So yesterday we rented the Citabria again and flew over Rockport, MA to see the lighthouses and lobster boats. After I got us out of the Class D, she started asking about how to fly with a stick instead of a yoke (only her second Citabria flight). So she took over and started doing some turns and climbs and basically took over the rest of the flight, flying over what she wanted to see. Later I did the radio calls and she got us down to short final before I took over.

She has always been a great passenger. She loves to go flying with me, but usually only as a passenger. She likes to look at all the horse farms from the air, but has never been interested in flying more than 2 minutes. She flew about a half hour yesterday and didn't want to give up the controls.

On the way home in the car, she started asking tons of questions about how to flare, when to flare, how to set up an approach to landing, what the plane is actually doing when it lands, stuff she's never cared about. She ended with, "Maybe I should learn how to fly in case I ever need to do it." I don't think she wants a whole license, just a few lessons. But that would make me super happy. Maybe an LSA license would be perfect for her. Some good day VFR basics.

Nice.
A word of caution though. She may have an ulterior disgusting motive, many Christmas shopping trips come to mind or you may even be forced into joining the mile high club. Keep a sharp lookout.

Don't let her do it you know how expensive flying is There wont be enough money for her to get her nails done

Get her nails done????? Hell, I'd worry that YOU won't get to fly anymore if she learns.....

Trust me, ENCOURAGE HER!!! Help her learn to fly.

You are one LUCKY pilot!

MTV

My wife loves to fly. Once or twice she has talked about how to land if I was incapacitated. If she flies like she drives, God help the people on the ground.

I know first hand a pilot that loved to fly and owned his own aircraft. With time his wife softened up and started going with him. That worked well for years and she loved him and flying and he was the best pilot-ever. Eventually, she liked flying so much she decided to get her PPL. He was proud and encouraged her. Long story short-after she became a pilot, he could no longer do ANYTHING right anymore.
He flew less and less because she had to always go with him and 'back seat pilot' the whole time it was his turn to fly. Eventually he sold the plane because they weren't flying enough.

Maybe evaluate the personalities involved beforehand.....
Just one example/case.
lc

Edit for humor :
"While creating wives, God promised men that good and obedient wives would be found in all corners of the world.
And then He made the earth round."

One pilot in the family makes us poor...what would two made us

Naaa. My wife is awesome. That's why I married the girl. She doesn't spend money on her nails, only on her horse. And I was cool with that on date 1, just as she is cool with me flying. Part of the terms and conditions of our relationship. I'm getting more into horses, and now she is showing an interest in planes. I have a feeling I may be switching to a ramen noodle diet in the near future. Why couldn't one of us like something cheap like reading?

Littlecub wrote: Long story short-after she became a pilot, he could no longer do ANYTHING right anymore. He flew less and less because she had to always go with him and 'back seat pilot' the whole time it was his turn to fly. Eventually he sold the plane because they weren't flying enough.

I would have sold the plane and bought a Mooney Mite

You lucky shit

My wife got rated in 1984. She let it slide while raising the little girls... but is back at it again. Great to have a companion along on the flights that wants to participate. Just don't accept the role of teacher. TRUST ME. Get her a good instructor, maybe female.. maybe not. Let them do the lessons. TRUST ME.
Then, even if she just does just an LSA rating... you will have a more engaged partner and you can worry less about cardiac events. On the instructor note, did I mention don't accept that JOB.???
And don't even ask me how I know.

Cheers

I agree with Bighorn that you are incredibly lucky.

Why wouldn't you want to encourage her to get her PPL and then an instrument rating? I began negotiations with my wife saying we were both going to get PPLs. She is a great sport and went to ground school with me but never got turned on to flying - she thought it too much work and piloting curtails drinking.

PilotRPI wrote: She ended with, "Maybe I should learn how to fly in case I ever need to do it."

That's the reason my wife gave to me too when she indicated she wanted to learn how to fly. But with many women, there could be some other reason. Of course.....I'll get her one if she learns to fly. She's a much better, safer, driver in the car. With her life hanging by some tube and fabric, I'm reasonably sure that she'll be a better, safer, more disciplined pilot than I and I'll be very proud of her for that accomplishment if or when it happens.

If she ever wanted a PPL or an instrument, I would be totally supportive. Right now, not sure that would happen financially either with her in school and the horse. I don't think she would ever go out to fly by herself, same as I probably wouldn't go out to ride horses by myself. But by taking some lessons, maybe a lesser rating, she would be able to enjoy it more and help cockpit management on trips, or be able to land if something ever happened.

I totally agree with not being her instructor either! I don't mind teaching her some basic air stuff or some ground school questions to save money. But the real meat and potatoes I'll leave to someone else. I actually lucked out and found two very good instructors here in Mass.

Its funny how it took a Citabria for her to enjoy flying. She probably has 20-30 hours as my co-pilot in 172s, 152s, and Cherokees. She was bored by them. She loves the responsiveness and flight controls of the Citabria.

You might also look into one of those pinch hitter courses. I remember King's offering something like that before in a video series. Kind of what to do if you need to land the plane type of course.

Man to Man,
Also speaking from someone who has made the mistake, it's a bad move. The opinions they previously had about weather, runways, maintenance etc will take on a whole new level of validation. I know that this package of trouble that's 5'ft 1" and sits beside keeps yapping about TAF's, Reserve Fuel, Braking action. Man she never shuts up.

If aviation is your little bit of peace, then leave it alone!

Irish

Man u guys crack me up...... I was in this same place not more than about a year or two ago, my wonderful wife of 13yrs figgered it would be best to go ahead and get her ppl and help out on those long flights with NAV and flight. she proceeded to take more time off work and eat up more of my quality time with our 180 hp Maule to the point of telling me when I should change the oil and rotate the tires in order not to interrupt her "Training" ...... well after a short time her check ride came and she passed with flying colors flew a few hrs (ok maybe it was 2) and we promptly sold the plane (3 days after she got her ticket) to a nice young fella with a family. We then purchased a higher HP Maule that went into instant engine rebuild and we were unable to fly for 6 months and she now loves to fly...... Now If I can talk her into a Highlander so we can both fly I will be the luckiest man alive!!!

My ex's came pre-programmed to fly. It was genetic. No Instruction Needed.


Gump

Well consider yourself lucky - I have been blessed with a 'willing wife' and what that also does is help to fund the addiction! Fan that flame! Congrats!

Don't know too many 2-pilot married couples, but one that I do know has to have two airplanes. If they're both in the same plane, the non-flying one (doesn't matter which one) is always backseat driving. So instead of one serious 4-seater, they each fly their own 2-seater.