For some time now I’ve been singing the praises of the flying club. Not any particular flying club, mind you — although there are some excellent examples out there — just flying clubs in general. They work. ‘Nuff said. Don’t believe me? Read on. Here’s the skinny on flying clubs. They provide the pilot, or the student, an […]
Politics for Pilots
Aviation gets its cool back
For the past week I have been acting in a very non-Floridian fashion. While the typical Sunstate dweller seeks shade and close proximity to a pool, I have been standing beside large expanses of pavement soaking up the sun with gusto. My excuse is a good one, however. I was at SUN ‘n FUN, the […]
Have you ever considered teaching?
You may have heard somewhere that a pilot shortage is looming. Personally, I believe that rumor to be true. I also believe there will be challenges in finding qualified people to fill skilled positions as aircraft mechanics, engineers, designers, administrators, and maybe even line personnel. The future is a blank slate. However, we can affect […]
Do unto others, and all that sort of thing
You know the drill. The neighbors complain about the airport because it’s populated entirely by spoiled, rich white guys who get their kicks by flying low over the neighborhood and making lots of noise. We can disagree, we can explain, we can put thousands of hours of effort into going door to door to tell […]
Go where your heart takes you
It will come as no shock to regular readers of this column that I am on a mission. My goal, and yes I have absolutely chosen to accept it, is to shepherd as many aviation enthusiasts into the industry as full participants as I possibly can. If they learn to fly, that’s great. But if […]
Anachronism or genius?
The world of 100 years ago was quite different than the one we inhabit today. There was no central heat or air-conditioning back then. Private dwellings and places of business were drafty and cold, or insufferably hot, depending on the season. Distances were covered on foot, or on horseback, or in a wagon that bumped […]
One becomes two, then becomes a movement
While there are plenty of reasons to hang your head and lament the difficulty of making a difference in your community, it is not impossible to have a positive effect. Hard? You betcha. Impossible? Not hardly. There is reason for real hope even when the hill seems unimaginably steep and the burden feels too heavy […]
The secret is out — finally
Shhhh. I’m going to trust you to keep this to yourself. It’s a secret. It has been for years. Yet, I’m going to tell you the truth. Here. Now. Only a few sentences hence. Now, if I’m going to be completely honest, I have to admit the paragraph you just read is hyperbole. I’ve used […]
New friends, old friends, and cherished memories
Later this week I’ll be flying from Lakeland, Florida to Lowcountry Regional Airport in South Carolina. I’m flying there in a shiny, nearly new, totally rebuilt Cessna 152. As hard as it may be to believe, I’ll be meeting a new friend who will be flying an almost identical airplane in from the frozen north. […]