Two months after gaining my private ticket, my friend asked if I could take him and his son from Michigan to New Hampshire, where he would leave his son to visit his grandparents for two weeks. No problem, I said, looking forward to my first long cross-country. I reserved a Cessna 172 from my flight school and, as the day approached, I kept track of weather conditions and filed VFR.
When I take someone up, I usually ask if they have any questions about what’s involved in being a pilot. Some say yes, some no. My friend was interested in many aspects of aviation, so we talked about it during the long flight. My route map was in my lap, and I pointed out the checkpoints as they came up. I explained the instruments and all the safety built into the system of being a pilot. He asked good questions and the flight proceeded without incident, although my instrument scan was probably not up to par, due to the interesting conversation.
