The main hangar space at San Luis Jet Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif., was packed last weekend. A good 300 aviation enthusiasts came from far and wide to rub shoulders, commiserate, learn, be motivated, and be inspired to be more effective advocates for general aviation. They came to have a good time, too. And […]
Yeah, that’s not there anymore…
Normally I write this column in my office in central Florida. I’ve got one at Gilbert Field in Winter Haven, and another in my home where I do a considerable amount of my writing. It’s just more comfortable there. Let’s face it, there’s no place as inviting or as comfortable as home — except perhaps […]
We remember the bad, forget the good
Although it is not scheduled to be released until January 2014, I have just finished reading “Fireball, Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3” by Robert Matzen. His research is impressive. Rather than dwell on the superficial or get bogged down on the sensational aspects of the story, Matzen treats the subjects like real […]
Maybe the O stands for opportunity
Next week, Fort Worth, Texas, will fill up with pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers, writers, reporters, business owners, spouses, friends, and all the assorted characters who travel along with the big aviation enthusiast road show. The draw is the AOPA Summit, an annual gathering of the faithful, the hopeful, and the not-entirely-satisfied who all have […]
Snowballs and dominos
It has been said, what goes up must come down. The statement is so obvious that it strikes us as a truism, something so apparent that it’s legitimacy is self-evident. Then again, not everything is as it seems. As an example, you may have noted earlier this month a small spacecraft named Voyager 1 departed […]
Go west, old dude…
One of the great advantages of writing professionally is that we who scribble ideas down for others to read rarely have to face those others in person. We don’t have to worry about an errant idea sending you to the refrigerator to ferret out some overly ripe fruits or vegetables that you can hurl in […]
You don’t get what you wish for
It’s a simple truism that is all too often forgotten or ignored as we age: You don’t get what you wish for. You only get what you work for. And more often than not you’ll only see a percentage of that. Being a grown-up can be tough. Certainly any one of us might hope to […]
An auspicious visit
Daniel Webster is a member of the US House of Representatives, sent to Washington on behalf of the people of Florida’s 10th Congressional district. One of his committee assignments is Transportation and Infrastructure, which includes 21st Century Freight Transportation, Aviation, Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. So it will come as no surprise that I was […]
Welcome back…
As is my custom, I started the day at a friendly local coffee shop. The caffeine is essential to my diet, the camaraderie of the patrons is important to my mental health, and the slow ramp-up to my full working frenzy keeps me in the game for the long haul. I like going out for […]