Many managers of non-towered airports take a hands-off approach for fear of making a misstep that embarrasses them or opens them up to criticism. They allow the safety of operations to degrade rather than take bold steps to fend off an impending disaster. If you fly, you’ve seen this firsthand, as have I — as has every pilot who ventures into their airspace and lands on their field.
Get into Career Day
Most high school teachers and guidance counselors don’t actually know a pilot, or an A&P, or an air traffic controller, or an aeronautical engineer. That leaves teenagers in the unenviable position of not being able to aspire to careers they don’t have any insight into. In fact, it may not have occurred to them that these jobs exist at all.
A checkered past does not preclude a bright future
There was a period in my career when I spent time restoring warbirds. I learned a valuable lesson during that phase of life: Anything can be repaired if you’ve got enough money and time. Anything.
The basics of transitioning
The FAA provides us with minimum standards for our aeronautical endeavors, which we would be wise to remember are literally minimum standards. These should not be the end point of our training and currency goals. The wise pilot seeks proficiency, not merely a willingness to fly.
Playing in the key of A, B, C, D, E, and G
Flying is an awful lot like playing a musical instrument. In both cases, when you do it well, your heart just sings.
NORDO no more
I absolutely, without reservation, love the Piper Cub. I do not love NORDO aircraft, however. In fact, I will go so far as to say I believe flying without benefit of a radio is irresponsible, dangerous, and completely unnecessary.
Classic or contemporary: Which aircraft is best?
Go old, go inexpensive, go classic. It might be the best deal you’ll find all day.
The home field advantage disadvantage
The real glitch in an adventure-seeking flight is not the flight outbound, although any one of us could be excused for thinking that might be the case. No, it is the trip home that presents the larger challenge.
Getting out of our comfort zone
We aviation types tend to be bolder than the average man or woman on the street. For we have done something that most humans resist with great ferocity. Are we perfect? No. But we aviators are pretty darned cool.