A Non-Flying Wife's Perspective on Seating

[f1rocket]

I know there has been a lot of discussion in the past regarding which seating arrangement is the best, tandem or side-by-side. My wife had an interesting perspective on this topic as a result of a recent trip we took.

First off, my wife does not enjoy flying very much. It took a great deal of courage for her to travel a 1000 NM in the back seat of my Rocket. Second, she had flown in both seatings arrangements. She flew in my RV-6, which is obviously side-by-side, and now in the Rocket, which is tandem.

From the perspective of a non-flying wife, she much more enjoyed the tandem seating than the side-by-side. In fact, she ALMOST enjoyed the flying part of the trip. I can't tell you just how far that statement is from where she used to be. Her reasons is that she doesn't like to look out the windshield. It scares her a little too much and she doesn't like to see me fiddling with everything. She starts to ask questions and her mind starts telling her that there's something wrong. She much prefers the view out the side in the Rocket and is just fine letting me do my thing up front without her seeing it all.

So guys, if your wife is like mine and has an absolute aversion to flying with you, you may have a ray of hope if you are building a -4 or -8. At least from my wife's perspective, it's currently the difference between going and not going.

[13brv3]

Interesting comments. My wife has flown in SBS rental planes, and in the back seat of my earlier -8. In the -8, she made a nest back there, piling enough blankets around to stay warm, and not necessarily be able to see down. She doesn't really like to fly, and that's the most comfortable she's ever been in a plane.

With that in mind, I'm building another -8, and hope to do some traveling with this one. I like to fly, but not travel, and she likes to travel, but not fly. It's sort of a compromise :-)

Cheers,
Rusty

[fodrv7]

Randy,
My wife has always been the same.
I would sit up front driving and she would sit in the back...... in First Class. But she was reluctant to come up front to where all those switches and levers were.

Although I have -7, I have tried to make it First Class on her side.
But it's a bit difficult trying to match the 777.

I don't think I have convinced her.

Pete.
PS. I did put in an iPod for her.

[L.Adamson]

Originally Posted by f1rocket

Her reasons is that she doesn't like to look out the windshield.

My wife DOES like looking out the windshield and doesn't like like my helmet blocking the forward view on motorcycle rides.

L.Adamson RV6A