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