Cannibalism: A cautionary tale

You can consider this post to be a cautionary tale, told in advance of things getting really, truly ugly. I hope you’ll read it carefully, take it seriously, and take it as the motivational tool it is intended to be.

When I was a teenager I had a small flock of chickens. After a year or so I gave them up and turned the birds over to my brother, who expanded the flock considerably. Eventually he grew quite a little business out of the endeavor. By the time he graduated high school he had something like 300 white leghorns out in the barn.

It would seem simple enough to raise chickens. There’s not much to it, really. Throw a little feed in the yard, provide clean water, and collect the eggs on a daily basis. Look at that — one, two, three and you’re a farmer. Then again, there’s the cannibalism to think about. Oh yes, I said cannibalism.

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Going back to school gets specialized

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport may not be a name that trips off the tongue particularly well. But maybe it should be. Because word has leaked out of the high security vault in that corner of the Florida panhandle that going back to school is going to be a whole heck of a lot more interesting for a bunch of high school students this year – thanks to a company named Island Air Express and a guy named Ron Jarmon.

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Contact!

In the old days, the word “Contact!” was central to the process of getting things going. The pilot yelled  “Contact!” The mechanic then responded in kind while laying hands on the prop. Seconds later, after a grunt, a flip of the prop, and a puff of smoke, an airplane would leap to life.

Technology has changed that process a bit. But the need to make contact is as important as ever, in whatever form it takes.

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Lessons from the Cub

There was a particularly compelling event at AirVenture this year. One I wish I had been there to see. Sadly, I was unable to attend. But that puts me in the same boat with many thousands of aviation enthusiasts. I was interested, but from afar. I was motivated, but constrained by circumstance. In short, I was somewhere else and I missed it.

The event I allude to is the Cubs 2 Oshkosh mass fly-in. [Read more...]

How to fill a hangar

How can your airport fill up its empty hangars? Perhaps the most effective method would be to send a pilot or two into the local middle schools and high schools to tell a few stories, pop a slideshow up on the smartboard, and invite a whole bunch of the kids out to the airport. Let me provide a little context for that idea. It’s valid, believe me. But as fixes go, this isn’t a quick one — nor should it be.

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Back ups, understudies, and substitutes

Politics shares at least a little bit with baseball — at least in the sense that to get something done politically, you’ll occasionally need to rely on your backup.

You see this in the theater, as well. Eventually you’ll find that the main player isn’t available for some reason, so an understudy will step into the spotlight to carry the load for a while. The education industry has known this for years. When Ms. Reliable can’t make it one day, her students don’t have to spend the day staring at the wall. Ms. Substitute (or Mr. Substitute) is only a phone call away. Class will be back in session shortly.

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An unexpected mentor

Sitting across the table from a distinguished looking airline pilot who is both youthful and highly experienced, I can’t help but reminisce about the old days. As we chatter away about scheduling, performance, weather issues, family, and mutual friends, I can’t help but remember that this is the man who taught me to fly.

It was this specific individual who introduced me to the secret of doing a decent turn-around-a-point. He walked me through hold entries and my very first ILS approach, not to mention the significantly more challenging and far less precise NDB. He even accompanied me on the trip that resulted in my multi-engine instructor certificate being issued, even if we did participate in sinking a Seminole in a mud hole in the process.

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Malcolm, Heather, and you

Consider this brain-teaser if you will. What do Malcolm Gladwell, Heather Locklear, and you all have in common? Malcolm is, of course, the author of a bestseller “The Tipping Point.” Heather Locklear leapt into the national consciousness as a perky, blonde, ever-smiling actress in the 80s, and you’re already pretty familiar with yourself. So what’s the connection?

Well, in a word, connections. That’s what you all have in common. And, believe it or not, that matters to the future of aviation. Allow me to illustrate.

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Mind your manners

Years ago when I was writing a weekly column for a local newspaper, a reporter asked me, innocently enough, “Where do you get your ideas from?” He meant well.

As a reporter he wasn’t paid to be creative. His bread and butter came from being accurate. That was his comfort level and he did his job well. I, on the other hand, was expected to come up with something fanciful, inspirational, conversational, or controversial on a regular basis. To be perfectly honest it’s not as hard as it might sound. All you really have to do is open your eyes, open your ears, and pay a little attention to the people around you.

One recent example might be the conversation I had with one of the elder statesmen on our field, a real firecracker of a woman who is as sharp in her 80s as most folks are at half her age. She still flies regularly, and even motivates others to get out there and punch a hole in the sky on a regular basis.

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The big dogs came to town

As the political season heats up with candidates on the stump and spokesmen backing them or tearing them down on television, there is one message that is clear to many of us. We will never personally meet or have a substantive conversation with the individuals at the top of the ticket — not unless we have a checking account balance that has a lot of zeros behind it.

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