The anticipation of flying your first passenger is a major motivating factor in flight training. Thanks to the flight instructor, you can pretty much go wherever you want while you’re still in training. But bringing your first passenger is a special privilege for which you must wait until passing the checkride.
I remember this sense of anticipation well. It kept me going when the training became difficult. But for all that anticipation, I don’t even remember who my first passenger was. Perhaps that says more about the state of my memory than the importance of the event. Thankfully we have logbooks for such problems.
It turns out my passenger was a best friend since childhood. Now if only I had put better notes in the remarks section, I would know what we did. I learned to take better notes as time went on, and some flights I remember so clearly that notes aren’t necessary. Usually those were learning experiences. They taught me the hard way how to properly brief and prepare a passenger.
Passenger briefings are usually covered, albeit sparsely, in the private pilot curriculum. It’s a regulatory requirement to tell your passengers how to operate the seatbelt, a task that seems basic but will challenge at least a few of your passengers. Otherwise, the regulations tell us nothing of how to brief a passenger, and our flight instructors often don’t do much better. Sure, we talk about the fire extinguisher, and maybe even the door, but the important items are often left out.
Given that 99 percent of our flying is not dramatic, it’s helpful to discuss things that are important for normal flight as well. No doubt by now the sense of complete and utter mystery surrounding the cockpit is gone for you. The controls, instruments, and radios make some sense. Your passengers don’t know this feeling. They see the cockpit as a foreign world with lights, dials, and sounds that make no sense, and are sometimes frightening. Put them at ease. Tell them what’s OK to touch and what’s not. Talk about some of the basics of flying before you go, and continue to include them where appropriate throughout the flight. If you have special quirks, let them know that as well. When I’m programming the GPS, I’ll often say things such as, “Shoot,” or “Why did it do that?” I know this is harmless to the flight, but my passengers don’t. To ease their minds, I tell them about my verbal flying fault before we leave.
Finally, make sure they are comfortable. If your passenger is prone to airsickness, put him at ease about feeling sick. Tell him it’s OK. Give him a bag long before he feels compelled to ask. Give him a heads up before you initiate a turn, climb, or descent.
Despite your best efforts, a passenger will at some point feel uncomfortable. In the case of writer J.P. Donnenfield, that passenger was his father, and the discomfort came because of an urgent situation in the cockpit. His tale, “Trading Places” begins on page 34. Let’s hope you’re never faced with an emergency situation. But if you are, at least your passengers will be well prepared.
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