mtv wrote:Most of those kids were not the least interested in aviation or airplanes.....a larger percentage were kind of interested in "playing" with the simulators.

But, every time we had one of these groups (and they all were 50 to 60 kids), there was always one, and sometimes two who simply weren't going to leave till they had all their questions answered....."how do I get started?", "how much does it cost", "what kind of jobs are there", etc.

And, in my experience, this may be similar to the ratio of youngsters who have the potential to become interested in flying.

I agree, and children are just small adults

I have probably taken 50-60 friends flying over the last decade and a half, and only 1 or 2 are actually enthusiastic about getting a pilots license.

I just genuinely don't think it excites everyone in the same way.

I think HotRod's got the point nailed.

BCPilotguy wrote:I view my role in taking people up flying in the same way as when I take them shooting. I likely will not make a pilot out of them, but they will at least be aware of our sector of aviation, and not think of us simply as rich men with silly, noisy toys. Flying (like shooting) will face many political challenges in its future, and if I can educate a few people about it then we might have a better chance when it comes time to face them.

This is a WONDERFUL perspective. I hadn't thought about it like that before, and I think it's totally true. Exposure (and not the negative kind like the news loves to throw about) is the best way for people to understand.

I believe that flying is a passion for many people who aren't actively engaged in the practice at any given time. I know that sounds weird to some people around here, but I do believe it's true.

I see myself as a great example of this phenomenon. I caught the aviation bug when I was very young, and my dad would take me out to airshows on a yearly basis near our home. He never flew general aviation, and no one else I knew did so when I was growing up. But, he'd take me to the shows and I'd enjoy the hell out of them. I always watched planes, always wanted the window seat when flying on family vacations, and always chatted up the pilots of the airliners we'd be flying on when I was a kid (oh, who am I kidding, I still do it now as an adult).

In college I began working on my ratings, almost on a whim. I quickly discovered that such training wasn't really cheap on a student's budget. My private pilot certificate was fun and exciting, and I'll never forget that first solo. I found my instrument rating to be a bit boring and monotonous (I like a view), though I'm glad I got the training. But, I was a broke college student by the time I finished that rating, and couldn't really afford to do all of the recreational flying I had dreamed of after I got rated. Flying ultimately got put on the back burner while I started to build a life for myself. I've always been frugal, and I've always felt that it's important to plan for the future. Really, I guess that's what I did for the past 13 years or so since I finished college. Got a job, worked a job. Upgraded jobs, worked there, too. Got a house, paid for a house. Found a woman, married a woman, got divorced (oops), found another one, marrying that one soon enough. Life moved along, but it just sort of got in the way of flying for a while. that definitely didn't mean I wasn't thinking of airplanes along the way. Honestly, I've had my study materials from my ratings on my living room bookshelf ever since I started flying!

I ended up getting the chance to get back in the air through work a few years ago (LE helicopter crew). The requirement we had in my agency was that you had to have some sort of pilot certificate (any type), at which point they'd bring you up to speed as a tactical flight officer on the Bell 407 that we fly. I did that for a couple of years, and loved the hell out of it. Doing that really introduced me to some of the joy that can be found in flying low-in-slow. But, career advancement ultimately forced me in a different direction yet again.

All of that aside, the truth is that I don't think I've heard a plane fly over in 15 years that I haven't looked up to watch. I still read on aviation topics, watch every video I can find, and dream of flights that I plan to take eventually. I joined this forum around the time I decided that I need to get back into aviation on my own terms (outside of strictly training or working). If I can convince my wife-to-be that this is a great thing to do with our time and money, I think I'll be in good shape. We aren't rich, but we can probably afford to fly at this stage in our lives. The tough sell is that she has personally known six people who have died in 3 or 4 different general aviation accidents… not a great start to the hobby! Nevertheless, she enjoyed a flight I took her on in my department's helicopter, and she is the adventurous type even though she downplays that idea (former barrel racer, climbs mountains with me, etc).

Aviation is a bug that sticks around once it bites, even if it ends up on the back burner for a while. I'm hoping to buy my own plane within the next couple of years, but I need to get the better half flying with me in rentals a few times first! An inactive pilot friend of mine who is also thinking of getting back into aviation was recently asking me what kind of plane I would buy if I got one. I told him I'd buy the wife whatever plane she wanted!

I have 3 adult step children, 9 step grand children, one new born step great grand child, too many nieces and nephews to count. I have taken most of them flying mutiple times. Trips to the beach, air shows, fly ins, and the 100 dollar hamburger.

My wife and I own and live on our private airport. We have a project plane and a couple that are airworthy. We have get togethers with our flying friends and always invite the family. We skydive, give airplane rides, then get out the control line and rc airplanes. There is an endless amount of aviation happening at any given time during our parties.

My family members attend the parties. They enjoy an airplane ride but have way more interest in driving the golf cart and riding the minibikes.

I have been a step father for 25 years and an aircraft owner for 23 of those years and not one of my family members has shown any interest in flying.

I have come to the realization that the flying bug will die with me. My father got me into aviation, I haven't been able to do the same with my kids.

I am OK with it, it would be nice to have an eager young kid hanging around, thirsty for and drinking in, all the aviation I have to offer. I was a pain in the butt as a kid, I asked too many questions and got in the way a lot. It was in my blood, litterally. My Dad's aviation addiction became my addiction. It has consumed my entire life. It isn't for everyone.

I am just happy that my family attends our functions and has a good time doing so. When the flying is done and the aviators leave for the day, my family is there laughing, reminissing,and beating the hell out of my vintage minibikes. I'm OK with that.

CamTom12 wrote:I think HotRod's got the point nailed.

BCPilotguy wrote:I view my role in taking people up flying in the same way as when I take them shooting. I likely will not make a pilot out of them, but they will at least be aware of our sector of aviation, and not think of us simply as rich men with silly, noisy toys. Flying (like shooting) will face many political challenges in its future, and if I can educate a few people about it then we might have a better chance when it comes time to face them.

This is a WONDERFUL perspective. I hadn't thought about it like that before, and I think it's totally true. Exposure (and not the negative kind like the news loves to throw about) is the best way for people to understand.

This is kind of how I view the Young Eagles program. Of the many kids given rides at a typical YE event, I doubt many will go on to become pilots, but meanwhile they (as well of their parents) get a different (and positive) view of pilots. So maybe when they have a chance to vote or otherwise influence something having to do with general aviation, they'll say "hey, remember when that nice pilot gave little Johnny an airplane ride" instead of "aw, screw them rich assholes with their expensive toys".

The person who inspired me the most to fly (my childhood friend Robert) still does not have his airman's certificate (we're near 50 now).

His dad was pilot when he was younger. His parents got divorced and Robert and his mother lived up the road from his father who lived in a bachelor apartment in a duplex he owned. I used to spend a lot of time there when I was a kid because the old man rebuilt and recovered his 100hp Champ in various parts of the house which had tarps on the floor and plastic in the doorways to create a workshop. We both were taught to do fabric and sheet metal work.

After I got out of college and secured a job the first thing I did was get my ticket. I hadn't talked to Robert in years and I was sure that he would have been a pilot long before me. The day I got my ticket I called him to let him know I had done what we had dreamed of as kids. I was shocked that I had beat him to it. He had a plane and a mentor! I continued on getting commercial MEI.

We are still friends to this day. Despite the fact that he owns a fairly nice PA22/20 and a few other amateur built aircraft, he has never been motivated enough to finish and get er done. He came close and gave up twice. That boggles my mind.

I used to struggle with this same idea, How can anybody not be fascinated by flying?
After many years I came to understand. Think of it this way, are you interested in Theater, or basketweaving, or ancient languages? Maybe but the point is there are many activities and not everyone likes them all.

On the plus side, of the hundreds of people that I have offered to take flying, none have become pilots. But in doing so I have had 3 people say, aren't you the guy that gives airplane rides, my daughter wants to learn to fly. Of those, 2 have met my demand that payment for the flight was a reciprocal ride when they earned their ticket. One now flies professionally and one is in grad school.

By the way, HI. After lurking for years I finally took the plunge and signed up.

Welcome, PNW Flyer!

I've been an Aviation enthusiast all my life, since I was a little kid... watching planes land and take off at Stapleton, reading all kinds of books on Aviation History, building Model airplanes, and using many iterations of MSFS (FS9 currently).

So... why haven't I taken the plunge and learned how to fly? Because... I don't want to subject an Instructor to my panicky, high strung attitude. I would be so nervous about screwing up something simple, that I would drive a CFI NUTS worrying about it!

Honest...

Alan

Alan, some people really should not be flying because they really cannot focus on the details enough to be safe.
However, if you are really into flying, there is a lot you can do. Just working into some ride-alongs can show you quickly if you really would drive an instructor nuts. There are a lot of different kind so flying, gliders for example that you might find to work for your personality.
If you really don't think you can be a pilot, you do a lot of other things, like helping other builders, or teaching ground school.