Is your passion for flying dampened by a nervous partner or do they fearfully remain on the ground?

I have a variety of students and customers ranging from student pilots to ATPs. Many have hundreds or even thousands of flight hours logged, some with decades of flying experience. They fly with me for many reasons, including flight reviews, proficiency training, or even to acquire a new rating or certificate.

Despite the wide range of pilot experience, one unfortunate trend has remained constant over the years. I have a well-trained pilot seated beside me with a deep passion for flying unshared by their loved one. Pilots lament that their partner is a white knuckle passenger, or their partner refuses to fly with them at all.

When we cannot share our passion for flying with those we wish to spend time with, we are disappointed and frustrated. We resort to flying alone or with other people. It helps pilots to examine things from a non-pilot’s viewpoint. Why would they join in an activity that seems complicated, risky, or that they understand little about? How would they handle things if their beloved pilot became incapacitated, and they could not safely return the plane to the ground? Often their fears stem from feeling a lack of control and not understanding what is going on.

This is where the pinch hitter course comes to the rescue.

In baseball vernacular, a pinch hitter is a player who bats in substitution of, among other situations, an injured player. Likewise, a pinch hitter in an airplane “goes to bat” for the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) when the PIC falls ill, among other situations.

The pinch hitter pilot course offers your companion a general overview of how the instruments and radios work and a basic understanding of how the plane flies. Most importantly, your companion learns the basic skills of how to land the plane if you, the pilot, become incapacitated. It gives them a sense of control because they will have some skills and training in the event of an emergency. Pinch hitter is a quick course that does not result in a pilot certificate.

As a certificated pilot, you might wonder if you can simply show your partner the basics of flying on your own. While your reasoning is sound, their participation in the organized pinch hitter course proves more valuable for several reasons.

Syllabus Based

Like all Elon Aviation courses, the pinch hitter course is syllabus-based. Your loved one will know exactly what he or she will learn during each lesson. You can review the syllabus with them and offer tips and advice based on your experience as a student pilot.

Experienced Instructors

Speaking of experience, many of our instructors have non-pilot loved ones or we have taught students who initially demonstrated hesitation to learn. We know how to overcome psychological barriers to learning that can inhibit students from progressing in their training. In fact, we have taken hesitant pinch hitter students all the way through their private and instrument training through a challenging yet non-threatening training environment.

Scenario-Based

Have you ever experienced an emergency in an airplane? Did your factual, rote knowledge of airplane systems and aeronautical decision-making (ADM) alone extract you from the situation? You likely relied on the practical experience you gained from training. You understood why we drill you on stall recovery and engine or instrument failures. Practical experience is the most valuable experience one can have in an airplane. If your loved one memorizes a list of aviation “facts,” they will not be able to effectively use those “facts” should an emergency situation arise in the airplane.

The pinch hitter course is scenario-based so that the student has “experienced” an emergency situation. If you were to fall ill in the cockpit, your loved one knows what to say to ATC, what to squawk on the radio, and how to guide the plane to a safe landing because they have already done so many times. We know that a trained, well-prepared person is less likely to succumb to fear and can better handle an emergency.

Spare Hands

You may view the pinch hitter course like your aircraft owner’s or renter’s insurance: You are unlikely to need it, but it is good to have if you do. Pilots are an invincible breed, and we avoid thinking about becoming incapacitated in the airplane. The pinch hitter course’s benefits extend far beyond those unthinkable situations we hope never happen to you.

One benefit of having a pinch hitter graduate in the right seat is their hands. If you have ever wished you had an extra set of hands to tune a radio or operate your Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) on a particularly windy both-hands-on-the-yoke day, you can understand why having an experienced co-pilot is useful. Did you complete all the checklist requirements during the run-up? Are you sure? Your pinch hitter can help keep you accountable. Of course, a Pinch Hitter graduate is not as qualified as a fully certificated safety pilot should you need a safety pilot.

Confidence and Appreciation

Whether you are a private pilot, an ATP, or somewhere in between, you worked hard for your certificates. You have come quite a long way from your student pilot days. Non-pilots struggle to appreciate what you do as a pilot until they have spent a few hours in the left seat. The pinch hitter course builds that appreciation for flying that they cannot experience as a passenger. Does your loved one view flying as unsafe or dangerous? Through the pinch hitter course, they experience firsthand that flying is safe, and risks can be mitigated or avoided altogether.

We have also seen loved ones gain overall confidence through the pinch hitter course. Flying an airplane is not easy and learning to fly can be particularly daunting the older we become. Learning the basics of a simple, workaday task like landing an airplane can be so empowering. Recall the sense of accomplishment you felt after landing the plane on your own the first time. The pinch hitter course can be a great confidence boost for the more apprehensive loved ones in your life.

The Elon Aviation pinch hitter course is time-efficient, effective, and fun. Many of our pinch hitter graduates have gotten bitten by the aviation bug as well. If you have a hesitant non-pilot at home, encourage them to enroll in this valuable course. After all, flying is more fun when you can share it with those closest to you!

Trish Chriscoe's curiosity about aviation came after college while working for United Airlines as a crew scheduler of the full-motion flight simulators. Once her interest in flying became known in the workplace, colleagues fed her intrigue by inviting her to sit in the simulators to see what it was like to fly from the front seat of an Airbus 320 and Boeing 737. She eagerly took advantage of an invitation to attend the Airline Training Orientation Program for aspiring airline pilots before she had earned her private pilot certificate. Learn more about Trish and the rest of the Elon Aviation staff at www.elonaviation.com.