Stop Scaring Your Passengers

One of the more common complaints heard when pilots gather is that someones spouse and kids wont fly with them or dont like flying in little airplanes. The person issuing the lament insists he (its almost invariably he) cant figure out why. Often the reason is he has scared the bejabbers out of his family members at least once and has displayed absolute cluelessness when it comes to making the flight an enjoyable experience.

rdurden

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilots often inadvertently scare passengers by failing to communicate or explain technically safe procedures (e.g., running a fuel tank dry, using checklists), leading to unnecessary anxiety.
Passenger comfort is frequently overlooked; pilots should prioritize smooth air over shorter, turbulent flights and avoid "fiddling" with controls that can signal unease.
To ensure a positive experience, pilots must treat passengers as VIPs by maintaining a clean aircraft, providing for comfort needs (e.g., motion sickness remedies, restroom access), and communicating proactively throughout the flight.

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One of the more common complaints heard when pilots gather is that someone’s spouse and kids won’t fly with them or “don’t like flying in little airplanes.” The person issuing the lament insists he (it’s almost invariably he) can’t figure out why. Often the reason is he has scared the bejabbers out of his family members at least once and has displayed absolute cluelessness when it comes to making the flight an enjoyable experience. In some cases, the things the pilots do are perfectly safe, but they don’t realize that their passengers don’t understand what is happening and get scared.