What not to say to a passenger
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What not to say to a passenger
I took a member of my family once to fly when I was building hours on my PPL. As we approached the Humber Bridge I spotted Goole and pointed out if we had an engine failure I'd land there. To say they shait themselves would be understatement! They didn't even think an engine failure was possible! A number of questions and insults followed..
The lesson I learnt was prior to the flight the brief, I.e what to do in an emergency is vital. Also reassure engine failures in the air are rare.
Lastly don't ever think out aloud!
Anyone like to share their story?
The lesson I learnt was prior to the flight the brief, I.e what to do in an emergency is vital. Also reassure engine failures in the air are rare.
Lastly don't ever think out aloud!
Anyone like to share their story?
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Once a passenger told me she was air sick and, trying to resolve why, I asked her what she'd eaten that day.
Mistake.
She didn't need to tell me - it was on display.
Mistake.
She didn't need to tell me - it was on display.
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I can remember flying some business people to Newcastle In a Seneca Five twin.The air was silky smooth, not a ripple.
Suddenly one of the PAX a male!!! projectile vomited from one end of the aircraft to the other covering every visible surface.
This continued all the way to Newcastle and on exiting the aircraft he was fine.
Luckily for us the airline cleaners took pity and cleaned the aircraft for us.
On the return the same happened with retching all the way.
Thankfully this time there was nothing to wretch so apart from the noises all the way home little damage.
I refused to ever take that PAX again as he had serious motion sickness more in his head than motion!
Lokki
While relevant to Biz jets may have been better in the private pilots forum??
As for scaring the PAX I am all for immersion for fear control
I would show films like death at 30000 feet and every now and again going into simulated fits and collapse over the controls
Just think of the relief they will have when you turn around smiling and tell them you were only joking!!Pace
Last edited by Pace; 2nd Jan 2013 at 17:45.
Once flew an evidently nervous pax front seat in a light twin. As I started up and taxied out I noticed he was watching everything I was doing very attentively and asked a lot of questions about what random knobs and buttons were for, almost as if he was testing me.
When we got to the holding point, I carried out the pre-take off checks, then pulled out the checklist to make sure I hadn't missed one. At this he looked absolutely horrified, grabbed me by the shoulder and loudly asked "ARE YOU SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO FLY THIS THING?".
I assured him that I did, and explained why we used checklists. He then calmed down a bit, and seemed to enjoy the flight until we started the descent to the destination. As the approach was visual, I pulled out a VFR map to check some of the reporting points. At this, he again became very agitated and said "I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU KNEW THE WAY!"
He was a bit calmer on the way back luckily.
When we got to the holding point, I carried out the pre-take off checks, then pulled out the checklist to make sure I hadn't missed one. At this he looked absolutely horrified, grabbed me by the shoulder and loudly asked "ARE YOU SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO FLY THIS THING?".
I assured him that I did, and explained why we used checklists. He then calmed down a bit, and seemed to enjoy the flight until we started the descent to the destination. As the approach was visual, I pulled out a VFR map to check some of the reporting points. At this, he again became very agitated and said "I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU KNEW THE WAY!"
He was a bit calmer on the way back luckily.
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I've got a similar story to Trim Stab. Flying a Citation into Luton one of our pax stood behind us in the descent and started asking lots of questions and generally acting quite anxious. One question was 'Have we got enough fuel ?'. Turned out he was looking at the fuel flow gauges.
The Captain was very good with him and persuaded him he needed to get back into his seat and strap in as we would be landing in a few minutes.
When we landed, as soon as the aircraft stopped, the pax got up, opened the cabin door and strode straight off across the busy apron !
The Captain was very good with him and persuaded him he needed to get back into his seat and strap in as we would be landing in a few minutes.
When we landed, as soon as the aircraft stopped, the pax got up, opened the cabin door and strode straight off across the busy apron !
Last edited by NilDesperandum; 5th Jan 2013 at 17:32.
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Saying "Hi, I'm the pilot" was enough to make my friend's cousin turn all possible colors, when I took them for a flight at the age of 17 (but I looked more like 12 at the time and had never met the cousin before).
As the approach was visual, I pulled out a VFR map to check some of the reporting points. At this, he again became very agitated and said "I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU KNEW THE WAY!"
Haha, similar thing for me.
On a regular run, with a regular passenger. Dodging some summertime storms and nicely off-track. ATC had us track via a different waypoint as it was going to make their life easier with traffic separation.
I was training one of our new guys and plugging in the waypoint (we are IFR) I get the en-route chart out to cross-check its details, lat/long etc to ensure we are tracking to where we want to go, also being off our intended track and about to descend, we needed a new Lowest Safe- all gathered from the chart.
After landing the regular pax said "i got worried we were lost when you had the map out pointing to things!!!".
I had a chuckle.
monty
Avoid imitations
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"But I thought you were the pilot!"
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"We're not going to make it" - in my days as a young and naive hot-air balloon driver, flying a passenger ride. What I meant was that we weren't going to be able to land in the field we were approaching (wind shift / bales in the way etc) so we would have to find somewhere else. The pax, however, had seen too many Airplane movies .... the look on their faces ...
Mind you, when we did land (in the same field) they thought I was a hero who had saved them from a near-death experience!
Mind you, when we did land (in the same field) they thought I was a hero who had saved them from a near-death experience!
Avoid imitations
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Show us yer tits
I understand he eventually found a new job, but not at that airfield.
