AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 83

P&E

PROFICIENCY

FINALLY!

Kid tested

A CARD
FOR PILOTS.

Flying with kids and becoming a better pilot
B Y C AT H E R I N E C AVAG N A R O

Cash Back1 Select
AOPA Partners
CASH BACK1 APPLIED AS STATEMENT CREDIT.

"MOMMY, I FEEL FUNNY." I turned around

to see my son Pete looking ashen and
worried while clutching his prized
Calvin and Hobbes comic book. As soon
as I said, "Pete, put your book down and
look outside the airplane," the aircraft
alert system sounded, "Traaaffic, traaaffic." I saw it on my screen at 12 o'clock,
same altitude. As I strained to locate the
other aircraft in the windscreen, Pete
continued, "I think I'm going to be sick!"
I felt for a plastic bag, dumped its contents on the seat next to me and stretched
to hand it to Jack so he could help his
younger brother. "Traaaffic!" continued
to blare as I reached toward the back.
That afternoon we were returning
home from watching our favorite football
team play a game with post-season implications. Since we had work and school
the next day, our friend encouraged us to
fly his new Piper Turbo Saratoga instead
of our Piper Cherokee. The 175-knot
cruise speed made the trip home swift

but borrowing the aircraft added pressure I hadn't anticipated. Of course the
immediate concern was finding the traffic so I could most effectively avoid it.
But I was painfully aware that we were
flying an airplane that cost more than our
house-a lot more. Pilots must be able to
handle multiple duties at once and I pride
myself on my own ability to multitask,
perhaps too much (See "Relax and Go
with the Flow," August 2019 AOPA Pilot).
I always swore that when I had kids, I
grew extra arms that allowed me to juggle the obligations that being a mother,
professor, and flight instructor threw my
way. Multitasking is a good skill, but it's
also important to know when punting a
duty away is a better option.
Aviation accident databases teem
with reports for which distraction is a
contributing factor in a loss-of-control
event, midair collision, or other mishap.
In fact, distraction is a perennial culprit on the NTSB's Most Wanted List of
aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 83

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020