[OCB]

Yeah. Been here a while, and deliberately not been on the GA part of the forum for a long time.

My passion for all things aviation related goes way back to my early years.
My Dad was in the RAF, a "snowdrop" assigned to Bomber Command from the late 50s through to the late 60s.

He saw "hot" service in Aden, was also in Libya pre-Gadaffi (got a medal for shooting a donkey). He also had the misfortune to recover what was left of British service personnel kidnapped and "greasy polled", served in Cyprus, did the transfer of nuclear malarkey from France to Belgium when De Gaulle pulled out of NATO, was on site when a British nuclear-capable ballistic missile misfired in middle England (try finding that one in any records..I did search, records do exist, but by god hard to find) and many more 50s to 60s RAF stories.

I knew it was unlikely I'd be a military pilot, as I had asthma as a young kid. I always hoped I'd "grown out of it", as was the common assumption in the early 70s. I didn't, and I also ended up wearing glasses (not bad, but enough to not pass military medical).

So, I did what many of my generation did..flight sim and when money came along, real flying.

I was so glad to meet (ex) forumites from here, meant a huge amount to me as a "tyro".

Thing is, it's been a couple of years since I was last in the air, and even then it was a 3-axis microthingy. Not a bad plane, incredibly light on the controls.

As I came into land, I realised I'd never take any of my kids up in an aircraft where I was PIC. I always thought I'd "get over" the fear of taking my kids up in a plane, but I haven't.

I'm sh.. scared of having one of my kids in an a/c where I'm flying.

It's so bad that the missus (not exactly the most pushy type) has been going mental that I've given up my passion for flying.

I dunno what to do though. The oldest is 9. He is a very intelligent kid, but a right pain in the chuff. The youngest is 4. In theory, I should have more time to re-discover my "hobbies".

I hate that I've now turned into the typical bloke who learned to fly, got married, had kids and gave up flying. I swore to myself I'd never be "that guy"...but I am.

Part of the problem is that the missus has a lot of health issues. Nothing major major, but enough to impede a care-free "every weekend away flying" mentality.

It doesn't help that my next door neighbour is a competition glider pilot.
They have a camper van, his other half and kid take it for granted that time is spent away in their VW.

[neaton]

My Dad was in the RAF... (got a medal for shooting a donkey)

No, I'm sorry, there are some Universal Internet Forum Rules, and Rule 1 reads:

1. You're not allowed to leave a sentence like that unexplained.

[Human Factor]

I’m early forties with two young children (senior daughter is nearly 3). I fly for a living, which obviously makes my situation a bit different. However, I enjoy flying little aeroplanes for fun and fly some interesting types (still waiting for the Spit and Mustang ) doing some interesting stuff including advanced instruction, the risks of which while controlled are probably somewhat greater than regular GA flying. This is not in any way to big myself up. Apart from the aforementioned Spit and Mustang (if I keep saying it, it’ll happen ), I have nothing left in aviation that I really must do and I don’t feel I have to prove anything to anyone - apart from the occasional Training Captain

My first passenger, a thousand years (and 15000 hours ago) was my late Dad. If I knew then what I know now, I probably wouldn’t have encouraged him to get in an aeroplane with me but I had the pleasure of flying him (upside down) in the Nanchang many years later knowing that I was very comfortable with the situation. I haven’t taken my children flying yet (too young IMHO) but I will at some point and even with my hours and experience, it will be a special event for all of us - and I will have the same thoughts somewhere in the very back of my mind that you have - even if it’s on the 747. They are quite important to me after all.

The point I’m trying to make though is that I’ve chosen to push myself (well) beyond my initial comfort zone. As a result, the boundaries of my comfort zone are now in a very different place from where they began.

Now, I’m not for a second suggesting that you ought to start following my lead - or anyone else’s for that matter. From your post though, you have the passion still - deep down. My suggestion would be to dabble again and see if you want to pursue flying once more. It’s straightforward enough to get your licence back. In short, satisfy an instructor that you meet the appropriate standards, then pass a Licence Proficiency Check. After you’ve done that, start pushing your boundaries. I don’t mean jump in a Pitts and start doing competition aeros (although stranger things have happened). I mean whatever you did before, progress it a little further. If your longest flight was a landaway to somewhere 150 miles away, do one to 200 miles away, etc. You get the idea. There are likely to be plenty of people with varying degrees of experience who will give you guidance or perhaps even mentor you. If you push your boundaries enough, eventually there’ll come a point where taking your kids for a local jolly will be a pleasurable experience for you all and you will feel comfortable.

Alternatively, accept it was a different part of your life and move on. Except you won’t. You’re still here.

Anyway, about the donkey...

[TLRippon]

I’m a dad pilot and I fly with my children frequently. I have an EASA aircraft that I own outright so I know exactly what has happened to it and no one else has flown it in the last ten years. I figure the risk of my kids having a banal ordinary life outweighs any additional risk they face flying with me.
It’s a non aerobatic, passenger aircraft designed for touring. It pushes no boundaries, scares few and has a fairly risk averse pilot. We use it like a car, go on holiday in it and use it to keep our very spread out family in contact.
My children are seven and nine and think nothing of flying with me. They rarely look out the window and bury their noses in a tablet as soon as they sit down.
We practice emergency drills and they have child sized life jackets and noise cancelling headsets.
They are getting to do things and go places that are expanding their view of the world and making them into more rounded individuals.
However the joy I get from flying and the ability to share it with them is priceless.

[ChrisT]

I only fly infrequently due to parenthood and work, but would love to take the family places together by air (which might mean going flying more often) - main problem is 3 kids + wife + me and I only have access to a 4 seater

[CloudHound]

Do you take them with you in a car?


Was the donkey armed?

[Flyin'Dutch']

We change as time moves on.

If you want to take to the air you'll have to start by flying yourself first again and can later take a view if you'd want to take your kids up.

If you feel OK do it, if not don't there is no compulsion!

Maybe you can do some statistical analysis?

[Miscellaneous]

If you feel OK do it, if not don't there is no compulsion!

That's certainly true, FD, though if OCB was my Dad and he hadn't taken me flying when I was a kid I'd be pretty p'd off at him for being selfish and denying me the experience.

[Flyin'Dutch']

If you feel OK do it, if not don't there is no compulsion!

That's certainly true, FD, though if OCB was my Dad and he hadn't taken me flying when I was a kid I'd be pretty p'd off at him for being selfish and denying me the experience.

Maybe.

I have taken the kids flying from the age of just a few months old, and think they did like it, but as TLR writes it is for them like going in a car - they mainly liked flying as it was quicker than driving and we would usually go somewhere fun.

Nowadays they usually politely decline so I can hang out at the airfield with my (*sad) mates at my leisure, but will come occasionally, more because they like the 'dad'** time than the flying.

* their words not mine!
** I may be deluding myself

[ianfallon]

Nowadays they usually politely decline

Same experience here. Sometimes they come along on a flight but are quite indifferent about it these days.

#2 son was more into it when younger! ...

https://vimeo.com/80881619

[Miscellaneous]

...as TLR writes it is for them like going in a car - they mainly liked flying as it was quicker than driving and we would usually go somewhere fun.

Which is evidence of them having broadened their experience. Ain't that what life is all about?

Is taking them flying not, as TLR says, part of;

They are getting to do things and go places that are expanding their view of the world and making them into more rounded individuals.

[Flyin'Dutch']

I think you can just as well achieve that without taking them flying.

[TLRippon]

I think you can just as well achieve that without taking them flying.

But not as quickly.

[PeteSpencer]

I'm a dad pilot and flew quite a lot with my kids when they were young.(daughter came to Le Touquet with me on my FBO cross channel check out)

I've also flown with eldest grandson (age 14 now 17-keen RAF ATC cadet) and I think I'm being lined up to take 7 y.o. grand daughter this year.

I haven't had a problem with this but for each child/grandchild it has always been the child asking first, I've never offered first, or pushed it in any way.

Sadly my own dad died before I got my PPL (WW2 RAF)

Peter

[kanga]

My aviation obsession from an early age was regarded as totally strange by my parents and siblings, but I never lost it. Started flying as Air Cadet, started civil learning in my Gap Year.

My first passenger after PPL was my Dad. He never volunteered again, nor did the others.

Spouse not interested (after 1 GA flight with PPL friend, then 1 with me). Fine, has own interests, never resented my interest (nor expenditure, which was kind!), nor was bothered when I took the children up.

Each of my children first flew with me when each was 3. One (daughter, prone to travel sickness anyway) quickly got both queasy and bored; however, she occasionally came up with (at their request) early boyfriends, and I have now twice taken son-in-law up. Two sons enjoyed it, became Air Cadets (daughter was Army Cadet, under influence of then boyfriend!), but became blase by their late teens. One, however, is now a GA pilot (with syndicate share), having started formal learning in his late '30s; I was his first passenger.

I have also done quite a lot of youth flying, ie strangers' children, at organised events: Young Eagles, Young Carers, Scouts/Guides, etc, without qualms of my own nor apparently of their parents.

It takes all sorts, and there are no wrong nor right answers nor stories. I would not fly, nor pressure anyone else to do so, if 'uneasy', whether 'rationally' or not.