Sick children. Unanticipated bathroom breaks. Concerned parents. So often the reality of flying with passengers is depressingly disconnected from the visions we had in training of confidently guiding our precious cargo from takeoff to touchdown. It’s easy to blame the passengers and their weak stomachs at times like these, but more often than not, it’s our own failing as hosts that wreck the experience. Once you learn and implement a few practices, the problems start to disappear, and you can live up to that image of the smooth-talking captain you always knew you were.
Starting from your first lesson, every flight has followed the same formula of plan, brief, and then fly. You can transfer this thinking to bringing along passengers. Plan for their trip, make sure they are fully briefed, and then take their needs into consideration on the flight.
Plan. Every flight with passengers begins with two basic questions—where and why. If it’s a friend’s son or daughter and this is his or her first flight in a small airplane, the answers are obvious. You’ll fly locally, maybe spending time to circle the passenger’s house a few times. If it’s your spouse’s first flight with you after earning a certificate, that’s a bit more complicated.
As much as we’d all like to believe everyone is as crazy about flying as we are, the fact is that for many people, the idea of getting in an airplane with a cabin smaller than a Mini Cooper isn’t exactly a grand ole’ time. Key to enticing reluctant family members to come along is to make the trip about them. Flying to breakfast probably won’t do it. Going to the beach, seeing a concert by their favorite band, or staying at a resort might. An apathetic teenager might never be bowled over by your flying skills, but your spouse hopefully will soon buy in to the idea of doing what he or she loves faster, more often, and in a bigger variety of places than driving allows.
Regardless of who, where, and why you’re flying, the question of when is always critical. That someone’s first flight in a small airplane shouldn’t be on a really windy or bumpy day is obvious. There’s more to consider than just the ride, though. Passengers feed off the pilot’s state of mind. If you’re stressed by conditions, the volume of traffic, the tight timeframe, or for any other reason, your passengers will be as well. It also means taking their comfort as a primary consideration, and possibly leaving earlier or later than you had planned in order to take advantage of better weather, a smoother ride, or anything else that is important to them. With the joy of flying your family on vacation comes the unfortunate reality that you may have to cut it short—or extend it—if there are any concerns.
Once the details are set, it’s time to pack. Depending on the flight, this could be as little as a sturdy zip-top bag and an extra headset to as elaborate as blankets, snacks, drinks, entertainment, cameras, and some rudimentary survival equipment.
Brief. Every flight with a passenger requires at least a basic briefing. On this the federal aviation regulations are clear. At a minimum, everyone on board must be familiar with how to operate the seatbelt. Most of us also explain door operation and maybe point out the fire extinguisher if there is one. Obviously these are notable safety items, but it’s what’s often not said that’s most important.
Remember your intro flight and how foreign everything seemed? Now take away your excitement for learning and confidence in the experienced pilot next to you, and you have some idea how passengers may approach the situation with you as a new pilot. Knowing this, many new pilots will do one of two things—ignore the passenger altogether in an effort to focus on flying, or talk about every aspect of the aircraft ad nauseum.
After you do a briefing a few times, you’ll get into a flow. Try to include things such as how to put on and operate the headset; what passengers can and can’t touch; when it’s OK to talk—or not; what to eat prior—or not; how much coffee or water to drink prior—or not; how to enter and exit the aircraft; what to do if they don’t feel well, and so on. Finally, ask how much they want to know about the aircraft itself. Maybe they are really interested in technology, mechanics, or physics. Or maybe they just want to get somewhere as fast as possible. By just coming out and setting an expectation at the beginning you’ll make your passengers feel welcome and accommodated.
Fly. Some YouTube videos make it clear that not everyone has gotten the message: Intentionally scaring your passengers is not funny. Or cool. Or smart. You are not a Red Bull Air Race pilot (unless you are, in which case you probably aren’t reading this). You are a new pilot trying to build some experience and have a little fun on a Sunday afternoon. You want to show the people in your care the aviation equivalent of taking the minivan to Applebee’s for a sandwich. It should be as vanilla an experience as you can imagine. If they love it, then you can step up the ladder to more interesting experiences. Having a pilot certificate does not make you a barnstormer. We aren’t daredevils flying airplanes that could break apart at any minute. We are safe, competent people who rely on well-designed and -maintained aircraft. This is the image you want to project at this early point in your flying. Looping or rolling with your son or daughter can come later, with proper training and in an appropriate aircraft.
With that lecture over, it’s time to focus on how to execute a flight with a passenger. Here the guidance varies depending on the person and the purpose. Start a very nervous flyer on a very short flight of no longer than maybe 15 minutes. Foreshadow your turns to ease his or her mind. Keep editorial comments to yourself (“What’s that doing?” “Where is that other airplane?” and so on). After landing from the first short flight, ask how it and went and if he or she is ready for more. Baby steps are OK at this point, especially if it’s someone you hope to fly with more in the future.
The level of attention you must pay to each passenger is inversely proportional to his or her aviation experience. An experienced small-airplane passenger may require nothing more than a headset and an open seat. A first-timer may require a surprising amount of help and guidance. Assuming you’ve planned and briefed well, the flight should be the easy part. So long as you continue to monitor everyone’s state of mind, there should be minimal problems.
Things obviously do happen. Airsickness probably is the most common. If this happens with a passenger, hand him or her one of those sturdy zip-top bags, open the vents, and encourage an outside view. Keep turns to a minimum, reduce any potential smells, and do your best to avoid bumps. Short of that, there’s nothing much that can be done but get on the ground. And if things are bad enough that you are making a quick detour to the next airport, don’t hesitate to ask air traffic control for help. Tell them you have a sick passenger. That’s not declaring an emergency—just asking for some friendly guidance.
If you’ve planned well, briefed the appropriate amount, and flown smoothly, you can receive no bigger compliment than a subdued “That was fun” when you get on the ground. Being smooth and professional is the goal at this point, so a lack of excitement is a plus. Besides, your landing is the only thing they’ll remember anyway.
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