...and on the lighter side :
When I met my girlfriend, she knew I was a pilot, but apart from my never being at home (we have a clock in the kitchen labelled "Pilots' Time" - it runs half speed
), she did not pay much attention to my job.
One day, I decided to surprise her, so without her knowing where we were heading, we drove to the airfield. As we went up the driveway, she asked with a big smile "We're going flying?". Her enthusiasm didn't abate when she saw the aircraft - a Bellanca (a true taildragger - very romantic
). She did not seem anxious as we strapped in, the expression on her face changing between expectation and curiousness (for a moment, I thought it might be the look of sheer terror
- but quickly discarded the thought
)
From the moment we took off, she was taken in by it all. After 10 min. of total silent flight, she said "I thought that what you say about bond between man and machine was bu*lsh*t...you really feel at home doing this, right?" I admitted defiantly. I asked her if she would like to fly. She accepted, and for the next half hour, we trundeled about, rediscovering the art of flight - and every lesson was rewarded with the request for more : "How do you turn?" - "What about the speed thingie?". No offence ment to any former student who might read this, but I have never enjoyed instructing so much as I did then!
Before heading home, I asked her if she would like to change perspective and fly inverted. "You know what you're doing?", she asked. I confirmed, and we rolled. Utter silence from the front seat again - then the softest "Oh" I have ever heard over an intercom. And she let go of the frame, letting her arms hang above her head.
Need I say that after this flight, she feels very much at home in all aircraft (inverted or not). I am never short of a co-pilot on my private flights, and she's starting PPL training in the spring...
So, AA, my advice to you is NEVER, under NO CIRCUMSTANCE, to take your missus flying. She might invade your hobby
Happy flying to you and all your family,
Ivan the Horrible