My intent was to pick up a toy airplane. That’s all. It would take 10 minutes I thought. I’d be in, out, and on my way in no time. How hard could it be to find and buy a toy airplane after all?
Politics for Pilots
An aviation career is more than a numbers game
For many aeronautical hopefuls, the idea of securing a spot in the left seat of an airliner represents the golden ring of career attainment. To be in command of an airliner and draw the platinum plated paychecks that come with that position is so appealing to some of us that we miss the opportunity to smell the flowers along the way. Or the Je-tA.
I am not a volunteer, but maybe you should be
The AOPA Foundation Ambassadors aren’t volunteers, but all three recognize the importance of volunteers to the success of general aviation, whether it’s in a flying club or at EAA AirVenture, the biggest airshow in the world.
Saturday Morning Live
Prior to Covid and the restrictions it has introduced into our lives, I used to lead a Rusty Pilot seminar or two every month. Since March 14, 2020, my peers and I have been doing our best to continue to share a substantially similar presentation, albeit via a webinar format. But I’ve missed the face-to-face experience of presenting good educational material to a live audience.
Evolution, innovation, and then what?
Somewhere in the 1950s the idea of what an airport should be froze as if they were museum pieces, not viable centers of business and industry. That model, while once exciting and modern, is not practical to the world we live in today, more than half a century later. Nor will it be a desirable standard in the future.
Counting Zs…or maybe not
Being tired is nothing new for many of us. Being excessively tired may be a problem for many of us. As pilots, that lack of rest, or good productive sleep, is a real issue of concern.
Bad habits can bite you
During the oral portion of the flight reviews I asked how they gathered weather information prior to taking flight. Some variation of this question is common during the well-planned review. A good, safe, competent pilot should answer with something that involves a call to 1-800-WX-BRIEF, or the use of Internet based weather reporting and forecasting tools. The name Al Roker should not come into play. But it did. And that suggested a problem.
None for me, thanks
Take precautions when faced with risk. Remember that. It’s going to be central to this story.
Power to the people
Electric airplanes are here and while naysayers say they aren’t practical, batteries are too heavy and range is too limited, that’s not what will limit their use and popularity. It’s a ground-bound problem that nobody seems to be facing.