From AVweb reader Mark Cheplowitz:
A couple of weeks ago I was on a long IFR cross-country flight and my right seat passenger/pilot suddenly had a “neeeed to peeee” (apologies to Top Gun “need for speed”).
I notified ATC that we needed to divert. When he asked for the reason, I said, “potty emergency.”
Realizing I used the E-word, I quickly rekeyed the mic, “But I’m not declaring anything!”
We heard a few mic clicks on the frequency.
Quick thinking… and I’m certain the controllers appreciated that you provided some comic relief!
Some passengers I’ve had would rather ‘have an accident’ than use a pee bottle. Planning is important, but the best laid plans…
I was over Bakersfield one night at 12,000 feet when my passenger declared he needed to pee. After descending as fast as I could without breaking eardrums the passenger leaped from the Twin Comanche and hurriedly lit up a cigarette before he looked for the bathroom. Biological priorities.
I tell ATC “for passenger comfort”. However, it doesn’t generate any excitement like the “E” word. I did threaten to tell ATC one time that I need to divert “for noise abatement”. If they questioned that motive I was going to tell them that there was a lot of noise coming from the right seat. My wife promptly promised to kill me if I did…after we landed.