Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site avsdT.BERKNET Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!hpda!fortune!dsd!avsdS!avsdT:rlr From: rlr@avsdT.BERKNET (Rhode L. Roberts) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: Making First Time Flyers Nervous Message-ID: <155@avsdT.BERKNET> Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 13:41:47 EDT Article-I.D.: avsdT.155 Posted: Wed Aug 14 13:41:47 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 07:35:20 EDT References: <360@tektools.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Ampex Audio-Video Engineering, Redwood City, CA Lines: 58 > Did it ever occur to anyone that you can make a first time > flyer REAL NERVOUS by reading the airplane checklist? > I go out of my way NOT to make a first time flyer nervous. I will only take them on perfect cavu days with no wind. Get them to ask questions by talking about what we are going to experience and leaving obvious holes in the story. An example would be to say; We will go through all the common phases of flight in about 5 min. They ususally ask how, at which point you graphically explain the "once around the pattern" story. I talk the entire time I do the "Complete walk around", then, once in the cabin, completely explain the panel, once again setting it up for questions and answers. It may take a half an hour before we even get to starting up the engine. I also include a rundown on who we are talk to on the radio, why, and in which order, explaing the needs of communication and the logic behind the "lingo". Tell them ALL about the run-up before starting up. Basiclly, tell them everything in the order in which it will take place. I tell them that we will fly around the pattern, stop, shut-down, and talk about what we just went through. If they are still happy ( 9 out of 10 ) we will mabey go for a longer ( 1/2 hour ) very pretty 2000 AGL sight seeing tour of the area. They usually beg for it. The next time out a little longer. The third time out, a night flight over a sea of gems is in order. By doing all of this in a painstaking manner, the first timer usually feels very safe, comfortable, and, knows before the fact, the things that are going on. They really feel a part of it all, instead of feeling out of control and at the mercy of some one else and fate. Now they will want to chase down the ticket, and you have really done something for sombody else, yourself, and in this day and age, most immportantly, for aviation. R. L. Roberts Ampex Corporation One of the Allied/Signal Companies Audio Video Systems Division Computer Services Group 401 Broadway M.S. 3-54 Redwood City, CA. 94063-3199 (415) 367-3790 ...{hplabs,ucbvax}!atd!t:rlr