Sending my wife to Flight School

[chrisk]

After 3 years of riding as a passenger in my plane, my wife finally agreed to take a few lessons.  Hopefully she sticks with it long enough to learn how to land the plane, should it ever be necessary.  I'm just curious how other manage their SO.  I've heard everything, from I don't want them to ever know anything about planes (I guess they go down with the plane), to they must get their pilots certificate.

 

 

[carusoam]

Jolie organizes training for Right Seaters with Jan Maxwell.

Something to consider inorder to avoid accidentally getting a less than stellar CFI.  Mooney focused, your plane, specifically for the purpose you are seeking...

 

Your chances of flying is extended when your right seater is more confident.  Their confidence is improved through proper training.  

Similar theory works for kids too.

Times have changed a bit. The family going down with the ship is a tough sell...especially if their income supports half the family. 

If you get to the level where she is taking lessons, that is a win!

Best regards,

-a-

[mike_elliott]

23 minutes ago, chrisk said:

After 3 years of riding as a passenger in my plane, my wife finally agreed to take a few lessons.  Hopefully she sticks with it long enough to learn how to land the plane, should it ever be necessary.  I'm just curious how other manage their SO.  I've heard everything, from I don't want them to ever know anything about planes (I guess they go down with the plane), to they must get their pilots certificate.

 

 

Chris, that is great. I have trained a couple of mooney owner's wives to be competent to land their plane if necessary. In both cases, the wives took a much more active role in the whole flight regime process, became warmer to the aviation disease, and their spouses' need for the altitude fix.

While Jolie and Jan are not flight instructors, their right seat ready program is well received and will be of great value. If your wife wants to continue with her license, get her into a C150 and let her begin her training with the best primary instructor you can vet locally. The student/instructor relationship is important and should be chosen carefully.

[chrisk]

21 minutes ago, mike_elliott said:

Chris, that is great. I have trained a couple of mooney owner's wives to be competent to land their plane if necessary. In both cases, the wives took a much more active role in the whole flight regime process, became warmer to the aviation disease, and their spouses' need for the altitude fix.

While Jolie and Jan are not flight instructors, their right seat ready program is well received and will be of great value. If your wife wants to continue with her license, get her into a C150 and let her begin her training with the best primary instructor you can vet locally. The student/instructor relationship is important and should be chosen carefully.

Today my wife had her second lesson. It's in an old 172, with an even older instructor (I think he is 89).  Fortunately she really likes the instructor.  In the first lesson, she screamed when the plane stalled.  Today, she didn't scream, but still claims she doesn't like to stall the plane.  -like a lot of pilots I know.  Thursday is lesson 3.

Anyway, after she can land the 172, we will transition into the Mooney.  If there is a better way to do it, let me know.  And in the mean time I let her practice turns and flying to a point from the right seat of the Mooney. 

[steingar]

I've thought about getting Mrs. Steingar some training, but I doubt she's got the strength to raise the bar and lower the gear.  Then again, she could get enough training to be able to gear it up I suppose.  Don't want to know how you practice that...

[mike_elliott]

Outstanding Chris. Suprised she stalled the plane lesson one, but I'm not a primary instructor...gently reinforce the concept of airspeed control and precision to her now, it will pay dived ends later.

[1964-M20E]

Great  mine is content just reading during the flight.

 

While I didn't scream during the first stalls they do wake you up.

 

 

[gsxrpilot]

Does she know how to use the radio? Before my wife takes any lessons (she really has no interest at all), she's working to get comfortable on the radio. When we fly together, she does most of the radio work.  I figure if anything happens, being able to quickly and confidently use the radio will be the most important thing.

 

[DXB]

I agree getting some training is certainly worthwhile.  But I think my old C model is particularly inhospitable from the right seat.  To make it comfortably flyable for my 5'2" tall GF, it would need pedal extensions and right side brakes.  Even then, the J bar is pretty daunting - I had enough trouble getting the hang of it from the left seat.

[gsxrpilot]

According to Jan and Jolie the pinch hitter in the right seat should NOT extend the gear for landing. I've told my wife that if she's ever in that position, to ignore the gear no matter what anyone on the radio says. I'm not confident she could swing the gear, and if she did, there's no brakes. So just bring it in on the belly, easy to do, stops quicker, not dangerous in our Mooney's.

[chrisk]

1 hour ago, steingar said:

16 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

Does she know how to use the radio? Before my wife takes any lessons (she really has no interest at all), she's working to get comfortable on the radio. When we fly together, she does most of the radio work.  I figure if anything happens, being able to quickly and confidently use the radio will be the most important thing.

 

I've thought about getting Mrs. Steingar some training, but I doubt she's got the strength to raise the bar and lower the gear.  Then again, she could get enough training to be able to gear it up I suppose.  Don't want to know how you practice that...

For now, I've told my wife to ignore the radio.  She knows where the PTT button is, and the main radio is almost always tuned to ATC.

My plan is to have her program the GPS, learn about the nearest and direct button, and how to engage the auto pilot (with gpss).   Airports can be hard to find when you know where they are supposed to be.  Simply flying around trying to spot one seems like a tall task.

[kortopates]

My wife went for a spouses course shortly after a couple flights with me at my suggestion. Attending the spouse course she decided right there; "hey I am physics professor, I can be a pilot too!". She went all out on getting her pilots license and then her Instrument and has since permanently taken over the left seat once we got her the necessary pedal extensions. My seat is now the right -LOL's; except for an occasional solo flight. Watch out, you may get more than you wished :) But its all good. Its true that 2 pilots up front can be a challenge at times; especially two married pilots! But when the weather is challenging is when we function best as a team and I am most thankful for her piloting and instrument skills. There is no question in my mind either that two pilots significantly enhances our safety. If that is not enough incentive; imagine how much easier it is now to sell my wife, as a pilot, on aircraft upgrades!

 

Edited February 2, 2016 by kortopates
Edited - I obviously didn't know my left from my right when I wrote this and had them reversed!

[C-GHIJ]

Like many of the wife's out there, mine has NO interest in learning how to fly but I did teach her how to hold altitude and make a co-ordinated turn.  Landing.....well that's a whole new ball of wax.  If the heart attack in the air didn't kill me, her landing attempt probably would.  LOL

[Marauder]

My primary motivation in 1998 to install a fully capable autopilot was to protect my young family and wife. I had taught her how to engage the AP in heading and altitude mode and how to tune the radios to ask for help.

In addition, I taught her how to tune the Nav to an ILS and how to engage the autopilot to fly it. Showed her how to manage power and how to disengage the autopilot near the runway.

Now with all the new hardware, looks like time to do a refresher with her!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[rbuck]

My wife won't even touch the control yoke. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, gsxrpilot said:

According to Jan and Jolie the pinch hitter in the right seat should NOT extend the gear for landing. I've told my wife that if she's ever in that position, to ignore the gear no matter what anyone on the radio says. I'm not confident she could swing the gear, and if she did, there's no brakes. So just bring it in on the belly, easy to do, stops quicker, not dangerous in our Mooney's.

I've told my wife the same thing.  Assuming she is flying because I'm likely dead.  If she and the kids survive the gear up landing, my life insurance will more than cover the airplane if the hull insurance doesn't cover the plane.

Clarence

[Raptor05121]

3 hours ago, steingar said:

I've thought about getting Mrs. Steingar some training, but I doubt she's got the strength to raise the bar and lower the gear.  Then again, she could get enough training to be able to gear it up I suppose.  Don't want to know how you practice that...

This is my thought. My girlfriend is very profieicnt (compared to other flying spouses) in aviation lingo. She double checks my checklist for me, listens for our callsign on the radio, and looks for birds and other planes. The last time we flew, she spotted a 172 traveling almost head-on with us at the same altitude (he was at the wrong altitude for direction) before I did.. He was a good mile off, but still too close for comfort.

She can hold striaght and level, but thats about it. When my plane is done, I plan on teaching her some Mooney-specific stuff. But shes 5'8", 100lbs soaking wet. I doubt with her sitting in the right seat, she would be able to unlatch the Johnson bar let alone lock it down, even using two hands, But we might try.

Edit: Reading Paul and Clarence's post, I think leaving the gear-up would be her best bet. I think I'll adopt that policy as well.

[DrBill]

After 43 years of marriage, my wife FINALLY went for a ride.   a HIGH SPEED TAXI DOWN THE RUNWAY and BACK.   then the plane went in for annual and has not been up since (needed major on engine and now weather is not cooperating now that its done).  I don't ever expect her to be in  it during a takeoff.

 

Good luck to anyone trying to do the gear from the right seat... YOU try it sometime on jacks !!

Bill

 

Edited February 2, 2016 by DrBill

[jetdriven]

6 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

According to Jan and Jolie the pinch hitter in the right seat should NOT extend the gear for landing. I've told my wife that if she's ever in that position, to ignore the gear no matter what anyone on the radio says. I'm not confident she could swing the gear, and if she did, there's no brakes. So just bring it in on the belly, easy to do, stops quicker, not dangerous in our Mooney's.

How about electric gear?

[jetdriven]

5 hours ago, kortopates said:

My wife went for a spouses course shortly after a couple flights with me at my suggestion. Attending the spouse course she decided right there; "hey I am physics professor, I can be a pilot too!". She went all out on getting her pilots license and then her Instrument and has since permanently taken over the right seat once we got her the necessary pedal extensions. My seat is now the left -LOL's; except for an occasional solo flight. Watch out, you may get more than you wished :) But its all good. Its true that 2 pilots up front can be a challenge at times; especially two married pilots! But when the weather is challenging is when we function best as a team and I am most thankful for her piloting and instrument skills. There is no question in my mind either that two pilots significantly enhances our safety. If that is not enough incentive; imagine how much easier it is now to sell my wife, as a pilot, on aircraft upgrades!

Give her the left seat.  It isn't so bad. 

Edited February 2, 2016 by jetdriven

[Becca]

Byron is ok at it. he flares too high.  And he spends a lot more time talking about it than actually doing it.  But I suppose he'd survive in a pinch if he had to.  Sometimes he will even read the checklist or listen for our call sign on the radio for me if he isn't napping.  I guess compared to other flying spouses he's kind of proficient in aviation lingo, but he does weigh in at more than 100 lbs, think I should trade him in for a better model? 

Though he took a fair amount of convincing to take our first trip to Oshkosh.

Edited February 2, 2016 by Becca

[gsxrpilot]

6 hours ago, chrisk said:

For now, I've told my wife to ignore the radio.  She knows where the PTT button is, and the main radio is almost always tuned to ATC.

My plan is to have her program the GPS, learn about the nearest and direct button, and how to engage the auto pilot (with gpss).   Airports can be hard to find when you know where they are supposed to be.  Simply flying around trying to spot one seems like a tall task.

According to the class taught by Jolie and Jan, no gear. They all stop up to 5 times shorter sliding it in and the problem with many new Mooney pilots is landing long. I'd hate to have her get it nicely on the ground to then kill us in the trees off the end of the runway.

[Becca]

By the way your wives are all way awesomer than me.  The time commitment and expense associated with airplane ownership... No way I'd be agreeable to it if it wasn't my hobby too (actually my hobby mainly, Byron always had big shiny planes to fly for work, it was me getting sick of the area rental garbage that pushed us to purchase).

just a word of advice that I didn't expect to be giving until I marry a fellow pilot.  Don't try to instruct your spouse.  Even when vastly more experienced - the power dynamics will never be comfortable or a good learning environment.  You can tell when your spouse is annoyed, nervous, overwhelmed, condescending, etc, whatever, from body language and tone of voice, that you just don't get with a professional instructor.  A good instructor is the key.  Even better if you can find her female comrade to fly with - I have always cherished my time with my female aviation friends!

Edited February 2, 2016 by Becca

[Becca]

11 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

According to the class taught by Jolie and Jan, no gear. They all stop up to 5 times shorter sliding it in and the problem with many new Mooney pilots is landing long. I'd hate to have her get it nicely on the ground to then kill us in the trees off the end of the runway.

I agree with this.  The goal of pinch hitter is to find an airport, communicate because it might be needed, and slow the plane down so that everyone on board can walk away.  Saving the hull shouldn't be a consideration.

[Ron McBride]

I have told my wife to put it on the belly, If I am incapacitated, my medical is gone anyways, might as well sell the plane to the insurance company, rather than dealing with the sale latter.   but my F is insured for a lot less than a new O.

Ron