The year was 1606. King James of England (and Scotland) boldly authorized a group of entrepreneurial types to cross the Atlantic in a leaky wooden boat in search of gold, timber, and a route across the New World to the Pacific, by water. The party consisted of 104 brave souls, all bent on bettering their […]
Politics for Pilots
An impressive return on investment
Something interesting is happening in General Aviation. It’s largely being driven at the grass root level, and frankly these developments fascinate and encourage me. The industry has noted a loss of participation in past decades, with fewer active pilots taking to the skies. We’ve bemoaned this reality for years. While some point a finger at […]
Eggs, basket, uh-oh
We all know the classic adage “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” It’s simple advice. Perhaps too simple, because people still ignore it, no matter how obvious the repercussions of running afoul of it might be. The latest and greatest example I’ve encountered happened just the other day here in central Florida. And […]
Expect the unexpected
Like so many general aviation pilots, I found myself some years ago with very limited options for renting aircraft. Whenever I found a company that was willing to rent to the public, I found the price was high, the service was poor, the aircraft were less than inviting, and I never felt particularly valued as […]
The King of Cancellations
Like you, I have on occasion cancelled a dentist appointment. Even at the last minute, with almost no warning, I’ve cancelled plans to attend a wedding or a birthday party. A friend of mine just cancelled a dinner he had been planning. Cancellations happen. We might be disappointed, but we adapt. We overcome the sorrow […]
Respect the two great intangibles
It is a basic human drive to acquire things. Historically, this ambition has been used as a means of showing affluence. Mr. Smith owns a tidy three-bedroom, one-bath house, which causes Mr. Jones to set his sights on a bigger, more opulent home. Mrs. Pierce drives a new mid-line sedan, sparking Mrs. Snyder to purchase […]
There’s an opening in the public sector
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, only a couple months from now, local elections will be held across the continent. These races will result in new faces and old faces being sworn in to sit on city commissions, county commissions, state boards, and to fill a slew of mayoral seats. These are the people who will be […]
Forget the why, focus on the how
I spent my Saturday productively, standing at the front of the Eickhoff Conference Room at SUN ‘n FUN, leading a donut and coffee fueled group of Rusty Pilots back through the intricacies of airspace, weather reports, and right of way rules. It was great. We spent three hours together laughing, learning, and sharing a few personal […]
You can change the future, one hour at a time
A friend recently made a comment that has really gotten me thinking. His concept was simple enough. There are a lot of people in the world. Some are well along in their career and doing pretty good. Some are looking at the future with eyes the size of pie-plates wondering, “How am I ever going […]