Passenger view from the back seat of a GA airplane [Shutterstock]
Key Takeaways:
Carrying an observer during a dual instructional flight is legal, with the CFI acting as Pilot in Command, offering students practical experience with aircraft weight and balance.
Instructors must ensure observers are not a distraction and adjust lessons to account for their presence, understanding that maneuvers routine for pilots can be frightening for novices.
These observation flights can boost student confidence and often inspire passengers, including family members, to develop an interest in aviation and potentially pursue flying lessons themselves.
Are you in pilot training? Do you think it would help you learn faster if you flew in the back seat of the aircraft and observed another learner taking training?
For some people, observation can be a very effective tool. But there are rules you need to respect.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
![Passenger view from the back seat of a GA airplane [Shutterstock]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/httpswww.flyingmag.comsitesflyingmag.comfilesimport2015sitesallfiles_images201505tip-back-seat-thumb-1.jpg)
