It can be rewarding

[n5lp]

Kelly Holladay photo

I have a friend in a nearby town who mentioned several months ago that she wanted a favor. She wouldn't say what the favor was, so I was apprehensive that this was a big one. Well I finally drug it out of her.

She has a nephew in Albuquerque who is an absolute airplane nut but has only actually been in an airplane (airliner) one time. She was hoping he could experience flight. This young adult has some disabilities but is very intelligent.

We made the trip to Double Eagle II airport and I met the man. He was very courteous but willing to challenge the way I chose to do things. He hadn't had a night's sleep since he heard he was going to get to fly.

When we broke ground there was kind of a gasp. For the early part of the flight he was obviously nervous, with his legs vibrating. As soon as he got the stick, that stopped completely and did not recur.

This guy has thousands and thousands of hours in his home based simulator but did not know the sensations. When he first pulled back a bit on the stick, then forward, then turned, his face just lit up. Then he asked me for a stall and that is a first for me on rides. He liked it and remarked on how the break was quite a bit sharper than in the Cessna simulations he was used to. He tried maneuvering at different speeds to experience the different stick forces and the way one "feels" the air. It was...well...very neat.

After the flight we had lunch. The father asked quite a few aviation related questions, such as the function of a constant speed prop, and why so many tandem airplanes are soloed from the rear seat from which the visibility is so poor. I didn't have to answer any of those questions as my rider did a very fine job.

This stuff can be very rewarding!

[dlloyd3]

Thanks for sharing Larry. Rides I have given as favors have ranged from please take me back to don't take me back. I think they were all remembered favorably.

JA, Vulcan or Black?

[Ironflight]

Great story Larry - your good deed for the week!

Paul

[Vlad]

Originally Posted by n5lp

...

He was very courteous but willing to challenge the way I chose to do things. He hadn't had a night's sleep since he heard he was going to get to fly.



...


This stuff can be very rewarding!

Very rare rider you had Larry. I've never flown with such an advanced simmer.

[Canadian_JOY]

These rides we give can be hugely supportive to our passengers, especially those who have some challenges. Excellent work, Larry.

As for the younger generation getting lots of sim time, I've had the full gamut, from those who have never tried it to those who were constantly participating in multi-player air combat missions. One 14 year old impressed me mightily - he flew X-Plane at home and, when I handed him the controls, he did better than most licensed pilots when first taking the stick in our aircraft. He held altitude, could roll out on an assigned heading and hold it, and could manage power changes. He had never been in a light aircraft before but was good enough that I let him fly down to short final. If our aircraft didn't require a deft touch in the landing flare I would have let him try a landing. Very impressive indeed.

[scrollF4]

Wow, what a great story. Clearly this guy would make a great future pilot. While his disabilities get in the way? I hope not.
Is there a possible future in aviation for him? I really do hope so.

[C. Brenden]

I had my RV6 at Double Eagle for 10 years and still enjoy flying out of there. It's always great to share the joy of flight with others. Great job!

[AltonD]

Originally Posted by dlloyd3

Thanks for sharing Larry. Rides I have given as favors have ranged from please take me back to don't take me back. I think they were all remembered favorably.

JA, Vulcan or Black?

On my grand daughters first ride, as I lined up to land, she wanted to know what I was doing. I told her we were going to land. She said, "No papaw, I am not ready to land. Let's fly around some more."

I was grinning from ear to ear.

[acroflyrgirl]

Great write up. One of the best parts of these magic carpets of ours.

[n5lp]

Originally Posted by dlloyd3

...JA, Vulcan or Black?

I'm not sure what this refers to. Color? All I remember is that the purple paint is "FedEx Purple"

Originally Posted by scrollF4

...is there a possible future in aviation for him? I really do hope so.

I would hope so also.

Kelly Holladay Photo



Danny Sebastian Photo