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The holidays. It's a time to catch-up with family, friends, and all of those people who ask once or twice a year, "Are you still flying?"

"Of course," you reply without delay, not wanting them to think your passion is just a passing hobby. And to prove it, you ask, "Want to come up with me sometime?"

And so it begins. The cycle of sharing your feast of flight. And it is at this moment you must grasp the personality behind the person that's about to crawl into the right seat. They come in at least three varieties.

First let's meet Mr. Been There, Done That. He's not a pilot, perhaps thought about becoming one, but decided he'd rather go for the ride than take the time to learn.

And with this passenger comes the good and bad. They're not going to ask you jittery questions about the "only engine" or the "tight seating arrangements." They most likely won't be reaching for the air sickness bag. They'll already know that sometimes you just can't answer them when ATC comes calling. And they won't ever say, "Can we land now?"

But "Mr. Been There, Done That" certainly flies with his flaws. It will be up to you to take control of the flight. Make sure your passenger understands that you're in charge this time, and no matter what experience he's had in the past - this is the way it's done.

Don't cave-in to comparisons about the day his friend flew "just below the clouds and made it there just fine," or "put an extra golf bag in the back, no problem!" You're the pilot in command. You have your wings - and weight & balance calculations - he doesn't.

Time to meet our second passenger: Ms. I've Always Wanted To Do This. She's always had the dream of becoming a pilot, but never really made the effort to get out to the airport, either because of finances, time, or other life priorities.

This passenger will keep you plenty busy during your first flight together. The chatter will begin before walking into the FBO. "How long did it take you to get your license?" "How much did it cost you?"

After your wheels leave the pavement, you'll most likely hear something along the lines of, "This is amazing. I so need to do this!" In this case, dish it all out. Make sure all of her questions are answered. Let her grab the control column. But this is not time to show off. Never say these two words: "Watch this."

And that brings us to passenger number three: Mr. Are You Sure This Thing Is Safe? He's always wanted to go, and finally gathered up the courage. And now that he has, you hope for the bluest of blue sky days, and a wind sock that's limp, or at least pointing straight down the runway.

But sometimes, the weather doesn't cooperate. At the first sign of bumps, don't go unless you want to spend a week using a Q-Tip to clean-up your cockpit. Just postpone. Your passenger will thank you for using such good judgment.

Once the weather is perfect, take a pre-emptive strike while walking out to the aircraft. Tell him that it is indeed safe. Chipped paint isn't bad. It just means that someone cares more about what's under the cowling, not on it.

Describe each moment of the preflight, the checklist, the run-up, and the take-off. Give him something to do. "Your job is to look for other aircraft and tell me about them," goes a long way. And explain each power change, turn, noise, radio call, gauge, switch and dial. Taking the mystery out of flying, takes the nerves out of novices.

So this holiday season, keep on giving. Whether it's passenger one, two, or three, be an ambassador of aviation. It just may turn someone's dream - even if they haven't had it yet - into a real-life, plastic coated, hologram-laden, FAA pilot's certificate.

Article by Chris Archer; Send him an email