Have You Given a Stranger a Ride?

I once took a fellow worker up with me on a para jump flight.
He'd never flown, and coming from an impoverished background, this was
probably the only flight he'd take in a long while.
The reaction during and after the flight , especially watching us all jump,
was worth it's weight in platinum bars.
Thoroughly rewarding !!
Nigel
South Africa





"Ross Richardson" wrote in message
...
One day while refueling my Skyhawk, I started talking to a gentleman that
was about 75 years old. As we talked, he told me that he learned to fly
from my home airport, but he hasn't been up in ages; other things got in
the way. With 05U all fueled I asked him if he would like to go for a
short hop. We were up about 45 minutes and I let him take the controls
and we just had a blast. You know, I have not seem him again since then,
but he thanked me over and over for taking him up. I would do something
like that again in a heart beat. Isn't that what aviation is about?

Ross
KSWI

Jay Honeck wrote:

In another thread the "folks by the fence" -- airport spectators --
have been discussed, and a couple of us have stated that we've always
wanted to shut down and ask if anyone wanted to go for a ride.

In my opinion, this single act of kindness would absolutely make
someone's day, and could possibly change their life. And no other act
could help improve the image of general aviation more.

Yet, I've never done it, for a myriad of reasons -- and I don't know
anyone who has.

Have you? If not, why not?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On 5 Mar 2006 08:23:32 -0800, "Jay Honeck" wrote:

In another thread the "folks by the fence" -- airport spectators --
have been discussed, and a couple of us have stated that we've always
wanted to shut down and ask if anyone wanted to go for a ride.

In my opinion, this single act of kindness would absolutely make
someone's day, and could possibly change their life. And no other act
could help improve the image of general aviation more.

Yet, I've never done it, for a myriad of reasons -- and I don't know
anyone who has.

Have you? If not, why not?

Enough times I've lost count.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

On 5 Mar 2006 08:36:14 -0800, "Skyhawk544"
wrote:

I have thought of doing this myself many times, but never have. One of
the problems these days, or at least at my field there there is no
"folks by the fence" anymore. There all gone. I believe this has
happened since the flying activities has really slowed down, slowed
down to almost nothing. I guess it's because of the fuel prices, I know
that has slowed my flying down a lot.

On nice warm days I still see older couples and young families out by
the fence, at the picnic table, or just sitting in their cars watching
although we've had few nice days this winter. They were there last
Fall and I'd expect them to show up within another month or so.

Robins and fence hangers are a sure sign of spring.

As to fuel prices. I guess it depends on what you fly, but fuel is the
cheapest part of flying even with the higher prices.

It's not the price of gas that has cut down on my flying, it's having
to fix something every time I go to the airport. I'm currently
rebuilding the winch I use to pull the Deb up the ramp and into the
hangar. Last week it was the inch and a half of ice on the ramp with
no winch that kept me on the ground. Then there was the day I made
three passes with the snow blower before it quit. It's getting to the
point where I have to fix the stuff I use to fix the stuff so I can go
flying.

The last time I took a fence hanger for a ride was last fall. I
noticed a young family at the picnic table while doing some practice
take offs and landings so I taxied over by the fence, shut down, and
went over to talk with them.

The guy remarked that they usually brought their daughter out to watch
the airplanes at least once every week or two. His wife snickered and
remarked that she though he was just using that as an excuse so he
could come out. He admitted that was probably true, but he did want to
instill a love of aviation in his daughter. I asked him if he did any
flying. He said he'd only been up once on a commercial flight when he
was young, so I asked if he'd like to go. I don't think I've seen
grins any bigger on kids faces. They decided they really didn't want
to send their daughter up after a big meal so I just took him around
the town and back.

I think the guys face was still frozen in that grin when they left.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

On Mon, 06 Mar 2006 19:40:19 GMT, Jose
wrote:

He didn't say anything about charging the people. Assuming he doesn't
(seems like a safe assumption), that issue is completely irrelevant.

No, that's not true at all.


It's all in semantics.

There are no FAA regs whose reasonable English interpretation would
forbid carrying passengers for free, but I have spoken with FAA
representatives who state that, by their interpretation of the rules,
offering to take people up, and becoming known for doing so, consititues

Stating to a group that you are going to be flying this week end and
if any one would like to go for a ride they are welcome. This by
definition makes the passenger(s) ride incidental to the trip.

OTOH, stating that if any one would like to go for a ride, give you a
call and you'll meet them at the airport this week end makes the ride
the reason for the flight. It is no longer incidental.

a commercial operation whether money is trasnferred or not. This
includes (the example I gave them) announcing at dinner at the college
dorm that you just got your license... er... certificate, and are
willing to take any students up for rides.

Depends on how it's phrased.

Even becoming known for giving rides in and of itself should not be a
reason. Only if the pilot comes out for the sole reason for giving
rides does, or could it become a problem.

If I practice every week end and *offer* a ride to a fence hanger or
two it shouldn't matter. Otherwise about half the pilots I know would
be called on the carpet.

OTOH when I "go out to practice" I sure don't take non pilots and most
of the local pilots don't want to go because I do approach, departure,
and accelerated stalls along with steep turns. Actually I do the
accelerated stalls out of steep turns at close to a 60 degree bank.
For some strange reason not many pilots seem to like stalls and most
hate steep turns, let alone stalling out of a steep turn.


How is "holding out" defined by the FAA, and where is it reliably written?

The passenger's ride is not incidental to the reason for the flight.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com


Jose

How is "holding out" defined by the FAA, and where is it reliably written?

The passenger's ride is not incidental to the reason for the flight.

Where in the FARs is this written? It is my contention that the FAA
made this up out of whole cloth.

Granted they can do this. But they still just made it up.

Jose
--
Money: what you need when you run out of brains.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

You know, I don't see kids hang on the airport fences anymore. I don't see the
hanger rats anymore. I don't see the old guy leaning against the hanger doors
grading landings and takeoffs and tell how it should have been done. Come to
think of it, I don't hanger talk much any more. Where have all the flower gone?
It sad.

I was one of those hanger rat, that someone gave a ride to and got me hooked.
Who's going to hook my replacement. I ashamed that it probably won't be me. I
fly out of a class D airport, maybe I should move to class E airport. Maybe
that's where the replacement are.

GeorgeC

On 2006-03-09, GeorgeC wrote:
You know, I don't see kids hang on the airport fences anymore. I don't see the
hanger rats anymore. I don't see the old guy leaning against the hanger doors
grading landings and takeoffs and tell how it should have been done.

Most airports I have been to have at least one geezer, and sometimes a
geezer shack. You may have to look for them though. We even found a
geezer at Van Nuys.

--
Dylan Smith, Port St Mary, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Oolite-Linux: an Elite tribute: http://oolite-linux.berlios.de
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net

Dylan Smith wrote:
On 2006-03-09, GeorgeC wrote:

You know, I don't see kids hang on the airport fences anymore. I don't see the
hanger rats anymore. I don't see the old guy leaning against the hanger doors
grading landings and takeoffs and tell how it should have been done.


Most airports I have been to have at least one geezer, and sometimes a
geezer shack. You may have to look for them though. We even found a
geezer at Van Nuys.

I am a youngish pilot and would refuse to be based at an airport without
at least 2 geezers installed.

The knowledge contained and disseminated from our local geezers is
invaluable, and unfortunately not the kind that is commonly found in
literature.

Mike

Jose wrote:
I give rides to strangers all the time...


How do you avoid being seen by the FAA as "holding out"?

Jose

I don't charge them...I wouldn't even allow them to "share" cost.
The public has enough misconceptions about pilots/aircraft owners.
They often think we are rich when we are not. I would hate to add cheap
to that list (even if it is true). -meanwhile they throw away 10s of
thousands of dollars away in SUV depreciation after only a couple of years-

I feel very lucky to have the priviledge of flight/ownership. If I have
an chance to extend that joy to someone that, maybe never had or
recognized their oportunity, I'll do it in a heartbeat anytime. (with
adults or well supervised children)
I'm not sure if some misguided Federal F*$k head can interpret it as
breaking a FAR. If they do... bring it on.

Mike

"pittss1c" wrote

I'm not sure if some misguided Federal F*$k head can interpret it as
breaking a FAR. If they do... bring it on.

Right On!

Sometimes, you just have to do what is right... and Katie bar the doors!
--
Jim in NC