How to introduce kids to flying?

My son is 10. He's more interested in video games than airplanes, so I get
him the occasional flying video game and let him fly MS Flight Simulator on
my PC with the yoke. I buy him cheap electric rc planes that if they break,
they don't break my heart or my temper. These he loves and plays with
without coaxing. We also fly model rockets.

We only live 60 miles from Oshkosh, so museums have always been my secret
weapon, he loves spending the day with dad at an aviation museum, and
because we are so close, we can go any time. We've been to several others
and he's always excited and happy to go.

I'm always eager to answer his questions about anything aviation related,
but I don't force too much upon him. When I was studying for my CFI
certificate, I used him as a student and he loved it. I'd ask him questions
and then explain the answers to him. He really enjoyed it when we did it
with other pilots kids as a small mach ground school class. He still think
going to the hanger to work on the Aztec is "boring" but as he gets older
and able to do more, I hope that changes. For now, I'm not pushing him.

I've never been able to instill true excitement by myself. What I can do is
expose him to things that he finds exciting. "Dad" is just too "common", he
can see and talk to me everyday. Your son may find flying more exciting if
one of your flying friends takes him for a few flights.

Jim

"Jim Burns" wrote in message
...
My son is 10. He's more interested in video games than airplanes, so I get
him the occasional flying video game and let him fly MS Flight Simulator
on
my PC with the yoke. I buy him cheap electric rc planes that if they
break,
they don't break my heart or my temper. These he loves and plays with
without coaxing.


.... I also like the idea of encouraging his mechanical/technical aptitude by
helping him *build* the models from a kit. To start, simple rubber-powered
models that won't leave your backyard or an isolated corner of your favorite
park. Or even static models.

("Jim Burns" wrote)
My son is 10. He's more interested in video games than airplanes, so I get
him the occasional flying video game and let him fly MS Flight Simulator
on
my PC with the yoke.


This past year, video game sales out-grossed movie ticket sales for the
first time ever. (I don't think DVD sales were included. If they were, then
Hollywood has an even bigger problem on their hands!)

People are also spending entertainment dollars on Cable TV and high-speed
Internet connections instead of going to the movies.

I would have said video games are the future, but they're already here - in
a big, big way. Wow! (Spoken like a clueless 45 year old who couldn't name
the Top 10 selling video games if he tried)

Heck, other than Tomb Raider ...that's all I've got without hitting Google.
Wait. Madden Football. Grand Theft Auto. There's 3.


Montblack
(Pong was 30 years ago. Guess I haven't kept up past Donkey Kong)

Just this morning I had to tell my son that I wanted him to make a list of
things he liked to do OTHER than play video games, and that each day I was
going to make sure he did one or two of those things FIRST. It's getting
out of hand. He gets up at 5:30am to play video games before school, then
he takes a game boy to school so he can play there, he walks to my mom's
house after school and plays video games until we pick him up. When we get
home he plays them on the computer. I want him to find other things that he
likes before I have to unplug the games. Thankgod spring is coming so he
can play outside more. This summer he gets to help pick rocks on the
farm... bet they don't make a video game about that!
Jim

"Jim Burns"

He still think
going to the hanger to work on the Aztec is "boring" but as he gets older
and able to do more, I hope that changes. For now, I'm not pushing him.


Jim
--

IMHO, the key of getting him interested in working on stuff, is look at
what he is doing that he really likes, then see if something related to it,
or on it, can't be "improved" or "fixed." For example, if he likes riding
bikes, get him a generator, or speedometer, or siren, or ....., and then let
him install it, with your guidance, but not your muscles.

Once he starts using the tools, if he has the aptitude, he will want to
start fixing "everything."
--
Jim in NC