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Leisure Travel ENJOYING LIFE WITH YOUR PLANE
Unscheduled Stops Make Great Memories
Some of our best family memories over the years have resulted from unscheduled events: The day we bought our first puppy on a whim. The blizzard that kept beloved houseguests in town for an extra  day of watching movies and eating popcorn. The Fourth of July when we trooped downtown at the last minute to watch fireworks explode over Lake Michigan.
And for us as a flying family, unscheduled airplane stop-overs also have provided rich source material for years of reminiscing.
Whether thunderstorms caused us to find refuge 100 miles from home, or necessary repairs to the airplane forced a pause in a two-week cross-country excursion, we focused on turning adversity into adventures that created special memories.
Recognizing that families can have fun together just about anywhere, and being prepared for itinerary changes, has made the difference between sulking sessions and a good time.
We came to understand the significance of unexpected stops the summer we took our first family flying vacation.
For safety’s sake, my husband Michael, who'd recently received his VFR ticket and was just a tiny bit nervous, packed maps covering areas beyond our planned route. And he'd encouraged me to take a pitch hitter’s course that gave me some navigating skills.
Our son Dan, who was nine years old that summer, remembers a long afternoon’s flight over barren land beneath cloudy skies. While avoiding thunderstorms, Michael had gotten off-track in an unpopulated swath of New Mexico and was relieved when, extra map in hand, I spotted a significant ranch windmill.
Before long we touched down in Roswell, N.M., about 70 miles from our planned dinner-time destination, Carlsbad, N.M. We all were happy to feel firm ground underfoot and to this day Dan recalls that windmill with a pleasant feeling of relief.
Since then we’ve told passengers in advance about the possibility of unscheduled stop-overs. But Michael’s decision to make a weather-related day-early departure from an already brief skiing vacation still ticked off a pair of passengers whom I’ll call Jerry and Lynn.
Michael explained that after lunch we’d have to turn in our skis and hit the skies. And instead of making a direct flight from Yampa Valley Airport in Hayden, Colo. to Chicago, we’d be stopping overnight in Grand Island, Neb.
Michael and I considered flight safety and a steak dinner in a funky local white tablecloth restaurant fair compensation for the loss of one afternoon on the slopes. Jerry and Lynn remained grumpy, complaining about motel accommodations and the delay, and once home, Michael and I agreed: No more flying memories with that couple!
They simply didn’t know how to make the best of things the way our family does. For instance, we all like exploring FBOs for features that can serve as entertainment while we're waiting for minor repairs.
A pilots lounge foosball table kept a teenage Dan and his brother Gabe happy the morning Michael discovered that the night before, he’d forgotten to turn off the master switch. While mechanics recharged the battery, I checked my e-mail and made a few phone calls.
When we’re stuck someplace at mealtime, we ask about the availability of a crew car, and solicit restaurant recommendations. Ignoring burger chains whenever possible, we test local independent dining spots.
One summer day when stiff headwinds required an unplanned fuel stop, our family set down at a drowsy Southwestern airfield. Because the field served the kind of town where dogs doze in dusty streets, the FBO has only a single soda machine and taxis are unheard of, an airport worker drove us to the only diner.
When we walked in, forks stopped midway between plates and mouths, conversations halted and heads turned for long considering stares. Being looked over this way was a new sensation for us city dwellers raised on anonymity.
After lunch we hopped into a police cruiser, the only transportation available, for the return trip to the airport. Riding in back behind a metal screen, the kids and I made a scary discovery that we added to our memory bank: the doors had no inside handles.
We’ve always treated unscheduled landings like special occasions. With the adage “getting there is half the fun” in mind, we choose motels with excellent swimming pools and seek out food we all enjoy.
For my son Gabe, a remembered travel refrain involves unplanned stops and a string of Chinese dinners. One year returning from an East Coast Thanksgiving, fog and an overnight in Cleveland meant — what else? — chicken fried rice and his first ever moo shu pork.
Not every unexpected landing can be blamed on weather or mechanical necessities. Flying over the Sierras from Oakland to Grand Junction, Colo., I begged for a pit stop. As soon as the prop quit rotating, I hopped out of the plane only to find that the best (and only) facility available was a wide bush.
Needless to say, my family hasn't allowed me to forget that moment. But in response, I remind them of my ability to take unexpected flying moments in stride. No matter how embarrassing they get. 
—Janice Rosenberg
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