when did you feel comfortable flying passengers?

[cforst513]

hey everyone. i was just curious when you all felt comfortable carrying passengers as a private pilot. the FAA mandates a minimum of 40 hours TT, right? i heard, though, that pilots typically have anywhere from 50-60 hours when they finally get their certificate. were you guys comfortable right off the bat or did you get more hours under your belt before taking someone up with you? did it matter if your passenger was family or friend (i.e. a willingness to take friends up before family, that kind of thing)? i was just thinking about how much fun it'll be to rent a plane and be able to take my father up when i get my PPL, but then i thought of wanting to make darn sure i was extremely competent before putting another life potentially at risk.

 

[SkyBoy1981]

I was a dumb high school kid when I got my PPL. I don't believe I really thought twice about it at the time.

 

[chperplt]

When they stopped screaming.

 

[User546]

The first passenger I ever took up was my wife (girlfriend at the time) and it wasn't until after I had finished my Instrument rating. Never had the oppurtunity to until then. I'd be macho and say I was all gung-ho about it, but I wasn't. It's kind of unnerving to look over in the right seat in the runup area and see your wife sitting there, and realizing the responsibility that you have! Not that I had ANY doubts to my competency!

I think it was more of just the "I'm taking up a passenger by myself for the first time" then it actually was anything else.

You just have to be comletely honest with yourself, and make sure your competent, confident, and safe enough (as well as the aircraft) to take on the responsibilty of taking another human being up who knows absolutely nothing about flying and can't bail you out if you get into trouble!

Having a PPL doesn't always guarantee that you have all of those!

 

[FL000]

I was a dumb 29-year-old when I got my PPL, so I really didn't think that much about it. I think I was flying them from day one...fresh ink.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Got my private in high school.......like most things as a teenager....never thought twice about it!

I would have too look at my log book, but I think we took a "Road trip" the weekend following the Pvt. ride. May have been two weeks after.

Neighbors and family ask questions like that alot. "How does it make you feel hauling 130+ people blah blah blah....... Call it selfish, but I never worry about the pax., If i get there in one piece, so do my passengers.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Took my wife up within a few days of getting my private certifciate. Really wasn't an issue for me.

 

[FarginDooshbahg]

I was comfortable flying passengers about the same time they were comfortable flying with me.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

I went straight from my private checkride to another FBO, got checked out in a low wing (had always wanted to try one), and took my wife on a night flight from Orlando to Tampa. I could not wait to share flying with my family and friends.

On the other hand, I had friends that did not like soloing let alone carrying passengers. These people did not feel comfortable flying without another pilot or flight instructor on board. Others wanted to wait for the instrument rating. Try taking someone up for a couple of laps around the pattern and the jitters will probably go away.

PS- Don't forget to make (let) them pay their "pro rata" share...

 

[Daveman]

When they stopped screaming.

hehehe, funny.

 

[English]

Within an hour of getting my private certificate, I took my husband flying. Then later in the day I went up with my parents. Like Dirty, I couldn't wait to share what I had been so focused on for three months.

Then the marine layer rolled in the next day, and stayed for weeks. After being grounded a few days, and with my family wondering what good it did to get a pilot certificate, I started the instrument rating. After that, I flew passengers almost every flight, except for training flights.

 

[urflyingme?!]

When my Mom(frst pax) asked "What do I do if you pass out?"
And I said, "Don't worry I got it."

That and when I took up my buddy to Catalina island, had a nasty downdraft. Caught it early kept full power and leveled off, made it in fine.
I looked over and he was white as a ghost.

I figure I'm just dumb enough to see things as a challenge, not a near death risk!

 

[Goose Egg]

The first flight after my private checkride (I was 18), I took my girlfriend at the time. Her dad was NOT happy. So I guess to answer the question, I never really thought twice about it. I've always thought it was kind of fun to bring pax.

-Goose

 

[DashTrash400]

I took my PPL checkride on my 17th birthday...my parents showed up at the airport where I took it, didn't know they were going to do that. Gave my dad a lift back to my home airport when I was done. He always wanted to learn to fly, but never did, so it was pretty cool. I didn't really think twice about it...having such little experience *and* being 17 probably blinded me as to how dangerous I was!

 

[Mach1]

My wife was my first passenger about 2 weeks after my check ride. I just made sure it was a beautiful smooth day and we had a great time!

 

[qmaster3]

I took my PPL checkride on my 17th birthday...my parents showed up at the airport where I took it, didn't know they were going to do that. Gave my dad a lift back to my home airport when I was done.

That is cool Dash.

As for the qmaster my first pax; my brave wife the day I got my PPL. Calm day no biggie really.

 

[421Driver]

Took my brother/mom/dad/girlfriend (now wife) for separate rides the day after my checkride (I was 21)

 

[UnAnswerd]

Machado says it best. Try to avoid telling passenegers that you need to leave them behind for a moment while you go "get current".

 

[Kawasumi_Kichou]

I was 23 when I got my PPL Wednesday May 10, 1978. Took my mom, little brother, and roommate down to Lake Havasu for Mother's Day on Sunday the 14th in PA-28-181 N8675E "El Bimbo". Guess I've never felt uncomfortable about flying pax, even later when I used to fly prisoner transfers.

 

[garf12]

It took me some time to talk anyone to getting into the plane. I got mine when I was 20, I'm 21 now, and only 4 friends have gone up with me. I love taking people up, I wish they werent so dang scared. My roomates wont go up with me, they are pus$ies!

 

[Flechas]

30 minutes after I passed my checkride (41.7 hrs), took a friend from the FBO to go get my car at a different airport.

 

[cforst513]

Machado says it best. Try to avoid telling passenegers that you need to leave them behind for a moment while you go "get current".

haha, last time that i went up with my friend's father (who, to date, has been my only link to flying. anyone around CMH want to take me up? ) he had me wait by and he did 3 take offs and full landings. i got some pretty sweet pictures while i watched him take off, fly the pattern, then land.

 

[cforst513]

Thanks to everyone who has replied!! so i guess that it's just a matter of me feeling confident in my skills and my ability to convince someone to go up with me.

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

My first passenger was one of my best friends, month of April, thermals rising, he ended up asking for a return trip after 20 minutes in order to keep his cookies. Taught me a good lesson about when to let people know what type of ride to expect. Always felt comfortable about taking passengers, more so than they did riding with me !

Mr. I.

 

[GotBoost?]

My first pax was my 5y/o son, yesterday, 8 days after I got my PPL. He went up with my instructor & I Friday on an inst. training flight doing BAI, got bored & fell asleep after about half an hour, so I figured he was good to go with me alone (wife still refuses to go). We flew yesterday for 2.7 hrs, hit some class B & D airspace, did some VOR tracking, cruised over semi-iced Lake Erie for a bit, got a $100 hamburger for lunch, & checked out the house, school, Home Depot, etc from 1000 agl on the way home.
I'm thinking about renting him out as a "realistic distractor" to CFIs to offset some training costs. It was abit stressful at times, not from the responsibility standpoint, but more from "Oh s%&, did I just miss a radio call b/c he was singing over the intercom again?!" We also had a few briefings about use of the yoke, and how you can't just turn & burn a 172 like on Top Gun.
Weather permitting, we'll be going again next weekend. Even with the extra in-flight entertainment, we both had fun, I got some more XC time, and he wants to do it again.

 

[Flechas]

My first pax was my 5y/o son, yesterday, 8 days after I got my PPL. He went up with my instructor & I Friday on an inst. training flight doing BAI, got bored & fell asleep after about half an hour, so I figured he was good to go with me alone (wife still refuses to go). We flew yesterday for 2.7 hrs, hit some class B & D airspace, did some VOR tracking, cruised over semi-iced Lake Erie for a bit, got a $100 hamburger for lunch, & checked out the house, school, Home Depot, etc from 1000 agl on the way home.
I'm thinking about renting him out as a "realistic distractor" to CFIs to offset some training costs. It was abit stressful at times, not from the responsibility standpoint, but more from "Oh s%&, did I just miss a radio call b/c he was singing over the intercom again?!" We also had a few briefings about use of the yoke, and how you can't just turn & burn a 172 like on Top Gun.
Weather permitting, we'll be going again next weekend. Even with the extra in-flight entertainment, we both had fun, I got some more XC time, and he wants to do it again.

Congrats on your PPL, sounds like a lot of fun what you are doing with your son. I wish my family would go up with me (only my step dad, he is a pilot too).

 

[PGH STEEL]

I took my girlfriend the day after I got my PPL 11 years ago. Well we jumped in and I helped close her door from the inside not realizing her seatbelt was hanging out about a foot.
At about 100 feet or so the dam thing started hitting the side of the A/C so hard I thought the engine was coming off the airplane. A quick check and everything up front was ok. So as we were making our way back around we realized what it was and pulled it in. My Instructor was right this is a license to learn and I did so in my first 100 feet.

 

[Immelman]

I took my mom a day or two after my checkride. It was the first flight as a PPL. Two months later I took her on a cross-country about 350nm from home... to grandma's house... and took grandma for a ride too. BTW I took my checkride on my 17th b-day!

 

[Flyin Tony]

First day I got my PPL I took up my Mom. But I still wont take anyone in the clouds yet, unless they have some flying under there belt(dont ask why). I have about 12-15 imc now.

 

[comander]

In 1999 one day after I got my ppl , I took 3 of my buddies, since that day on we all gather money and went flying. Also have taken my girlfriend and my family.
There where times when we needed a third guy to pay for the ride ,but he was afraid of flying so we gave him some beer before,during,and after the flight,now he is so hooked up into flying and drinking that makes me a bit scared!