[Iceman]

@TheFarmer, beware, every Mrs. I’ve known to do the safety pilot’s course has got hooked and gone on to do the full PPL. You might have to share the flying if you go down this root . The course typically takes you through to first solo.

Iceman

[TheFarmer]

@TopCat

Yep, I suppose I could.

But I kind of feel that someone else doing it would keep her focussed and stop her being tempted to talk about ‘our stuff’ while I’m teaching her.

I want it to be more formal, so she can hear their voice telling her what they’ve taught her should she need it.

Maybe that doesn’t make sense. But I kind of know what I want from it for her.

[TopCat]

@TopCat

Yep, I suppose I could.

But I kind of feel that someone else doing it would keep her focussed and stop her being tempted to talk about ‘our stuff’ while I’m teaching her.

I want it to be more formal, so she can hear their voice telling her what they’ve taught her should she need it.

Maybe that doesn’t make sense. But I kind of know what I want from it for her.

Sure, fair enough, it was just a suggestion. I don't know enough about you to know whether it's a dynamic that would work - it often doesn't when parents try to teach their children something formally so it might not between spouses either.

Obviously for getting an actual licence, there's no alternative to going to a proper instructor, but for something less formal, at the very least it would work out a lot cheaper if it worked out.

It only occurred to me because I taught someone to land my aeroplane once, after three separate instructors at two different flying schools had completely given up on her. She didn't go on to get a licence, as it happened, but it gave her a sense of satisfaction and dispelled the sense of failure that she'd ended up with.

I felt pretty chuffed myself, too

[irishc180]

I've been amazed many times by passengers as to how well they can fly. Often they can fly better than folks with a licence.

I watched my younger brother hand fly in IMC for a solid hour from the RH seat just glancing at the Garmin 495 and Alti. If an average PPL can't fly more than X minutes in the cloud, then watching a non-pilot do it for an hour, turns that theory on its head.

Another passenger did a 360 turn in the J3 Cub and hit their own slipstream on rollout.

When I compare that to the different examiners who tried to feature us both in the AAIB round up, I would have great faith in a non-license holding assistant in the cockpit if they got the correct training. The biggest part of it would be finding someone who can pass on the correct technique without imparting their own fears.

[patowalker]

Thanks.

What does Pinch Hitter mean?!

1 : a baseball player who is sent in to bat for another. 2 : a person who does another's work in an emergency.

[SteveX]

Would have thought anyone but an instructor doing this would be illegal, certainly if they are using the controls down to 10ft.

But it doesnt have to be a 10 hour AOPA thing. Any FI could do any number of hours with someone, eg 5 and purely concentrating on radio and steering a direction to overhead an airfield followed by circuit to land, repeated.

[PeteSpencer]

ISTR Mrs 2Ds did the partners’ course and went on to do the PPL

[Ian Melville]

I do fear that when she starts, she will want to do the whole course! That’s fine with me. When I’m old and dribbly, she can be my chauffeur!

We have done several of these courses at our club and, IIRC, several of them ended up doing a full PPL. Worth considering if it is better to use an instructor rather than just capable hands?

[Rob L]

I've been amazed many times by passengers as to how well they can fly. Often they can fly better than folks with a licence. ...[snip].

I agree. The best time I allowed non-PPLs to land my tailwheel aircraft is when they have never landed an aircraft at all...they have no pre-conceived ideas; I just tell them what to do and they land fine every time; and never have I needed to touch the controls (For the avoidance of doubt: I'm not an instructor or CRI)

Rob

[lobstaboy]

@TopCat

Yep, I suppose I could.

But I kind of feel that someone else doing it would keep her focussed and stop her being tempted to talk about ‘our stuff’ while I’m teaching her.

I want it to be more formal, so she can hear their voice telling her what they’ve taught her should she need it.

Maybe that doesn’t make sense. But I kind of know what I want from it for her.

Really important point.

[AndyR]

@TheFarmer you have email....

[lurker1]

We did exactly what you describe some years ago for my wife, from Turweston. It gave us both confidence that in the event of my incapacity she would be able to land the aircraft. Most training centres will be able to tailor a suitable number of practical lessons to suit the individual needs. She did about 8-10 hrs in the air.

[TopCat]

Would have thought anyone but an instructor doing this would be illegal, certainly if they are using the controls down to 10ft.

Why?

[chevvron]

Indeed there are courses, previously called 'Pilot’s wife safety course', now called Safety Pilot Course

AOPA have a syllabus here https://www.aopa.co.uk/training-safety/ ... urses.html

Courses have been around for years; I remember seeing them advertised at Biggin way back in the early '60s.

[skydriller]

@SteveX , exactly what you are refering to as being illegal?