For the past 35 years WAI has held an annual conference where pilots, mechanics, administrators, and more gather in the spirit of career advancement and mentorship. They celebrate their own achievements, revel in each other’s successes, and applaud their peers, as well as the industry that inspires them with real enthusiasm and joy.
I’ll never make the front page
I’m not the best pilot in the world. Nobody who flies with me comes away thinking I’ll challenge the memory of Bob Hoover.
It’s not about the cookies
Can you imagine what would happen if every member of every Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) chapter threw a few bucks into a pot to start a scholarship for a local kid who wants to fly but can’t afford it? What if every local pilot’s association member did the same? Imagine if the businesses we worked for did something similar.
In celebration of those who stir the pot
The electrically powered airplane is as poorly regarded by the wider society today as the gasoline powered airplane was in the early 20th Century or the electrically powered motorcycle today. Yet, electric airplanes are flying all over the world with great success.
Reality can be inconvenient
Accepting reality is not always convenient, but it is a worthy goal. The savings can be considerable in terms of cash — and life itself.
The battle continues: Education vs degree programs
Education is the key to success. There’s no doubt about it. But, does that mean a college degree is an essential component of that success? Does the lack of a B.A., or a B.S., or an MBA behind our name mean we’ll live in a state of lesser potential forevermore? Poppycock, I say.
Ugly and slow, but airworthy
There is one piece of advice I pass along to almost everyone who asks me about flight training. It’s as counter-intuitive today as it was when a CFI gave this same advice to me nearly 40 years ago. It’s also every bit as true as it ever was. It is this: Buy an airplane.
In consideration of the Do point
This is the Do point, not to be confused with the Dew point, which pertains to the weather. It relates to a pilot’s ability, even responsibility, to do something. To make a decision that’s rooted in safety. An action that is based on solid, conservative thought processes designed to keep ourselves, our passengers, and the aircraft safe from harm.
Old friends make good
I’d hoped to fly large multi-engine aircraft built by Boeing and Airbus. I wanted to jaunt off on trips around the world, spend a third of my nights in hotels, and generally live the dream of a commercial airline pilot. But that didn’t happen. Thank goodness, my plans changed.