Skiddish Passengers
The idea of flying in a single engine aircraft makes more than a few people anxious. It is not uncommon for me to have to try to calm the nerves of a passenger. I usually try to have the talk before getting into the aircraft. The most important thing for me to do is to find out what exactly is the fear based upon. Most people feel safer in a large jet than a small plane, and statistically the larger planes have fewer accidents because of better trained pilots and more reliable engines. The nice thing about small planes is that if they do lose power, the chances of a survivable forced landing are excellent. I would rather contact rough ground in a 3000 lb plane at 50 mph than in a 20 ton bullet going 200 mph. Either scenario is extremely rare. I guess thats why it always makes headlines when it happens.
This past week I flew an entire family, plus the mother in law, down to Palm Springs. I knew that I had at least one worried passenger when the husband asked me when is the smoothest time of day to fly. I told him in the morning, but that it could vary. He said he had had to do some "convincing" with his wife. It turns out her biggest fear was motion sickness. The route to Palm Springs has some notoriously bumpy air as you cross the Tehachapi, Cajon and Hemet Passes, so I was bit worried myself. I assured her that I would take every precaution to keep the bumpy air to a minimum, but I could not guarantee that there would be no turbulence. As it turned out the bumps were pretty mild as we slowly descended into the Coachella Valley, and no barf bags were needed. After dropping them off and having lunch, I headed back alone. The wind had picked up, and I was glad to be alone as I climbed because this time through the pass it was rockin' and rollin'.