A friend recently made a comment that has really gotten me thinking. His concept was simple enough. There are a lot of people in the world. Some are well along in their career and doing pretty good. Some are looking at the future with eyes the size of pie-plates wondering, “How am I ever going […]
Politics for Pilots
Stereotypically atypical
Everybody knows that people who are into aviation are rich. They’re spoiled, self-absorbed, 1%-ers who have no regard for what it takes to get by in the real world. Heck, airplanes cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that’s just for the small ones. Yep, pilots and aircraft owners are filthy rich scum who do nothing […]
Go green in 2015 – fly
They came in droves. From all corners of the globe they flowed into rural Wisconsin filling every hotel room for 100 miles. Houses were rented, tents were pitched, and brats found their way onto the grill. AirVenture was the event. Aviation was the draw. Solid connections between people was the end result. It was spectacular, simply spectacular, […]
Growing GA is as simple as 1, 2, 3
The first flying club I ever came across was in Winter Haven, Florida. I was a newly minted flight instructor back then and moved to town for my first flying job. The club was based on a taildragger, a Champ as I recall, although time may have affected my memory on that point. It might […]
Check your bias at the hangar door
There is sometimes a vast disparity between how we see ourselves and how others see us. Generally, we’re kind to ourselves. We understand our inner angst, pat ourselves on the back for being so compassionate, and bear the scars of our emotional baggage with considerable grace. Then again, we may be perceived as bitter, wimpy, […]
Fair warning for Negative Ned and Nancy
There’s a change coming in general aviation. It’s starting small, but it’s growing and if you haven’t seen the effects personally, you almost certainly will in the very near future. If you’re prone to negativity or nay-saying and have a tendency to see the dark cloud in every situation, you might want to find someplace […]
We the (aviation-oriented) people
Occasionally I’ll see a survey online or in a publication that asks readers to select their favorite airplane of all time. I’m sure you’ve seen similar surveys. There’s a good chance you’ve participated in one. I certainly have. Perhaps you’re a minimalist with a love of classic airplanes: Creations of fabric-covered steel tubing with little instrumentation, […]
Technology lost: A very real possibility
Modern society exists in its present form, all over the world, because humans have developed, deployed, and adapted to technologies that make our lives easier, more pleasant, and longer than ever before. Every phase of life is improved to some degree by the availability of technologies we use without the slightest thought. These technologies are […]
The magic number is 30 — for now
The number of pilots in the United States is decreasing. Pretty much anyone who flies is aware of this unfortunate fact. Consider the irony: Although aviation is more ubiquitous than ever and the overall population of the nation is increasing, the number of us who have a valid pilot’s certificate is actually diminishing. In my […]