I must have an unusual family as they don’t care about IMC. Turbulence of course but IMC matters not when watching a movie on your ipad.
The unpressurised non-turbo altitude of choice is FL100, where you get good MPG and a good TAS, and the oxygen flow is very low (and entirely optional for the mother in law 
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Anything above FL100 is for
Peter — what’s the box to the left of your GPS?
I’m fortunate that my wife loves flying. She got her own PPL shortly after we moved in together. She quit flying at about the same time as I did. When I started again in 2013, she was tempted but decided against it as she has lots of other hobbies that she didn’t want to cut down on. One of these involves occasional travel, so I can give her a ride in the aircraft. :-)
FL 130 is still oxygen altitude
For the pilot yes, for the passengers it’s OK for some time. Crossing the Alps takes less than 30 minutes which is perfectly OK on FL130 for passengers. Saves a lot of hassle with the kids. Done a few experiments, the kids were always OK and the wife did not notice any difference with or without oxygen.
I have no statistical sample how a fat chain smoker does at FL130 without oxygen…
I must have an unusual family as they don’t care about IMC.
Probably has more to do with the aircraft. A Meridian has very small windows so the difference between VMC and IMC is not that big
My wife once wrote 3 blogposts giving her view on flying along with the title “How to get your wife to fly with you”. First blogpost can be found here: http://www.aeroplus.nl/how-to-get-your-wife-to-fly-with-you-part-1
Probably has more to do with the aircraft. A Meridian has very small windows so the difference between VMC and IMC is not that big
Ha. Maybe also not having a cannula stuck up their nose reduces the sense of claustrophobia! 
Well, I think when you want to carry your family around, IMC is not really an option…
IMC scares only at the beginning. After the first IMC flight my wife told me to do this never again (no bumps). A couple of flights later it goes IMC again, no chance to avoid. After the flight I apologised for this. She asked me for what? For the IMC time, what IMC time? She read her book, listen to musik and was happy. The kids are always looking on the ipad and only worried when we leave the magenta line of the 430 or flying a go aorund.
Much more difficult is to deliver oxygen to the familiy, but after I explanied that the brain cells die no more worries about the mask. So the best Cruise level is around FL100-130 for Family, after that they must use Oxygen.
It is mutch more a joy 3,5h in a smale plane than 13h in a car on the road!
On a motorcycle you are more than 30 times more likely to die than a car driver, 36 times if you are under the age of 40, although in 2010 the statistic was rising for the over forties. Makes GA look an ultra safe way to travel..
I have about 800,000 km on motorcycles over 40 years and have never been injured (says he, looking skyward ) and have also never reached the end of the day’s ride without being mounted on the bike… so I know a little bit about the subject. Like flying, experience has a huge effect on safety and I feel comfortable taking my wife (she loves it) as long as I keep the pace within reason.
Another factor is that the per kilometer/mile statistics don’t properly take into account that you can spend a whole day covering 180 miles on a motorcycle, e.g. in the alps. It’s a lot of fun BTW, I recommend it.
In comparison with GA, I have known a great many more people get injured on mororcycles, but a significantly bigger number get killed flying. Given the difference in personal experience level, I am more concerned for my own safety and that of my family when flying. For whatever that is worth.
what’s the box to the left of your GPS?
It is a 45 min timer, from the days I used to rent spamcans where I expected the electrics (and thus the fuel gauges) to die at any moment. It has never been used… I should probably chuck it away.
A Meridian has very small windows
Yes – it’s a totally different impression between the passenger cabin of a PA46 (Jetprop in the case I am familiar with) and the cabin of a TB20. The PA46 is like an airliner. The TB’s huge windows means you see everything that’s coming, and it’s very much a case of “little knowledge is a bad thing”
I have no statistical sample how a fat chain smoker does at FL130 without oxygen
I used to fly with a fat non smoker who could not read the altimeter at 12k… and another (lean) chap had no problem working out integer square roots in his head at 12k (which I can do too, if on autopilot). And my GF gets a headache at 12k (no usual jokes please ). So it varies a lot. I would never depart on a Eurocontrol IFR flight without oxygen because you have thrown away the climb-to-avoid-hazards option and exposed yourself to the collecting-ice scenario.
