Hey everyone,

I’m a newly minted private pilot. The check ride and everything went quite well, and I am comfortable handling the C172 I’ve trained in.

I have a wife and two kids, one is 3 and the other an infant.

At some point I want to share flying with them. I was thinking that for starters I would show them around a C172 and the airport where I fly and then let them sit in the plane etc just to see what they’re in for. I think it would help my 3yo to not be as fearful.

What advice (totally open ended question) do you have for a guy like me as it relates to flying with kids or family who are not used to it? Flying with an infant seems like a fools errand, but I have friends who have done it.

I think I might take some friends or male relatives (dad or brother) up to get used to having a non-CFI passenger aboard to normalize that for me before I commit to a family outing. I don’t want a big dose of stress and external pressure at this early stage.

Just looking for advice or anecdotes that are relevant to my situation.

1. Get more hours to become more comfortable.
Passengers can tell when the pilot is uncomfortable.

2. Tell them everything you are doing as you are doing it.
For example, let them know that when landing, you'll be throwing more inputs in than in flight, and let them know when and why you chop the power once the runway is made.
Explain when it's time to talk and when it's not.
Simple rules to make the flights safe and enjoyable.
This is good practice for you as well, as it's reinforcing what you've learned, and will keep them informed.

For your children,
Take 1 up at a time(except for the youngest, they might need some help .
First, see how they deal with taxiing around the airport.
If they're good with that, see if they want to go up right then.
If not, come back again, do some taxiing and see if they're ready.
Once you're up, see how they're doing.
If they're at all apprehensive, stay in the pattern or return to it as soon as possible and get them on the ground.

Don't be a dickhead like some people, and force them to stay up.  I've known some who've done that, and the passenger wound up hating flying forever.
Above all, make sure that you are comfortable.
This isn't a race, slow and steady gets it done.

Both the infant and three year old may experience ear discomfort from changing altitude.  It's bad enough on a commercial flight, but distracting and not fun for anyone on a small plane. Been there, done that.

It's more fun as they get older.  When I took some nieces and nephews up for their first time, I made it a funny story for them about how loud it would get and how much the plane would shake, even shook one of them to make it funny. Then I told them they all had to shout "up, up, and away" as we became airborne.  . Went as far as telling them how tiny their moms and dads will look from the air and show them with your fingers. They enjoy it much more if you get them excited and they know what to expect

Thanks for the advice so far.

I think that in the near term I will be building some hours and revisiting some cross country flying and class C airport activity to boost confidence.

The last couple months of my flying have been day flights in class E airspace for mock check ride practice, so I am really proficient at the ACS stuff but that’s kind of one dimensional.

I want to explore more new airfields, fly with some fellow pilots (non cfi) as pax, and practice power off 180s (not to a commercial standard, just to a safe completion) to reduce risk.

I’m not in a huge rush with any of this. Maybe I sound timid but I am kind of an expand the envelope type of guy and I don’t want to be too gung ho.

I would wait a couple years for both kids, unless your 3-year old shows a keen interest, then follow your plan.

When you do take them up, make sure they have a lollipop to suck on as it will help clear their ears. Stay low to minimize the change in pressure to the greatest extent.

I've taken kids as young as 4 for rides. Make sure you use their booster seat for the seatbelt and so they can see out the window.

BACK SEATS ONLY until they're a little older- it's WAY too easy to pop open a window or door latch on a 172 and will scare the crap outta them (and you!) when it happens.

Go on Sporty's website and buy these earphones for the kids. It'll help protect their hearing and make feel like part of the crew. You can also buy a kid's headset that they can talk with, but I'd wait for that.

Congrats on joining the addiction and you'll get a lot of pleasure flying with your kids. I took my son up when he was 8 and now he's a commercial rotary wing and private fixed wing pilot.

I started taking my twins up when they were 4...booster seats and all.  Started working on their instrument crosscheck pretty early.  

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Now we try to go at least once a year.  Generally we'll fly somewhere to get ice cream or lunch and then fly back.  That way, they each get a turn in the front seat.

In my experience women don’t care for flying at all.  

I’ve taken 5-6 year old kids riding quite a few times and I’ve never had one get sick but they’re not real cognizant of much.

They get bored and thirsty and have to pee so I usually stay pretty close to the airport.

I rode my 6 yo son around for about an hour and a half the other day in a Citabria and that was plenty for him.

Kids have no fear. I bet if you just loaded your 3 year old, he would be laughing and having a great time all the way.

Get more experience so you can develop a bit of instinct.   Right now, you don’t know, what you don’t know.  

Fly early morning when the air is smooth.  Kids generally don’t get scared.  They don’t know enough to be scared, if you don’t make a big deal of it.  

Be careful.  It’s not anything like driving a car.  It’s inherently dangerous, with the danger somewhat mitigated by staying well within the capabilities of both you and your aircraft.

The frequent tragedy of general aviation, is that you generally don’t know when those limits are being approached, until you exceed them.

Night flying should be considered IFR flying.   The FAR’s allow a lot of things which are unwise/unsafe.  You have to set your Own minimums.
Have fun, but not too much fun.

Keep watching for the signs of airsickness.   At the first sign, get cold air on them, fly slow, land.

Regarding the night comment, what has contributed to you drawing that conclusion?

I enjoyed night flying during training but I was flying in a generally lighted area with very limited “total darkness.” I also had a CFI with me, so that probably made me less spooked.

I could see myself doing some recurring night flying training in the near future (been a while since those lessons) but I am not particularly keen on it.

The thing that bugs me is that if you had an engine out and were not within glide of a lighted airfield you are either looking for a road with some lighting or taking your best guess at a field that you cannot really see.

My $.02...

3 YO and infant do not need to fly unless you are bringing the family somewhere for a reason, i.e. to visit friends, relatives, vacationing, etc. They are too young to appreciate anything or learn anything, especially the infant. They are not ready for $500 hamburger or ice cream runs. It's not going to make a difference from an acclimatization standpoint. Wait until the kids are 5 for that sort of stuff, and they'll need an appropriate booster seat of some kind so that they can see outside and appropriately sized hearing protection.

If you are travelling with the wife, a 3YO and an infant, hate to say it but it might be best to put them all in the back with the infant as a lap baby. Trying to control a 3YO front seat tantrum or a crying baby in the back seat with a front seat wife is damn near physically impossible. It's not going to be much fun for the wife, though.

Putting a young (5 to 8YO) child in the front seat where they have access to the controls can be fraught with peril. If your kid(s) are heads up, well behaved and well mannered, then by all means. And by the time your oldest is 5 you'll have two years of flying under your belt and will be able to manage distractions better.

However, now is definitely the time to take the wife flying. It'll be a vacation for her to leave the kids at home with a sitter/friend/relative and that alone will make the $500 burger or cone that much more delicious. It will add value to the trip. And once she's acclimated then she becomes a much better resource to help deal with the kids when it is time for them to fly.

Finally, do what you need to do to be safe, but understand that some behaviors can be disconcerting to the wife. You are coming out of a training period where you were expected to verbalize every little thing that was going on, right, wrong and indifferent. Most passengers don't want to hear your innermost thoughts, especially if they start with "Oops", "I forgot to", or "I'm worried about". There are exceptions, of course. On the other hand, if your wife takes an interest, if she wants to run the radio, do nav., do comm's, by all means involve her. It might cost you another private certificate, though

I'm going to respectfully and completely disagree with you here.  I've been a pilot for over 20 years and flying with my parents since I was born, and I can tell that you probably have never owned a boat and understand the concept of sea-legs. Same goes for flying. The younger you bring them up, the more normal it is for them as they get older.



Wow, going to disagree wholeheartedly again.  Toddlers get nervous.  Letting them hold the yolk and letting them (pretend) to fly, keeps them engaged and occupied which helps avoid motion sickness.  This is also the age where you start to make every kid want to be a pilot.  These are the golden years for kids to take it all in.  On a side note, what kind of kids do you have.  I say that jokingly, but with a bit of seriousness.  I have NEVER had a kid do something stupid with the controls; EVER!  If you aren't taking 4-10 year old's up, you are doing GA a disservice.  Thats is where lifelong memories are made and passions begin.

To the OP. Build more hours and get your own confidence up.  Once you know you are safe, please take anyone that wants a ride up.  Even just for a lap in the pattern. The most popular for me is to fly them over their house.  Now they can also take out a cell phone and call someone to come out and look up at them. Kids love that stuff!

I am very proud to say I have made (inspired) over 7 certified pilots and at least four of them have their ATP flying for the majors.  All were kids of my friends; and all were under 9 when I started taking them up. None had any interest in aviation prior......

Totally wrong about the boat part. I've spent a goodly portion of my life ocean sailboat racing, including a couple of Bermuda races. There's no comparing "air legs" and "sea legs". Getting used to the ocean is much more difficult.

I don't have any kids of my own. However I've flown countless kids in the Young Eagles program. I just flew 15 more middle & high school kids last weekend. Looking only at the ages 8 to 18 demographic that makes up that cohort, I find that anyone less than 13 rarely, not never but rarely, takes anything away from the experience worth a darn.

Of course the dynamic is going to be different if it's a son or daughter. And the dynamic is going to be different between a 15 or 30 minute flight experience vs. an entire flight. But I stand by my cautionary advice. Everyone has to find their own salvation, of course.

congrats man!

My two young kids talk way to much to bring flying in a small plane lol

You'd have a hard time hearing them if you isolate them on the intercom.  

Congrats OP, it’s a big accomplishment. One thing I would say is don’t underestimate the level of distraction your pax can be. As a new pilot you’re only just starting to learn, and in training have not yet experienced what it’s like have pax with you, especially kids. I would recommend you get a bunch more solo experience first, and then just take up your wife only. When you’re both comfortable with that, start introducing the kids, and you wife can manage them while you focus your attention on the flying. Don’t put everyone on an intercom either, that would be very distracting for you.

tru dat

As an update I flew friends up on two separate flights just to normalize carrying passengers. This was also out of a Class C airport so it was a pretty good experience.

Overall having male adult passengers was great. I benefitted from explaining everything and being disciplined to inspire confidence in the passengers.

I’m not gonna take the family up for a while. Wife first once the kids are old enough to be left at a friends house.

I’m going up again next week. Might just hit the ACS maneuvers and do some landings.

sweet man!

I jut got my cert. last week.  While working on it, I also bought an airplane, a Cessna 206.  Not wanting the 206 to sit, I have done a bit of transition training in it over the summer with a CFI who has time in one.  I brought my 9 year old son on one of those flights, and he loved it.  I made him take Dramamine as he is prone to car sickness.  No issues.  He thought it was awesome.  We flew around the area for a bit, then did some landing practice at a nearby airport before returning home.  He got to see the state police helicopter land ahead of us, and there were also skydiving operations going on.

Now with private pilot in hand, I need a few more hours of transition training in the 206.  I am going to keep flying it with the CFi until I feel as comfortable flying it as I do the 172.

Meanwhile, my wedding anniversary is coming up.  I am renting a 172 to take my wife up as my first passenger.  We'll probably keep it short, do a bit of local sightseeing and come on back.  I am working up to taking her and all three kids (ages 13, 12, and 9) on cross countries in the 206, but I am going to take my time.

The 206 is a sweet plane.

What kind of cruise you think you'll see at alt?

I took it on a short cross country last Saturday.  We flew at 6500 on the way out and 5500 on the way back.  Once we go it leaned out, prop adjusted, and in cruise, we were making about 140 knots indicated airspeed.  Might have been a able to do a bit better, but we were looking for fuel economy too.

A 206 does require a high performance endorsement, which I am working on.

that's a pretty good cruise for that altitude.

how she fly compared to a 172?

I am not really qualified to opine on that given that they are the only two airplane types I haver ever flown.  That said, the 206 feels like a bigger, heaver version of the 172.  It is very stable in the air.  You need to land it with power in.  Mine has a 285 hp, normally aspirated engine.  It is very hard to get it to stall with power in.  Stall speed is higher though, so you need to fly a faster approach.  POH says to take off with 10 degrees of flaps, and it works better when you do.  I have not yet tried a short field landing with it, but I will eventually.  In general, I am really happy with it.  I wanted a plane with enough seats and useful load to do trips with my family.  This was what I could afford that accomplishes that.

awesome...glad its doing well for you.

you can follow my parents plan.  Just throw them in the airplane, and tell them to sit there, and shut up.  Seemed to work on my sister and I.

that's an awesome pic

I wish I could have returned the favor, and taken my dad for a ride in the 737 just one time.  He flew with me many times after I got my private, and once I was able to have he and my mom as passengers on an RJ when I was the captain.  But his mind was too far gone by the time I made it to the left seat at "the big show".  

One of these days we will scatter his ashes form an airplane, hopefully I'll be able to be the one at the controls.

My dad took thousands of pictures, literally a closet full.  But they are mostly slides.  At some point,  I need to get up to mom's, and sort out the pictures I'd like to have.

Four years after that picture was taken, our entire family flew a Baron from WI to Alaska, as my dad took a job flying in support of the pipeline construction.  So I was 6, and my sister 4 when we made that trip.