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Son just passed his PPL checkride in my -9A!

MTBehnke

Well Known Member
My son Aaron started flying lessons in our -9A last summer. He managed to solo with only about 7 hours under his belt. After a break over the winter while he was off at college, he got started again this summer and knocked out the rest of his lessons.

I went up with him a week ago as a refresher before his flight test and he was clearly ready. It was pretty cool to see how far he'd come.

This morning he headed out to the Anoka-Blaine airport and a few hours later came home with his airman's certificate and a big smile on his face.

I'm sure it won't be long before I hear "Dad, can I borrow the plane today"?
 
Congratulations! I have a son who is interested in flight training in my 6A as well, with one additional wrinkle: he's hoping his brother, who is an RCAF flight instructor, will be able to qualify for a civilian instructors' rating and be his instructor. I'd love to see that work out!
 
Congratulations to Aaron. I'm sure you're proud Mike, especially since he was able to complete the training in an aircraft you built!
 
Congrats Mike and Aaron, who if I recall had recently got his drivers license when we met at Anoka a few years back. Good times ahead.
 
Congrats, Mike!

I really hope that when I have kids, they are going to be interested in flying.

Sometimes kids take up their parents interests, and sometimes they don't. I'd be curious to hear how it's worked for other people...

Now you're going to need to finish the -10 so you have something to fly when your son takes the "sports car"!
 
give it time ... don?t rush

I really hope that when I have kids, they are going to be interested in flying. Sometimes kids take up their parents interests, and sometimes they don't.

I'd be curious to hear how it's worked for other people...

Ed,

after having flown with my son or having flown by my son (well, ... just a little) just yesterday I think I contribute a bit.

My son Leon is going to turn 13 this week and I have flown with him basically only when he wanted in the last couple of years. His main priority was/is his friends, playing soccer in the local team and such.

However with the plane we went to London UK, to visit friends and - he says that was the most cool thing - to a field just around the corner for lunch where they have a Burger King right next to the end of the runway ...

I really tried to play the flying thing low ball and did not push him to go to the airport with me at all. Since recently he is asking ´dad, let´s go to the airport and fly ...´ and so we do a little more. And I let him fly (right seat) a bit - however only after briefing every thing we do properly. So he learns about the thing and about communication in the plane.

Yesterday we (Wolfgang with his -7, Egon with the -9A, us in the Subaru Robin as I have sold the -4 recently) went to a field close by (20 mins only). Leon flew the ´straight and level´ part on boths legs and the desecnt into a long final at home as long he was comfortable (as re the ´communication in the plane´ I heard a ´you have control´ at 500ft AGL on final which came quite natural - so he learns ...).

All in all we just collected just a couple of hours (I have been a PPL instructor for quite some years - not saying this means a lot) and my feeling is as long I keep this on a level he is happy with we are having a great time. No idea if he ever will bite the bullit and train properly however he is asking me questions about getting into glider flying which you can do at the age of 14 over here.

To me it is more about the fun he has - I mean he really liked looking at Wolfgang fantastic -7 while it was close - and maybe something develops ... or not. It certainly is something about the father and son thing, too (well, I guess you hear in my voice that I am somewhat proud ... or rather glad that we can do this together, I think).

I truly believe my son and me are privileged to be able to have this kind of quality time togehter.

Just because you asked ...

Heinz
 
Congratulations to Aaron and his proud father. I'm sure you will hear, "Dad, can I borrow the plane?" but what I hope you hear is, "Dad, how about we build an RV for me?"
 
if you build it......they will fly?

Congrats, and someone hit the nail on the head; if you don't get someone interested in flying, even building, or maintenance is a great way to bring another person into the aviation world.

on another point, great to hear someone solo'ing in a reasonable time, rather than 30 hours that seems to be more to satisfy some insurance at the flight skool than anything skill related!
I was shocked to see stats that said the current cost and time is about $13,000 ( 100 hours???) for a PPL!!!
......... it's just gotta help if kids can get early exposure..and stick time ( & learn good habits) so that those expensive hours at the flight skool are better spent.

...keep em flying'
 
Congrats From A fellow young RV pilot!

Congratulations to you both! Although I didn't train in my Dad's airplane, it was a pretty special moment for my Dad and I when I was the first person to ever fly our airplane without my Dad in it. I now have a key to the hangar and the airplane, so be ready for that time to come. :D Hopefully for your son, he is not 5.5 hours away from the airplane like I am! I plan on building an RV-4 one day, I assume your son has caught that bug as well! :)

Blue skies.
 
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