On 8/25/08 6:52 PM, in article
, "Dave J"
wrote:


I made it to the airport for the first time since my son (first child)
was born in May. I did a little PAO-WVI-E16 loop by myself.

I couldn't help but notice that a lot of the Sunday flyers were father/
son or father/daughter teams. Perhaps that's how it's always been, I
just hadn't noticed it before.

It made me wonder, how long did you parental pilots wait to take your
kids up on their first flight? In any case, I've got years to wait! In
the meantime, I get to dress him in airplane themed baby clothes -- of
which he has many.

Dave J

PS -- I guess its heartening that I saw mostly father+youngster rather
than grandfather+youngster teams -- but then again, this was Palo
Alto -- the planes were late model Diamonds, Columbias, and Cirri,
too. Sigh. I wonder how excited my son will be to go up in a 1970's
172 with funny mechanical instruments!

I waited until my grandson was 3 before I took him up. I wanted him to be
able to understand what was going on (at least a little), and reach the yoke
to "help" steer. I've been putting the flying bug in his ear since he was
born since I don't have any other flying buddies in the family. It has
worked so far.

It warms my heart when, out of the blue, he whispers that he wants to go to
the airport with me, although I suspect sometimes he's just as content to
wander around and look at the planes as much as fly in one. We do that too
when we have a day that the weather won't cooperate. We head down to KATL
and watch the heavy iron come and go from the parking deck.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino
Cartoons with a Touch of Magic �

http://www.wizardofdraws.com
http://www.cartoonclipart.com