SHORT FINAL By DEBORAH McFARLAND

Like many aviators, I spend some of my free time cruising various aviation forums, and from past experience, I have learned to take what I read with a grain of salt.

Recently, however, it has been kind of difficult to ignore some of the nonsense that makes its way to these sites.

Through the wonderful portal of knowledge that is the Internet, I have been assured that I am dangerous because I utilize the slip. How so, I asked the CFI who forewarned of impending disaster. The slip is a cross-controlled situation, he said. Its use will lead to a stall and spin.

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SHORT FINAL By DEB McFARLAND

Summer officially commands three months on the calendar, but according to Keely’s school calendar, summer only lasts eight weeks, hardly enough time for mind and body to slip gently into summer’s languid rhythms.

This year, I can hardly conjure those memories of simple summer pleasures such as swimming in a pond, bare feet in soft grass and the taste of ice-cold watermelon.

Our summer started in a rush and hasn’t slowed since.

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SHORT FINAL by DEBORAH McFARLAND

I left three loads of laundry on the kitchen table, ready to be folded and put away. Grass needed cutting; tomatoes needed canning. The dog begged to go, but for him, a ride in the truck would have to wait until another day.

Like me, my green Dodge Ram has seen better days. The right front blinker assembly is held together with Gorilla tape, courtesy of a local deer. The back bumper sags a little, a confirmation that the tractor is a stouter piece of machinery. The air conditioner died last year, the passenger door lock refuses to work, but the tires are good, and the engine is maintained. For years, with its fuel tank and pump, it was our fuel truck for the airplanes, but ethanol ended that duty. Now it fuels lawnmowers, weed eaters and chainsaws.

And it does a darned good job getting me to the airport.

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By DEBORAH McFARLAND

My friend, Bob, at the Tom B. David Airport in Calhoun, Ga. (CZL), has been trying to explain to some folks in his town about the ambiance that can be found at the airport. Trying to describe the nuances of aviation to non-aviators can be a tricky business. In particular, Bob would like to differentiate between “a” hangar and “the” hangar.

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