First time carrying passengers

[Tenacious T]

I'm almost at the point where I meet my school's requirements (175 TT, Comm. License, Robinson safety course) to use some of my hours for personal use/carrying passengers. I am equally excited and nervous about flying with loved ones, more so than before soloing. Obviously the stakes are much higher with lives other than your own on the line. Please share your experiences as PIC with passengers for the first time.

[Mike Murphy]

Just fly the aircraft and enjoy it...your passengers will be thrilled

[BOATFIXERGUY]

Murhpys correct... you're a pilot now. Enjoy the flight(s).

 

Just don't fall for the "what else can you do" pressure. Know your limits, and those of the aircraft.

 

john

[Goldy]

Wow, talk about strict requirements. The day after I got my PPL I was flying my kids around in an R 22. Never heard anyone have such strict rules on passengers..

[Tenacious T]

Wow, talk about strict requirements. The day after I got my PPL I was flying my kids around in an R 22. Never heard anyone have such strict rules on passengers..

 

Not FAA requirements obviously, just the schools in order to use their helicopters for personal use. I get the feeling it used to be less strict until a few bad apples screwed things up for the rest of us.

[slick1537]

My school doesn't do rentals period. The only way you will take your loved ones up in one of their AC is if you are a CFII working for them and you schedule it as a demo flight.

[Chi-town]

By now you probably have a set routine on how you go about getting ready for a flight: Weather check, preflight, etc. all established in the past 175 hours you have built. You will notice that passengers are the biggest distraction as their questions, actions while you preflight, chatting, etc. will screw with your "routine". Try to focus on the task at hand. Remember your passenger brief, I like to use, "When the (collective) hand goes up, the mouth goes shut."

 

In an R22 you'll only need to worry about one passenger competing for your limited attention. In an R44 you can multiply that by three. It takes a lot of discipline to do it right, so just focus and be professional. Oh yeah and have fun.

[Hedge36]

Let me be the first to say "congratulations!"

 

My first passenger-carrying flight will be with my eight-year-old daughter, who put up with Dad being gone for quite a while in order to pull this off... above and beyond career aspirations, that's my big goal and will probably be the most satisfying flight ever.

[klmmarine]

I was excited and impatient about getting to take passengers, until the day came to fly with my wife. Then the pressure ramped up, you know... the if I mess up I will leave my kids with no parents type pressure. But I remembered the advice of one of my first instructors who said that passengers are cargo with a voice. You don't have to listen to them and you don't have to answer questions. You only have to get them back on the ground safely everything else comes second.

 

SO, I drove my wife to the airport, sat her down with a book, then went about my flight planning and preflight without the distraction. If you haven't done the flight yet I recommend that you drive to the airport seperately, get there early and have them meet you there immediately prior to the flight. That way you can take care of the important planning and inspection phase without distractions. Then when giving your passenger brief, make sure to tell them that at any time you may just stop talking to them and that they shouldn't push you to do that. Tell them that they are crewmembers, and that it is there job to assist you in any way you may ask them, which includes silence so you can work.

 

I am taking my dad up today and doing it exactly this way. Other than that just enjoy it, because they will.

[Tenacious T]

thanks everybody, good advice

[Goldy]

Remember your passenger brief, I like to use, "When the (collective) hand goes up, the mouth goes shut."

 

 

I have 5 standard things for passengers. 1-Seat belt use, 2-how to use the door lock/unlock/,3- you don't get out of the ship until I do, 4-shut up when you hear someone talking on the radio...its probably important that I hear it and with MOST passengers..5-how to pull the clutch CB in the R22. I just don't think it's realistic that I can reach over while flying, put my hands between the passengers legs and find the right CB and pull it. Could never figure out why they don't put that CB in a better pilot accessible location.

 

Goldy

Edited October 24, 2007 by Goldy

[Sparker]

I have 5 standard things for passengers. 1-Seat belt use, 2-how to use the door lock/unlock/,3- you don't get out of the ship until I do, 4-shut up when you hear someone talking on the radio...its probably important that I hear it and with MOST passengers..5-how to pull the clutch CB in the R22. I just don't think it's realistic that I can reach over while flying, put my hands between the passengers legs and find the right CB and pull it. Could never figure out why they don't put that CB in a better pilot accessible location.

 

Goldy

 

What's a clutch CB?

 

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Now playing: Thrice - Kings Upon the Main

[ironranger]

What's a clutch CB?

 

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Now playing: Thrice - Kings Upon the Main

 

clutch circuit breaker

[Sparker]

clutch circuit breaker

Thanks... I can see why that might be problematic.

 

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Now playing: Billy Talent - Red Flag

[Goldy]

Sorry, its really an R22 thing..

[blave]

I am sorry that you have to live under such restrictive pax-carrying restrictions, but... up to a point I understand why they're what they are. That said...

 

1. My very first pax-carrying flight after I got my PP-SEL in 2000, was with my wife. Unfortunately we had an in-flight emergency shortly after takeoff (climbing downwind off RHV, I had a low-pressure oil condition) that caused me to utter the infamous aviation phrase "oh sh*t!". We landed safely, but with my knees shaking (I never understood that phrase until it happened to me that day). But... we re-did the flight later that week successfully - in the same airplane! - but she'll never let me forget my phraseology 8^) .

 

2. With all that, she STILL accompanied me on my subsequent, first post-Private Pilot Helicopter pax-carrying flight about a year later. But, for whatever reason (I think it was my utttering "oh sh*t!" on that first flight) she has never been more than a reluctant pax since.

 

I think that her lack of interest has something to do with the fact that I haven't flown a helicopter in almost a year 8^( . But I have to give her a lot of credit for getting in ANY aircraft with me as PIC after the first Emergency Experience. Good On Ya, Girlfriend!

 

cheers,

 

Dave

used-ta-be helicopter pilot

[snapperoo]

Not FAA requirements obviously, just the schools in order to use their helicopters for personal use. I get the feeling it used to be less strict until a few bad apples screwed things up for the rest of us.

 

 

I'm just starting to look at flight schools and recently heard about the passenger restriction for R-22 (100 hours before taking passengers). I was under the impression it was an FAA thing but haven't been able to find info on their website. Can you please elaborate?

[RHS1]

I'm just starting to look at flight schools and recently heard about the passenger restriction for R-22 (100 hours before taking passengers). I was under the impression it was an FAA thing but haven't been able to find info on their website. Can you please elaborate?

I think that is a great rule. I was able to carry passengers right after I got my PPl at my school, but I elected not to in spite of the harrasment from friends and family to go for a ride. Before you decide to bring loved ones up in a highly complex machine that you just learnd how to fly ask yourself one question. If there is a promblem can I truly handle it safely or do I just know enough to keep the a/c in the air an land with some margin of safety. When I a say promblem I mean anything alt. failure what ever not just engine out. There are pilots out there with hundreds of hours that freeze up in the event of an promblem minor or major which has led to catastrophes. At 50-60hrs your lack of experience alone can kill you let alone if there is a malfunction that is a fact. Not trying to say that a guy that just got his PPL can not fly well just that it maybe be wise wait until you have more hours under your belt before you take your loved ones in the air.

[Goldy]

recently heard about the passenger restriction for R-22 (100 hours before taking passengers). I was under the impression it was an FAA thing but haven't been able to find info on their website. Can you please elaborate?

 

Nope, not an FAA thing at all. All you need is your PPL and the money to rent the ship.

[Pogue]

I took my wife for her first helicopter flight as my first passenger. I knew she was kind of nervous so I had her film the flight on our camcorder. Kept her occupied during the preflight, and we plugged ipod earbuds into the microphone jack and she put the earbuds in her headset. Got decent sound and video, and she was too occupied to get nervous. We both had a great flight.

[ChprPlt]

My first and only passenger to date was my mother-in-law. It was a very hot day in AZ and a little bumpy. She threw up towards the end of the flight. Luckly I gave her a good briefing and told her if she had to throw up to do it in her shirt and not on the circut breakers! I dont think she wants another ride...haha

[Tenacious T]

I finally took my father and sister for a flight last weekend, everything went fine and it was enjoyed by all.