One of the immutable aspects of flight that is that weight cannot be finessed out of our calculations. It must be measured carefully, placed in the appropriate location, or discarded. There is no wiggle room. The airplane itself has mass and weight. As does fuel, baggage, passengers, and the pilot. Weight matters.
Politics for Pilots
Papers please
Having our paperwork in order is important. Sadly, the vast majority of general aviation pilots have developed the unfortunate habit of ignoring that requirement.
Fear of flying: Rational, irrational, or strategic?
It could be argued that it is a sign of having a functional intellect to feel apprehensive about getting airborne. Humans evolved as land animals. We’re most comfortable on a solid surface at ground level. We seek peace and quiet, especially as we age. Aviation is antithetical to our basic human nature.
Seeking unconventional recruits
If we open the door wide enough, a whole new group of talented, capable, dedicated folks might just walk through it and become pilots.
The view from here
MOSAIC has opened the door for us. Now it’s our turn to walk-out a marketing campaign that lets the other 330 million Americans who don’t fly know that now is their chance to step into a whole new life.
At least 12% of this story is true
It is my belief the engineers at Cessna committed to a secret pact back in 1946. To the best of my knowledge none of them ever spoke of their devious plan for the remainder of their days.
Oops, what now?
Should the worst happen and we find ourselves standing beside an incapacitated airplane in the dark of the early morning hours, at an unfamiliar airport, after sliding off the runway, what should we do?
Secondary matters
Knowing when to head for the pasture and when to continue the flight without a care in the world can make all the difference. There’s no need to tear up a perfectly good airplane in an emergency landing just because a light burned out, a secondary flight control failed, or the person beside you lets their breakfast loose in the cockpit.
The ripple effect goes on
If we are so unfortunate as to mix the very human tendency to be momentarily irresponsible with something as unforgiving as aviation, the pain is expanded beyond ourselves. The collateral damage can last for decades.