Sometimes lifting someone up has very little to do with wings, relative wind, and horsepower. It can be a result of simply caring, interacting, and becoming a mentor to someone who very much wants to know what you know and do what you do.
Politics for Pilots
The wing is the thing
By the time the sun set on Dec. 17, 1903, perhaps the most important test aircraft in human history had successfully flown four times, been destroyed in an accident, and sparked a firestorm of imagination, experimentation, and development that continues to this day.
The misplaced confidence of team spirit
Blind devotion to a sports team — or a political party — is as silly as adopting the belief that Cessna pilots are really good people, and Piper pilots are okay, but you need to keep a close eye on Grumman pilots, and Cirrus pilots don’t have any idea what they’re doing.
Blue collar proud
As a pilot, I check the oil, peek into the fuel tanks, then climb under the wing to inspect tires and brakes. Whether a pilot is wearing a crisp white shirt with epaulets or a T-shirt with oil stains, I consider that position to be very blue collar. Gratifyingly so.
What is, what was, and what might one day be
Truthfully, the general aviation market and environment is as good or better than it has ever been. Our challenge remains, however. The pilots who attend safety seminars are by and large the pilots who least need the refresher. The pilots who don’t attend safety seminars are the pilots who present the greatest threat to the rest of us.
Expanding on an open door policy
A student flying club’s open door policy was tested during Hurricane Ian and while the club’s hangar was damaged, club members are now confident the club can weather any storm.
A hangar full of ideas
Everything in the massive collection at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, an annex of the National Air and Space Museum, was considered to be impossible until someone who didn’t respond well to established limitations proved otherwise.
It’s time to buy
Shopping for an airplane is so much more specific than shopping for a car. Partly because there are so many attractive options to consider. But also, because aircraft are so mission specific. They generally do one thing really well and everything else not so well.
Career counseling with confidence
When a teen says they want to be a pilot, too often authority figures shoot down that dream, telling them they aren’t smart enough. Or that they are too short, too tall, the wrong gender, or color. That’s why it’s so important for every one in general aviation to encourage teens to pursue their dreams of flight.