One area of concern that pilots of all ages shy away from discussing openly is mental health. Which is a shame because mental health is a critical component of overall health. Unfortunately, the FAA has historically been less than charitable toward flight crew members who utter the word “depression” in the wrong company, or admit to having issues with the real speed bumps found along the road of life.
Politics for Pilots
Can you crowdfund a flight training scholarship?
Learning to fly is expensive, but if a community comes together and everyone donates just a little, that could easily pay for the flight training for a new pilot every year.
Hire a CFI who works for you
The responsibility of picking a good CFI lies squarely on the shoulders of the customer, so pick your CFI wisely. They work for you, after all. Hire well.
Calls to close KHFD ignore the true value of the airport
What is often missed when calculating the value of a facility like Brainard Airport is its educational and vocational worth. Its profound capacity to create opportunity for individuals young and old, from all walks of life, who choose to involve themselves in aviation as a hobby or a career, is undeniable.
Toys are not just for kids
My intent was to pick up a toy airplane. That’s all. It would take 10 minutes I thought. I’d be in, out, and on my way in no time. How hard could it be to find and buy a toy airplane after all?
An aviation career is more than a numbers game
For many aeronautical hopefuls, the idea of securing a spot in the left seat of an airliner represents the golden ring of career attainment. To be in command of an airliner and draw the platinum plated paychecks that come with that position is so appealing to some of us that we miss the opportunity to smell the flowers along the way. Or the Je-tA.
I am not a volunteer, but maybe you should be
The AOPA Foundation Ambassadors aren’t volunteers, but all three recognize the importance of volunteers to the success of general aviation, whether it’s in a flying club or at EAA AirVenture, the biggest airshow in the world.
Saturday Morning Live
Prior to Covid and the restrictions it has introduced into our lives, I used to lead a Rusty Pilot seminar or two every month. Since March 14, 2020, my peers and I have been doing our best to continue to share a substantially similar presentation, albeit via a webinar format. But I’ve missed the face-to-face experience of presenting good educational material to a live audience.
Evolution, innovation, and then what?
Somewhere in the 1950s the idea of what an airport should be froze as if they were museum pieces, not viable centers of business and industry. That model, while once exciting and modern, is not practical to the world we live in today, more than half a century later. Nor will it be a desirable standard in the future.