on a checkout flight for her first flight.
 
Reading in an airplane induces motion sickness in some passengers. It may be less risky to keep her first flight short enough that she doesn't get bored.
 
Make her first flight short, scenic, and boring.

Stalls freak out first timers.

Take her up in a 172 or some other real familiar airplane and go somewhere nice and nearby. Lots of people like to look at their house or a nearby park or school.
 
This is not a checkout flight, more continue training, but being that I warned her I may not be perfect. We will not being doing stall or anything like that (already done), likely some cross country to learn the avionic systems. So hopefully for her it is a sightseeing flight. She was rather insistent to have the CFI in there for her first time up.
 
My wife is a real trooper. She is the reason I started flying again after a 17 year hiatus. She paid for the BFR and training and went with me on the flight. This was no gentle flight the winds were strong. CFI ask if I wanted to wait for a smoother day and I declined thinking it would be a good workout to see if I could still do it. Wife sat in the back throughout the whole thing. I did take the time to explain what I was going to do so she didn't freak including slow flight and stalls. Most of the landings were close to 12 14 knot crosswinds and it was at dusk and into dark.

She usually takes her yarn along on flights ans crochets the whole time.

She is also the one that strongly encouraged me to buy an airplane which I did.
 
Take a CFI with you who has been pre-briefed to praise you to the skies no matter what you do. Later, outside of you wife's hearing, he/she can communicate the bitter truth.

Don't confuse these two issues: wife's first ride & training. They are totally separate. Even if it's being called a "check out" make sure the CFI knows the real purpose is to introduce your wife to the experience of flying with her Bozo husband, and to reassure her into thinking it's actually safe!
 
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Nervous new passenger in the back seat? That may be a bad choice if you want her to like flying. Try to keep her engaged in looking at things in front of the plane or quartering to the front. The last thing you want is for her to get queasy.
 
Stewartb said:
Nervous new passenger in the back seat? That may be a bad choice if you want her to like flying. Try to keep her engaged in looking at things in front of the plane or quartering to the front. The last thing you want is for her to get queasy.
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My biggest concern also. She has stated that she is not afraid of flying, more about getting motion sickness. Both my kids have already been up with me and were in the back. They did great, and my son will occasionally get motion sickness. Like I said, she really wants the CFI in there for the first go. If I want her to like flying or at least accept it, I need to work with what she will give me. It is also good that this is a six seat plane, much more room, much more stable. With her insisting on this setup would the back seats or club center seats be better?

The CFI I have been using is fully aware of the situation, and does discovery flights all the time. I am confident he will have a good plan.
 
drotto said:
My biggest concern also. She has stated that she is not afraid of flying, more about getting motion sickness.
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Fresh air will be important. If she can get a forward view and make sense of your inputs and the airplane's responses she'll probably enjoy the ride. Keep her engaged.

My wife was a reluctant flyer. One day we needed to get home on a very low and scuddy day. I told her I was going to look forward and fly and I needed her to watch the power lines we were following and alert me if I got too close. She got over her fear of flying that day, in conditions that were as scary as it gets. In fact after we did our chore she asked if we could go back, weather and all. Women are funny creatures. Good luck with yours!
 
JCranford said:
Man, I'd be a little insulted!
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She let him take the kids without her. He should be flattered. She's trying to be supportive. After several years, my wife started joining and has gotten relaxed about it.
 
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My poor wife flew with me once was great for 15 min having fun then all of a sudden sick and miserable. My rule for taking new people up is pretty much within sight distance of the airport cause if they feel sick that potential 15-30 min flight back to the airport is agonizing. Good luck hope she has fun, nothing better than a spouse who understands or at least tolerates your passion.
 
falconkidding said:
My poor wife flew with me once was great for 15 min having fun then all of a sudden sick and miserable. My rule for taking new people up is pretty much within sight distance of the airport cause if they feel sick that potential 15-30 min flight back to the airport is agonizing. Good luck hope she has fun, nothing better than a spouse who understands or at least tolerates your passion.
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Same story here. I took my wife up in a T-34 for her first flight. Sitting in the back seat of that old tandem seat trainer was not such a great idea. She hasn't flow with me since. But, she is very supportive. And, has even talked about flying with me again, maybe.....
 
When I was about eight I rode with my father on one of his lessons. I do recall it took everything in my power to keep from doing the technicolor yawn. The combination of not-so-great rear visibility plus the typical motion of an instruction setting are not conducive to the comfort of a first time passenger.

If you do this, your flight's mission is to introduce your wife to general aviation flight. Everything else is secondary. Otherwise, you may find her first flight is her last.
 
frfly172 said:
Not sure I would take my wife up on a checkout. Easy flight for breakfast,lunch sounds a little less stressful.
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Agreed. Most folks would prefer to be in the front seat anyway, rather than in the back while the folks up front do repeated landings, stalls, maneuvers, etc.
 
Don't do it. Practice is never fun for passengers.
Pay the CFI to tag along with you for a nice evening scenic flight or a hop to the next airfield for a $100 burger.

Do not let her read or fiddle around with the smartphone. Make sure that she looks outside the window. Let her know whenever you change the airplane's configuration. Reducing power or setting flaps can be pretty terrifying for passengers.
 
JCranford said:
Man, I'd be a little insulted!
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:D

WhiskeyPapa said:
She let him take the kids without her. He should be flattered. She's trying to be supportive. After several years, my wife started joining and has gotten relaxed about it.
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Concur. The goal is to get her comfortable. So whatever you have to do to bring her along and have her be at ease will pay off for all of you in the long run.

I wish the OP the best of luck because (and he will know this already) if she can be cool flying with the family it opens up a world of fun stuff.
 
Did you folks read what he posted? It's a cross country get used to the avionics flight in a complex airplane and the wife specifically requested the CFI be along.

How did that become stalls and semi-viloent maneuvering and a bad idea to have her ride in back?

(Mind you, if it was a normal instruction flight with say, stalls, turns around a point, steep turns etc, I'd agree. But that's not what he wrote that it is.)

So many ugly exchanges on this board come from people responding without even reading the whole original post, much less the thread.

Sorry. Rant off.

John
 
petrolero said:
:D



Concur. The goal is to get her comfortable. So whatever you have to do to bring her along and have her be at ease will pay off for all of you in the long run.

I wish the OP the best of luck because (and he will know this already) if she can be cool flying with the family it opens up a world of fun stuff.
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She already had a small moment when it comes to flying potential a few weeks ago. She looked at me and said, we could fly to Smugglers in Vermont (we are in NJ). I said yes, and it would take 2 hours instead of the almost 8 the last time we drove it, but we would need to rent a car at the end of it (closest airport is about 30 minutes away). She then came back, so if we ever got a second house up there like we have talked about this would make it much more doable. I nodded and smiled on the inside.
 
jsstevens said:
Did you folks read what he posted? It's a cross country get used to the avionics flight in a complex airplane and the wife specifically requested the CFI be along.

How did that become stalls and semi-viloent maneuvering and a bad idea to have her ride in back?

(Mind you, if it was a normal instruction flight with say, stalls, turns around a point, steep turns etc, I'd agree. But that's not what he wrote that it is.)

So many ugly exchanges on this board come from people responding without even reading the whole original post, much less the thread.

Sorry. Rant off.

John
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Thanks for reading!!!! I have already talked with the CFI about making this more avionics training then doing maneuvers. The plane was converted to glass panel about 2 years ago so there is enough to learn there. He agreed, plus I have already trained those things in this plane (although landings are still a work in progress). I already told her no violent, sudden, scary maneuvers.
 
jsstevens said:
So many ugly exchanges on this board come from people responding without even reading the whole original post, much less the thread.

Sorry. Rant off.
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Writing a rant about not reading? That seems futile.
 
jsstevens said:
Did you folks read what he posted? It's a cross country get used to the avionics flight in a complex airplane and the wife specifically requested the CFI be along.

How did that become stalls and semi-viloent maneuvering and a bad idea to have her ride in back?

(Mind you, if it was a normal instruction flight with say, stalls, turns around a point, steep turns etc, I'd agree. But that's not what he wrote that it is.)

So many ugly exchanges on this board come from people responding without even reading the whole original post, much less the thread.

Sorry. Rant off.

John
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It doesn't take an afternoon of departure stalls to make someone airsick, particularly if they don't have a good view of the horizon. That time I mentioned all we did was take off, do a few standard rate turns, and hit a few small bumps. The combination of not being able to see the horizon well, the noise and vibration from the engine, the heat from the sun, and a little bit of turbulence was enough to make me queasy. I did eventually get over it, but it took a little getting used to.
 
drotto said:
Thanks for reading!!!! I have already talked with the CFI about making this more avionics training then doing maneuvers. The plane was converted to glass panel about 2 years ago so there is enough to learn there. He agreed, plus I have already trained those things in this plane (although landings are still a work in progress). I already told her no violent, sudden, scary maneuvers.
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Heck yeah you could buy an old truck or something and park it at or near the airport. I'd like to do something like this myself.
 
WhiskeyPapa said:
Take a CFI with you who has been pre-briefed to praise you to the skies no matter what you do. Later, outside of you wife's hearing, he/she can communicate the bitter truth.

Don't confuse these two issues: wife's first ride & training. They are totally separate. Even if it's being called a "check out" make sure the CFI knows the real purpose is to introduce your wife to the experience of flying with her Bozo husband, and to reassure her into thinking it's actually safe!
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+1................
 
Instructor over the intercom: "Ma'am, your husband just executed a textbook example of a left-right bouncing nosewheel touchdown. Just masterful."
 
drotto said:
I have already talked with the CFI about making this more avionics training then doing maneuvers.
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Some more avionics training, and then doing maneuvers? I'd skip the maneuvers.
 
My wife would ride along with my CFI and I sometimes during my training for my private cert. She was in the airplane for my first take off, landing, steep turns and stalls. She rode a few times and was quite content with all of it.

The only time she had an issue i when I was doing training under the hood. We encountered some actual IMC and my CFI filed IFR and we went into the soup. She got a little disoriented and felt a bit sickly but she said it was nothing she couldnt handle.
 
I really do think you should tailor this to your wife, CFI request or not.

Like, program the GPS to take you on a short flight to a nearby airport, and then perhaps divert to another nearby airport (maybe even back where you came from) or skip a waypoint, load an approach, or some other advanced GPS operation. Make it a really nice airport, with a great view. Do this in perfect weather conditions, in the morning. Then land and park and get a bite to eat.

Nothing more. Save the maneuvers for another flight.

You're in NJ. A flight around Cape May or Philadelphia or maybe the Hudson River corridor might be real nice. If marine layer isn't a problem, coastal flying can be stunning.
 
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WhiskeyPapa said:
Take a CFI with you who has been pre-briefed to praise you to the skies no matter what you do. Later, outside of you wife's hearing, he/she can communicate the bitter truth.

[...]to reassure her into thinking it's actually safe!
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It would be off-topic for me to comment on the propriety of orchestrated lying to a spouse to conceal aspects of the risk you want the spouse to take.

But I will say that that is no way for a pilot to treat a passenger.
 
MAKG1 said:
I really do think you should tailor this to your wife, CFI request or not.

Like, program the GPS to take you on a short flight to a nearby airport, and then perhaps divert to another nearby airport (maybe even back where you came from) or skip a waypoint, load an approach, or some other advanced GPS operation. Make it a really nice airport, with a great view. Do this in perfect weather conditions, in the morning. Then land and park and get a bite to eat.

Nothing more. Save the maneuvers for another flight.

You're in NJ. A flight around Cape May or Philadelphia or maybe the Hudson River corridor might be real nice. If marine layer isn't a problem, coastal flying can be stunning.
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That is actually 100% what I was thinking of. I fly out of Robbinsville (not a very nice airport, but home), possibly down to Millville, then to Cape May then back. In this plane if everything goes as planned that would be under 2 hours. The first leg from Robbinsville to Millville is about 25 minutes. Another fun route is to skip Millville head east out to the coast and fly that south all the way down to Cape May.
 
That's great that she wants to go up with you. CFI onboard or not, training flight or not - who cares. Your wife is making an effort that should definitely be rewarded and encouraged. Having a CFI there might be comforting to her because she knows you'll stay on task, won't get distracted with tending to her and she'll be able to relax and enjoy!

I would second scheduling this flight for early morning or late evening. You do not want her experience to be ruined by afternoon bumps and turbulence.
Sightseeing and grabbing a bite midpoint always goes over well.

Good luck and keep us posted!
 
I understand the diner at 26N is excellent and that a trip down the coast to fill beer growlers at Cape May is a damn good way to spend a morning. I hope she loves it and you get to share this with her for a long time to come. I actually have the opposite problem. My wife was a UH-60 medevac pilot; she considers 500' too high to see anything and defines "good vfr" by the number of power poles she can count on a line.
 
tmyers said:
My wife is a real trooper. She is the reason I started flying again after a 17 year hiatus. She paid for the BFR and training and went with me on the flight. This was no gentle flight the winds were strong. CFI ask if I wanted to wait for a smoother day and I declined thinking it would be a good workout to see if I could still do it. Wife sat in the back throughout the whole thing. I did take the time to explain what I was going to do so she didn't freak including slow flight and stalls. Most of the landings were close to 12 14 knot crosswinds and it was at dusk and into dark.

She usually takes her yarn along on flights ans crochets the whole time.

She is also the one that strongly encouraged me to buy an airplane which I did.
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Jeez Tim. That is not what she told me at the cook out! :D
 
tmyers said:
My wife is a real trooper. She is the reason I started flying again after a 17 year hiatus. She paid for the BFR and training and went with me on the flight. This was no gentle flight the winds were strong. CFI ask if I wanted to wait for a smoother day and I declined thinking it would be a good workout to see if I could still do it. Wife sat in the back throughout the whole thing. I did take the time to explain what I was going to do so she didn't freak including slow flight and stalls. Most of the landings were close to 12 14 knot crosswinds and it was at dusk and into dark.

She usually takes her yarn along on flights ans crochets the whole time.

She is also the one that strongly encouraged me to buy an airplane which I did.
Click to expand...

I believe the proper term for you Wife would be.....KEEPER:D
 
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