At the very top of the pilot pyramid is the Airline Transport Pilot certificate. It takes time to earn that ticket. A lot of time, a lot of effort, a deep understanding of the nuances of flight, and the ability to truly take command of an aircraft large enough to require a crew to keep […]
Politics for Pilots
Fit for flight
As I write this column I am just a bit uncomfortable. I have a strip of flexible blue tape wrapped around my left elbow, holding a small gauze pad in place, which in turn covers a hole in my skin where blood was drained out, about an hour ago. I go through this three times […]
The problem with procrastination
Although it’s not a normal component of my nature, I spent the bulk of last week procrastinating on an industrial scale. I did almost nothing — nothing productive at least. I ate, as I tend to do. I visited a bar or two and sampled the local wares. I ate again. And I’ll say it here […]
How to haggle for the holidays, and beyond
At the coffee shop this morning my friend John raised a few eyebrows with this comment: “I don’t know of a single high school or college that offers a course in negotiation.” John’s a very successful businessman who knows a thing or two about negotiation. His concern is well placed. Let that hang there for […]
I quit
Here’s an unsettling statistic. Of the thousands upon thousands of prospective pilots who begin flight training each year, approximately 80% give up before reaching their goal. Yep, eight in 10 flight students throw in the towel, give up on their dream, and settle for living something less than the life they’d dreamed. Now imagine that you run […]
The torch will be passed…Who will pick it up?
Tom Davis is a force of nature. If you are fortunate enough to ever wander through the doors of the FBO at Crystal River Airport-Tom Davis Field (yes, the airport is named for the man who runs it), you’ll see a bright, clean, well appointed facility that’s festooned with model airplanes. They are everywhere. Plastic […]
An open door is all it takes
On one end of the general aviation spectrum, we have the business jet. A multi-million dollar piece of equipment that represents years of research and design work, many thousands of man hours dedicated to construction, and perhaps an equivalent amount in maintenance over the life of the aircraft. And during that lifetime these sleek machines […]
Packing it in
With deference to Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, who seems to be built of sterner stuff than the average human being, the rest of us will have to one day face the grim reality of packing it in. The greatest pitchers, hitters, passers, and receivers will all have to walk off the field of […]
On a scale of 1 to 10…
General aviation airports are my happy place. There’s no denying that. Often I stop into my hangar just to sit peacefully in the usually quiet confines of the non-towered airport environment I call home. Sometimes a friend drops by to pass the time of day, or share an interesting tidbit of information, or ask for […]