Comments on: An offer I can’t refuse http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=384 Online perspective from the editors of "AOPA Pilot". Tue, 21 May 2013 20:09:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Amy Laboda http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=384&cpage=1#comment-2199 Amy Laboda Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:32:44 +0000 http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=384#comment-2199 Great to hear about your problem! I sent mine (daughter) to glider camp in Vermont, and i think she enjoyed the social scene and the camping out as much as the flying.

If I remember my own experience, my parents found me a good CFI and pretty much stayed out of it, except for letting me sit right seat in the Cessna 210 and handle the controls from time to time. I think the toughest part of the experience was that once you solo at 16, you still have a year to kill before you actually earn a certificate. Let her go as far as she can in that time, even if it means picking up some instrument and commercial skills before she has her private certificate.

]]> By: Paul Thomas http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=384&cpage=1#comment-2183 Paul Thomas Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:27:55 +0000 http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=384#comment-2183 Treasure every moment and give thanks for the opportunity to share something you both love!

I have been away from actively flying for the past seventeen years. Putting three daughters through parochial school and college, throw in two weddings and you can see there isn’t any money left for flying. A few weeks ago I passed a long awaited BFR and my youngest daughter, now twenty-three was with me! I wouldn’t have traded that moment for anything.

Two of my daughters have always wanted to learn to fly and since I used to be a CFI they want me to be the one to teach them. I guess I better delay retirement, work some more overtime and get busy with getting that instructor rating back. This is another one of those “Dad” moments I truly don’t want to miss. The other is taking my Grandson for his first flight in a small airplane!

Paul Thomas
Valparaiso, Indiana

]]> By: Sam http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=384&cpage=1#comment-2102 Sam Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:31:30 +0000 http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=384#comment-2102 Tom, for some reason you struck a chord in me. I’ve been thinking about this off and on since you posted it. I raised two great kids (neither one interested in aviation) and I don’t really know how it happened. Here’s what I’ve been thinking:

Don’t try too hard.
Interests ebb and flow, and many times you don’t actually know how much interest there is.
Her interest may be driven by thoughts and feelings you can’t comprehend – she’s herself, she’s not you.
Encourage her to take on the challenges she wonders if she can handle.
Encourage her to talk about how she feels. Listen and listen well because she is giving a better answer to your question than anyone else could.
Tell her how you feel about her interest. The clearer you can be the better, even if she doesn’t seem to listen.
Support her when she stumbles, praise her when she truly excels.
Offer opportunities to participate.
Learn to accept whatever level of participation she’s capable of putting in.
Unless she asks you, let her CFI do the formal training and critiques.

And first of all, If you haven’t already, tell her you so much want to make sure you don’t mess this up for her you’ve asked 415,000+ pilots for advice.

Good luck to you, as that’s what it seems happened to me. I hope she becomes the woman she sees herself being.

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