This is the Do point, not to be confused with the Dew point, which pertains to the weather. It relates to a pilot’s ability, even responsibility, to do something. To make a decision that’s rooted in safety. An action that is based on solid, conservative thought processes designed to keep ourselves, our passengers, and the aircraft safe from harm.
Old friends make good
I’d hoped to fly large multi-engine aircraft built by Boeing and Airbus. I wanted to jaunt off on trips around the world, spend a third of my nights in hotels, and generally live the dream of a commercial airline pilot. But that didn’t happen. Thank goodness, my plans changed.
Local safety procedures are not to be ignored
The erosion of safety in flight is not the fault of the FAA or your state’s Department of Transportation. The risks we’re seeing at non-towered airports are of our own making. A minority of us seem to be insistent that they are free to act without regard for others.
Does DEI have a place in aviation?
It’s time for us to put our individual anger and bitterness behind us. The talent pool of folks who are finding their way into aviation is growing. Some of these new entrants look familiar, some look different. It makes no difference. If they can meet the training requirements, gain the experience, and show proficiency in their chosen field, they deserve a green light from those of us who came before. More than that, they deserve our acceptance and encouragement.
Patience and persistence pay off
There’s another one out there. Another airplane. Another airport. Another kid who wants to find their way inside the fence to see if aviation is a good fit. I’m pretty sure those of us lucky enough to be players in this industry have the potential to persist and remain patient in our efforts to grow and improve the industry. If we do that, I’m confident everything will work out just fine.
The woes of winter
Regardless of what you think constitutes uncomfortably cold, winter brings risks to us all. That’s true when driving over a combination of packed snow and ice to an intersection near the bottom of a downhill grade, and it’s true when we climb into an airplane to fly through that thick, clear winter air.
Stay in your lane
The doctor in a 2023 turbocharged Cirrus doesn’t get the right of way over a student pilot in a 1950s trainer simply because the aircraft is more impressive. There are rules about this sort of thing. We would do well to stay in our lane, follow the rules, and respect those who share the skies and the airport facilities with us.
Family brings the future into reality
The Wright brothers did the impossible, which then became the improbable. Eventually transitioning into the realm of the mundane with flights being so common, safe, and affordable that virtually everyone you or I know has flown. That wasn’t true when I was a kid. It was absolute fantasy when Orville was a child.
A tale of two towers
Frederick Municipal Airport in Maryland has two towers: A modern one that keeps things flowing safely at the airport. The old tower has been transformed into a restaurant that captures the history of the airport.