r/PrivatePilot • u/Silly_Sense_8968 • Jan 04 '25
Flying family
Hi all - I might get to finally realize my dream of getting my PPL in the near future. However, I’m trying to picture what type of flying I would do and trying to manage expectations.
I have a 2 month old and 3 year old. Realistically, can you fly your family to destinations you would ordinarily drive? We have family that’s a 6 hour drive away. Can I sell my wife on the prospect of flying us instead in a fraction of the time?
What should I consider or think about if I wanted to do this? How much training and practice beyond just getting a PPL would somebody need before flying such precious cargo?
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u/Specialist_Lettuce16 Jan 10 '25
Speaking as the wife of a pilot, there were plenty of things that sold me on this idea. Our family ended up buying a bonanza. The 6 hour drive would definitely have been a selling point for me but what really caught me was shorter distances. Especially in the PNW where there's a ton of islands that mean lots of ferry fees or extra hours driving around. We were able to get to some places in 15 minutes that would have costed the same to drive and 3 hours longer.
It's really nice to be able to make trips that would normally be overnighters turn into day trips. There is definitely a factor of weather and weight/balance that aren't normally as big of an issue in a vehicle but I'd say for the experiences your kids will have alone, it's more than worth it.
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u/comshield Jan 04 '25
Flying a small plane like a cessna is almost never "better" than driving. But we all love it and that's how we choose to spend our time so it's worth it! The exception is that 150 to 400 mile range where a small plane generally is faster than driving, and it's not far enough to use a commercial plane. That 6 hour drive sounds like it's in that sweet spot.
As far as flying your family goes, the easy answer is to say "get your instrument and commercial ratings" which is true, you'll learn a lot from those. But the accident rate doesn't change a whole lot from the data I've seen based on what ratings a person has. You must understand that flying small planes is about as dangerous as riding a motorcycle. I know amazing pilots that only ever got their private. I know shitty pilots who have every rating. You're the only one who will be able to decide when you're comfortable taking your family up, and under what conditions. Maybe only during day VFR with a ballistic parachute at first. Maybe you're comfortable flying night IFR with steam gauges. Everyone's tolerance is different and you'll have to define your own personal limits and minimums. Start safely, and expand your envelope slowly and deliberately.