In the back of my hangar sits the skeleton of a 1949 Piper PA-16 Clipper. It hasn’t flown in many years. That’s kind of sad. Hopefully, somebody will take on the task of restoring it to its former glory one day and it will become airborne again. I can only hope. In front of the […]
Short, sweet, and oh so memorable
My wife and I were empty-nesters for a minute there. Our son is a great success, living in New York City with his own growing family. Our daughters had moved out and were sharing a house together. Then one daughter moved home. A few months later the other followed suit. We are empty-nesters no more. […]
Welcome the unexpected opportunity
It was supposed to be an easy day. My complete list of responsibilities involved delivering a Cessna 152 to the site of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association‘s southeastern regional fly-in at Tampa’s Peter O. Knight Airport. I started early and was on the ground by 9 a.m. Done for the day. With the bulk […]
General aviation, at home and away
As a participant in the American system of general aviation, no one needs to tell you how utilitarian or beneficial the smaller, quieter airports in our system are. These fields that sit serenely on the edge of town give users the ability to fly directly in to the destination they choose. They offer an efficiency that […]
Taking a moment to enjoy the view
It seems I’ve got a bit of an oil pressure problem. The temperature looks good, but the pressure on engine number 1, the engine that sits behind my left shoulder, is running significantly lower than it should. Lower than the rock solid 50 psi on engine number 2, that’s for sure. Having two engines means […]
What goes up, must come down…somewhere
Safety in flight is not something that happens by chance. In the long term, pilots don’t get lucky. They plan and execute well, or they fly with reckless abandon and take their chances. Maybe they have an accident or maybe they don’t. But there’s no luck involved. It’s just timing. Anyone in any pursuit who […]
Set yourself up to say yes
It was Friday morning. The first day of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s last regional fly-in of the year in Tampa, Florida. I’d started the day early, but not bright. Les Smith, AOPA’s Senior Director of Pilot Community, and I met for breakfast before the sun dared show itself over the horizon. We had […]
Awesome by choice
When I was 15 years old I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. That’s rare, it seems. More often than not teenagers have very little idea what they want to do for a living. In my case, I pursued my dream for far longer than most young men chase their […]
Graciousness and gratitude in Texas
From time to time, each and every one of us has had a wish. We all hoped for something wonderful to happen, for a gift of such magnitude that all our worries will be wiped away, leaving only joy and contentment in out lives. Ironically, a disconcerting number of people who win the lottery tend […]