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Introductory Flight For a Friend

Perhaps the thing I enjoy the most in Aviation is introducing someone to aviation for the first time.  There is little more rewarding than handing the controls over to someone for the first time and watching their face when they realize they are actually flying an airplane.  Most people have no clue that they had it in them to actually hold the controls and fly.  Then they realize that the airplane is still flying and nothing bad has happened.   Then you coach them through making a turn to the right, then the left.   Even after 825 hours of flight, seeing the smile on someones face still makes me very happy. 

Tonight was one of those nights.  A friend and co-worker tagged along for a flight with me this evening.  The mission was to pickup my Bonanza from the Avionics shop where it was getting its routine IFR inspection.   The first step was to get picked up by a friend of mine in his shinny 2015 Cirrus SR22 Turbo. My friend sat in the backseat and enjoyed the short flight up to the airport where my plane was at.   This was the second time he had been in a General Aviation aircraft.  The first was in the back of a Cessna 414 that we flew several weeks before.  (See the Video Here).

After we landed, we jumped into the Bonanza and my friend looked at me, "Oh, I get to sit in the front seat?  I thought that was only for pilots."   Little did he know that I was already planning on swinging the yoke over for him to fly once we got to a cruise altitude.  

Once we took off, I swung the yoke over and disconnected the Autopilot.  He took the controls and started flying.  I let him turn to the right, to the left then a long 360 turn back to the right.  He was a natural.    I let him continue to fly all the way back to our home airport until we were about a 5 or 6 mile final.  

The excitement and energy he showed was extremely rewarding for me.  Flying has always been special to me, but after 20 years of flying it can become some what routine.  

The biggest gift you can give to the Aviation Community is to introduce someone new to our family.  Take a friend flying tomorrow.  Let them enjoy the experience.