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For the good of the order

December 9, 2010 by 10 Comments

Jamie Beckett is a CFI and A&P mechanic who stepped into the political arena in an effort to promote and protect GA at his local airport.

Patrick Henry, a man who knew a thing or two about standing up when the chips were down, famously spoke the words, “United we stand, divided we fall.” He made that critical point in his last public speech, in 1799. Keep that in mind for a moment. I’ll come back to it shortly.

That quote came to mind earlier this week when I received an e-mail from a General Aviation News reader who took me to task for using the term “steam gauges” in reference to round, analog gauges that are still mounted in the panels of many thousands of aircraft. He took the term as a slight, which was certainly not my intent. In fact, I am an official, old guy. I like round faces with clearly visible indicators mounted in their center. Steam gauges forever, I say! [Read more...]

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A time for reflection

November 30, 2010 by 2 Comments

Jamie Beckett is a CFI and A&P mechanic who stepped into the political arena in an effort to promote and protect GA at his local airport.

This time of year, more than any other, strikes me as a good time for reflection on the world around us. Sandwiched in between the traditional Thanksgiving feast and the good intentions of our New Year’s resolutions, we each have a brief period of time to look back, or look around, and renew our awareness of what is good and noble and worthwhile in our world.

In this space I generally try to make a point or two about how the aviation community can help itself in the political arena. But in this installment, I will depart from that theme somewhat to shine a light on a gentleman who seeks no fame or public recognition at all. We should all be aware of him anyway — and we should keep in mind that he is not alone. The subject of this posting is Jack Cheppo, an unassuming and unfailingly tidy gentleman who I am fortunate to have met and formed a friendship of sorts.

Jack is fond of shrugging lightly as he finishes a story, tossing in a quick, “Anybody could’a done it.” I beg to differ.

Jack spent his career working for AT&T in the days before the big telephone break-up. New Jersey was his home turf an based on his demeanor and level of personal and professional responsibility, I suspect Jack was very good at his job. But being a telephone man isn’t what makes Jack a giant in my eyes. It was his time in the left seat of a B-17 bomber over Europe, and his almost casual dismissal of any praise that comes his way in conversations about his exploits in the air.

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Coming clean in the TSA era

November 23, 2010 by 9 Comments

Jamie Beckett is a CFI and A&P mechanic who stepped into the political arena in an effort to promote and protect GA at his local airport.

The conversation turned to the TSA at my morning coffee gathering today. Pretty much everyone at the table flies for business or pleasure, at least occasionally. So it is no wonder that scattered amongst the chatter about local, state, and federal government shenanigans, the recently implemented grope-fest going on at airports all across the United States should come up.

Opinions differed as to how each person felt about the latest security measures. Eventually the focus shifted to me, the pilot in the group. Which caused me to admit publicly what I seldom speak of. The truth is this: I don’t fly commercial. Not ever. Not for any reason. I just don’t. [Read more...]

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Change is afoot at the GA Caucus

November 16, 2010 by 2 Comments

Jamie Beckett is a CFI and A&P mechanic who stepped into the political arena in an effort to promote and protect GA at his local airport.

In all the hubbub that filled our televisions and newspapers following Election Day, there was very little said about the General Aviation Caucus. That’s no surprise really. Most Americans aren’t aware there is a General Aviation Caucus. In fact, most aviation enthusiasts aren’t aware there is a General Aviation Caucus. But there is. In fact, it’s quite large, including members from more than 40 states.

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Service with a smile

November 10, 2010 by 1 Comment

Jamie Beckett is a CFI and A&P mechanic who stepped into the political arena in an effort to promote and protect GA at his local airport.

It’s a simple concept. Be kind and courteous to your customers, and they’ll remain your customers for a good long time. Even better, they’ll be inclined to tell their friends and neighbors what a satisfying experience it is to be your customer – which essentially turns your customers into a volunteer arm of your marketing team.

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Going aggressive vs. being assertive

November 1, 2010 by 1 Comment

Jamie Beckett is a CFI and A&P mechanic who stepped into the political arena in an effort to promote and protect GA at his local airport.

One of the big lessons to come from this year’s political battles has hardly been noticed in the press, but it’s such an important aspect of conflict resolution that I think it deserves a public airing, right here, right now. We’ve heard enough chest-thumping, seen enough fist-pumping, and have no need for another talking head blowing off steam with vigor – even if they never find themselves even briefly in the neighborhood of answering the question they were asked.

It’s time that we reviewed the difference between being aggressive and being assertive. One is meant to intimidate an opponent, while the other is used to advocate a position. Put another way, the former is dangerously close to belligerence, although the latter might be reasonably described as emphatically explaining a particular perspective. [Read more...]

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It’s all about potential

October 26, 2010 by 1 Comment

Jamie Beckett is a CFI and A&P mechanic who stepped into the political arena in an effort to promote and protect GA at his local airport. You can reach him at Jamie@GeneralAviationNews.com.

Aviation enthusiasts, perhaps more than any other group, have a unique insight into the potential of the private sector and personal ingenuity. A good case can be made to include the medical community having that same insight. But the general public can verify the significant advances in aviation by doing nothing more complex than looking up to follow the sound of an aircraft passing overhead. It’s considerably more difficult to personally witness advancements in cancer detection or thoracic surgery. Aviation is somewhat less icky, too. [Read more...]

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Change is constant, progress is not

October 19, 2010 by 5 Comments

Jamie Beckett is a CFI and A&P mechanic who stepped into the political arena in an effort to promote and protect GA at his local airport. You can reach him at Jamie@GeneralAviationNews.com.

The suggestion that aviation has changed over the past several decades will surprise no one. It obviously has. However, the disparity between the positive change, and the debatable change, is worthy of public discussion. So why not get the ball rolling here? [Read more...]

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Nobles among us

October 12, 2010 by 1 Comment

Jamie Beckett is a CFI and A&P mechanic who stepped into the political arena in an effort to promote and protect GA at his local airport.

I spent Friday and Saturday last week moderating a special event at Fantasy of Flight, the site of Kermit Weeks’ personal aircraft collection, in Polk City, Florida. The two-day symposium was titled, “Triumph over Tragedy, Airmen in Captivity: The POW Experience.” And it was there that I was fortunate enough to meet and interact with four gentlemen who absolutely deserve every ounce of respect I can give them.

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Speaking of politics and pilots

October 4, 2010 by 4 Comments

Jamie Beckett is a CFI and A&P mechanic who stepped into the political arena in an effort to promote and protect GA at his local airport.

It was my great pleasure to meet one of the gubernatorial candidates running in Florida, a few weeks ago. His name is Rick Scott. He’s been in the news a fair amount down my way. Perhaps you are familiar with him?

I thought I was reasonably familiar with him, too. But it was still a real kick to have the opportunity to attend a get-together where I would have the chance to actually meet and speak with him for a moment while he campaigned through the central part of the state. So I went to meet a potential governor of Florida, with an open mind, a cheery smile, and a sense of real optimism. For all it’s weaknesses and flaws, I am an enormous fan of the American system of government. We routinely see peaceful transitions of power from one party to another. In fact the social change that has occurred in my half-century on the planet has been nothing short of mind-boggling. [Read more...]

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