Flying with a 7yr old
 

I'm planning on taking a friend & her 7yr old daughter on a trip this Sat (1/2hr each way).

Has anyone got any advice regarding taking a young girl on her 1st flight. Both safety & enjoyment related.

Unfortunately, we won't have a chance to do a quick flight around the local area beforehand.

Tx, Martin

Ensure that bladders are empty and sick bags to hand.

I assume its a 4 seater? If so then put the 7yr old behind you and her mum in the front seat on the right. That way she can reach her daughter easier than if her daughter is behind her. Also use a car booster seat (for the daughter!) so that she can see.

Most children don't get sick but choose a route where you can get back to an airfield quickly. Tell them to let you know ASAP if they feel queasy, then open every air vent and head for home. In 18 yrs I've only had 1 sick passenger and they held it together until we landed.

I always explain everything beforehand so that engine note changes etc don't produce panic. if you all have headsets/intercom then I always tell them what I'm going to do before I do it. Remind them to take a camera.

If it is rough or turbulent then consider leaving them behind. They won't enjoy 30 mins each way with bumps all the way and a 'wobbly' landing. Best they are disappointed than scared stiff.

Make sure the weather is calm, and have another adult in the plane who is responsible for her.

Dog box and a blanket? I thought I better add the blanket in case I was accused of cruelty....

Don't know how quiet your aeroplane is - but I would consider getting a childs headset. Young kids hearing is (I am told) fairly easily damaged.

OC619

Childs Headset

I've had my 4,6 and 8 year olds with me in planes and helicopters.

I'd suggest that as soon as you get out of the circuit, with forewarning, you execute some turns and examples of the maximum manouvers you'll be pulling enroute, then if she hates it you can quickly return to the field.

I generally explain what I'm going to do to passengers, then bank the helicopter fairly steeply both ways, if they're fine with that then they'll love the whole trip, if they don't like it then see if you can fly at rates that they can accept.

In a fixed wing I try to avoid pushovers, unless they want to experience the butterflies! That's a sure way of having Billy Barfa turn up unexpectedly on the scene to ruin your day.

More than likely she'll fall asleep within 15 mins of takeoff anyhow and not wake until after you've landed.

A real priv to take someones child flying.........

Here is Oliver aged 8. i was lucky enough to be the first person to loop the loop with. (he also flew the aircraft back to base.....:ok:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...h/01072006.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...1072006001.jpg

I know what i would have been like at show and tell on monday......:}


xx

luv

f

I've flown with a few young children and have found they really like it and are practically fearless! They are also easily bored or distracted so keep it short or exciting and don't get technical.

I'm sure they'll love it!

I have taken my 3 year old for a number of flights in a PA28. I would recommend taking :

a headset, or similar ear protection, to protect their hearing. If they have a headset you can communicate with them. (Although I have now taken to not plugging in the mic on her headset as she tends to try and interrupt radio calls and everyonewhat their names are and what they are doing.

Someone else to look after them and a sick bag just in case you can't miss all the bumps!

Be prepared to abort the trip and return if they get upset, you don't what to put them off for life.... do you?

Sons 4,6,8. First one went in the back of the cub at just over four, second one went at just a whisker over 3. Both loved it, no problems. Third one doesn't want to go at all. Depends completely on the child. Most normal 7 or 8 year olds would be fine, I'd say.

She defo wants to go (she's fallen for all the hype we've given her - and the bribe of seeing the seaside). And it is in a PA-28.

So:

Car seat
Mum in view (poss in back)
Point out everything on the ground
Tell her what's happening - I fell for the engine noise change notification when carrying a passenger in a Cub - She didn't see my hand move the throttle :=
Ear plugs under headset- Will consider a child headset if she gets the bug
Warn & demonstrate bank angles
Piccies as reminders/keep sake
Sick bag :yuk: - just in case

Pleas keep it coming.

Martin,

Don't over-prepare and make it into too big a thing. Just stick her in and go with a minimum of fuss. If she's a regular child, she'll be fine. It is no big deal and I don't think she's very likely to freak out.

QDM

I’ve had my 10 and 7 year old flying with me; both of them absolutely loved it. I used a cushion and a car booster for the 7-year-old any less and the shoulder straps weren’t tight. No steep turns or orbiting try and stick to cruise alt (1st time for everything) and keep talking. By half way round the youngest was even pointing out traffic…Bless.
Be warned, afterwards, when can we go again!:hmm:

If Mass/Balance allow then leave the front seat empty - both Mum and daughter in the back. That way if the 7 year old doesn't feel happy with everything Mum is right there.

Another point is that if she doesn't want to get in the aeroplane leave it there. My 7 year old nephew didn't want to get in the aeroplane the first time he had the opportunity - whereas his little sister jumped at the chance. We just left it at that - next time he had the chance he wanted to go. I'm sure if we'd pressured him the first time it would have put him off for years.

OC619

Creep Feed Grinder - How do you know I can't stick to my cruise altitude?

OC617 - It takes a braver man than me to comment on mum's mass/balance!

Martin @ EGLK,

I didn't, I was talking about me! There's just too much distraction.:O

In a PA28 I got my 9 yr old godson to sit in the back, much to his dismay. I didn't fancy having such a young person in charge of the only exit route. He still loved the flight though, his mum sat in the back with him throughout which would have been handy for any turbulence issues - of which there were none.

After 20 mins or so I started to hear static and clicks in my headset, I fiddled with the radio, tried to understand what was happening, asked for silence from the passengers etc. until his mum noticed that he had got a little bored and was pulling the headset plugs out, then back in, then out, then back in.. Doh!

At the end of it though he claimed it was the "best day of his whole life ever!". Brilliant.

Late starters! My 2 year old absolutely adores flying. He's been doing it since 6 months, though regularly only since he was around 2 (nearly 3 now). He now has his own headset (as advertised above); he likes to sing to himself on the intercom so it's a good idea to have one of those fancy intercoms that can isolate the pilot and/or front seat occupants (or unplug him strategically)...

I wouldn't take him on my own, though, for quite a bit yet - either his mum or his godfather (also a pilot) always comes with us.

Different, I know, from taking an older child who hasn't been flying before: he's too young to have anxieties about it and should, with luck, grow up just thinking flying is normal. But he talks about it for days before and after every trip!

Tim

(PS if anyone's got somewhere to host it I have a very cute photo of him asleep in the back of a Robin DR400...)

safety safety safety
 

I recently took an 11 year old up with me and her father . Now I dont have kids so havent quite got the pyschie down to a tee. I gave a nice thourough flight safety briefing including "dont touch the propeller never ever not even once ever ever never" Doing my walk round what did the little sxxt try to swing on ? Lesson learnt on that one .