Emel

My wife and I went up together for the first time for a nice tour of downtown Pittsburgh and a fly over our house. After putting up with me, and moreover, supporting me, throughout the whole training process, I was excited to show her a little of what general aviation is all about. It is so important to have a supportive spouse through this process and Emel was a true friend through the whole private pilot ordeal.

For the trip, we had an amazing combination of calm winds, clear skies, unlimited visibility and a setting sun, in other words, a picture perfect evening for flying. I had just been checked out by the club to use the 172s so I figured we would take 573, one of our club's training Skyhawks. We met the plane at the fuel pump as it had just been out with a great fellow club member, Larry Teal. After a preflight and a run-up we were off and headed south towards downtown. I called PIT approach and she was very pleasant, giving us a squawk code and some traffic information. Emel got a chance to see a lot of the area we go to in the North Hills from the air and helped me with avoiding some towers and traffic. I slowed down as we neared the city and we circled the skyscrapers a few hundred feet above them. We also got a great view of the new, just about completed, construction and renovation project at Point Park.

After snapping a few pictures, we headed up the Allegheny River toward out house. I dialed in two VORs to triangulate our house position and before we knew it, we saw the steeple of Fox Chaple Presbyterian and the Fox Chapel High School football field. We circled our house a few times, got some waves from our neighbors and we then headed off back up to Zeli with a wing waggle. After an easy landing, we tied down the plane and had a fantastic post-flight dinner at MadMex to cap the perfect evening.

Virginia

I took my daughter flying today. I learned an important rule with new passengers: strive for zero turbulence... Our goal was to make it to Carroll Co (TSO) for lunch. It was a beautiful day, the wind was a bit strong at 10kts but was right down the runway from the north. The sky was dotted with some small, puffy, cumulus clouds at about 4,000 feet. After strapping her car seat into the passenger seat of the 152, we got settled in and departed 35 at Zeli. Virginia was very happy and excited looking out the window and asking questions as always. It was a bit bumpy but not particularly noticable. I soon learned however that what may not be noticable for the pilot is very apparent to the passengers. I called Beaver tower to request clearance to transit their airspace and was granted with a request to report over the airport. 10 minutes into the flight and over the airport I realized Virginia had gotten quiet. I looked over and her face was scrunched up and she said her tummy hurt. I immediately called Beaver tower and said I was doing a 180 and heading back to the east. By the time I was on downwind at Zeli, she was wailing. I kept trying to calm her, but realized I had to fly the plane first, get us down and then deal with that part of the situation. I put the the audio panel on isolate to reduce the noise in my headset, and upon listening to the AWOS realized the wind had picked up and was gusting to 20 kts. It was still down the runway luckily and the landing was not particularly hairy. Virginia calmed down on the ground, we fueled up and put the plane back in the hanger. She is now still interested in flying but I will pick my days carefully from now on.

First Passenger

My family members drew straws and my mom ended up with the short one, but she bravely suited up and got the the car with me for ride to Zeli, and for the "honor" of being my first passenger. Arriving at the airport, my mom took a look at the trusty 152 that had gotten me through thick and thin and said "we're going up in that?!". Ok, so it was an inauspicious start, but once we did the preflight together and answering every question along the way, she got past her tin can fears and legged up into the passenger seat. Once in the plane and taxing to the end of the runway, she was a picture of calm. Luckily, we had the perfect evening. Interestingly, the day had been rather rainly and stormy, but the current conditions were calm winds and forecasted to be that way though the night. After doing the run-up and checklists, I called our departure for 35 and we were off.

We took off to the north and I was able to find the Mill at McConnell's Mills which she got a kick out of. Then we flew over Lake Moraine and we reminisced about riding our bikes there when I was a kid. We then headed over to Beaver County Airport for fuel as our pump at Zeli was down. My mom was the first to spot the glider off to our right and up about a 500'. It was the first glider I had seen in the air and I give her kudos for even seeing it. Good thing she did however as he was headed to Beaver as well and when I talked to Beaver tower they advised me of the traffic and I was able to respond that the glider was in sight.

I followed the glider in on final, negotiated a decent 5-7kt x-wind landing, and taxied to the fuel pumps. After getting our fuel we headed back out and took off with a beautiful sunset behind us. By the way, whichever controller was on that night, he was a really nice and engaging guy. After a short flight back to Zeli, I planted a greaser and received a nice compliment from Mom. She had been a great first passenger and I wanted to show her how much I appreciated it!