Demo Flights For Relatives

[JJ Campbell]

I got my sport license in January 2020 but due to COVID have not taken any of my myriad of relatives up in my plane. Now that they are all getting their shots, the requests are coming in.

My question; if I have a queue of 3 or 4 at a small airport should I just go around the pattern with a touch-and-go then a full stop and then pick up the next passenger? Or should I go to another airport about 10 nm away, do a touch and go straight back and pick up the next candidate?

Option A sounds boring but B will have them waiting longer. I can try for smaller sized groups but some are 16 and can't drive on their own so two is probably the smallest group I could get.

[3Dreaming]

Our EAA chapter has done Young Eagle rides in conjunction with our school. We would fly a set route that last about 15 minutes from startup to shut down. That works out to about 3 trips per hour. I would try to figure out a short sight seeing flight with just one take off and landing.

[JimParker256]

I agree with 3Dreaming. When we do Young Eagle flights, the actual flight portion lasts about 20 minutes. My home airport is near a lake, so the plan is to take off, fly a lap around the lake, then return to the airport and try to make a smooth, gentle landing. On our way to the lake, I show them how the controls work in flight (we've already talked about it on the ground), and then have them come on the controls with me to see how it feels to bank and turn the plane, make it climb and descend, etc. If they are comfortable and willing, I have them initiate a climb and descent, then make the turn to start flying around the lake. At that point, they are usually thrilled that they're "actually flying an airplane" (in which case I let them fly until just before we enter the pattern). I also make a point of showing them some familiar sights from the air – boats on the lake, a high-school football stadium, backyard pools, etc. I never get tired of hearing "The cars look like ants!" So far, every Young Eagle I have flown wanted to fly the plane and couldn't get enough of it.

I've taken a few friends and relatives for their first flights in light aircraft, and used the same flight plan with them, and it worked out great. I always keep that first flight short and sweet, and try to leave them wanting more. In one case, I had a first-time passenger showing some signs of anxiety, and who didn't want to take the controls at all. In that case, I cut the flight as short as possible to get them back on the ground. Oddly enough, a few weeks later, that same person wanted to go fly again, and this time they flew almost the entire flight. A couple of months later, he went with me on a $100 Bar-B-Q run (Texas equivalent of the $100 hamburger), and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It can be challenging to strike the right balance between "inviting" friends and family to go flying with you and "pushing" them too hard... Who wants to be "that guy," anyway? After I fly with somone the first time, I always tell them that we can go for a longer flight the next time, if they enjoyed it and would like to go again. But I also tell them I don't want to be a pest, so I will not bug them about it (and I don't).

[malexander]

This may be irrelevant to the OP's question, but Jim raised a question in my mind. I'm a CFIS in training.
OP says "relatives" Jim is talking about YE's. In my mind, FAR 61.315 (c) (10) says SP can't fly YEs.

[Dave C]

That really hinges on the definition of "airlift". Is young eagles really an airlift? What is the EAA view on that?

[Dave C]

Looking on the EAA website, according to them Sport Pilot is the minimum qualification for Young Eagles pilots:
https://www.eaa.org/-/media/Files/EAA/O ... _2020.ashx

[3Dreaming]

This may be irrelevant to the OP's question, but Jim raised a question in my mind. I'm a CFIS in training.
OP says "relatives" Jim is talking about YE's. In my mind, FAR 61.315 (c) (10) says SP can't fly YEs.

61.315 (c) (10) covers charitable airlifts. That is where someone makes a charitable donation donation in exchange for a ride, whether the pilot receives compensation or not. Young Eagles rides are donated by the pilot. The person taking the rides does not pay or make a donation of any kind. It is no different than giving a ride to a friend.

[malexander]

61.315 (c) (10) covers charitable airlifts. That is where someone makes a charitable donation donation in exchange for a ride, whether the pilot receives compensation or not. Young Eagles rides are donated by the pilot. The person taking the rides does not pay or make a donation of any kind. It is no different than giving a ride to a friend.

That makes total sense, I understand. Thanks

[FastEddieB]

I never get tired of hearing "The cars look like ants!"

I remember a Dennis The Menace comic book I had. Dennis is going on his first flight, to Hawaii, I think.

He says to his mom, “So cool! The people down there look like ants!”

To which his mom replies, “Honey, those are ants - we haven’t taken off yet.”

I know, a “dad joke”. But I still tell it on occasion to break the ice.