I am a Certificated Flight Instructor. I’m proud of that fact. The CFI ticket is a highly sought after indication of capability that opens the door for many of us to our first professional gig as a pilot. It takes considerable study and focus to earn a CFI ticket, or the instrument instructor (CFII), or […]
Politics for Pilots
And a pilot shall lead them
Education is a hot button issue in any election year. Yet it never gets any better, no matter what we’re promised. It’s my impression the electorate merely wants to hear someone make a promise, even if it’s an empty one. They’re looking for a cheerleader. Somebody to toss out platitudes and catch-phrases that give the […]
Video: Hooking the next generation on flying
One of the most enjoyable aspects of my work revolves around the ability to take others aloft in a bright yellow and black Reimagined Cessna 152. The airplane is pretty much a stock C-152, not much different than those you’ve probably logged time in. What separates the airplane I fly from the one you flew […]
Let’s hear it for the team
The act of aviating is often a solitary endeavor. Or at least it appears to be. In truth, there are many hands that go into making a safe flight happen. Certainly the pilot plays a pivotal role, but there are mechanics, and line-service personnel, parts manufacturers, administrators, and so many others who play a role. […]
Top 5 Reasons to Get Airborne
I’ve never really understood why it’s true, but people seem to like lists for some reason. They’re forever buying magazines and clicking on hot links that will take them to The Top 3 Retirement Destinations in America, or The Top 5 Cars For 2016, or The Top 10 Reasons You Should Shop at Ralph’s. It’s […]
United we stand, divided we … you know the rest
The difference between a mob and a group is subtle, but it’s there Often the distinction rests on the organization of the gathering and the leadership that officiates over it. Even with the best of intentions, a peaceful, seemingly docile group of people can be stirred into near hysterics with little more than a rumor […]
A farewell to Bob Lock
Bob Lock was a good ol’ boy, in the best sense of the word. You may have known him. If not, you almost certainly know someone who did. Aviation is a tight-knit, fairly small community of individuals who somehow manage to cross paths with one another somewhere or other as they walk along the road […]
Live your life
In recent months the general population of the western world has been on the receiving end of a series of body blows that have left many of us leaning on the ropes, too weakened to stand fully upright under the onslaught. Death has come to the celebrities we love, and it’s shaken us to our […]
Even with the best of intentions, a good plan is essential
This past Saturday the Central Florida Flying Club (of which I am a member) held its first annual Spring Fling cook-out. We threw the hangar door open to anyone who cared to wander through it. The grill was fired up, the refrigerator was stocked, we rented additional tables and chairs, and even rolled the aircraft out […]