I’ve told the story before of my first attempt to get involved in aviation, and my absolutely dismal failure.
It was sophomore year at Glastonbury High School in rural central Connecticut. A US Navy recruiter came to speak to students who were open to enlisting in the military.
That may seem like no big deal today, but in 1973, the US had just left Viet Nam and the gaping national wound was nowhere near being healed.
Enlisting was not a popular choice in my day. [Read more…]
When an idea has merit both literally and metaphorically, I tend to be intrigued. That’s certainly true of the title of this piece. Being successful at pretty much anything begins with a good breakfast.
Now, when I say “good,” I don’t mean tasty. I’m not advocating a lifestyle soaked in sugar, massive quantities of carbohydrates, and heavy cream. I’m talking about a breakfast of substance. Something that provides the fuel to carry you through until your next opportunity to ingest necessary calories. [Read more…]
After years of requiring applicants to operate a complex aircraft in order to earn a commercial pilot certificate (single-engine airplane) or a flight instructor certificate, the FAA recently reversed its own standards to allow commercial applicants and CFI applicants to take the practical test in an aircraft that isn’t complex. No retractable gear, no constant speed propeller. A Cessna 152 will suffice. [Read more…]
After a fire in the Apollo 1 capsule took the lives of Gus Grisson, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee, NASA undertook an investigation. Not so much to lay blame as to understand why the fire happened. With a clear understanding of why, it would be plausible to assume similar tragedies could be prevented in the future.
Frank Borman testified before Congress with the results of that investigation. Frank is no slouch. He would ultimately go on to command Apollo 8, the first mission to leave earth orbit, travel to another celestial body, orbit it, and return. That’s big stuff.
In his testimony he referred to a failure of imagination. The accident wasn’t caused by negligence or malice. It was simply the failure of engineers, technicians, administrators, and the astronauts themselves to imagine what the ramifications might be of a long series of variables.
Thanks to that investigation, to that dedication to professionalism, the Apollo program suffered no additional loss of life. Considering the complexity of their task, that’s amazing.
Here on earth, specifically, here in my adopted home of Winter Haven, Florida, there is a failure of imagination that is far less understandable, and considerably less excusable. I suspect the story will not be totally foreign to you, either. As unfortunate as that might be. [Read more…]
For the past few months I’ve been shopping for a house. Not a particularly big house. Or an impressive one. Just a house that my family and I can move to where we’ll be dry when it rains, warm when it gets cold, and comfortable when the Florida sun beats down in August.
If I were to put my search into aeronautical terms, I’m looking for a good, used Cessna 172. A reasonable purchase price coupled with modest long-term maintenance costs is what I’m hoping for. Oh yes, and I want this mystery house to be no more than a few miles from the house I currently call home.
To me, none of this seems irrational, elitist, foolhardy or reckless. And I assume most Americans agree with me, since more than 60% of Americans own a home, or are making payments toward the purchase of a place they can call their own.
This caused a thought to pop into my head. Why do so many Americans own homes? Presumably because they see value in the proposition. [Read more…]
Under normal circumstances I’d be writing this column from the comfort of my home office. I probably wouldn’t be wearing closed toe shoes, or long pants, and I sure wouldn’t be wearing a sports jacket.
Instead I’m putting this little missive together at Gate 42 among a mass of random people gathered at Orlando International Airport. Shortly I’ll be moving to Row 20, Seat D, on a transport category aircraft, accompanied by a good number of these same folks who currently surround me.
Is this flying? I’m not at all sure it is. [Read more…]
Generally speaking, most people are pretty decent. Given the chance to offer help to others, they will. Or at least they’ll try.
Unfortunately, we often mistake that willingness to assist for the ability to be helpful. Unfortunately, things don’t always work that way.
When my middle child was about seven years old, she decided she wanted to play softball. Why not? Everybody was doing it. So, dear old dad and the fledgling softball player toddled off to the ballfields where she was picked up by a team and given a T-shirt with the club’s official name and logo splashed across the front. Yay. [Read more…]
The human mind is an intriguing piece of biological equipment. It can conceive of amazing inventions. Machines, devices, and processes that have never existed come to being first in the mind of someone not significantly different from you or me.
Ideas can be incredibly powerful or they can be absolutely idiotic. In the case of Rube Goldberg, they can be both powerful and idiotic at the same time.
Our memories are a function of our brains, and to serve as a reminder that we’re not quite as infallible as we think we are, our memories are full of holes. Oh sure, we think we remember details well. It’s hard-wired into our belief system. We’ve got a rock-solid lock on the memory of that time we did that thing with Cousin Bobbie out by the place where we used to spend summer vacations. Then Cousin Bobbie comes along with an entirely different recollection of places and events.
History, even our own histories, are somewhat subjective. [Read more…]
There is a magical spot in Washington, D.C. I’ve just recently discovered. The spot has been there for years. Eons, in fact. But the inspirational quality of it has only become apparent relatively recently. Thank goodness I was fortunate enough to happen upon it and reflect on its power.
The spot I’m so enthralled by is located inside the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum on the South side of the National Mall. If you enter from Jefferson Drive SW, as I did, you’ll find this majestic spot of aeronautical reflection just inside, past the metal detectors, and the x-ray machines, and the security personnel who exhibit a general malaise so pervasive as to suggest they have never entertained the idea of turning around to see the wonders that lie just behind them. But I digress.
If you move south toward the Independence Avenue exit, you’ll notice a tall glass case to your right. It’s not particularly intriguing in its own right. To be honest, it contains little to grab the attention of a hard-core aviation enthusiast, and nothing that would attract the eye of the average ground-pounder. That is until a closer inspection is undertaken. [Read more…]
Yay, it’s springtime in the Americas. The northern Americas anyway. We set our clocks ahead last week to prove it. Those much loved golden rays of sunlight linger well into the evening hours now. We await the day, not far off, when temperatures warm, and lush, green grass will tickle our toes once again.
It’s time for us to follow the whim of the seasons and spring forth. The renewal of life is upon us.
After being shut in for an excruciatingly long period of time, the aeronautical adventures you’ve been dreaming of are on your doorstep once again. Hangar doors are no longer iced shut. Snowdrifts have begun melting away from the perimeter of taxiways and runways throughout the northern reaches of the nation. Oil is returning to its liquid form, no longer coerced into the consistency of pudding by frigid temperatures.
Let’s fly. [Read more…]
