Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport may not be a name that trips off the tongue particularly well. But maybe it should be. Because word has leaked out of the high security vault in that corner of the Florida panhandle that going back to school is going to be a whole heck of a lot more […]
Politics for Pilots
Contact!
In the old days, the word “Contact!” was central to the process of getting things going. The pilot yelled “Contact!” The mechanic then responded in kind while laying hands on the prop. Seconds later, after a grunt, a flip of the prop, and a puff of smoke, an airplane would leap to life. Technology has […]
Lessons from the Cub
There was a particularly compelling event at AirVenture this year. One I wish I had been there to see. Sadly, I was unable to attend. But that puts me in the same boat with many thousands of aviation enthusiasts. I was interested, but from afar. I was motivated, but constrained by circumstance. In short, I […]
How to fill a hangar
How can your airport fill up its empty hangars? Perhaps the most effective method would be to send a pilot or two into the local middle schools and high schools to tell a few stories, pop a slideshow up on the smartboard, and invite a whole bunch of the kids out to the airport. Let […]
Back ups, understudies, and substitutes
Politics shares at least a little bit with baseball — at least in the sense that to get something done politically, you’ll occasionally need to rely on your backup. You see this in the theater, as well. Eventually you’ll find that the main player isn’t available for some reason, so an understudy will step into […]
Malcolm, Heather, and you
Consider this brain-teaser if you will. What do Malcolm Gladwell, Heather Locklear, and you all have in common? Malcolm is, of course, the author of a bestseller “The Tipping Point.” Heather Locklear leapt into the national consciousness as a perky, blonde, ever-smiling actress in the 80s, and you’re already pretty familiar with yourself. So what’s […]
Mind your manners
Years ago when I was writing a weekly column for a local newspaper, a reporter asked me, innocently enough, “Where do you get your ideas from?” He meant well. As a reporter he wasn’t paid to be creative. His bread and butter came from being accurate. That was his comfort level and he did his […]
There are plans afoot
On Friday afternoon I enjoyed an interesting conversation with a big deal muckity-muck from one of the major aviation entities in the business. One of the things we talked about was how we can work together to get more people involved in aviation. We both had ideas, and we both saw merit in what the […]
The big dogs came to town
As the political season heats up with candidates on the stump and spokesmen backing them or tearing them down on television, there is one message that is clear to many of us. We will never personally meet or have a substantive conversation with the individuals at the top of the ticket — not unless we […]