Giving rides to strangers

[Buggsy2]

Originally Posted by ty1295

If we worried about every little possible remote chance of things happening we would never live life. Of course we wouldn't be pilots either.

This.

I've given many kids and adults rides and only sort-of questioned one. I sold a ride for a charity auction so didn't see the winner until at the airport for his ride. He was a very old gentleman, and very stiff. It took at least 15 mins to get him up on the wing and into the cockpit of my Aircoupe, and longer than that to get him back out. I determined after that to not promise flights sight unseen. And it turned out his winning bid was less than my cost...I could have donated my cost instead of the flight and they would have been ahead.

However, his friend who helped him said he had been a pilot and wanted one last flight over familiar territory...what price to fulfill someone that wish?

[kjlpdx]

I have given many rides with no problems. a child did punk on the microphone once, just seconds before landing, but I will pass on one lesson. we were staying with people in vegas and they asked me to give their adult developmentally disabled son a ride. he wanted some stick time and immediately slammed the stick full left. he was fairly strong and we were at 1500'. that will never happen again. I also once gave my father's portly friend a ride. he couldn't support his weight getting out and pretty much dropped on his butt onto the wing. thankfully there was no "sitzmark".

[Bill Dicus]

In the late 60's a friend named Del and I were instructing for an FBO at KMKE (Milwaukee, WI) when a new Beech Debonair arrived at the FBO. Del and I reviewed the POH and set out to try the new airplane with the chief pilot's approval. A young stranger heard us talking and asked if he could ride along. We said OK and had him sit in back. His demeanor and reactions were completely normal during all this. Eventually we were on the takeoff roll on a beautiful summer sunny day when the door popped open. Anybody who's experienced this know it's noisy but doesn't affect the flight characteristics in any significant way. Our passenger immediately panicked and became completely irrational. He screamed, grabbed both of our shoulders and arms in a flurry of activity and tried to climb over the seat backs. Our reassurances did not help quiet him a bit. Eventually one of us contained him a bit while the other went around and landed. After landing the pax became rational again and apologized to us. We had discovered a new way to crash after having a door pop open on takeoff......

[walkman]

Originally Posted by LettersFromFlyoverCountry

He was waiting for his son who was volunteering over at the Commemorative Air Force, so I was pretty sure he wasn't some suicidal or homicidal maniac.

Some to whom I have given rides think it is *I* who is the maniac

[kjlpdx]

on a positive note, I once gave rides to some pilots I didn't know [remember the "golden years" of the RV when everyone wanted to look? :-) ] the following year at the van's fly-in a man comes up to me and in an angry voice says, "YOU cost me a lot of money." I had no idea who he was or where this was going. Turns out I had given him a ride, as well as his wife, who immediately had to buy an RV, requiring him to sell his jeep to help pay for it. [guess I'm an enabler]

[bill@fusion4.net]

Not overly concerned with the liability. There are many things you do each day that are more dangerous then flying in a well maintained RV.

Took 2 sets of almost complete strangers on rides at OSH.
Usually it's a friend or associate not a complete stranger.

I plan on starting to fly young eagles as soon as I finish my interior

[JimWoo50]

Easy to laugh now but back in the late 90's I was asked by a friend to take a young Irish exchange student- a pilot also who bragged about all his aeronautical experience on the drive to the airport- on a low level 3.2 hr pipeline patrol around the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. I let him fly my 172 from the right seat to the pipeline terminal and not 5 minutes after I took the controls he started vomiting. And vomiting. He had a brand new sectional after he filled the bag he folded the sectional and made a cone and filled it too. He was completely miserable and yes he was still vomiting. I dropped him off in Holland Michigan because quite frankly it was really smelling in the plane by then. I finished the patrol in Muskegon MI turned south on a deadhead leg, picked him up and let him fly to South Bend IN. He was fine while he was flying but once again after all that rest he started puking again all the way to Gary IN where the line ended.

I was amazed that he could puke so much and he said he didn't eat anything while in Holland. So I let him fly from GYY to C56- 25 mi- and he was ok. But I took over on about a one mile final and no kidding he popped his door open on the rollout and sprayed my landing gear for good luck!

On another time I was cleaning the Skyhawk and a gent walked up to me and said he'll put 10 gals. Of fuel in the tanks if I take him up the western shore of Lake MI so he can see downtown Chicago from the air. What the heck I figured so off we went. So on return I pull up to the fuel pump and he gets out feels his pocket and says "I forgot my wallet in the car." You guessed it and so did I as he roared through the airport gate. Oh well.

[dpansier]

Years ago a customer from Israel visited our company for a machine acceptance checkout, during the course of a few days he mentioned he was a pilot and owned a Mooney 201.
I saw this as a great opportunity and offered to take him for a ride around the local area as soon as he finished the checkout and signed off on the machine.

Fast forward several days and I?m preflighting the aircraft and he was standing on the opposite side facing the tower, suddenly I heard a heavy stream of liquid splashing on the concrete, at first I thought the tank was leaking but as I got to the other side I found that was not the case. I questioned him and his response was he always drained the sump before flying, to which I replied we do also??.. just not out on the ramp.

The flight went well and we returned about 1 hour later, as I was passing through the FBO lobby the gal at the desk said the tower called with a warning that the instructor better keep a closer eye on the student or they would turn me in for improper preflight procedures. At the time I was instructing part time at the FBO so I was well known to the tower guys.

I later learned they were giving a tower tour to a high school group and got quite a kick out of my student.

[flyingriki]

Can't do it. Value my meager estate too much to risk it for some stranger's entertainment. Things can go wrong and it's not worth it. That what flight schools are for. They have the insurance. I'm somewhat amazed others are so unconcerned about the issue with family finances at stake. Look at the crazy suits out there and think....is it worth your children's inheritance for a stranger?
Have taken a couple strangers up that were interested in the aircraft. None were very appreciative nor thankful even though they said they were comfortable and enjoyed the free ride that probably cost me $50 to $75 in gas I would much rather have used to go somewhere. So much for donating to the cause....
I don't care for giving rides at all unless it's to go for lunch or to an event, then it's usualy buddies or fellow experimental pilots I'm much more comfortable with.

[E. D. Eliot]

I have learned not to attend the Van's Homecoming sans airplane. I went up there three years in a row and experienced the phenomenon of 'being alone in a crowd'. No one to talk to as the flyers pretty much knew each other and their groups seemed to be closed.

So, the last time that we were there, my bride and I were walking along the flight line and I was taking pictures of RVs and explaining to her basic airplane stuff.

Along came a man who had an RV-6-A if I remember correctly. He asked if I was a pilot, said that he was going to a local field for some low priced fuel, and asked if I wanted to go. I replied that I was a student pilot and that if he would consider taking my bride on the fuel flight, I would be grateful. He said 'ok', lets go. My bride had a great flight with this gentleman. Upon arrival back at the Homecoming, she departed the airplane and reaffirmed my desire to purchase an RV kit.

I am embarrassed that I didn't get that pilots name - his kindness to me and my bride is forever be appreciated. We went home happy but I won't be back to a Homecoming until my bride and I fly our own RV to the party. I expect that I will offer rides on occasion depending on the circumstances.