Last week I found myself in a large hangar surrounded by perhaps as many as 150 individuals who self-identify as rusty pilots. They and I had traveled to St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, to enjoy the company of fellow aviation enthusiasts at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association last regional fly-in of the year. Clearly, not being […]
Progress comes at a cost
At this very moment there is a team of highly skilled professionals who are out of sight and largely out of mind, yet they have been tasked with solving an almost unimaginably difficult puzzle. They work for the NTSB and their charge is to figure out exactly what went wrong last week aboard SpaceShipTwo, the […]
What have you done for me lately?
Like it or not, aviation enthusiasts are often classified by non-aviation enthusiasts as “those people.” As a card carrying member of the “those people” fan club, I’m often interested in how we’re perceived and routinely blamed for the ills of society by those who don’t understand us. In general, we’re neither loved or admired. Frequently […]
The story that wasn’t a story
Last week the U.S. and the world missed a story that was right there, front and center for all to see. But we missed it. Not a word was spoken about a story that should have been news, but was instead, virtually invisible in the public consciousness. Granted, the ebola scare has most people distracted […]
The battle of diversity vs. fragmentation
Election day is only weeks away across America. What used to be a one-day event has stretched into a weeks-long period of collecting absentee ballots by mail and voters streaming to early voting locations. We pick up sides vehemently, often characterizing our own friends and neighbors as the enemy, evil doers who are bent on […]
Sing a happy song
Nobody who is seriously involved in aviation is unaware of the concern that student pilot starts are down and student pilot completions are down. At the same time, aviation has become a critical part of the global economy. Ideas abound for how the industry might combat this trend and hopefully reverse it. You may have […]
Internationally awesome
Last week I spent some time in Washington D.C. I had business in the area, but like most of us, when I get in the vicinity of the Mall, the monuments, and the Capital building, I find myself wanting to browse the wares of our country. There is art to peruse and documents to consider. […]
On choices, options, and being a cheapskate
News flash: I have just finished eating a $16 bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. That’s nothing. Last night I feasted on a $25 hamburger. Neither meal was unique, memorable, or impressive in any way other than the price. I feel an analogy coming on. With the price of a single engine Cessna creeping up into […]
Common financial mistake vs. uncommon financial opportunity
While listening to the inimitable Clark Howard, a popular radio personality who offers financial advice, I learned an interesting tidbit of information. It seems auto loans are being taken out for longer and longer periods of time. The average auto loan is now in the five and a half year range, but some extend for […]