december 2011 volume 11 • number 12 - American Bonanza Society

BPPPBy Diane Reinken,BPPP Ground/FlightInstructorwww.bonanza.orgWho Sits in YourRight Seat?As a Beechcraft owner, you love your chosen aircraft and look forany excuse to go flying. But who joins you on these flights? Whosits in your right seat? It’s your companion! Are they as passionateabout flying as you are? Do you wish they would become moreinterested in sharing your passion? Are they comfortable in the aircraft andinvolved in the flying experience, or terrified at the thought of leaving the ground?Do you have to coax them onboard with the promise of a fabulous destinationor a really great shopping spree at the end of the flight? Do their faces turnwhite (or grey) as you enter IMC? Does the word “stall” create consternation?If the answer to any of these questions is yes, the BPPP Companion Programis for you…or more specifically, for your right seat companion.www.bonanza.orgThe BPPP Companion Programis designed to familiarize your companionwith the wonderful machinesyou fly, how they work, and how you,the pilot, interact with your aircraft.The idea is to instill more confidencein non-pilots sitting in the right seatabout the world of aviation and howit all fits seamlessly together, so theycan get more enjoyment out of theirflying experiences with you.We fear what we do not understand.The BPPP Companion Programfights that fear with knowledge. A littlebit of knowledge may create a newspark of interest. If your companion isalready comfortable in the right seat,the Companion Program providesa wealth of information from whichthey can build upon their currentknowledge base. It will also confirmthat if they have been flying with youfor a while, they probably alreadyknow more about flying than they(and you) think they do!The Companion Program runs allday Friday and Saturday morning.Our interactive Friday ground schoolclasses are presented in graphicPowerPoint presentations (with lotsof take-home handouts). They coverbasic information about cockpit instruments (what are they all for?),navigation (how we get from wherewe are to where we want to go), andcommunications (I can’t understandanything anybody says on theradio!). We also delve into the mostprevalent of companion concerns,foremost of which is how the companioncan land the plane if the pilotbecomes incapacitated.During the program, companionsare encouraged to ask questions,par ticularly the questions they werealways afraid to ask! Being able todiscuss their anxieties about flyingin a non-intimidating atmospherepro vides a unique and comfortablelearning environment. The companionsalso learn from each other bysharing their flying experiences.54 AMERICAN BONANZA SOCIETY DECEMBER 2011