Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
#1852463
skydriller wrote:I would say the first flight should be a short local, different perspective, look at the house sort of thing, making sure its a gin clear zero turbulence day, all about the flying itself.

ie - make it an evening flight!

After that, flying should be about the destination. First a day trip of only an hour or so each way where you make sure that its something they would want to do and even better if driving there would have been a real pain. Then an overnight or weekend away, 2-3 hrs each way all about the destination, preferably abroad or somewhere tiring to drive to for a weekend.

tbh I've not found many places that meet those criteria, and could use some hints myself! Most airfields seem to be situated a taxi-ride from anything interesting.
#1852473
skydriller wrote:... After that, flying should be about the destination. ....

Why? Many amongst us fly for flying's sake - just being up there is what it's about.

Maybe it's those long boring straight and level drags following a magenta line and passing messages to people on the radio that put @flyingearly's family off.

(I suspect our respective user names give a clue to our different points of view :wink: )

Edit to add user mention
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#1852484
HedgeSparrow wrote:
skydriller wrote:... After that, flying should be about the destination. ....

Why? Many amongst us fly for flying's sake - just being up there is what it's about.


Indeed. Would we like our passengers to enjoy the ride for its own sake, or are we okay if they put up with it (eg go to sleep) for the sake of the time at the destination?
Personally if they don't actually enjoy the flight then I'd rather they went by bus and I'll go flying on my own or with someone who does enjoy it.
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#1852507
Most of my flying is to get around for work, but when the trips coincide with School holidays both my Son and Daughter are always keen to come along, and even more so when they can bring a friend with them - instant added playground kudos!

Family trips have been sadly limited by the usual hectic extra-curricular schedules for both kids, but of those we have managed Oxford - Bembridge as an early trip was a great afternoon out, with a walk down to the beach (through the caravan site) to the Wonky Cafe a hit - as has been said earlier in this post, the novelty of getting somewhere not easily achievable by car such as the IoW is a huge plus...

For an activity-orientated day trip, Welshpool with a short taxi (or indeed, walkable) journey to the National Trust Powys Castle was a fantastic day out.
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1852537
HedgeSparrow wrote:
skydriller wrote:... After that, flying should be about the destination. ....

Why? Many amongst us fly for flying's sake - just being up there is what it's about.

Maybe it's those long boring straight and level drags following a magenta line and passing messages to people on the radio that put @flyingearly's family off.

(I suspect our respective user names give a clue to our different points of view :wink: )

Edit to add user mention


Did I say anything in my post about climbing to 5k and flying in a straight line for 2hrs then landing? I dont remember even thinking it. The point I was making is that you need to keep the flying about enjoyment - and I think I said at the beginning of my post that looking at the world from a different perspective is part of that.

But just because you get a buzz from just being airbourne, you need to remember that it isnt like that for everyone, and that might be your partners view. The OP wants to involve the family in his passion and the point Im making is that to them it may just be only a different form of transport and you need to remember that when choosing where to take them if you want to get them involved long term.

Regards, SD..

PS: I dont think your assumption could be any further from the reason for my user name :wink:
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By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1852564
matthew_w100 wrote:We went to Lee (sorry - Solent) on Wednesday. Nice place, and not posh. ... The beach (light shingle) is 100m from the airfield exit door and a pleasant place for a quick dip. There is a beachside refreshment "shack" but I reckon the airfield cafe was better. Next door is a big hovercraft museum, but we couldn't work out if it was open.

For all these reasons, if you want seaside, Bembridge rather than Lee on Solent. The Propeller Inn on the airfield, the windmill, the obelisk, the short walk down to a quiet beach. You might have to avert your eyes as you walk through Sandhills, but there are bunnies to distract.

More than any of these reasons, the Solent itself. It keeps the chavs away relatively successfully.

Yes, sometimes I can be a little snobbish. Flame away, I don't care.
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By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1852646
matthew_w100 wrote:
TopCat wrote:... the short walk down to a quiet beach...

I'm too old and lazy for a mile over a ridge with a scramble down a cliff to be comparable to 100 metres as "a short walk"! Yes, Bembridge is nicer than Lee-on-Solent. But Lee is making a real effort and deserves support.

There's no scramble. It's a few hundred yards up the road, a quiet path up to the holiday homes, and then 5 mins down another path to the beach.

But I agree about Lee on Solent. I've visited there twice recently, the last just a fortnight ago.
#1852741
It's alright - I can settle this very easily by visiting both Bembridge and Lee-on-Solent. I'll take each kid first to do a quick recce and then pick the one my OH is likely to find more favourable. I haven't flown into Bembridge before but have good experiences at Sandown - but that's a bit further from the beach.
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1852746
Sandown will order a taxi to be waiting for you on arrival if you ask ‘em on first contact :
A fiver each way and the promenade/beach at Sandown is sandy and much more kid and other half barefoot on the beach appealing .

Only a fiver each way last time I went :wink:

My choice every time over Bembridge .
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By Morten
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1852760
From where you are, I'd go castle hunting. Head south for Knole, Sissinghurst, Bodiam, Scotney and Hever and, if you want a slightly longer trip, add Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters. (Edit: as well as Penshurst Place, Leeds, Herstmonceaux... there's so many!)
Give the passengers something to look for but make sure you've done the trip before so you see it first and can help them find it...

I always find that following the coast tends to get people more interested than cross-country. So Welshpool is nice but getting there is a not so interesting.

Compton Abbas should be on your list - down to the coast, follow it, get a clearance through Bournemouth (When it's busy I've found passengers quite like to hear the big boys on frequency and hearing them being told about you ('traffic is a ...')) and then the short hop up to CA. CA is good because it's a pretty setting and there's always something happening, whether joyrides, aeros or just arrivals and departures. It makes the whole flying scene seem cool which rubs off on you.
Similar logic applies for a trip to Duxford. Not as pretty a flight but it's a place which makes aviation (quite rightly so!) look cool. And then to Old Warden if they liked Duxford. Less 'shock and awe' but more quintessentially 'magnificent'.

Since they've already been up, you should also include them in the planning. They will have an opinion and would probably appreciated it being listened to. However, just like a car journey ("Are we nearly there yet"), with the best will in the world, you will be unlikely to please all of them all the time, so don't expect that or feel you've failed if some trips are not the best ever...

Even for us (or me, at least), my favorite beach is at Pembrey, but it's still an hour and a half away and the trek across Wiltshire and Somerset is not always that inspirational - and sometimes I just want to 'get on with it' even though I'm enjoying every flight ...