Whirlybird, fantastic post!
In addition, if I've got passengers, I'll often leave the final choice to them. Some passengers have somewhere they've always wanted to go (occassionally a specific airfield, but more often it's a place they'd like to fly over, and then I pick a nearby airfield). Otherwise, I'll offer a list of options: "We could go to A, which is a really nice, small-but-friendly place. Or we could go to B, I've never been there but it's got a reputation for serving excellent food. Or C, which gives a chance to fly over such-and-such."
I also learnt not to plan until I know the weather, when a flight to Shoreham had to be cancelled due to a line of CBs, whereas I could have flown north that day quite easilly if I'd left the decision until I knew the weather.
FFF
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