A fellow flight-school student had asked if I wished to fly back with her to visit her parents in North Carolina. After an entertaining day at her parents’ house, we bundled tightly into her father’s pickup truck (this is North Carolina, remember) as he drove us back to the local airport. My fellow student kept moving closer and closer to me during the ride, and this was my first indication that something was in the works.
Shortly after we got airborne in our Piper Arrow, she told me she was tired, and would I mind if she laid across my lap while I flew? I of course agreed, and quickly noticed that she was not really that interested in sleeping. Her “nap” quickly led to more vigorous activity, despite the difficulty in contorting ourselves around inside the small cockpit. After it was all over with, and we had landed back at our flight school, we both acted as if nothing had ever happened. She is now a qualified flight instructor. I wonder if she makes this procedure part of her curriculum?
Editor’s Note: We can’t think of a better way to take the routine out of building flight time!