[OnyxCougar]

My dad has been a pilot since before I was born, so naturally I grew up right stick in the cockpit of Cessna's and occasionally a twin engine Grumman.

On a trip from London Gatwick to Exeter when I was 15, the little twin engine commuter plane was full, so I got to sit in the cockpit. The pilot, an older man (late 40's), was very friendly, and let me put the earphones on, showed me the instrumentation. When I wasn't as impressed as he thought I'd be, he inquired if I'd ever been in a plane before. I explained I'd flown a plane similar (but much smaller). He smiled and gave me the "advanced" version of the tour.

A half an hour into the flight, the pilot asked if I was comfortable with the plane, I said yes, so he got up and went to the loo!

Here I am, 15 years old, flying a commuter airplane full of people. Scared to death. Luckily, there isn't much to do when you're up there, so I just kept it level and straight, and he came back and all was well.

My grandmother, who was on the flight, and knew I was seated in the cockpit, was very much concerned when she saw the pilot walk by her on the way to the loo. She decided she'd never fly that airline again.