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sailvi767

Well Known Member
I attended a small fly-in this weekend for a few hours. As soon as we landed we were approached and asked to give rides. Some great kids I would loved to have taken up for a flight however I had no idea on the rules and possible liability. It broke my heart to turn down a couple of the kids. Next time I attend a fly-in I would love to be able to offer rides.
I suspect and hope at larger fly-ins it is coordinated by someone. How do things work with regard to liability, insurance ect..????

George
 
If you are an EAA member, check into the Young Eagle's program.

http://www.youngeagles.org/

Other than that, standard private pilot rules apply. Insurance is whatever your policy says it is. Liability...we'll it's been discussed before. My opinion, go fly.

-Jim
 
I gave a kid a ride once. I had them call their parents and get permission. I stood there and listened to one side of the conversation. They hung up, good to go. NOBODY WAS ON THE OTHER END OF THE LINE. I personally speak to the parents now.
 
I'll second the Young Eagles suggestion, the information and materials supplied are very helpful.

John Clark ATP, CFI
FAAST Team Representative
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA
 
3 Weeks ago my wife had her college cross country team come over for rides. I did 35 that day. Only about 4 of them had ever been in a private plane. Best way I know for an old man to sit beside pretty girls all day and have them love it ;) Had it been the football team I'm sure I would have been to busy :eek:
 
I carry standard liability/hull insurance ($1M) policy.

I have found that giving rides in my RV is a vastly rewarding experience for me if the passenger has the right frame of mind. On the other hand, giving rides has also been annoying when the passenger was simply taking advantage of a freebie.

I give rides to lots of people. After giving over seventy rides in the past two years, I've come up with a loosely kept personal set of guidelines about flights. Kids younger than about 12 years old (with parental permission) will almost always get an invite if they appear interested and polite. Teenagers get an invitation if they are polite and ask intelligent questions that make me think they are interested in more than just an expensive roller coaster ride. Young adults get an invitation if they have their pants pulled up, look respectable/respectful, and appear to be genuinely interested in pursuing flying lessons. Mid-age people get an invitation if they are specifically interested in flying an RV, or if they are already a pilot and need some persuasion to come over to the dark side! And the older generation gets an invitation if they have a good war story to tell about their service.

Personality plays into my decisions as well. There's nothing worse than taking a "stick in the mud" up for a flight. After talking them through the entire flight, just to have them walk away without even a "Thanks!" can be very annoying.

After giving too many rides to people who just wanted a cheap roller coaster ride (cheap for them, not so cheap for me), I've limited the rides I give to people, avoiding those who can't ask an intelligent question, or can't express a valid interest in aviation.

If they are <18 years old, I want their parents to personally give me permission to take their child.
 
Be ready to say no

I have made some bad mistakes while giving rides. It boils down to being too accommodating. If the person weighs too much (yes, a minor) say no, even though feelings may be hurt. If the person has physical impairments that don't allow them to board the aircraft normally, say no (without special arrangements at another time). This one caused significant damage to my airplane.

I have gotten a lot of satisfaction out of giving rides to kids, but I don't do it any more.
 
johnfurey said:
I did 35 that day.
Click to expand...
Wow.
I gave about 23 in one day about a year ago. On the last one, my nose tire went flat after landing. Perfect timing.
I regret that I did not think to do them as Young Eagles flights. The ability to give the kids certificates would have made it worth the trouble.
 
Young Eagles

Yound Eagles is the way to go. I've flow over 100 documented rides and twice that over the years just for fun. People of all ages, 4 to 84 years old. A friend of my father took me up the first time when I was 10.
Best advice is inform your passengers of your intentions ahead of time. Now I'm going to turn to the left, I'm going to lower the nose, and the most important one I've found is 'I'm reducing the power now'. They hear a change in the engine and many get very worried. My all time favorite question, 'Do you like roller coasters?'
 
Several times in my younger days I would try to impress passengers with low fly bys and wingovers and things. In most cases I think it probably scared them and made them wish they were on the ground. Stupid, Stuipd, and I wish I could have those rides back.
Take it nice and gentle and leave them wanting more.
 
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