C Kingsbury wrote:
Is it as disorienting for
them as it is for an untrained VFR pilot?

It's my impression that they're not as disoriented. I think it's
because they don't really have to do anything.

Are they usually OK so long as it's smooth?

Yeah. They even expect it to be a little bumpier than "clear" air.
They seem more comfortable in mild turbulence in IMC than in VMC. Go
figure.

What do you tell them before you take them into actual for the
first time, if anything?

I usually describe the weather along the route. When I expect IMC, I
just tell them that we'll be in the clouds for some of the trip. It's
usually just interpreted as an "obstructed view".

Anybody ever have somebody get real scared, how did
you deal with it?

I surprised a passenger once. I was on a localizer approach, right
down to minimums (OVC005), and saw the runway right at the MAP. I was
still 500 feet above it, and I instinctively put it in a hard slip to
get down quickly.

I sensed a mild gasp from the right seat. My passenger had apparently
never flown sideways before. I very calmly (and confidently) said,
"This is called a side slip. It's a little trick to slow down and lose
altitude quickly, so we can land." That reassured her perfectly,
although she described the approach as "exciting" after we landed.