Owning an airplane provides endless possibilities even as it presents new challenges. While anyone who’s owned and flown the same airplane for a few years likely will become comfortable with it, that’s not always the case with passengers, even if they’re experienced pilots.
The first time I encountered a nervous passenger—”nervous” in this instance involved a barf bag—I had my hands full. It was a busy non-towered airport and, while I was spotting and dodging the local traffic, I realized my Bonanza’s landing gear hadn’t fully extended. Recycling it didn’t help. About this time, my pilot-rated passenger grabbed a fresh barf bag and proceeded to at least partially fill it. He was out of commission at a time when I could use an extra pair of hands.
