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Happenstance — Go get some

October 23, 2012 by 3 Comments

I was having lunch last week with a woman who works in the tourism industry. Here in Florida, tourism is a big deal, and so we have folks in the private sector, and the public sector, who are dedicated to making sure travelers know there is plenty to do when they get here.

The list of awesome touristy things to do in the Sunshine State is almost limitless. Fortunately for those of us who are interested in things that fly, our spectacular weather and stunningly diverse offering of aviation centric opportunities has turned Florida into something of an aviation destination for people from all over the planet.

I like that. In fact, it’s the primary reason that I live here.

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Filed Under: Politics for Pilots Tagged With: , , ,

Join the club

October 16, 2012 by 11 Comments

The subject of flying clubs and their relative merit has taken up space in this column before. I’m a believer. The idea of spreading the cost of ownership across eight or 10 or 12 partners in a flying club makes sense. And that’s to say nothing of the social aspects that can be so beneficial in a club atmosphere. The opportunity to have access to multiple club airplanes in exchange for a small investment is appealing, too. In short, clubs have a lot to offer the general aviation pilot.

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Filed Under: Touch & Go Tagged With: , ,

The race to euthanasia

October 9, 2012 by 13 Comments

I received an email over the weekend that stunned me. I don’t use that term lightly, either. I was truly shocked. The opening sentence read, “The fact is GA is just about done for.”

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Filed Under: Politics for Pilots Tagged With: ,

Stand back, Jack

October 2, 2012 by 2 Comments

It goes without saying, of course, but every now and then it’s a good idea to stand down, relax, maybe even take a nap. No matter what you’re working on, or how important you perceive it to be, there is a point of diminishing returns if you push too hard. You’re only human after all. If you don’t periodically stand back, take a break, and revive yourself through a vacation, a cooling off period, or just a diversion to other things, your work will suffer.

That’s true of your efforts on behalf of general aviation, too. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Politics for Pilots Tagged With: , ,

Be persistent, but be there

September 25, 2012 by 2 Comments

Someone asked me recently what I would say if asked for advice about how to be a good advocate for general aviation. The answer is simple — and it doesn’t matter if the advocacy you intend to do is on behalf of general aviation, a local bowling league, or anything else. The advice is the same either way: Be persistent, but be there.

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Filed Under: Politics for Pilots Tagged With: ,

Wait your turn (or don’t)

September 18, 2012 by 1 Comment

The vast majority of us were raised by civilized mothers and fathers. That’s a good thing. We belonged to the Boy Scouts, or the Girl Scouts, or a sports team of some kind. And of course all of us had some sort of educational experience, which almost always consisted of at least one adult who served in a supervisory capacity, some bigger kids, some smaller kids, and you – somewhere in the middle of it all.

The common experience we all shared while involved in those activities was the noble and entirely democratic practice of standing in line, waiting our turn, and behaving ourselves.

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Filed Under: Politics for Pilots Tagged With: ,

The lunch summit

September 12, 2012 by 2 Comments

Believe it or not, I am not universally loved and admired. None of us are, really, so I’m sure you’re not exactly bowled over by this admission. But once you step into the political arena, you more or less guarantee that you’re going to become a target to at least a few folks. Know that up front, but get involved anyway. The industry needs you.

This tendency to turn on anyone who is attempting to do something beneficial is no surprise. Even in the good ol’ days, politicians were reviled more than they were revered. W.C. Fields, the juggler who became an early comic film star said, “Hell, I never vote for anybody, I always vote against.” Not much has changed.

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Filed Under: Airports, Politics for Pilots Tagged With: , , ,

Building a bigger tent

September 4, 2012 by 2 Comments

With the Republican convention only days behind us, and the Democratic convention going on this week, this is the obvious opportunity to take a lesson from their play books. Because whether you subscribe to this one or that one, you have to admit the elephants and donkeys have been exceptionally successful for many years at exactly one thing: They stay in the driver’s seat year after year, fending off challengers with the ease a well-waxed airplane sheds raindrops in flight. And they both accomplish that feat by using the exact same method. They work hard to build a big tent, and then build it even bigger at every opportunity.

In contrast, let’s consider ourselves — general aviation community. We are a minority. A small minority, actually. Very small. We are also undeniably shrinking. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Politics for Pilots Tagged With: , , , ,

The diamond effect

August 27, 2012 by 3 Comments

Baseball is a very simple game. As has been said so often, you throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball. That’s pretty much it. Except for the head work, of course. Anyone who has ever played the game can tell you, you’ve got to get your head in the game if you want to win.

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Filed Under: Politics for Pilots Tagged With: ,

The high cost of pinching pennies

August 22, 2012 by 5 Comments

Everybody loves a bargain. I know I do. Heck, I may be the cheapest guy you’ll ever meet. But there is a cost associated with saving a dollar or two – and the general aviation crowd may not notice how dear that cost can be until it’s too late.

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Filed Under: FBO, Politics for Pilots Tagged With: , , , ,