Today is a good day to brag a bit. With the SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In and Expo in the rearview mirror, it’s a great time to celebrate where we are as an industry, because there is a lot going right in general aviation these days. So let’s take a moment to recognize just a […]
Politics for Pilots
The circus is more than just a circus
It’s an American tradition that continues unabated, thank goodness. Kids start smiling a little wider in the weeks before the big day. Neighborhood dogs pick up on the excitement, wagging their tails with abandon. Moms and dads prepare for days of high strung adventure, followed by the easily predictable collapse of exhausted young ‘uns. Wait […]
Willfully distracted and pointlessly engaged
My local coffee shop has been abuzz with conversations about the same top news story that’s dominated the chatter at yours, I’m sure: Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. It seems every news channel on television has dedicated untold hours of coverage to the story, while newspapers have filled innumerable column inches with every rumor that comes […]
The great ones use leverage
A fairly bright man from the ancient world said something to the effect of give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum to place it on, and I can move the world. Admittedly, it’s been at least 2,200 years since Archimedes supposedly uttered these words. So allowing for transcription errors and smudged copies, I’ve […]
General aviation in the marketplace
Last week the news broke that Fantasy of Flight, the aviation-themed attraction in the heart of central Florida, was closing. That was the message most people got, even if it is slightly skewed from the announcement the company intended. Those who read the full story (included the one by Drew Steketee right here in General […]
Can LSAs go commercial?
It’s a regulatory certainty that Light-Sport Aircraft cannot be used in commercial operations. Sure, the LSA category is fast growing. Yes, it’s permeated the marketplace well enough that LSAs can be found on fields across the land. Admittedly, the aircraft are designed and built to a standard that is as high — if not higher […]
When the obvious is not obvious
What’s obvious and beneficial to one person may be a total mystery to another. Put another way, you have to have a frame of reference if you’re going to make use of the tools available to you. That’s true whether the tools you’re working with are tangible or intangible. They may be physical items or […]
Clearing obstacles
Making great progress isn’t worth much if you don’t know where that progress will lead. There’s an old joke about travel that ends with the subject proclaiming, “I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m making good time.” It’s funny because the listener knows innately that traveling quickly in an unknown direction is pointless. For […]
A distraction for the species
A debate of epic proportions took place last week. Streamed live via the Internet, the audience was massive and motivated. Each debater was bolstered by their respective armies of supporters and intellectual warriors. The concepts being addressed were critical to all humanity — or so the hype would have us believe. Evolution or creationism, which […]