08/10/11 First Flight with Passengers!

I was finally able to schedule taking my first passengers up.  I took my sons Jack (12) and William (10).  To be fair, I had already taken them once with my CFI to Williamsburg to eat lunch.  But this would be the first time they had been up with just me.

Everyone was running late.  No one had eaten. No one was ready. I hated my first flight with them to be rushed.  But there was no need to hurry.  I picked up William from a neighbors, fed them some pizza, and we headed down to KFCI.  We go there in good time—rush hour traffic had died down.  I did an extra thorough preflight and explained to them what I was doing. They were engaged and interested in seeing all the details.  William thought the blue gas meant it had water in it since it was blue.  I said the water would look like little beads in the strainer.  He thought I said ‘bees’ and we all had a good laugh about bees in the fuel. 

The boys helped me push the plane out, I pulled the car in, made everyone take a bathroom break, and we were off.

William took the back seat, and Jack sat up front.  We decided on this arrangement because William got to fly with me and the CFI one other time and Jack had not.  We planned to switch seats later. 

There is always something to learn or see on every flight.  This was no exception. The boys liked seeing the biz jet, the King Air, and various helicopters and planes on the ramp as we taxied out.  William loves the King Air and wants to fly one some day.  He also thought the ILS was funny looking, and we talked about what that was.  We planned to fly over our house and neighborhood, then go to KSHD, turn around and come back.  I did the run up, took off on 33 and we were off.

The boys loved to see things on the ground from the air.  We spent a lot of time talking about which direction our house was in.  Orienting them to the world from above.  And just figuring out what the heck everything was.  Things look so different from up here!

 

It was perfectly calm with little wind.  A very smooth ride.  As we got over our neighborhood, we saw the pool first.  Actually, William saw it first—it was on his side.  I circled it so they could see it.  And the shopping center by our house.  Our house is very close, and I shifted to circle that for a moment.  Then we flew over their school.  Once they had had their fill, I headed to KSHD and started climbing up to 4500.

The clouds were well above us but gave a nice fishbowl effect as we flew beneath them. The rays of the sun shining through at times. On the way, I realized it would take a little too long to go to KSHD so I changed our destination to KCHO.  I’ll get to KSHD another time.  I let the controller know about the change of plans.  I was on flight following.  

Along the way, I let Jack take the controls for a bit.  He had a little trouble, but soon got the hang of it.  We saw interstate 64 and talked about how we were following that to Charlottesville.

The boys were excited to see the mountains ahead, and soon we were at the first ridges.  I crossed the first ridge as we descended for a long right base to land on runway 03 KCHO.  They cleared me to land about 7 miles out—I guess they weren’t too busy.

 

Only other aircraft was a Skylane than was 10 miles out on a left base for 03 as I turned final.  So my first landing with passengers.  I made a pretty good one.  For safety, I decided to make it a full stop, and tower instructed me to exit first right. 

I taxied back and we watched the Skylane land. The boys critiqued my landing comparing it to the Skylane.  We tied (I hope they weren’t just sparing my feelings).

 

I was able to keep my same squawk code for the return flight.  I was cleared for takeoff just after the Skylane turned off.  The boys switched seats, and I departed KCHO to head back home to KFCI.

I made the return flight with flight following at 3500.  It too was uneventful and smooth.  Although moderate turbulence had been reported in the area below 12,000, there was not a bump except a very few when we crossed the mountain ridge.  The boys were very comfortable—the last trip I had taken them on was a hot and bumpy Saturday.  This was a clear smooth evening, with temps in the ground in the 80’s.  

I let William take the controls.  He had trouble flying level—kept wanting to climb and turn right.  We talked about the instruments and what each one meant. There were several prisons that we passed over on the way back.  They were interested in these large facilities that were easily identified from the air, including the State Farm in Goochland on the James River. 

We flew over my parents’ house as we approached Chesterfield.  The boys got a kick out of seeing that.  Then I began my descent to KFCI.  As I entered the 45 for the left downwind for 33, another Skyhawk was entering on the upwind.  I did not see him until we were on final.  No wind and another easy landing at FCI.  We taxied back and put the plane away.

My boys had a great time flying.  Their favorite parts were flying the plane, seeing the pool and our house, and the cool mountains around Charlottesville.  It turned out to be the perfect evening.  I as glad to be able to take them up.  I’m sure it is the first of many—and I hope their interest in aviation continues.  They now have had an experience and opportunity I never had—that of flying general aviation for fun and to enjoy the pleasure of flight.