Advice on taking young kids as passengers

[RVF400]

I'm hoping for some advice from anyone who has taken young kids on GA flights. My kids are 3 and 6 and haven't done any GA flying yet but are keen on the idea. My extended family do a fair bit of private flying with aero clubs and so the kids are familiar with the idea even though they've never been yet. I have a lapsed PPL and haven't really done much flying since the kids were born.
In the next few weeks I've got the opportunity to take them up for a few short flights, with a family member who flies regularly, probably in a club Warrior or similar. I'm slightly anxious about it, mainly because I'd like to make sure their first experience is positive for them and not too stressful for me.
The family member who will be flying us seems to think it will be fine to sit the 2 kids in the back on their own while I sit in the front with him. I'm not

[Sam Rutherford]

They'll be absolutely fine in the back and will love it. Just keep the flight short (10 minutes), smooth and simple. If they want to go again immediately, then go again. Longer flights, they'll quickly get as bored as if in the back of a car... :-)

[ralphos]

I've taken kids as young as 4 for up to 30 minute flights with no problems at all.

[Jan Olieslagers]

Their ears are more delicate and their heads smaller. Think twice about headset. Otherwise I see no issues, nor do I hear of any.

[tmmorris]

Check headsets fit well - if not, it's worth looking at buying child headsets. Otherwise the only things I have done flying my son from the age of 2-13 (so far) are

1. Always have another adult to deal with any issues - but I was happy having that adult in the front. Later I switched to allowing son in front, adult in back. Later still (6/7) switched to flying with just him

2. No single pilot IMC with just him until aged about 9 - after which he became a useful copilot (tuning radios etc)

3. Give them things to do - spotting other aircraft and airfields is a good start.

Crack on!

[tmmorris]

Oh, and use booster seats. Nothing more boring than not being able to see! Back of a PA28 isn't brilliant - when we had a Robin DR400 the back was much more child friendly.

[carlmeek]

We fly weekly with a 2 year old usually 30 minute flights but occasionally up to 1 hour. Never longer.

Make sure they have an alternative form of entertainment once looking out of the window gets boring. iPad videos is our method.

Keeping the headset on is the challenge, for us it works fine as long as the iPad video plays into his headset!

[Sam Rutherford]

Child headsets are both much cheaper and yet still fit (most) adult heads!

But, as Carl says, they'll want to take them off pretty quickly on a long flight - so dependent on ambient noise levels this could be a problem. If replaced by in-ear headphones for music then this is probably less of an issue... I just ask mine to put the main headsets back on for the landing.

[carlmeek]

We've got a set of blue one side red the over kids headset from harry Mendelssohn. They have an audio jack for music on the side. Works very well, but in some older aircraft where the headphone jacks are just wired in parallel the audio bleeds through to the other headsets.

[Piltdown Man]

I've taken many young kids flying. None have been related which means they were welll behaved. Most of the flights were short, i.e. less than 30 minutes but they all loved the experience. The difficult bits were making sure they can see out safely and getting ear defenders or headsets that fit. In flight, make sure they understand what they are looking at and don't worry about steep turns. It's only when they get older that irational thoughts get in the way of sound judgment. Obviously, make sure they are fed and toileted beforehand.

PM

[VictorGolf]

Prior to flying my granddaughter, aged 9, for the first time I suggested to her that we taxi out to the holding point, do the run-up and if it wasn't too noisy/scary we'd go flying on her "thumbs up". Never in doubt really and her response on landing, after what was by my standards a "greaser", was "that was awesome".

[mary meagher]

As a very experienced parent and gliding instructor, with over 3,000 hours, let me ask

Are you taking a kid up to impress him? do you truly have the experience necessary or are you a newbie showing off? wrong reasons. Pay for the kid to have a flight with an instructor.

Are you going on a trip in a small aircraft? BORING, BORING, BORING, except for you, of course. And when the kid gets airsick, which he will on a long trip, you will be irritated, distracted, the wrong pilot. A whole family wiped out flying back to Ireland; happened recently. It happens a lot, actually.

A kid under seven is not going to learn much sitting in the back seat. After seven, yes, they can be intelligent and helpful, should be in the front where they can see what is going on. Make sure they are positioned safely with a safety cushion so he CAN see what is gong on!

Under seven? take them to a fairground ride instead, Daddy.

[effortless]

I cannot stress ear defenders too much. I took kids up in a Warrior and they loved it. No need to be too exciting. Try and show them their house.

[Jenns]

I don't know with what kind of kids some of you have been flying so that they found it "boring". I have taken quite a few kids from age 3 on flying and they were all very excited. I use the same safety seat they use in the car so the size fits and they are used to it. I think it is a good idea to point out familiar or interesting things on the ground. Adult headsets were never an issue.

[iblackfin]

I took my 4 yrs old boy recently for his first 1hr flight. He was very serious, but fell asleep after 30 minutes. Used normal DC headset. He was accompanied by his granddad at the back seats. After getting back home he rushed upstairs for his toy airplanes :)

[Glasgow_Flyer]

The secret, as everyone has said, is keep it short - even literally a circuit first time. You don't want them having an association with light a/c and long flights initially.
I have to say, my kids would be in the category of finding it boring and will only get in the a/c if we're actually going somewhere for a weekend away or whatever. It was a bit of excitement for them first time - now they just fall asleep/play iPads etc.

[Johnm]

I'd been flying my grandson since he was a babe in arms, he's now three and just drops off to sleep. To him it's no different to a car.

[Contact Approach]

Mary M,

What a kill joy!

Brutal Regards.

[C172Navigator]

My kids love flying, they have been doing it since they were about two years old. They are 6 and 8 now and help with the checks - spotting water in the fuel, checking the controls, help get the aircraft outside, attaching the earthing strap, all sorts really. Just explain that at certain times they need to be quiet such as when you're on the radio. We do two hour plus flights no problem. When in the front they have a go, they think they are flying and I believe my kids really enjoy their time aviating - and I'm sure your kids will too.

[Sam Rutherford]

I've taken 'almost' hundreds of children flying since getting my wings almost 25 years ago - not yet had a single one who's been unhappy. A few fall asleep but the great majority think it's fantastic.

Because, erm, it is!

[tmmorris]

Even my son, who now at 13 is determined to be a pilot, used to go to sleep when younger at times. I think the whole thing is quite soothing. Keeping the headset on was a bit of a challenge but he likes talking and once he realised Daddy could only hear him if he wore it properly, he got the idea.

I disagree with Mary, but I guess all children vary.

Don't, though, end up having to explain to A&E why your 4 year old has a broken toe 'because Daddy ran it over with his aeroplane'. Takes too much explaining...

[carlmeek]

My little 2 year old boy is more excited about going in a light aircraft and a helicopter than pretty much anything else in the world. He gets pretty upset when i fly off without him on board!

However, despite the initial excitement his attention span is short - so the iPad becomes necessary.

We've now done perhaps 20 flights, He's never been sick, and can't wait to get back in the aircraft.

I would not normally take him up alone - always and only with my wife. This way we can have clear duties- I am the pilot and she is the child carer. We've had some funny incidents - at 5000 feet she opened up his milk, and it hit the ceiling. Another time the airvent came open and freaked him out, and he tool a little calming. However, none of these events affected safety because our duties were clear.

He likes the helicopter best because he sits in the middle front seat (Enstrom) and has wonderful visibility in all directions. He loves seeing vehicles, sheep ,etc. He still loves being in the aeroplane, and his child seat boosts him up high enough to look outside - he loves seeing the clouds and gets very excited seeing other aeroplanes.

I wouldn't change it for the world - the whole family loves it and it means we get to do exciting day trips to different cities, or the beach, that would otherwise be impossible to do on a day trip without messing up his routines.

As he gets a little older we'll start flying further, but for now it's 60 minutes max, with our most regular destination being Le Touquet at just under 30 minutes.

[RO13FLY]

I can't wait to take my son flying (almost 3) but am working on the basis that he should ask to come up rather than me just take him. I would be devastated if it put him off for life if I took him up too soon and he didn't enjoy it.

[sharpend]

Though the vast majority of kids love their flying, be careful what you do. If you decide on a few aeros, be prepared to clean the aeroplane after they are sick. Not a nice job!. Of course, you will carry a sick bag for them, but one cannot guarantee then using it.

[RatherBeFlying]

The older Master RBF was happy flying in his car seat and child size ear muffs. Once admonished to keep his hands off the yoke, he did:ok:

Crosswind landings got him sick twice in the flare. Lots of cleanup in one case:uhoh: Consider instruction in use of sick bag as there may be very little warning.

For some strange reason he was terrified of over water approaches:confused:

[TCU]

One small piece of advice. Avoid thermic summer afternoons after a bacon sandwich and hot chocolate lunch with a little one on board....

...Farnborough LARS were ever so helpful in assisting me with a direct routing home, whilst said little one revisited his bacon sandwich and hot chocolate inside of my Katana!

[Squeegee Longtail]

One piece of advice:
8 years old is too young to strap in the back of a Yak 52!!
Don't ask me how I know.