Believe it or not, even the most complex things can ultimately be broken down to a remarkably simple origin. Take your house, for example. While it may seem somewhat ordinary to you, a person who lived in an earlier time would be fascinated by the almost magical qualities of the amenities and gadgets you live […]
Politics for Pilots
The lure of the $10 hamburger
No, I did not leave a zero off in the title to this piece. Although general aviators have long joked about the lure of the $100 hamburger, I think it is time we downsized, right-sized, and economized our way into a larger population. So I recommend the $10 hamburger. It’s available for a tenth the […]
General aviation is awesome
Hurricane Sandy made a mess of the northeast last week. More than 20 states were lambasted by wind and rain, while snow piled up in West Virginia. From Georgia to Maine, weather that nobody was happy to see came their way anyhow. There will be more to come, too. There always is. It comes year […]
Don’t reinvent the wheel
In the great pantheon of mottos there may be none more pertinent than this: Don’t reinvent the wheel. It’s short. It’s pithy. It’s easy to remember. Maybe best of all, it’s true. So with that in mind, I will make this suggestion: If you are a fan of general aviation, if you believe human beings […]
Happenstance — Go get some
I was having lunch last week with a woman who works in the tourism industry. Here in Florida, tourism is a big deal, and so we have folks in the private sector, and the public sector, who are dedicated to making sure travelers know there is plenty to do when they get here. The list […]
GAN’s own Jamie Beckett wins AOPA’s Let’s Go Flying Award
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has named Jamie Beckett, our Politics for Pilots blogger, recipient of its 2012 Let’s Go Flying Award, for his efforts in promoting and defending general aviation. The award was presented Thursday during the AOPA Aviation Summit in Palm Springs, Calif. Beckett’s love of aviation began early as the […]
The race to euthanasia
I received an email over the weekend that stunned me. I don’t use that term lightly, either. I was truly shocked. The opening sentence read, “The fact is GA is just about done for.” That got my attention. Not only is that a sentiment I disagree with entirely, it is a position that I cannot […]
Stand back, Jack
It goes without saying, of course, but every now and then it’s a good idea to stand down, relax, maybe even take a nap. No matter what you’re working on, or how important you perceive it to be, there is a point of diminishing returns if you push too hard. You’re only human after all. […]
Be persistent, but be there
Someone asked me recently what I would say if asked for advice about how to be a good advocate for general aviation. The answer is simple — and it doesn’t matter if the advocacy you intend to do is on behalf of general aviation, a local bowling league, or anything else. The advice is the […]