It is my belief the engineers at Cessna committed to a secret pact back in 1946. To the best of my knowledge none of them ever spoke of their devious plan for the remainder of their days.
Oops, what now?
Should the worst happen and we find ourselves standing beside an incapacitated airplane in the dark of the early morning hours, at an unfamiliar airport, after sliding off the runway, what should we do?
Secondary matters
Knowing when to head for the pasture and when to continue the flight without a care in the world can make all the difference. There’s no need to tear up a perfectly good airplane in an emergency landing just because a light burned out, a secondary flight control failed, or the person beside you lets their breakfast loose in the cockpit.
The ripple effect goes on
If we are so unfortunate as to mix the very human tendency to be momentarily irresponsible with something as unforgiving as aviation, the pain is expanded beyond ourselves. The collateral damage can last for decades.
For the love of airplane noise
Before I understood much of anything about manned flight, I was attracted to the sound of aircraft passing over my head. I knew nothing of density altitude, stochiometric mixtures, cloud types, or weather patterns. I had little understanding of lift or thrust or drag. But the sound caught my ear.
Express yourself
Whether it’s learning to fly or pursuing some other life goal. we’re not held back by some nefarious outside force. With few exceptions we are the governor that limits the scope and breadth of our own lives.
Can pilots help save this small town?
As pilots we have the ability to combine a $100 hamburger run with helping to restore a community.
So many choices
Aviation is so much bigger, more diverse, and more rewarding than I ever could have imagined. It wasn’t just the aircraft that made my life’s work worthwhile. My happiness wasn’t limited to the friendships I made, the destinations I discovered, or the challenges I faced and overcame. It was all of it. Every day was different. Every flight an experience I cherished.
Over the horizon, metaphorically speaking
The future may be unknowable, but I have complete faith that it will be wonderful. It will include a vibrant version of general aviation. We simply need to dream big and stop telling ourselves, “that will never work.” Rather, we should be asking ourselves, “how could we do that?”