Ruined another pilot

Took a young C150 pilot for a ride in the RV yesterday and ruined him. He'll never be happy in his little spam can again Life can be so harsh!

It was also the first time someone has climbed into my 6A and immediately commented on how roomy it is; I'd forgotten just how tight a 150 cockpit is

That is how I was ruined! My instructor at the time flying the same Cesna gave me a ride in his 6A now 80 thousand dollars later I have my own 7A

I took a young engineer for his first flight in the RV. He almost has his private and has been asking detailed questions about sealing the fuel tanks. He has swallowed the hook, now to just set it.

I was at our local EAA chapter Saturday for our monthly breakfast & Young Eagles flight. A young man of about 10 went for his first flight ever in an RV6A owned by one of our members. I commented to another club member that we were ruining him with a first flight in an RV, he'll never want to settle for anything else!

Last week I had just returned from a quick local flight just to smash bugs. I landed, put Smokey in the hangar and cleaned off the buglets. Just as I closed the hangar door, another hangar owner drove up and asked if there was any way I could take him up to Grand Rapids, MI, to pick up his A36 Bonanza, which he had left there for some work on his autopilot. I said, "Sure."

Since he flies up there IFR all the time, he had all of the freqs memorized and his iPad with him, so I wouldn't even have to look anything up on the GPS. I showed him how to buckle in and where the barf bags are, and lit the fires.

As we took off, I glanced in the mirrors and watched his grin. "Wow, this thing really takes off," he commented.

"First time in an RV?" I asked. He admitted that it was, and that he'd love to own part of an RV just for fun, and use his Bonanza for travel.

Flying into KGRR, I was following a KC-135 and there was a bizjet waiting to take off after I got out of his way. Made a truly crappy landing and dropped him off. I doubt he'll ever build an RV, but I now know that he at least knows what he's missing ...

A common experience, I see! When I think about it, this was the first time I gave a ride to another pilot who doesn't fly the Texan/Harvard II, the BAE Hawk, the T38, or the Canadair Tutor (with the Snowbirds) as their day job. Those guys love the plane because it compares so favourably with the aircraft they fly every day. It's easy to forget what it was like to move into an RV after years in lower performance planes, and it was sure fun to see the grin on that kid. In fact, it was so much fun I think I'll have to do it again...and again...and again