@Patrick
You’re probably right, 200 hours is over the top, but I thought of myself as a crappy pilot (still do) and wasn’t satisfied with my performance. I was also striking out on adventurous (for me) flights. I do feel light singles are dangerous and that it’s my obligation to be on my A game if I take someone with me. It took me that long to feel I was there.
I would agree that a trip around the circuit with a passenger is something you can do much sooner, but those trips weren’t what I was preparing myself for.
I will repeat: it’s extremely important that family members/ friends have confidence in you as a pilot. If you take a bunch of trips over a couple years and come back alive every time (and keep your stories of bungling to yourself) in a good mood with stories as to how well everything went, the nervousness level of passengers when they go is low. Also, you really DO know more than you did before gaining this experience and fly more smoothly and confidently.
I suspect one problem low time PPLs have is that they frighten significant others and themselves because they simply haven’t accumulated enough experience to be smooth. (They are not necessarily dangerous, but passengers really sense lack of expertise if the pilot seems stressed.) An exception would be if a couple were to learn to fly at the same time. I can see that working, but they would both have to have a similar (and rather high) tolerance for risk and enjoy the challenge together. Usually couples don’t have the same appetite (in fact, I do see women who are more instinctual risk takers than their husbands).
To the OP: enjoy the learning process! It is great! But take your time and realize that at this stage it is all about you and your pleasure. Not dragging family in too early can make them happy. If you tell them “no, not taking you up until I truly know what I’m doing,” that is in its own way reassuring.
As always: YMMV
@Patrick: Thank you for your highly encouraging post. I’m looking forward to follow your footsteps!
@WhiskeyPapa: I will take your advice to heart. Luckily I’m geographically well situated for a few easy trips, e.g. to the East Frisian islands. The terrain here is very flat for almost 100 NM in any direction, with AMSL = AGL working well asa rule of thumb. With islands like Just or Norderney Just 20 NM away an easy day trip with the family with merely 20 mins flight time is feasible and probably good practice for more expansive trips later.
WhiskeyPapa wrote:
but I thought of myself as a crappy pilot (still do) and wasn’t satisfied with my performance.
I do think, @WhiskeyPapa, that is a very good mindset to have as a pilot! I think the trouble begins when people stop thinking they’re crappy pilots. 
Re confidence et al., I absolutely agree. Regardless of hours and to be honest, regardless of actual experience, I think it’s key to express confidence and calmness to passengers, otherwise it will be hell for them. Surprisingly, although I don’t consider myself an overly confident person in life, I found this came naturally when flying with passengers once you take responsibility for them. I find myself less confident when flying with an instructor, for example.
MedEwok wrote:
This limits both free time and spare cash for hobbies severely. Both seem to be required for a successful “career” in GA. Maybe I started to early in life?I don’t think so. I started at 23 and stopped at 36 as the growing family took too much of both time and money. I resumed 17 years later at 53 when my youngest child was 16 and the others had moved out. Flying is like cycling — you never really lose it. I was surprised how little time it took to regain first the PPL, then the IR.
Also never tell your wife or colleagues about training mistakes, etc. Discuss them ONLY WITH OTHER PILOTS.
Sadly I have to agree.
Of the spectrum of wives of pilots who I have met (and it is many) only a few are happy to discuss crashes etc and still have total confidence in their husband afterwards.
It doesn’t always have to be like that. I took my wife with me from day one. She watched me straying through countless traffic patterns in Germany and doing other stupid things. Apparently she thought ‘I can do that!’ and three years later she soloed in a battered pink colored 150. Not much later she got her licenses and today she even sometimes reads EuroGA!
@terbang
I congratulate you on choice of wife!
May be one of those cases where the woman has the higher risk appetite! 
I congratulate you on choice of wife!
I do too!
May be one of those cases where the woman has the higher risk appetite!
Those cases are less rare than you might think!
I did not consider reading EuroGA that dangerous :-)
Tina (aka Mrs. Terbang)
@dkbe
I would love to see a photograph of your pink solo plane! Thank Heavens there are women who maintain standards!
@WhiskeyPapa, here you are :-)
This is the pink Cessna (known as the “lila Kuh” in Southwestern Germany) with me returning to Bruchsal after the solo triangle flight EDTC-EDFE-EDGS-EDTC (took a whole day :-))
