Plastic Pilot

This post is the first in a series about the reasons we have to fly general aviation planes, so both remind them, and also share them with non-flying people.

One of the very best reason to fly is the possibility to share this pleasure with other people. I flew recently with a colleague and its 3 years old son. It was the first flight ever for the kid, but the father already flew general aviation planes, parapent, and even helicopters, all as pasenger.

After take-off, I was observing the kid reactions, in the back seat of the DA40, but he seemed quite shy, and was probably impressed, but not really demonstrative. When I had a look to the right seat, I saw my colleague smiling as I never saw him before. Ok, we were not in business context, but he was looking like a child.

I did not flew with new people for quite a while, and with non-pilots for even longer. May be I just had forgotten how wonderful flying is for people not used to it. The whole flight when on in the same mood. The kid was silent but happy, but the father was just excited, smiling, looking like illuminated.

To be fair, I must admit that its happiness somehow “contaminated” me, and I felt lighter, and it was good to know that I made two people happy with this flight. Being so happy myself, I did not even mind the thermal turbulence on the flight home, after leaving them at destination.

This is an easy transition to the second reason to fly, going to destination… so stay tuned on this series.